Line #97 Film/HouseOfTheDead


1	[[quoteright:304:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/501731_4681.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:304:Shooting their heads is the key to everything.]]
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4	''House of the Dead'' is a film adaptation of a popular light-gun game [[VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead of the same name]] directed by Creator/UweBoll in 2003. It flung his name into [[VideoGameMoviesSuck video game movie]] [[EstablishingCharacterMoment infamy]].
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6	It follows a group of people going to a daylight rave held in [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace ominiously named]] Isla Del Morte[[labelnote:*]]nevermind that the correct grammar would be "Isla ''de la'' M'''ue'''rte"[[/labelnote]] ([[GratuitousSpanish Spanish]] for "Island of the Dead", no relation to [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl that one]], or [[VideoGame/DeadIsland that other one]]), who are then attacked by hordes of zombies. Gun smugglers, cops, and a [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld hundreds-of-years-old]] undead MadScientist ex-priest are also involved.
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8	A "Captain Kirk" joke early on, an explicit reference to Creator/GeorgeARomero, and seemingly randomly-inserted footage from the first three games indicate that the film may actually be a subtle and deliberate SelfParody. Later a "Funny Version" of the film was released, which is a {{Recut}} consisting of [[HilariousOuttakes goofy outtakes]] and sarcastic pop-up commentary.
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10	[[Film/HouseOfTheDeadIIDeadAim A sequel]] was released in 2005.
11
12	!!This film contains the examples of:
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14	* ActorAllusion: Given When the protagonists meet Captain Victor Kirk (Creator/JurgenProchnow), Simon (Will Sanderon) jokingly calls him "the U-Boat commander." Prochnow famously played a U-Boat commander in ''Film/DasBoot''.
15	* AnArmAndALeg: Casper gets her legs chopped off before dying.
16	* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: The movie has a fast-and-loose relationship with Spanish, to say the least.
17	** The island where the film takes place is named "Isla Del Morte", which is said to be Spanish for "Island of the Dead", nevermind that the correct grammar would be "Isla ''de la'' M'''ue'''rte".
18	** It is very highly unlikely that a Spanish man, either in the 15th century or nowadays, would be called "Castillo Sermano". The closest that would come as plausible would be "Castillo Ser'''r'''ano".
19	* BaldOfEvil: Castillo was bald even before becoming an undead alchemist.
20	* BigBad: Castillo, the former priest who became an undead alchemist in search for eternal life.
21	* BigDamnHeroes: Casper appears suddenly to blow away zombified Cynthia when she is attacking the protagonists.
22	* BlingBlingBang: Karma arms herself with a gold plated pistol from Kirk's stash.
23	%%* BloodFromTheMouth
24	* BlownAcrossTheRoom: Happens to one zombie during the graveyard fight.
25	* BottomlessMagazines: Runs rampant during the graveyard fight until our protagonists reach the house, ''then'' they run out of bullets.
26	* TheCameo: Sega of America president Peter Moore and [[CreatorCameo series creator Rikiya Nagakawa]] appear as zombies.
27	* CanonForeigner: All major characters, [[spoiler:except Rudy, who is [[CanonCharacterAllAlong revealed to be Curien]], the instigator of the original game's events, of which this movie is a prequel to]]. Rogan and G, the protagonists of the first game, [[spoiler:only make cameos at the end]].
28	* CaptainObvious: When the main cast realizes that they missed the boat to the rave, the narrator notes immediately that they, in fact, missed the boat.
29	* TheCavalryArrivesLate: [[spoiler:Only in the end do heavily-armed AMS agents with kevlar vest and assault rifles arrive by helicopter. By then, all the zombies are dead and Castillo has been defeated.]]
30	* ChekhovsSkill: Rudy's narration mentions Alicia's fencing studies. In the climax, she puts them to use in a SwordFight against Castillo, and defeats him.
31	* ClosedCircle: The island, as even the waters surrounding it is filled with zombies.
32	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The flashback scenes around Castillo are shown in black and white.
33	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: This gem of an exchange...
34	--> '''Rudy:''' You created it all so you could become immortal. Why?
35	--> '''Castillo:''' To live forever!
36	%%* DevelopingDoomedCharacters
37	* DoubleTap: Casper is savvy enough to do it, as evidenced by the scene where she finishes off the zombified Cynthia.
38	%%* DumbBlonde: Cynthia.
39	* ExplodingBarrels: The gunpowder barrels (in mint condition from the XIV century) inside the shack that our protagonist take shelter in. One bullet causes them to explode.
40	* {{Fanservice}}: Some nudity is shown, as usual with these kind of movies. But notably from Creator/EricaDurance, who'd later play [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Lois Lane]] in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''.
41	* {{Foreshadowing}}: "They missed the boat to the rave. If they only decided to stay back at Seattle, they'd all be alive today." Subtle.
42	%%* GirlishPigtails: Liberty.
43	* AGodAmI: Said by Castillo in a flashback.
44	-->There is no God. Only me.
45	* GrievousBottleyHarm: When our cast accidentally revives the dead in the lab, Rudy starts throwing bottles and containers at them.
46	* GunsAkimbo: Kirk with two Desert Eagles during the TheWarSequence.
47	* HazardousWater: These zombies can swim.
48	* HeadCrushing: At the end of the movie, [[spoiler: Ruby kills [[BigBad Castillo]] for good by crushing his severed head under her boot]].
49	* HeroicSacrifice: Kirk and later Simon make exploding ones.
50	* HowWeGotHere: The film starts with Rudy sitting on the island graveyard and recounting the events that lead him there.
51	* IdiosyncraticWipes: Footage from the actual game is used for transfers. It's as awkward as it sounds like.
52	* IdiotBall: When the cast reaches the rave area, only Alicia is bothered by the fact it's deserted and has bloody rags throughout it. But even she is later convinced that there is just an elaborate stunt going on.
53	** The AMS agents who rescue Rudy and Alicia don't even bother quarantining them despite knowing that there was a zombie outbreak on the island.
54	* {{Immortality}}: Castillo has found it. Now he is searching for [[AppendageAssimilation fresh body parts]] to keep himself that way.
55	-->'''Castillo:''' I simply want your flesh.
56	* ImpaledPalm: When our protagonists are attacked on a bridge over a swamp, Rudy manages to impale his hand on the sole huge nail sticking out of it.
57	* ImprobableAimingSkills: Despite most of the characters not having any experience with the guns before, they manage to score plenty of headshots.
58	* InformedAbility: According to Rudy's opening narration, Karma thinks she's Film/FoxyBrown, Simon is a BrainlessBeauty, and there's a LoveTriangle between Karma, Simon, and Alicia. Evidence on any of these descriptions isn't really shown.
59	%%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Kirk.
60	* ItsQuietTooQuiet: [[DeadHorseTrope Played straight!]]
61	* JumpScare: The thing in the blood tank.
62	* LatexPerfection: Castillo wears Greg's face as a disguise, with none of the problems that would come with wearing dead skin.
63	* LockAndLoadMontage: Shown before the TheWarSequence, when the cast arms themselves with Kirk's smuggling merchandise.
64	* LosingYourHead: After Rudy cuts off Castillo's head, he still has life in it to [[WhoNeedsTheirWholeBody operate his body]] in an attempt to kill Rudy.
65	* LoveMakesYouEvil: According to the ending, Rudy will cause a zombie outbreak because he tries to bring back Alicia.
66	* MacheteMayhem: Kirk's melee weapon.
67	* MadScientist: Castillo, whose experiments hundreds years ago resulted in zombies today.
68	* TheManTheyCouldntHang: One of the flashbacks shows Castillo surviving a hanging and proclaiming himself to be immortal.
69	* MixAndMatchMan: Castillo, who keeps himself alive by harvested body parts.
70	* MonsterThreatExpiration: The zombies suddenly become very easy to kill when the remaining protagonists are nearing Castillo's secret lair.
71	* TheNarrator: Rudy, [[spoiler:the sole survivor of the film's events]].
72	* NeckSnap: Zombified Cynthia kills the camera-using Hugh by snapping his neck.
73	* NeverHeardThatOneBefore: "I don't like no [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Captain Kirk]] jokes."
74	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: When infected Kirk blows himself up, the following explosion lets the zombies inside the refuge that our main characters fought for in the big zombie battle.
75	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: While travelling underground, the protagonists encounter zombie conquistadors.
76	* NotUsingTheZWord: Averted. When the cast wonder about the things that are attacking them, Alicia points out that they are zombies and they better accept it.
77	* NowOrNeverKiss: Alicia gives one to Rudy.
78	* OffTheShelfFX: Transitions and some action scenes use footage from the original game, that is to say the one released in ''1996'' along with some battle scenes from ''The House of the Dead 2'' which was released in 1998.
79	* OneHitPolyKill: Karma shoots through three zombies with one shotgun blast during the big fight to reach the house that's right next to the cemetery.
80	* OpeningMonologue: Narration is used early on to tell us that things has went to hell and to introduce Alicia and her friends.
81	* OrbitalShot: Used when a character dies with a fade-to-red effect and during the big zombie battle.
82	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: These zombies are a combination of [[ArtificialZombie artificial]] and [[FleshEatingZombie flesh-eating]] types.
83	* OutrunTheFireball: Rudy and Alicia do it when they blow up Castillo's lair with a grenade.
84	* ThePowerOfBlood: Corpses are revived ''instantly on contact with'' chemically altered blood.
85	* ProtectiveCharm: Salish gives Cynthia a crucifix necklace for protection. She never wears it, and ends up as a zombie.
86	* RaceLift: [[spoiler: The film version of G is black]].
87	* RedEyesTakeWarning: Zombies are shown to have glowing red eyes early in the film when they kill Matt and Johanna.
88	* TheReveal: [[spoiler:In the ending, [[WhamLine dialogue reveals]] that Rudy's [[GivenNameReveal last name is Curien]], the same as [[CanonCharacterAllAlong the main villain of the first and the third game]], making this film a [[StealthSequel Stealth Prequel]]]].
89	* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: How Greg manages to pay off Kirk to take him and his friends to the island rave.
90	* SeeYouInHell: Said by Kirk to the zombies when he blows himself up.
91	* ShoutOut: The scene with Matt and Johanna on the beach is a reference to ''Film/{{Jaws}}'', but the twist is that it's the passed out guy who dies first.
92	** To Creator/GeorgeARomero's ''Film/LivingDeadSeries''. When discussing what kind of creatures the characters were facing one makes a reference to ''[[Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968 Night]]'', ''[[Film/DawnOfTheDead1978 Dawn]]'', and ''[[Film/DayOfTheDead1985 Day]]''. Another replies that Twighlight of the Dead may be next.[[note]]It was a common fan-made title back then when talking about another upcoming Romero zombie movie. It ultimately became ''Film/LandOfTheDead'' in 2006.[[/note]]
93	* ShownTheirWork: Castillo and Spanish conquistadors in the Pacific Northwest is correct for its era in the 16th century as this region of North America was once part of the Spanish Empire. This is a notably one thing Uwe Boll got right for once.
94	* SinisterMinister: Castillo was a priest when he was alive.
95	* SwampsAreEvil: There's a foggy swamp in the middle of the island and it has zombies hiding in it.
96	* SwordFight: A climactic one between Castillo and Alicia. Rudy attempts join in too with his axe, but mostly only gets in the way.
97	%%* TeamDad: Kirk.
98	* TitleOfTheDead: Like the game the film is based on.
99	* TooDumbToLive: Applies to everyone who consciously decided to go to a rave in a secluded swampy island with no power that happens to be named "Island of the Dead".
100	* UseYourHead: Liberty headbutts a zombie that is attacking her in the water.
101	* VomitIndiscretionShot: Seasick Greg throws up on his girlfriend Cynthia on the boat.
102	* TheWarSequence: There's a 10 minute sequence where our protagonists try to reach the title house and have to fight hordes of zombies to get there. It's filled with JustForFun/{{egregious}} usage of BulletTime and loose grasp of continuity.
103	* WearingAFlagOnYourHead: Liberty wears stars and stripes themed onesie outfit.
104	* ZombieGait: Both running and walking zombies are present. And many stand around simply waiting to be shot.
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106	----
107	!!The Funny Version provides the examples of:
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109	%%* DontExplainTheJoke
110	* DVDCommentary: It's mostly Boll [[SmallNameBigEgo droning on about how awesome he is]], [[NeverMyFault blaming other people for certain parts sucking]], and chatting on the phone.
111	* HilariousOuttakes: What the film is made of.
112	%%* NegativeContinuity
113	%%* RuleOfFunny
114	* {{Sting}}: After TheReveal, in the commentary, Uwe Boll himself provides one though one that isn't very effective.. "Duh-duh-duh-duh!"
115	%%* ThrowItIn
116	%%* ToiletHumor
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Context Film / HouseOfTheDead