Juan in the Dead (Juan p los Muertos)

A La Zanfona Producciones and Producciones p la 5ta Avenida production. (Worldwide sales: Latinofusion, Jalisco, Mexico.) Produced by Gervasio Iglesias, Inti Herrera. Executive producers, Iglesias, Herrera, Claudia Calvino. Directed, put together by Alejandro Brugues.With: Alexis Dias p Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andrea Duro, Andros Perugorria, Jazz Vila, Eliecer Ramirez.A great title, a novel setting and several remarkably blunt digs at Castro's Cuban land of non-chance aren't enough to be able to save "Juan in the Dead" from like a lowbrow zombie comedy that mostly goes where plenty of others have gone before. Written and directed by Alejandro Brugues ("Personal Possessions"), this The nation-Cuba co-production scores a few laughs, nevertheless the weak script's scant narrative drive and crude humor might be best appropriate for that undiscriminating. Nonetheless, pic should obtain a reasonable volume of offshore deals for several formats, with distribs in many areas signing or settling after its Toronto preem. Fortysomething Havana slacker Juan (Alexis Dias p Villegas) is certainly an agreeable ne'er-do-well whose wife and child left him for eco-friendly pastures abroad way back when. He and constantly horny dim-bulb friend Lazaro (Jorge Molina) scrape by through variably legal odd jobs including fishing after they catch a ravenous zombie, their curious truth is no more than a shrugged "Let's not tell anybody relevant for this.In . It's everyone's business very quickly, though, becoming an undead epidemic begins decimating the city's population soon after that. Inside the screenplay's most amusing stroke, government government physiques and media immediately insist the marauders are essentially "dissidents" bent on undermining the communist symptom in the behest from the certain evil empire just up north. Their sticking compared to that party line, no matter how dire things get, is certainly an inspired running gag subversive nods to Cuba's constantly broken-lower infrastructure making-do citizenry may also be ideal for some chuckles. Juan susses an infrequent private business opening being snapped up inside the general chaos, creating themselves, Lazaro and latter's lanky boy (Andros Perugorria) just like a zombie cleanup crew while using motto "We kill your loved ones people." Pushing their strategies by as partners are shrill neighborhood tranny La China (Jazz Vila) and her friend El Primo (Eliecer Ramirez), a massive muscleman who faints to start of blood stream. Also joining, although unwillingly, is Juan's now-grown daughter, Camila (Andrea Duro), whose holiday to visit Grandmother remains extended indefinitely with the crisis. Fairly plotless hijinks ensue, with periodic good lines then one great little setpiece (a unique mass-zombie beheading) outweighed by homophobic and otherwise puerile jokes and routine splatstick. Clearly this isn't Noel Coward, but Brugues may have specific slightly greater there's precious little wit, originality or film style even attempted here, even though vitality remains midway decent high. Perfs and packaging are sufficient, with CGI effects different from capable of subpar.Camera (color), Carles Gusi editor, Mercedes Cantero music, Sergio Valdes production designer, Derubin Jacome costume designer, Esther Vaquero appear, 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 number newsroom at news@variety.com