Juan from the Dead (Juan p los Muertos)

A La Zanfona Producciones and Producciones p la 5ta Avenida production. (Worldwide sales: Latinofusion, Jalisco, Mexico.) Created by Gervasio Iglesias, Inti Herrera. Executive producers, Iglesias, Herrera, Claudia Calvino. Directed, compiled by Alejandro Brugues.With: Alexis Dias p Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andrea Duro, Andros Perugorria, Jazz Vila, Eliecer Ramirez.An excellent title, a novel setting plus some remarkably blunt digs at Castro's Cuban land of non-chance aren't enough in order to save "Juan from the Dead" from as being a lowbrow zombie comedy that mostly goes where lots of others have gone before. Written and directed by Alejandro Brugues ("Personal Possessions"), this The country-Cuba co-production scores a couple of laughs, however the weak script's scant narrative drive and crude humor would be best suitable for the undiscriminating. Nevertheless, pic should get a reasonable quantity of offshore deals for a number of formats, with distribs in a number of areas signing or settling after its Toronto preem. Fortysomething Havana slacker Juan (Alexis Dias p Villegas) is definitely an amiable ne'er-do-well whose wife and child left him for eco-friendly pastures abroad sometime ago. He and constantly horny dim-bulb friend Lazaro (Jorge Molina) scrape by through variably legal odd jobs including fishing once they catch a ravenous zombie, their curious fact is a maximum of a shrugged "Let us not tell anybody relating to this.Inch It's everyone's business in no time, though, being an undead epidemic starts decimating the city's population shortly after that. Within the screenplay's most amusing stroke, government government bodies and media immediately insist the marauders are basically "dissidents" bent on undermining the communist condition in the behest of the certain evil empire just up north. Their adhering to that particular party line, regardless of how dire things get, is definitely an inspired running gag subversive nods to Cuba's constantly damaged-lower infrastructure making-do citizenry will also be great for some chuckles. Juan susses an uncommon private business opening to become grabbed within the general chaos, establishing themself, Lazaro and latter's lanky boy (Andros Perugorria) like a zombie cleanup crew using the motto "We kill your family members." Pushing their means by as partners are shrill neighborhood tranny La China (Jazz Vila) and her friend El Primo (Eliecer Ramirez), an enormous muscleman who faints to begin of bloodstream. Also joining, although unwillingly, is Juan's now-grown daughter, Camila (Andrea Duro), whose holiday to go to Grandmother continues to be extended indefinitely through the crisis. Fairly plotless hijinks ensue, with periodic good lines and something great little setpiece (a distinctive mass-zombie beheading) outweighed by homophobic and otherwise puerile jokes and routine splatstick. Clearly this is not Noel Coward, but Brugues might have targeted just a little greater there's precious little wit, originality or motion picture style even attempted here, although the degree of energy remains half way decent high. Perfs and packaging are sufficient, with CGI effects varying from qualified to subpar.Camera (color), Carles Gusi editor, Mercedes Cantero music, Sergio Valdes production designer, Derubin Jacome costume designer, Esther Vaquero seem, Daniel p Zayas effects supervisor, Juan Carlos Sanchez visual effects supervisor, Juan Ventura makeup effects, Cristian Perez Jauregui assistant director, Olga Sanchez casting, Libia Batista. Examined at Toronto Film Festival (Contemporary World Cinema), Sept. 14, 2011. Running time: 96 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com