Who directed the 1992 New Zealand zombie comedy Braindead?

Peter Jackson directed the 1992 New Zealand zombie comedy Braindead.

The film, known as Dead Alive in North America, follows Lionel Cosgrove after his domineering mother is bitten by a rat-monkey at a zoo. Her death does not end the crisis: she returns as an undead creature, and the infection spreads through the household and beyond.

Braindead was made before Jackson became internationally famous for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Its deliberately excessive practical effects include elaborate puppets, prosthetics, fake blood, and miniature work. The film’s climactic lawn-mower sequence is especially well known among fans of splatter cinema.

The title difference can cause confusion. Braindead was the original title used in New Zealand and many other markets, while Dead Alive was used for its North American release. Both names refer to the same 1992 film, not separate movies.