Zibahkhana (2007)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Omar Khan

Writers:

Omar Khan (story)
Pete Tombs (screenplay)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Pakistan's First Gore Film

Plot:

On their way to a concert, a group of teens are diverted by a political protest, only to encounter a family of flesh-hungry psychopaths.

Plot Keywords:

Teen | Spade | Forest | Full Moon | Blood

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kunwar Ali Roshan	...	Vicky
Rooshanie Ejaz	...	Ayesha
Rubya Chaudhry	...	Roxy
Haider Raza	...	Simon
Osman Khalid Butt	...	O.J.
Rehan	...	Deewana
Najma Malik	...	Bari Bua
Sultan Billa	...	Baby
Salim Meraj	...	Baley
Razia Malik	...	Ayah
Ashfaq Bhatti	...	Masih
Abida Shaheen	...	Simon's Mother
Adnan Malik	...	Yuppy Victim
Shagufta Hamayun	...	Ayesha's Mother
Mai Billi	...	Billo
Daisy	...	Tranny #1
Sharmilee	...	Tranny #2
Zarina Bibi	...	Diseased water carrier
Tariq Mehmood Virk	...	Demonstration Leader
Samad Khan	...	Reporter from crash site
Baba Guzlar	...	Zombie
Sabir Khan	...	Zombie
Zafar Khamakha	...	Zombie
Zeba	...	Zombie
Khurshaid	...	Zombie
Mohammad Fiyaz	...	Zombie
Mohammad Rafi	...	Zombie
Mohammad Faisal	...	Zombie
Khurram Shehzad	...	Zombie
Mohammad Mumtaz	...	Zombie
Omar Sohail	...	Zombie
Qaiser Abbas	...	Zombie
Shahnawaz	...	Zombie
Ilyas Raza	...	Zombie
Ghulam Yasim
Dildar Ahmed
Tahir Mehmood
Malik Hameed	...	Zombie
Parveen Bibi	...	Zombie
Shehzad Khan	...	Zombie (as Shahzad)
Shehzad Rafiq	...	Zombie
Sajid Rafiq	...	Zombie
Mohammad Shahban	...	Zombie
Mohammad Akbar	...	Zombie
Tariq Mehmood Shehzad	...	Zombie
Mohammad Shehzad
Mir Shakir	...	Zombie
Mir Shahzeb
Nasreem
Mir Shabbir
O. Altaf
Nauman Ahmed

Directed by
Omar Khan		(as Omar Ali Khan)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Omar Khan		story and screenplay
Pete Tombs		screenplay

Produced by
Omar Khan	....	producer (as Omar Ali Khan)
Andrew Starke	....	producer (as Andy Starke)
Pete Tombs	....	producer

Original Music by
Stephen Thrower

Cinematography by
Najaf Bilgrami

Film Editing by
Andrew Starke

Art Direction by
Fatima Ayaz
Amina Baig

Makeup Department
Nawab Sagar	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Adarsh Ayaz	....	production manager
Malik Mushtag	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adarsh Ayaz	....	assistant director
Naeem Khan	....	assistant director

Art Department
Amina Baig	....	props
Barbara Bennett	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Martin Pavey	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Akhlaq Ahmed	....	lighting technician
Abbas Ali	....	lighting technician
Waqas Bin Ali	....	second assistant camera
Irfan Raja	....	gaffer
Salik Ahmed Sheikh	....	first assistant camera
Mohammad Tarqi	....	focus puller
Mohammad Tarqi	....	lighting technician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fatima Ayaz	....	costumer
Amina Baig	....	costumer

Music Department
Abdul Alhazred	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Tahir	....	driver

Other crew
Fatima Ayaz	....	production assistant
Abdul Azia	....	caterer
Mohammad Imran	....	caterer
Naeem Khan	....	production assistant
Kashif Mehmood	....	caterer
Mir Shabbir	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Bubonic Films
• Mondo Macabro

Distributors

• Jinga Films (2008) (worldwide) (all media)
• Mondo Macabro (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• TLA Releasing (2008) (USA) (all media)

Also Known As:

Hell's Ground (International: English title)

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

Pakistan | UK

Language:

Urdu | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:18 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Islamabad, Pakistan

Company:

Bubonic Films

Trivia:

In the toilet scene when Ayesha turns having changed her clothes, scribbled on the wall is a phone number 777-9311 which is a funk song by The Time, one of the Director’s favourites.

Goofs:

Continuity: (at 01:10:00) In the scene where Ash killed the maniac hitting him with a stone, she isn't wearing her Allah locket (which she kept wearing throughout). Then she finds the murder weapon and still she isn't wearing it, but when she returns to his dead body she's wearing her locket again.

Quotes:

Deewana: You are on the road to Hell my children.

Movie Connections:

Features Zinda Laash (1967)

Good gory fun, with a few chuckles, to boot!

One thing was very clear to me even before I saw the film: this was an ultra-low-budget production, made by a non-professional. Therefore, I wasn't expecting much, and that's exactly what I got. I also knew that the director, Omar Khan, was an enthusiast of cult, horror, and trash cinema, as evidenced by his loving attention to obscure Indian and Pakistani films on his website. Zibahkhana works well enough insofar as an amateur homage/reworking of some of the most famous horror staples, albeit with some local color and at least one ingenious touch (a burqa-clad slasher? Sweet!). It would be fair enough to sum this up as a cross between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hostel, set in Pakistan, with a dash of zombies for good measure. I just wish the writers could've developed the screenplay a little beyond the gleeful regurgitation of clichés that we get, because this could've been so much better (a case in point is the zombie subplot which is abandoned soon after the gut- munchers appear…more's the pity, because these guys looked awesome).

Anyway, let's move on beyond the script. There are some technical flaws, but one can overlook those as it was obviously shot on the cheap, using digital cameras. Still, the interior of the van at night was way over-lit, which could've been remedied without much hassle. The look of the film is fine, enhanced by a ubiquitous wide-angle lens. The acting by the young cast of protagonists isn't anything to write home about, either, but then they didn't really have good material to work with. What Khan does get right is an atmosphere of creepiness, and what he excels in is the level of violence and gore in the film. Yes sir, he really lets loose with the red stuff. Gore hounds won't have much to complain about here. And since that seems to have been the focus of Khan's energies, it may have been a wise decision to keep the running time short (78min approx), because clearly, the 'exposition' scenes were not going to keep audience interest levels up. Another nice touch is the soundtrack which is littered with retro Lollywood music. A clip from Zinda Lash (The Living Corpse) makes an appearance and the actor who played the vampire in that film, Rehan, is also featured in a bit part, where he hams it up hilariously.

So if like me, you go into the film with low expectations, you're likely to enjoy it for what it is: a gory, lurid and fast-paced pastiche of better known horror films, made by fans and for fans (with the novelty value of being a Pakistani gore film…really, how many of those do you see around?). If, however, you want something more substantial than that, you might be let down. Me, I had a pretty good time. Here's hoping Khan's next project improves upon his debut.