Rish Outfield's reviews
Though I haven't seen it, I have it on good report that the UNRATED version is the one to see. Still, the R-rated version had a bit more gore than your average movie (with the exception of the "Home Alone" films), and dealt it out in droves. What can I say? Dead Alive or Braindead as it's called internationally, is a surreal, sick, fairy tale with a dark side, reminiscent of a bad dream Tim Burton might have. I found it confusing, but you probably won't.
Best Scare: Not a lot of scares, but some good grossouts.
I'd Recommend It To: Gore fans who find George Romero too tame.

The tyranist's thoughts
Peter Jackson has a gift. Dead Alive ranks up there with the best zombie movies ever made. At the same time it is a strange love story. Admittedly, I have only seen the rated R version. Hopefully, the uncut version opens up some of the unresolved subplots and shows a little more of the fantastic gore. Still, even in the rated R version there is so much to love. Zombie sex. Zombie spawn. The lawnmower. "I kick ass for the Lord." The odd sexual tension between Lionel and Paquita. Lionel's terrible, terrible mother. That dinner. Poor, poor Lionel. And that baby at the end.
Many will try to call this a cult favorite, and the name is probably deserved, but don't skip it because you hate cult movies. See it because you will believe. Peter Jackson will win you over.
Note: We finally sat down and watched the unrated version on DVD and the skulls are now based on that version. And boy was it worth it. My respect for Peter Jackson would inevitable have grown just because he was directing the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but seeing this again in an uncut state was wonderful. My faith in him has grown.