The Charge

A horror-comedy that tugs at your heart…then devours it!

The Case

After accidentally backing over his girlfriend with his car, Steve (Brett Kelly, The Feral Man) uses an ancient spell to revive her. Something apparently goes screwy, because Amy (Caitlin Delaney) is resurrected as a zombie. Amy, who before her death was a staunch vegetarian, quickly develops a taste for flesh. Fearing for the safety of everyone around them, Steve grabs Amy and heads for a buddy's cabin, thinking they'll be safe until he can figure out exactly what the heck to do. Unbeknownst to Steve, several of his friends have also decided to spend the weekend at the cabin.

My Dead Girlfriend is a one-joke movie; unfortunately, the one joke isn't a very good one. After Amy has been killed (in what is undoubtedly the most illogical death scene since Goose smacked his noggin on the canopy in Top Gun) and then revived, Steve spends the rest of the movie trying to hide the fact that Amy is a zombie. Luckily for him, his friends are complete idiots, so they buy his cockamamie lies. Amy's sick. Amy's tired. Amy's hopped up on painkillers. Amy hasn't been getting much sun lately. There's your one joke: Amy's a zombie, but only Steve knows it. Hilarious, huh? Nope. It's lame and clichéd.

Director/editor/star Brett Kelly has been churning out his little no-budget epics for several years now, and while it's clear he has some talent, the movies never rise above mediocrity. Sure, they are better than most do-it-yourself fare, but that's not saying much. Kelly doesn't really make a movie; it's more like he almost makes a movie (if that makes any sense). The main problems with these flicks are the writing and the acting, both of which are usually provided courtesy of Kelly's friends, and both of which are decidedly amateurish. It would take financial and (especially) artistic resources far beyond what Kelly has at his disposable to overcome these problems, and it's highly unlikely he will be able to stake any sort of claim if he continues relying on his less-than-talented cronies to help him achieve his vision.

The full frame transfer is quite grainy at times, and artifacting is noticeable on several occasions. The stereo soundtrack sounds more like a mono mix; dialogue is always clear and intelligible. Extras include an entertaining, jocular, self-deprecating commentary from Kelly, composer Howard Sonnenburg, make-up man Ralph Gethings, and assistant director Jodi Pittman. You also get ten minutes of pat-everyone-else-on-the-back interviews, a blooper reel, a couple of deleted scenes, a short film directed by and starring Kelly, and trailers for other Tempe releases.

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