The original English title of Peter Jackson’s 1992 horror comedy is Braindead.
Jackson wrote and directed the New Zealand production, which follows Lionel Cosgrove after his mother is bitten by a strange rat-monkey and begins a violent zombie outbreak. The film is known for exaggerated gore, physical comedy, and deliberately outrageous practical effects.
In North America, the movie was released under the alternate title Dead Alive. That regional title is why both names commonly appear in discussions, databases, and home-video releases. Braindead is the original title used in New Zealand and many other English-speaking markets.
The film followed Jackson’s earlier splatstick features Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles. It helped establish his reputation for combining horror with comedy before he moved into larger-scale productions such as Heavenly Creatures and The Lord of the Rings.