Summary: A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies.

Best Nazi Zombie Film I've Ever Seen (Sorry Shockwaves)
Reviewed by Gavin Schmitt

A group of young Norwegians are camping in the mountains, when a mysterious visitor shows up and tells them the history of the region: oh no! It turns out that the area was full of Nazis, and they have a hidden treasure. Things go from bad to worse when the treasure is found. There could be some debate whether or not these are actual "zombies" in the Romero sense. The film geek, Erland, warns them not to get bitten, but there is no real evidence that bites will turn you into a zombie (or a Nazi). These could be simply evil incarnate or dybbuks or something. Who knows? At the very least, they are closer to voodoo zombies than infection zombies (and, based on the way the blood spurts, they apparently still have pulses). That discussion aside, the film is really good. It is not extremely well plotted out, but if you want a blood-and-guts horror film, this is for you. The one character, Erland again, has a "Braindead" t-shirt on, and that really sums up the vein of this film. Horror and gore comedy, through and through. You might find plot holes about the Nazis, but ignore them. You will see the most disturbing sex scene, but roll with it. And be impressed when one woman escapes an avalanche, despite not being part of the conversation on escaping avalanches. Norway is starting to get something of a horror niche. A few years ago, the country produced "Naboer", which is a dark psychological tale and vastly under-viewed by moviegoers. And now this one -- with less substance, but more fun. Seriously, you know you were interested as soon as you heard "Nazi zombies", right? Despite the slower first half, it more than makes up for this in the second. During my second viewing of this film (at the wonderful House of Horrors in Oshkosh), another person in the crowd remarked that this is a remake of "Leprechaun". While this is obviously not true, it is an interesting way to view the film... I assume that reference was not intentional. I recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed "Braindead" or "Evil Dead II" (both of which are given a healthy homage) or films of that nature, with an emphasis on blood and humor. As long as you do not mind subtitles, this is one that will probably remain on the cult radar for quite a while.

Reviewed by Cory von Chaos

When Norway comes to mind, you think of majestic mountains, rolling rivers, and lush scenery. Then there's the side where the grass isn't so green, after all. Legend has it that during World War 2, the infamous Nazi General Herzog and his men occupied a small town in the foothills of Norway. For 3 long years, they would enjoy said reign of terror. Until one fateful night, where 300 residents would take on the depleted Nazi regime and overthrow Herzog and his men. Some perished, while others were driven deep into the mountains and were believed to be dead. Apparently the storyteller never saw "Zombie Lake". After a random attack on a female skier, "Dead Snow" begins like so many other horror movies with the "isolation" angle where whatever can go wrong, will. In fact the film parodies itself in the first 5 minutes with the exact same self-awareness. A group of 6 medical students take a sabbatical in a Norwegian winter wonderland. Exploring their surroundings, there's little cause for alarm, other than their missing friend. A random camper shows up at their door, questioning their motives, and clues them in to the reputation that the area has bore for many decades. A piece of Nazi occupied Norway, General Herzog's story falls on deaf ears, as the group indulges in the finer vacation staples, i.e. pilsner beer, sex in an outhouse, Twister. After stumbling upon a lock-box of vintage treasures in their cabin, the evil of which the visitor spoke, is awakened. From the wind-driven snowbanks, General Herzog and his undead SS legion descend upon the cabin where, in typical Nazi fashion, they'll pillage, mutilate, gush blood, maybe tear a few limbs off. The norm. "Dead Snow" reached cult status before it even left the film festivals on which it was screened. The movie went viral, bootlegs abound, and praise was dumped on it by the truckload. The brainchild of Tommy Wirkola and 4 small independent film studios, in late February, "Dead Snow" was ready for American consumption by way of IFC Films. From the opening score, "In The Hall of the Mountain King", penned by the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, you knew this movie was going to be an absolute romp. The characters were fun, each of which had their own identity, and were always "in" on the preposterity of the film, a la "Shaun of the Dead". Speaking of homages, this, too, is full of them, the likes of which I won't spoil. Don't be surprised if the girls featured in the film don't make their way to the "Girls of Horror" forum right here at KillerForums.com as well. "Dead Snow" is a well polished, finely tuned indie monster of a zombie film. Shot in HD with immaculate shooting locations, an incredible authenticity in the Nazi soldiers uniforms, a smart and funny script, the film was delicious, and left me wanting to lick the realistic looking plasma right off of my HDTV. American filmmakers; Step your game up, because in the Horror Olympics, on the heels of "Let the Right One In", Norway is on the verge of capturing the gold.

Zombies and Nazis go together like chocolate and peanut butter
Reviewed by GregMO ROberts

What do you get when you cross Nazi’s and Zombies? A bloody damn good time it would seem after viewing the Norwegian horror Dead Snow that was previewed at the 2009 Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Taking place in the remote snowy Norwegian Hills, we are introduced to our cast of expendable characters that have ventured to the remote cottage as part of an Easter ski vacation. All signs point to a romping good time. They snowmobile, have snowball fights and play twister all to a rock and roll musical score. What fun. The setting would lend more to a sexual teenage comedy, until nightfall that is. When the sun goes down, the first fright of the film comes innocently enough with the introduction of a strange old man who ventures upon the cottage and plays the part as seen in millions of horror movies as the mysterious man who warns the group of their eventual fate – “The terrain is the least of your worries. Things have happened here. Things the people don’t like to talk about”. He goes on to explain how a German troop in WWII lead by Colonel Herzog who tortured and killed the locals. Over time, the locals had had enough and gathered all the weapons they could find and they ambushed the Nazi’s one night. Herzog and a few soldiers were able to escape where they ran to the hills and likely froze to death. “There’s evil here”, he goes on to warn. Stupid old man should have taken his own advice. The story unfolds without real surprises. The group splits up as people are want to do in horror/life-and-death situations and the zombies appear in full Nazi gear to terrorize and rip apart their victims. That’s where the fun really begins. Dead Snow was directed by Tony Wirkola who wrote and directed the awful Kill bill spoof, Kill Buljo: The Movie. But where Buljo looked unpolished, Dead Snow looks and feels like it was in the hands of a master of the genre. Blood spills and leaves its trail on the white snow as the group goes down one by one to the undead war soldiers. Where the film could have used some consistency is in setting the rules for how to rid yourself of the zombie attacker. Sometimes just punching them and giving them a kick to the head is enough to stop them from their continued appetite for human flesh. Other times, you This criticism aside, there are some real memorable moments in Dead Snow. A woman who awakens to see her guts being pulled out is one and using a zombies intestines as a climbing rope is another. With each scene, it just gets bloodier and bloodier. Loud, ridiculous and hitting all the necessary humor notes (the character the cuts off his own arm was a belly chuckle) Dead Snow provides horror fans with an overdose of blood and guts to compliment a predicable story. Guaranteed that your 90 minute investment will go by quickly and meet all expectations, Dead Snow is a sleeper you don’t want to miss.