The pandemic has forced the cancelation of many beloved events and some, like Horrible Imaginings Film Festival have move to an on-line model for 2020. So, while I have been deprived the pleasure of seeing friends and making new ones at the Frieda Cinema in Orange county this year, I have not been denied access to nearly 30 hours of horror cinema.

While the festival opened Wednesday evening with a double feature of The Brain That Wouldn’t Die and its 2020 remake for me and my sweetie-wife we started Thursday night with the New Zealand Feature length horror Comedy Dead.

Dead is the story of a stoner who has discovered a combination of marijuana and neurological medications that allow him to see and interact with ghosts, the ghost of an uptight and obsessive police officer, an attorney with a drinking problem and house arrest as they search for a serial killer stalking Wellington New Zealand.

Tilting decidedly more towards comedy than horror Dead is an entertaining little movie just under an hour and half the film delivers with talents performances, colorful cinematography, and just the right blend of explicit gore to light-hearted comedy with a touch of heart all wrapped in a light air of mystery surrounding the killer.

Dead made for an excellent launch to this year’s festival and I look forward to diving into the short film block and more feature films from around the globe.