Chapter 4. Horror in the IDF
Zombies in the Fatigues: Poisoned and Cannon Fodder
Horror films are often understood as a reflection of cultural anxieties and national concerns. It should come as no surprise, then, that several New Israeli Horror films deal with the army and militarism. The first was Poisoned (2011) directed by then film student Didi Lubetzky. Poisoned is a charming zom-rom-com (i.e. a zombie romantic comedy) set at an Israeli military base, where scrawny, nerdy Danny battles an army of the undead and almost gets the girl.
Questions for discussion
- Which horror tropes and conventions can you identify in Poisoned? Which films does it remind you of?
- What characterizes Poisoned as an Israeli film? You may think of the plot, themes, or settings.
- What is the relationship between the local Israeli characteristics and the global horror tropes in Poisoned? What do zombies mean in the Israeli context?
- What was the production history of Poisoned? How did it impact the film?
- What was its audience and critical reception?
Availability
Streaming on YouTube