Zombie-Thon: October 2009

[Relaxing Dragon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/RsGPsbAd7Dc

Pontypool

I've been interested in this one for a while. Some kind of strange infection going through a small town in Canada, as relayed through a radio station trying to report on the whole thing. This may have originally been called Dead Air, I'm not sure.

The basic idea of the movie and their "zombies" is... different. Definitely different (easily one of the more original concepts I've heard in a long time). The film itself takes place almost entirely in this little radio station, with just a small group of people hearing reports come in from the outside. It gives a nice claustrophobic touch, and the whole film definitely creeped the hell out of me. Though given the nature of the events, it could just come of as hilarious to some people (I'm trying not to spoil it, even if it's something given away on the back of the box). Hard to say. But I loved it.

Best Scene: Tough pick, since it's one of those movies where everything runs together. Though I'd say when one of them is trying break into the booth is an effective bit (got some nice blood makeup too).

Worst Scene: There's a scene of "You killed her." "No, you killed her." (in french), and I think it was an effort at comic relief. Didn't really work out that way, just got annoying.

The Cause: Like I said, it's different. Gotta give them points for originality. Even manages to find a workable cure, in the logic it presents.

[Rude]

...

Oh, i've got Pontypool on my list too! Might just bump it down a few notches now that you've already watched it. But i'm still stoked to see it because it sounds really interesting.
...

http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/BiFUQxK_XZ4

Zombie Hunter Rika

This is the third part of the Japanese Nihombie series, the first being Zombie Self-Defense Force followed by Attack Girls' Swim Team Versus The Undead. Obviously i watched them a bit out of order, but they're really only thematically related... so it doesn't matter that much. At least, i didn't notice anything that said otherwise. Anyway, the plot is kinda' hard to explain... but i can give you a description of a few characters from the film:

First there's the Number One Zombie Hunter: he's a big muscley white dude with an internet show where he kills zombies. He wears a poncho and a cowboy hat, and uses a magical samurai sword... at least until the Zombie Master cuts off his arm.

The Zombie Master looks like an orc from Lord Of The Rings and kinda' commands the zombie hordes from a cave somewhere. Actually, most of the zombies are too stupid to do anything complicated. So really he only commands like, one Zombie Doctor.

The Zombie Doctor is pretty normal, except he's a zombie and wears a mask over his face to keep him from eating people. It doesn't really work too well though, because he ends up eating most of Rika's friends.

Rika is a regular schoolgirl who loses her arm in a zombie attack. Thankfully her senile grandfather is also a master surgeon and attaches the Number One Zombie Hunter's severed limb to her stump... imbuing Rika with the magical zombie-killer power. And also making her look completely ridiculous.

Best Scene: One girl kinda' falls for this sexy zombie dude, and tells him that he can, uh... have his way with her, if he lets her get away. Apparently it works, because he pushes a few other zombies aside. She gets out of the car, and they start making out as it begins to snow. I think it's supposed to look really artsy or something. But anyway, he bites her tongue off.

Worst Scene: There's kind of a Three Stooges scene as a few guys try to escape their little town. It's just lame... even for this movie.

T.M.I.: Was that really just the longest "review" i've posted this whole month? For this movie? Really? Weak.

-Rude

[D.B. Barnes]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/xH0GFJZwseE

MST3K #604 - Zombie Nightmare

A voodoo priestess brings Jon Mikl Thor back from the dead to get revenge on those who murdered him. Well, maybe not "murdered" so much as "vehicularly manslaughtered" him... and then drove away. Anyway, he gets zombified and kills people.

I don't have the original version of this movie, so thankfully i got to watch along with Mike & The Bots. Good times.

Best Scene: Well... um, there's... uh... hmmm... they play a Motorhead song during the opening credits. That was pretty cool.

Worst Scene: What kind of accent is that voodoo priestess trying to do? It's like a goat woman from Jamaica or something.

Star Struck: Adam West, Jon Mikl Thor and Tia Carrere. Not exactly high-caliber talent, but kinda' awesome in a strange way. And i've actually seen Thor and his band in concert a coupla' times. They rock!

-Rude

You're listening to the Light FM...and now, here's FIST

[Rude]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/d8aK2WhSSAk

Zombie Honeymoon

Oh thank God... a really decent zombie movie for a change. This was a surprisingly effective little film that manages to strip the comedy from the romantic zombie genre. It's still a low budget affair, but it works pretty well and i enjoyed it quite a bit. Then again, i was in the mode for almost anything other than bad Japanese zombie movies.

Anyway, the film obviously follows a newlywed couple on their honeymoon. While staying at a beach home getaway, they encounter a zombie who rises from the water and attacks them before vomiting into the young groom's mouth. This causes him to instantly die, but he soon comes back to life in the hospital just a short while later... with the all-too-familiar zombie craving for flesh.

The movie focuses on the strain that his deteriorating condition puts on their relationship. What seems manageable at first quickly devolves into a psychological nightmare that may take it's toll on the wife more dramatically than her husband.

Best Scene: The wife has something of a nervous breakdown as she tries to drown out the noise of her husband feasting on the bodies of their best friends. It's like a less-than-zero moment where she has lost all direction and tries desperately to cope with her conflicting feelings and hopeless situation.

Worst Scene: The low budget becomes apparent when the husband brings home a cheezy, fake leg to snack on.

Based On: The film is dedicated to a young man who is pictured at his own real-life wedding. I wonder who he was, and if his death was some sort of inspiration for this film.

-Rude

[ScottotD]

http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2009/10/30/EXCLUSIVE-Robots-and-zombies-Hell-yeah-Teaser-for-DRIVING-THE-DEAD
ROBOTS VS. ZOMBIES!

[Rude]

...

Happy Halloween!

Well, this is it! This is the home stretch, the final day of October and the last chance to watch some zombie movies for Zombie-Thon: 2009!

I have at least a few planned for today seeing as how i'm still pretty sick and quarantined here at home. I'll try to finish up and post my reviews before midnight, and then sometime tomorrow hopefully i'll have a nice little summary on how we did!

If you're more healthy than me, and actually get to go out and enjoy Halloween... have fun!

-Rude

[Rude]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/nkCbelKmZ68

Zombie Wars

I don't if i even have to mention that this was another low budget film... unless you know otherwise, it's just kind of assumed by now, right? Anyway, that didn't stop Zombie Wars from being very ambitious. You could almost see it being made on the scale of Battlefield Earth, or at least a SyFy exclusive movie.

It has a Planet Of The Apes vibe, where the zombies have actually enslaved humans and breed them for food. I think the movie actually says this is only about 50years after some kind of zombie apocalypse, though. And that's kinda' weird because there are no cities, the rebels are trained from birth, and the slave humans are practically feral and have no language. But i digress...

Best Scene: The finale assault on the zombie camp has a few good deaths. I'm surprised how nearly every soldier manages to get a perfect head shot every time.

Worst Scene: The "big ending" is so anti-climatic it's pathetic.

Girlfriend Material: Would you take a feral blonde as your girlfriend? I mean, you'd have to teach her how to talk and use a fork and stuff. And dinner parties would probably be awkward for awhile. But there might be some benefits too. I'm kind of up in the air personally.

-Rude

[Rude]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/tdhXeqrjtmw

American Zombie

This is a faux, social-justice type documentary on zombies, or revenants as they're called in the film. It's actually really good, and kind of goes off in a lot of different directions but manages to pull it all together to make one pretty great film.

Like a real documentary it follows a number of individuals in their daily lives as revenants. Unlike the more feral zombies though, these are high-functioning revenants who live and work in Los Angeles area. There's a skater-slacker type who produces an underground 'zine from which the documentary takes it's title, a hippie-dippy artist who's desperate to learn about her past, and a social worker who agitates for zombie rights... among others. They all eventually make their way to Live Dead, a Burning Man type event for zombies only.

The documentary crew arranges for permission to film this event, but is forcefully ejected on the last night of the festival. What they learn takes the documentary in a whole new direction, and sheds light on the sinister goals of the new revenant population.

Best Scene: I enjoyed most of the interviews with the revenants. But i really enjoyed the vegan, scrapbook-making, kitty figurine collecting, happy-go-lucky asian girl who works at a juice company. She was hilarious without being obvious.

Worst Scene: There's something of a Blair Witch moment with the crew as they're terrorized in their tent.

180 Degrees: The film starts off pretty funny, especially with the zombie interviews. But by the end, a bigger picture begins to emerge. Things take on a more serious tone, and it's almost depressing... and it's also really effective.

-Rude

[Relaxing Dragon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/UAQ0u4LKNmw

Night of the Creeps

An alien shoots down a strange tube to Earth. Contained within are a bunch of strange slugs, whose sole purpose is to shoot into the mouths of living creatures, incubate and multiply within their brains (while the infectee stumbles around), then shoot out and infect some more. It's up to frat house wanabe Chris, his best bud J.C., and jaded police Detective Cameron to stop them before it's too late.

A sweet little 80s horror comedy (that took its sweet time getting to DVD), this is a movie that definitely needs more love. Some good effects and gore, lots of funny moments, and practically oozing the feeling of the 80s (in that nice, mockable, nostalgic way) make this a b-movie that anyone can enjoy.

Best Scene: The final fight is just so full of goodness, from the flamethrower being used outside to Detective Cameron going absolutely nuts inside. Also good is when one of the recently-slugged gets up and walks out of the morgue in the police station (naked and with coroner scissors still in his throat), and a passing officer doesn't even notice anything's amiss.

Worst Scene: Not so much a scene, but a line: "They got Alfalfa!" Meant as a bookend to a running gag, but it rubbed me the wrong way since the person in question who was no more was so awesome. Show some respect for your best friend, dude!

Missed Opportunity: A lawnmower is used as a weapon, and while the resulting kill is decent enough, I think they should've done more with it. Of course, since Dead Alive spoiled me so with regards to lawnmower kills, it's only natural for me to think this way.

[Rude]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/5gUKvmOEGCU

Night Of The Living Dead

And the best for last...

-Rude

[Rude]

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Zombie-Thon Stats for October: 2009

Total Zombie Movies Reviewed: 49

There were a few people that mentioned watching movies, or that they had planned on watching movies but didn't follow through with a review. And i'm sure that a few people watched a movie that had already been reviewed and just decided not to mention it. For example, tons of people besides me saw Zombieland last month but just didn't review it here... because it had it's own thread.

Approximate Time Watching Zombie Movies: 3 Days, 1 Hour, 30 Minutes

Approximate Zombie Movies Watched Per Day: 1.5

Number Of Forum Members That Reviewed A Zombie Movie: 8

Top Three Zombie-Watchers:
* Rude (30)
* RobtheBarbärian (6)
* Compound (4)

Honorable Mentions:
Steve-O for watching a genuinely sick zombie movie in a house with small children.

mrbaseheart for squeezing a few zombie movies into an already insane movie-watching schedule.

Dishonorable Mentions:
Tyrant for claiming enthusiastically - "I'm in! How can I not be?" And then not reviewing a single zombie movie.

ScottH for claiming to have watched some awesome zombie movies, but never posting a review. Although he did participate in a Zombie Walk, so he gets some make-up points there (heh, heh... pun intended.)

Number Of Zombie Movies With "Zombie" In The Title: 15

Number Of Zombie Movies With "Dead" In The Title: 19

Number Of Foreign Language Zombie Movies: 6

I think that's about right. I'm not counting movies that were filmed in another language and dubbed though, so the actual number may be a little higher. Basically, if you sat through something with subtitles it counts as a foreign language film. It's kind of arbitrary, sure... but whatever.

So that's it, kids! Zombie-Thon: October 2009 is officially over.
Of course, there's never a wrong time to watch a zombie movie... so keep it up all year long! I know that i will.

-Rude

[Relaxing Dragon]

Yeah, the main reason I only posted 2 was because everyone else already reviewed the ones I watched (Zombieland, Dawn of the Dead, couple more). And I was also really lazy, and failed to see a couple of the ones I really wanted to.

Was still a fun read, and next year I'll try not to be so lazy about it.

[RobtheBarbarian]

 

* Rude (30)

Good gravy, sir, you are a role model.

Number Of Zombie Movies With "Zombie" In The Title: 15

Number Of Zombie Movies With "Dead" In The Title: 19

Number Of Foreign Language Zombie Movies: 6

Hehe, nice touch.

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

Automaton Transfusion

Fuck this movie! Fuck it right in the ass! I was willing to forgive the bad acting, the nu-metal soundtrack and the horrible camerawork (was this shot on a cell phone?)

But I thought shaky camerawork was the new, hip thing and anyone who thinks so is "so old...so very old" (to quote someone here).   

[mrbasehart]

If you'd have started the thread perhaps a week earlier, I could've contributed a few more, but that really doesn't count, does it?

And Zombie Wars was shit, wasn't it?