When Aristotle emphasised the importance of spectacle in his bestseller ‘The Poetics,’ the philosopher probably wasn’t expecting that merely 2.344 years later, a two million US dollar grossing film would be based around Nazi zombies. He would be even more shocked, perhaps, knowing that only one year later, the sequel would fetch just under $40,000. Clearly—to Aristotle’s dismay—spectacle does not guarantee success.
The picture in question, ‘Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead,’ revolves around a group of SS zombies rising from a glacier after some unassuming hikers accidentally steal their gold. It must be said that said plot—while obviously scientifically impossible—is also historically inaccurate. While the Nazi party did stop in Iceland during WWII, it’s unlikely that any Nazis ended up on a glacier, since they immediately left the country, which they described as a “great disappointment,” full of pathetic drunk Jew-loving savages.
Saga Films, an Icelandic production company, funded the film, which is shot entirely within the country. There are grizzly battles shot in the valley of Botnsdalur and the town of Eyrarbakki, as well as a human/zombie sex scene filmed in the cemetery of Úlfljótsvatnskirkja, which is naturally soundtracked by Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart.’
Heil Hitler! … and brains!
A particularly touching moment occurs in the cemetery of Kotstrandarkirkja, when a bumbling priest exits his church only to find a crowd of bloody national socialist zombies. Unfortunately God provides no refuge for the holy–perhaps a political statement on the plight of the Holocaust Jews—and he is brutally axed down next to the altar, his blood artfully splattering a crucifix. Next to him, Jesus cries blood from a stained glass window. The priest is then, obviously, turned into a zombie—much like his saviour, Jesus Christ. He stands up and salutes Hitler. Naturally.
While the film is without a doubt horror porn, the picturesque locations make it a nice specimen of Icelandic nature porn as well. So if you’ve got a strong stomach or a fetish for World War II villains, ‘Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead’ might just be your thing.
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