Fresh from the snow-capped mountains of Austria comes Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies from writer/director Dominik Hartl. The film follows a group of snowboarders looking to secure a sponsorship when their plans are diverted by a small outbreak of zombism. As the title might suggest, this one is pure, goofy hijinks reminiscent of that wave of extreme sports romps that seemed to pop up around the early 90s albeit with the addition of some pretty satisfying ultraviolence.

It all starts when a local entrepreneur trying to convince a wealthy investor of the merits of his magnificent new machine; a device that creates snow not with boring water, but with some sort of incredibly toxic ecto cooler. The pitch seems to be going smoothly when the investor catches a whiff of the vapors and falls deathly ill. After a failed stunt that results in professional snowboarder Steve (Laurie Calvert) ending up snowboarding buck naked in front of a terminally-ill little girl (it‘s a long story) he and his friend Josh (Oscar Dyekjær Giese) lose their sponsorship deal and end up returning to the lodge in defeat along with Steve’s girlfriend Branka (Gabriela Marcinková). There they cross paths with the investor in the process of zombification which leads to the bulk of the film, as the group tries to make it off the mountain through hordes of festively-dressed zombies.

Plot and character development are minimal, though I can’t say I go into a film called Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies expecting an epic hero’s journey. Our protagonists are likable enough, with Giese’s performance as Josh standing out. He’s just a lovable goofball that always tries to keep a smile on his face even in the worst situations, and you really do end up wanting the best for his character. The other leads are a bit flimsier, there’s a bit of a romance arc between Steve and Branka, but it doesn’t receive a lot of attention and there isn’t much chemistry there. In terms of supporting characters, Margarete Tiesel shines as Rita, the larger-than-life tavern owner that isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty mowing down some zombies.

Being a slapstick parody, Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies naturally lives and dies on the strength of its comedy, and here it ends up with something of a mixed bag. Humor is a subtle thing, and even the most obvious humor depends upon timing and an understanding of the nuances of the language. This is where the film really falters, featuring an English script with a cast of mostly European actors. That isn’t to say non-native speakers can’t be funny, there are plenty of examples where that isn’t true, but while the cast here is comfortable enough with English that there isn’t any issue with comprehension, they don’t display the comfort and dexterity needed to make a lot of the comedy land. You can see what they’re going for with a lot of it and the comedy isn’t a complete miss, but there’s always a nagging impression that the film would have been funnier with a cast that was more skilled with the language, or even shot in a language they were comfortable with and subtitled.

It’s not all bad news, as Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies finds its charm not through dialog, but instead through the absurdity of the situation and some very nicely choreographed action sequences. There’s a heavy focus on the snowboarding aspect, and with that comes some great footage of skilled boarders tearing up some intimidating runs, and occasionally using their boards to mutilate zombies. Oh and mutilate they do, with all sorts of impalements and dismemberments handled practically and with enough gratuitous blood and viscera to satisfy even the most discerning gorehound. The action is well balanced among the more quiet moments, though with how entertaining it is to watch, I wouldn’t have complained if these sequences were a bit more frequent. The zombification effects themselves are handled gorgeously, with black, crackling skin leading to pus-filled blisters just waiting to explode, it’s the sort of thing that’s almost too disgusting to look at. Almost. The infected animal effects deserve a mention as well, featuring a self-aware goofiness to their appearance while still featuring some impressive puppetry to bring them to life.

Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies is destined to be compared to other films in the oversaturated zombie parody  genre, and to be somewhat diminished as a result. As a comedy, it can’t hope to live up to the pillars of the genre like Shaun of the Dead, but with its absurd gore and action sequences it’s far from the worst choice you could make when looking for some good old fashioned zombie mayhem. The film is out now in select theaters and on VOD.