bizzywiththefizzy Another one on Horror Channel in the wee hours.It's very cheap, and the first few minutes went a bit soft-porny, but it was more entertaining than some bigger budget US horror of late.The 'hero' is likable enough (aside from being a perve) and I dug that he's the world weary, a bit dumb, loser type - a la Shaun. I did find myself rooting for him, and the voice of the girl trapped in another stall was a clever touch. That said, I did spend most of my time wondering if she was a figment induced by stress up until she chucks him an E. On that subject, the 'rave' sequence was very sweet and reminded me of Tyres from 'Spaced' who bursts into dance at traffic lights and any other repetitive noise. I wonder if that was a wee nod to Simon Pegg?The ending was a giggle (but the post credit sequence was pointless and irritating) and overall, it's good for a pretty much zero budget piece. Also, having worked in big offices full of dreadful people, it sums up the nightmare of Christmas work parties.

bowmanblue Okay, so, if you haven't got much of a budget and you want to make a picture, where do you set it? The answer: a toilet. I had to watch this film to believe it – an entire (zombie) film set inside a toilet (and, most importantly, a toilet cubicle). But, amazingly, they pulled it off – just.At a Christmas party the dead rise (why... who cares!) and a janitor gets trapped in the women's toilets by a horde of flesh-eating ghouls. There he must sit and wait it out, or try to escape (or maybe both). Apart from the zombies (who don't really talk, as you can imagine), this is pretty much a one man show, as the janitor does what we might do in such a situation – which is pretty much nothing, as the circumstances don't really allow it.And the janitor does a pretty good job of holding the film together. But he's not alone. There's someone else in the other cubicle, but we never really see her. All we get is her voice and they speak through the wood throughout the film. Unfortunately, I felt this 'mystery' character was the film's sticking point. I don't know why, but I never really believed there was anyone in the other stall. It was like she had recorded her lines in a separate studio and the production team were just playing them at the appropriate times.There isn't that much gore (as the budget probably wouldn't allow it), but there is enough humour to keep most 'zom-com' fans would like (and even a few quite touching moments here and there). It's no Shaun of the Dead, but it's not a bad entry into the increasingly saturated zombie genre.

Paul Magne Haakonsen I enjoy all things zombie, and check out just about everything I can come across. Now, the title of this movie, the concept of the story and the fact that it brandished "a worthy successor to Shaun of the Dead" on the front cover really had my interest peaked.So, of course I had to give it a go. And the verdict is, well, the story has its moments, and it is one of those particular movies that is thick with British comedy. A worthy successor to "Shaun of the Dead", however, nah, I wouldn't go that far.The story is in all its simplicity about W.C. (played by Dan Palmer), a janitor who gets trapped in a women's bathroom stall when a Christmas party takes a turn for the worse and people start turning into ravenous flesh-eating zombies.I will say that director Christian James did have an interest approach to this movie, especially since about 95% of all the movie just takes place in a confined, cramped stall in a ladies restroom. That being said, then that limitation of location also set a heavy limitation on the movie, because it was starting to wear a bit thin towards the end.The acting in the movie was alright, especially since the entire movie was just riding on the performance of Dan Palmer and the voice of Antonia Bernath - from two stalls over."Stalled" is in itself a good enough zombie movie, that should be watched at least once, if you enjoy zombie movies, as I do. However, it is not outstanding, nor is it as great as initially hyped up to be. The movie is fairly generic, and while it is not amongst the worst of zombies movies I have seen, nor can I claim that it is amongst the better of such movies.

Lauren Donis I heard about this film whilst preparing for my first FrightFest and the concept of a zombie apocalypse taking place in a toilet instantly excited me. Not only are zombie films my favourite type of films, I also love films set in a limited location. I desperately wanted to see it, but I figured it was either going to be awesome or terrible. Thankfully, it was the former.Unlike many films that trick you with an interesting and original concept which is barely utilised, it fully explores the thing that draws you in. The majority of the film takes place in the stall, and the rest of it within the bathroom (mostly), so there are no unnecessary filler scenes.It is more or less a one-man show, with Dan Palmer taking on the job of carrying the entire film on his shoulders. Playing to his strengths, he manages to create a likable and sympathetic hero in WC, as well as delivering his lines perfectly and just being damn hilarious. I knew I was going to love it as soon as soon as he uttered, "There's zombies in your toilet!".A secondary character, who we never see, is introduced later on and she is one of the few faults I find with the film. She's an interesting character with some funny lines, but also feels a little distant and occasionally forced - which may be especially jarring as she's playing against Palmer, who is much more natural. That's not to say I didn't sympathize with her either; it's just she felt a little out of place.It is very much a film that focuses on its characters and their situation, rather than being a slasher-zombie film. The zombies themselves look good and they, and the gory stuff, are used sparingly and to effect.It is a near-perfect film with only a few weak spots; the 'Evie' character, a bit of the overly sentimental dialogue and a couple of too-silly jokes, but after having seen it three times, it's definitely solidified itself as an all-time favourite for me, and I'm sure it'll be held up as one of the best zombie films in recent years for others as well.