Goal Of The Dead Trailer Unleashes Zombies On A French Soccer Match
This article is more than 2 years old
You can say a lot of negative shit about the never-ending river of zombie-related fiction that’s coming out, but at least the logical conclusion to this overload has been an abundance of off-kilter undead material. In the last few months, we’ve seen zombie beavers, plenty of Nazi zombies, and seemingly healthy people mysteriously returning from their supposed graves. But we’re not that used to French zombie soccer players, so it’s good that we’ll possibly soon be able to bone up on them in Goal of the Dead, which released its first trailer soon after picking up multiple international distribution deals. Everybody loves soccer, right? (Not me.)
The trailer isn’t in English, which doesn’t help the more uni-languaged English speakers, but it doesn’t take a furthering of education to enjoy the masterfully shot mayhem happening on screen. What’s the first thing you thought of when you read “zombie soccer players?” Was it someone kicking a zombie’s head off as if it were a soccer player? It’s in there!
Goal of the Dead is a two-part Films Distribution project from Thierry Poiraud, director of the strange 2004 comedy Atomki Circus, and Benjamin Rocher, whose last feature was 2009’s action-heavy cops’n’gangsters horror The Horde. (Did I mention that flick also had zombies in it?) A somewhat strange approach to this genre, Goal of the Dead it will be told in two parts, with each filmmaker taking a half. Hopefully twice is nice when it comes to literally kicking zombie ass.
Both sections look strong and gory, with a plotline that centers on a French Olympic soccer team on their way to the World Cup. They stop by for a match in a small village, but things take a turn for the “Oh my God, there are zombies everywhere” when an epidemic spawns murderous lunatics all over the place. No player, spectator, referee, or scorekeeper is safe. But the visiting team is always the one who gets it the worst. Although it probably won’t always be clear whether we’re looking at infected people or just your average gang of violent soccer hooligans.
I wish I knew what people were saying in this trailer, as the camerawork looks strong for both parts, with quality emphasis on the effects work. And I’m especially fond of the guy using cleats as weapons that fit on the hands. My first stop on the way to surviving a zombie apocalypse will definitely be a sporting goods store. For the baseball bats, obviously, but I’ll pick up some cleats while I’m there.
While no one has picked up the film for U.S. release, it’s already been taken in the U.K., Germany, Korea, Hong Kong, Turkey, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, and Austria. The goal is for everyone to have it out as a day-and-date release for theaters and VOD just in time for the World Cup to start, with a DVD release coming later.
Now, if someone could just start production on a football-related zombie feature to come out before the Super Bowl next year, they’d be my best friend. Until the zombies came.
