Witness Infection is a 2021 American comedy horror film about two rival mob families that end up in the same city via Witness Protection. And then there are zombies. Hilarity obviously ensues.
Directed by Andy Palmer from a screenplay co-written by Carlos Alazraqui and Jill-Michele Melean, the movie stars Gary Anthony Williams, Tara Strong, Erinn Hayes and Maurice LaMarche.
Plot:
Two rival mob families are transferred from the Witness Protection Program to the same city by mistake. Life has always been pretty protected for Carlo Serrelli. But his past is about to come back and bite him. Carlo’s father has kept him out of the deadly mob business by giving him a job at the family dog groomers, while his younger brother, Dominic, has always done the dirty work.
All that is coming to an end as Carlo’s father has to force him into an arranged marriage with the daughter of the rival Miola family boss. Carlo’s two best friends, Gina and Vince, vow to help him get out of this predicament, but they all get in over their heads when a serious infection starts eating the town. The good news is that Carlo may not have to get married after all — but the bad news is that everyone might die…
Reviews:
“The production values may be low, but Palmer and his cast and crew make the best with what they have. Witness Infection is inspired and, most importantly, funny – certainly much more so than its title suggests. Its self-consciously silly spirit is infectious.” Film Threat
” …this is a film that seems to have been written by two people who have only ever seen the weaker movies in the zombie sub-genre […] And what you end up with is a mix of characters that it is very difficult to care about, sloppy effects, and a sorry dearth of laughs.” For It Is Man’s Number
” Director Andy (The Funhouse Massacre [2015]; Camp Cold Brook [2018]) Palmer shows a deft hand at balancing humor and horror, working from a screenplay by Alazraqui and Melean. Witness Infection is loaded with charm, gore, and laughs, and is strongly recommended for horror comedy fans.” Ghastly Grinning
“Subtlety plays a big part in Witness Infection; the comedy sneaks in with quick gestures and comments and even the exposition appears only briefly here and there. The gore, on the other hand, makes its presence very much known. The zombie make-up and eating scenes provide all kinds of ooey-gooey goodness that will ruin any appetite.” Killer Horror Critic
” …director Andy Palmer does an admirable job switching between comedy and horror, light and dark, with ease – keeping the flare to a minimum, focussing on the story and characters when needed and showcasing the tremendous effects work in the second half of the film; never shying away from showing horror fans what they want… gore and grue!” Nerdly
“Is it groundbreaking? No. Is it scary? No. Is it heady satire? Not really. But… Is it a fun evening? Yes, yes it is. I also appreciate that this is a romantic comedy horror that has mature adults as the mains, as opposed to teenagers, who ordinarily get this type of opportunity. As a result, this feels like a pro gig.” The Scariest Things
“At times Witness Infection does lean a little too much on tired Italian-American stereotypes […] I suppose they come with the territory seeing as it’s spoofing mafia films, but I’d rather see more original material rather than stuff that was already cliched when I was a kid […] Witness Infection is an enjoyable, if uneven, film that should get you laughing.” Voices from the Balcony
Release:
Witness Infection will be available in North America on Digital HD and Cable VOD via Freestyle Digital Media on March 30th 2021.
Cast and characters:
Gary Anthony Williams … Anthony
Tara Strong … Filomena
Erinn Hayes … Patricia
Maurice LaMarche … Mr Serrelli
Joseph D. Reitman … Mario
Robert Belushi … Carlo
Carlos Alazraqui … Mr Serrelli
Monique Coleman … Rose
Bret Ernst … Dominic
Holly Wortell … Mrs Jordesman
Ben Begley … Hunter
Jill-Michele Melean … Gina
Robert Peters … Mr Jordesman
Erick Chavarria … Ramon
Zach Scheerer … Mickey
Filming locations:
Lake Elsinore, Los Angeles and Temecula, California
Filming dates:
4th December 2018 – 19th January 2019
Trailer:
