The Battery

When a pitcher and a catcher from a local baseball team become survivors of a zombie epidemic, they form "The Battery." It's also the name of Shout Factory's latest release, a rare new film in their extensive library of horror films. This is the unconventional type of zombie film where the monsters are kept on the backburner for most of "The Battery's" running time.

Ben (Jeremy Gardner) and Mickey (Adam Cronheim) are the two mismatched baseball players trying to live through the apocalypse. On a quest through New England to stay alive, Ben wants to keep moving and moving, while the cranky Mickey just wants a stable place to sleep, i.e. a bed and a home. Both are bored and restless, getting on each other's nerves, dealing with the once-in-a-while zombie attack.

In scenes of long character development, you can feel the pain and anguish Ben and Mickey endure. For the viewer looking for intense bloodshed and shaky camera moves, look elsewhere.

To buy or rent "The Battery"...that is the question. At a fairly reasonable price of $15 for the DVD ($20 if you'd rather see it on Blu-ray), "The Battery" comes with five special features clocking in at over two hours. "The Making of The Battery" mostly features writer/director/actor Jeremy Gardner in this 90-minute documentary, but there are some nice behind-the-scenes footage to enjoy as well. Gardner does a gushing yet serious audio commentary also, but the outtake reel and "The Music of The Battery" shows the filmmakers had a keen sense of humor while making the film.

"The Battery"
DVD
$14.97
www.shoutfactory.com