DOC OF THE DEAD (2014)

Irreverent documentary about our obsession with zombies, supposedly from the roots of the "zombie" in Haiti through White Zombie to George Romero to World War Z - but the film is scattershot, all over the place, unsure of whether it wants to be funny or really explore the topic (the latter would have been nice).  Worse, the film comes off slamming the very fans it showcases, from Romero's "I don't get it" reaction to all the hype (though he's made a fortune from it), to pompous World War Z author Max Brooks, to those who openly exploit the fans for financial gain by selling zombie survival kits or real-world walk-through scenarios of a zombie apocalypse.  The fans come off here as social misfits with little else going on in their lives; so much so, I even felt a bit uncomfortable myself - by the end - for even being a fan of the genre.  p.s. The too-brief Simon Pegg bits aren't bad. (unrated)  **

DOC OF THE DEAD trailer (R-rated)