Otto; or, Up with Dead People
Otto; or, Up with Dead People
| 19 January 2008 (USA)
Otto; or, Up with Dead People Trailers

A young zombie named Otto appears on a remote highway. He has no idea where he came from or where he is going. After hitching a ride to Berlin and nesting in an abandoned amusement park, he begins to explore the city. Soon he is discovered by underground filmmaker Medea Yarn, who begins to make a documentary about him with the support of her girlfriend, Hella Bent, and her brother Adolf, who operates the camera. Meanwhile, Medea is still trying to finish Up with Dead People, the epic political-porno-zombie movie that she has been working on for years. She convinces its star, Fritz Fritze, to allow the vulnerable Otto to stay in his guest bedroom. When Otto discovers that he has a wallet that contains information about his past, before he was dead, he begins to remember details about his ex-boyfriend, Rudolf. He arranges to meet him at the schoolyard where they met, with devastating results.

Reviews
Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
Scotty Burke It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review
Michael After viewing this film a second time, I picked up on the subtle cues I missed on the first viewing--a subtle swipe at Russian political reformation and romance, the bashing of the New Left, the Emancipation of Serfs through "Dead Souls" and the film-maker who is absorbed/consumed into/by their work--"Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti".As one must with any artisan film, subtle devices is key to understanding the missive and the import. Just as a viewing of Frankenstein's Monster for its gore and horror is skimming the surface, to view this film simply for the porn and gore is simplifying it to a banal level that misses the cerebral context.LaBruce mocks all sides of the socio-political debate revealing that participants in the capitalist consumption, the advocates of gay rights, and the participants in gay consumerism are equally 'pawns' -- serfs, if not zombies -- held captive by Causes greater than self. Even those who deem themselves part of the media and creative media are caught up in their own "hype" unable to divorce themselves from participating in the events they are called to record, just as Maya Deren was caught up in the voodoo experience while documenting the "Divine Horsemen".
rumblefish80 OK, I am open minded, I love filmmakers that think out of the box and I love when genres are messed about with. I love going to the cinema, especially to film festivals where you can discover gems that no one else has seen yet. Sadly this film was not a gem. It did not shock me, it did not thrill me. I found it all a bit amateurish and before you attack me and say it was low budget and therefore excusable then don't waste your time. I don't believe in negative reviews, I like to look at the good and the bad, no doubt I will get eaten (no pun intended) by the super fans. The acting was pretty terrible to be fair and the camera work was at times clumsy. The sexual scenes sometimes seemed to interrupt the films flow, as if they were slotted in there because that is what his fans expect and want. It is important that films like this are made though and the have an audience of die hard fans but I'm just letting other horror fans in particular zombie fans know that this is more of a porn film than a zombie film.
emma-mcnicol Elly belly, you've taken the film too seriously! LaBruce is very grounded, very modest. Genuine issues are explored but in an refreshingly 'anti Godard' manner - he just makes fun of everything! Labruce ridicules politicians but also those against them; how being 'anti-fa' or 'left' is simply a style or fashion now, (particularly in Berlin), hence Medea, too was mocked when declaring out her 'political' banter.Laugh at the sex scenes. Crazy, absurd, funny. Not shallow, either: the pleasure one derives from viewing pornography is thrown in their face once mixed with the thrill of the blood and guts of a zombie film. Labruce shows both simultaneously, erections and intestines between the same sheets. Despite being literally 'bloody', they are by no means violent or hate motivated. ''Blood and guts'' is just part of what the zombie lovers get down to in the bedroom! They can also have sex with each other's (very very very newly created) orifices!! ha ha.This is simply a great film, what a deadly cool way to attack homophobia. Thank god for you Labruce.
vodkashots dear Elly-belly; your comment really irritated me. i feel sorry for you if those are the real thoughts of you about the movie. first of all, Medea was not the only character that was political and "goth", in fact the whole zombie concept is goth so it suits the movie. the political elements were very clearly explained, its your problem if you fell asleep during the film. Otto is a character that not only should be watched, he also needs to be understood. there you need the ability to empathy, to see the dilemma; otherwise all of your precious time is wasted. i suppose your not sexually open minded either. thinking that all those people in the cinema could watch the porn scenes with a smile on there face is SICK. "..no joy expression on there face.." what should the man do? masturbate?? pf..finally, its a perfect movie for those who enjoy something extraordinary but not simple.