Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies (aka Kudzu Zombies) (2017)-Fitz of Horror Review

Written by Bryan Fitzgerald (Fitz of Horror) March 10, 2018

I’m not gonna lie, I went into this one with the lowest of low expectations but that could be the exact same reason I liked it so much! Director Mark Newton‘s  Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies (aka Kudzu Zombies) doesn’t do anything besides try to have fun and it succeeds on every level. ASFZ has the feel of a few zombie classics that came before it, mainly Uncle Sam, The Dead Next Door and I Drink Your Blood. The actors are very aware of what kind of movie this is and carry out their roles to near perfection, not too dry or over the top but still of a level that plays well in this style of independent horror effort. The production value was much higher than I expected and featured some pretty decent cinematography in spots and a mix of above average practical FX with some “not fooling anybody” CGI gun shots, bombs and zombie kills (on par with The Walking Dead though) but this was 100% forgivable because of the overall fun vibe of the movie.

I love the posters they made for this movie too!

Synopsis-Lonnie, a crop duster pilot, must lead a mismatched group of survivors to escape the deadly zombie horde after an experimental chemical, intended to control the invasive kudzu vine, transforms the citizens of Charleston, MS into zombies. 

The movie begins with a newsflash of nationwide epidemic of sorts due to spreading Kudzu (a quick-growing eastern Asian climbing plant with reddish-purple flowers, used as a fodder crop and for erosion control. It has become a pest in the southeastern US.). Now some scientists have created a chemical that is supposed to eradicate the problem plants but after Lonnie (Timothy Haug) spreads this chemical over the local area they are about to have much bigger and more aggressive issues.

After a few of the town knuckleheads led by Robbie (Moses J. Moseley) go to a local weed dealers house in the swamp to relieve him of some product they discover he isn’t who he used to be because after they realized that he was dead he rose and bit one of the boys sparking a chase where they inadvertently lead this undead drug dealer to town and just in time for the yearly music and food festival.

In town amidst the fighting for meat pie supremacy and overall “okiedokery” we start to find out that this chemical isn’t just on the plants but in the things that eat the plants and the herb that people smoke. By this time our suddenly decomposed zombie reaches the town and festival and all hell breaks loose.

I can’t say enough how much fun I thought this movie was and I couldn’t help but think after seeing it that had this movie been made in the 80s or early 90s, it would no doubt be considered a classic of the genre by now. As with the movies I compared it to earlier, Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies goes straight up old school with its use of green oozing zombie blood and its all out zombie madness in the climax where zombies are getting dispatched in a variety of fun and gruesome ways (even by airplane propeller). There are several homages to older genre movies so keep an ear and eye open for those.

Go into this one with an open mind and just expect to have fun. It’s an independent zombie movie that is very aware of its shortcomings due to budget and it is full of plot holes but that is what gives it its charm. One of the best ways to support indie horror is to not be so damn “Judgey”, dumb down a bit and just enjoy the effort put forth by the filmmakers.

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