Honourable Mentions: Corrective Measures

This is a Tubi original film that was directed by Sean Patrick O'Reilly and came out in 2022, and shows a level of ambition for the free streaming platform, especially as it stars Bruce Willis and Michael Rooker (Creepshow: Drug Traffic). Sadly Willis has an aphasia diagnosis and is retiring from movies but, whilst not the greatest film or role, this is not as terrible a film as it might have been, especially compared to some other end of career films. In fact, whilst his role is fairly sedentary, there is a sense of calm dignity around his performance. Rooker, on the other hand, chews the scenery wonderfully.

Bruce Willis as the Lobe

The film is set in a future after “the pulse” an event that has caused radiation sickness for some and super-powered individuals to emerge. The majority of the film is set in a prison for super villains, who wear leg devices and are fed material that both dampen their powers. The guards are brutal, the overseer – played by Rooker – is amoral and Willis plays the Lobe, a super-villain with mind control and telekinetic powers. The Overseer is approaching retirement and wants the Lobe’s stash of ill-gotten billions and the Lobe might just have an escape plan.

Zed the Zompyre

So, the reason for the mention is an inmate known as Zed the Zompyre (Chris Devitt) – the included 'Y' is the spelling from the credits. With a bat-like look, Zed is a background character only. However in the prison riot at the end of the film we do see him munching on a severed leg (with the powers dampener still attached to it). As fleeting a visitation as it may have been, both his appearance and his name would always have been enough for the honourable mention.

on the news

I do also need to mention, however, an end credit sequence that has a segment from news programme PulseWatch (a show we see peppering the film). They report that Zed had escaped during the riot (he’s the one prisoner unaccounted for, they believe). They warn people that he is the carrier of a highly infectious “super virus” and a zompyre… It is a neat little ending for Zed and adds that extra layer of interest.

The imdb page is here.