Queens of the Dead      Director: Tina Romero Cert: NoneGenre: Horror ComedyStarring: Katy O’Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Riki Lindhome, Jack Haven, Cheyenne Jackson Running Time: 1 hr 41 minsLeaning very much into the Looney Tunes subtones of her late, great father’s work, Tina Romero, daughter of Night of the Living Dead creator George, chews up the zombie genre and spits out the feathers. Her first feature sticks with the family tradition of strangers under siege by hordes of the bloodthirsty undead, but trades isolated farmhouses and sinister government facilities for a Brooklyn drag venue where opening night descends into chaos as zombies start street-walking.The set-up allows for alumni of Drag Race, Pose and Fire Island to snap and strut their stuff. Producer and DJ Dre (Katy O’Brian) is already dealing with drugged-up performers, bruised egos and a show threatening to fall apart when news of the outbreak filters through to the disbelieving clubgoers.Among the people trapped inside are former drag performer-turned-nurse Sam (Jaquel Spivey), den momma Ginsey (Nina West), attention-seeking newcomer Scrumptious (Tomás Matos, stealing all the scenes), and handyman Barry (Quincy Dunn-Baker). And here come the veterans, notably Margaret Cho, who arrives on an electric scooter as a rescuing sugar mommy, and legendary effects artist Tom Savini playing a degenerate New York mayor. Romero pitches the film much closer to camp comedy than horror. There are drag numbers, backstage squabbles, improvised weapons, makeovers and occasionally gruesome inflictions, while the zombies themselves shuffle about with phones still clutched in their hands. The script is less interested in explaining the apocalypse than in watching this disparate group bitch about old grievances while trying to stay alive.Not every joke lands, and the film sometimes spends so much time with its characters that the zombie apocalypse fades into the background. Several ideas, including intriguing hints at social media addiction and queer solidarity across generations, are only there in spirit. The modest budget equally limits the spectacle.No matter. Romero has assembled a hugely engaging ensemble that sells both the comedy and the quieter moments. Spivey, the much-loved Broadway star of A Strange Loop, gives Sam a lovely warmth that provides the emotional centre, while O’Brian’s increasingly exasperated boss lady keeps the action moving. Queens of the Dead only sometimes becomes the riotous midnight movie classic it promises to be, but the undead have never looked this fabulous.Streaming on Shudder from August 7