From Nathan Barley co-creator and Guardian writer Charlie Brooker comes the outrageous new thriller Dead Set, E4's first-ever horror series
This spin off, of Big Brother, was a disappointment. Once you have seen zombie movies etc, they're all the same, a bit corny for me.
Zombies & 'Big Brother': interchangeable concepts at the best of times, so trust 'Nathan Barely' writer and 'Guardian' columnist Charlie Brooker to hit upon the idea of mixing George A. Romero-esque gore-fests with the tabloid banality of a show that p****s on Orwell's grave before drunkenly dispatching its droplets all over Huxley's tomb. 'Dead Set' sees a hapless group of 'Big Brother' housemates, or to give them their proper name: tits, swanning around in blissful ignorance as London falls to a horde of the undead. Creatively culled from reality TV archetypes; archetypes that only exist, as those who're familiar with Brooker's work will know, on an editor's whim: our protagonists brave the impending Zombie apocalypse as familiar faces Jamie Winstone ('Kidulthood'), Riz Ahmed ('Britz'), Andy Nyman ('Severance') and Liz May Brice ('Bad Girls') enter the fray, in an increasingly violent series of clashes with the not-so-fine-or-young cannibals. An unnecessary act of hyper-real necromancy also revives former 'Big Brother' contestants Brian, Saskia, Bubble, Makosi, Kinga & Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace to name a few: certified tits, whose media careers were justifiably slain and buried the second they left the house, for its rather disconcerting to see their faces onscreen again. Premature nostalgia soon turns to despair as you recall all those hours wasted, watching them enact their tragic rituals or "tasks" in an elaborate bid have us orchestrate the destruction of our own souls. Davina McCall proves she's a good sport and makes for one hell of a vicious zombie whilst 'Channel 4' newscaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy crops up to dutifully inform us of the day's horrific events. In many ways, 'Dead Set' is a natural progression from Brooker's 'Reality TV Editing' slot on 'Screenwipe' though limited in its satirical scope (as its produced by 'Endemol', who also bankroll 'Big Brother') we still get the idea: Zombies being used by the media which acts as a contagious vessel to zombify all who partake in their dumbed down idiocy. 'Dead Set' is similar in direction to Marc Evan's underrated 'My Little Eye' meets '28 Days Later' knee deep in a media-savvy swamp of cynicism, suspense and dark humour. Dead good.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. From Nathan Barley co-creator and Guardian writer Charlie Brooker comes the outrageous new thriller Dead Set, E4's first-ever horror series, released exclusively by 4DVD on 3rd November. Starring Jaime Winstone (Donkey Punch, Kidulthood) Dead Set is a chilling new horror series in which the dead are returning to life and attacking the living. Curiously there are a few people left in Britain who aren't worried about any of this - that's because they're the remaining contestants in Big Brother. Cocooned in the safety of the Big Brother house, they're blissfully unaware of the horrific events unfolding in the outside world. Until an eviction night when all hell breaks loose... Kelly (Winstone), a production runner working on a fictional series of Big Brother, finds herself trying to fend off the walking dead alongside her producer boss Patrick (Andy Nyman, Severance), boyfriend Riq (Riz Ahmed, Britz) and the remaining Big Brother housemates. Over the ensuing days, in a cruel reflection of the game show they thought they were entering, the contestants fall victim one by one to the hungry masses outside. Staying alive requires crucial teamwork - which can be tricky when you're a group specifically selected by TV producers to wind each other up. Featuring a range of cameo appearances from Davina McCall and several former Big Brother housemates, Dead Set promises to be a gripping horror bound to keep you at the edge of your seat. Actors Jaime Winstone, Andy Nyman, Riz Ahmed & Davina McCall Certificate 18 years and over Year 2008 Screen Widescreen Languages English - Dolby Digital (2.0) Stereo Duration 2 hours and 18 minutes (approx)
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