Finding a quality zombie movie these days is very difficult, especially since every flash in the pan director feels they can remake a Romero classic "better" by adding a slew of one liners and gobs of CGI. Luckily, there are some grassroots minds lieft, like Jerry Orzel, that take the foundation of a classic horror movie and improve on its gritty reality to bring the horror to life.

Revelation 22:22 is an astounding piece of work which reflects often at times Romero's bleak outlook on humanity and its inability to co-exist. Trapped in an abandoned gas station, a cop, a newly engaged couple and a group of thugs must figure out a way to escape a plague of zombies, as well as keep from killing each other. Conflicting personalities and beliefs are showcased in the character dialogue, however, it's the element of isolation that Orzel creates within the group that truly conveys an apocalyptic feeling.

Much like Night of the Living Dead, the bulk of Revelation takes place in a conmfined area, where character interaction paints the picture of fatality more so than the horde of zombies banging down the doors. It would be easy enough to create a gorefest on camera, but Revelation makes the viewing more intense by creating dramatic scenarios within the surviving group. Roughly 90% of the conflict takes place amongst the living, breeding a greater sense of urgency to escape, and an even larger feeling of impending doom.

Similar to the storyline approach, the camera work in Revelation is gritty, adding even more of a hard edged aura to the film. Many shots were taken completely out of focus or partially blocked, giving the viewer a voyeuristic feeling that puts them in the movie's sequences. Often I caught myself squinting or moving my head to try and get a better view of what was going on, then I realized that it wasn't me at the gas station. Yes, I'm an asshole, but Revelation literally draws the viewer into the action.

After viewing the film in its entirety, I felt refreshed by its content and approach. Again, I'm the same guy that took a big shit on the Dawn of the Dead remake because it was too detached, so to get back to horror basics was a great pleasure for me. I commend Jerry Orzel and Co. for putting together a great film in Revelation 22:22 and look forward to seeing his future works.