Otto; or Up with Dead People (2008)

Otto (Jey Crisfar) is a really cute twink -- who happens to be undead. When not feasting on roadkill or staggering around Berlin, Otto ponders his existence. Soon he finds a purpose with a role in a queer zombie movie directed by a would-be revolutionary lesbian filmmaker. Otto’s fellow cast members are amused by his “method acting,” and a few find him hot -- actually, zombies are fetishized in LaBruce’s queer universe -- but there’s more to this story than meets the jaundiced eye.
Otto made a splash at the Sundance Film Festival (where a few audience members bolted from the theater during an outrageous scene tellingly dubbed the “gut fuck”), and while it contains the Canadian provocateur’s signature themes of explicit sexuality, dark humor and formalistic flourish, it also represents an artistic evolution for him. With an emotional core, superb music (including a melancholy song by Antony & The Johnsons) and many nods to genre influences like George Romero and Carnival of Souls, Otto rises high while remaining proudly, bloodily lowbrow.

Title: Otto; or Up with Dead People
Director: Bruce La Bruce
Runtime: 95 min
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Horror
Country: Germany, Canada
Language: English, German
Subtitles: None
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1151384/
User Rating: 6.4/10
Awards: 1 win

• 2008 — Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival — Won — Best Film