Posted by Civello at 68.76.167.20 on March 16, 2004 at 23:44:23:
In Reply to: Yes. As is Foree & Reiniger. n/t posted by Barry, Suave MF on March 16, 2004 at 23:39:31:
: : : Just got back from the screening in Chicago just now. It's somewhat long, so sit back & enjoy or stand & fidget.
: : : I was, for the most part, excited to see the film regardless of what I've heard or seen the past 1.5 yrs. This was really Hollywood's first major zombie movie....well ever I think. "Resident Evil" - even though I liked it - I don't think counts because its popularity stems from a video game. This was Hollywood coming into our neck of the woods & doing something with it. After going into the theater with an open mind, I can honestly say I left quite satisfied (no, not because of any hanky-panky in the theater).
: : : I've been having the worst personal problems lately.....had really crappy days/years at work.....and had to endure standing in line tonight in front of a bunch of annoying, stupid, dickwad teens....blah, blah, bla...but I wasn't about to let those things ruin the movie for me.
: : : To the flick:
: : : No, this isn't better than the original. Is it just as good? No one can say for sure. It's really a matter of personal preference. Though I will say that it is quite good. Even after reading the script, I still was amused, surprised, etc. It is in my top 10 favorite zombie movies of all time (Romero's trilogy, NOTLD '90, ROTLD trilogy, "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things", "Resident Evil" - I'd probably rank it after Romero's trilogy & ROTLD #1....so far).
: : : Gone is the creepiness of the shuffling zombies of the original. It is instead replaced with high tension of the running undead. Think if you were being chased by these things & what you would be feeling. This movie makes you feel like that most of the time. The movie starts off with an adrenalin rush & keeps it going until the end.
: : : Also gone is the social commentary on consumerism. That is now replaced with madness & chaos and how people deal with it. I think with what's going on in the world today with wars & various other crises, that the movie accurately reflects that.
: : : As some of you may know, there is humor involved throughout the film. If I know the typical horror movie fan, I'd think you'd like it. The humor doesn't take away from what's happening. Nor does it make you groan as if they're trying to make you laugh. I'm sure they were trying to make some chuckles along the way, but the jokes are not corny. I believe the humor is in there as a way of people dealing with madness in their lives.
: : : Do you care for the characters? Well I guess. This movie doesn't try to get the audience to care for them. Does the film try to have you shed a tear when one dies? No. It's not supposed to. It basically just puts in there Mr. & Mrs. Average Joe & tells you how they deal with the epidemic. Of course the filmmakers didn't want you to hate the cast. It really tries to make you empathize with them. Or at least just the main characters.
: : : There really isn't any downtime in the film. It's not all zombie action, but there's never really a moment where you might get bored & look at your watch. The movie is well-paced & doesn't overdo it.
: : : As for the zombies, I won't debate the who's better of this film & the original. That's been overdone. But like I mentioned above, having the running zombies in here does give the film that high tension it needed. They could have had the original, slow-moving zombies in here, yes, but if they kept the same plot as this remake, I don't think it would have worked. Maybe. Maybe not. I will say that these zombies are better than the infected in "28 Days Later". Way better.
: : : Stay through the credits. There's more coming when they start. Comparing this ending to the original isn't that hard. In the original, you don't know what's out there for the survivors & what happens to them. In this one, it's almost the same. It would have been very similar to the ending of the original, but with the real ending in the credits - even though you see what's happening, you really don't know what happens to the survivors.
: : : What I would have liked to have seen in the film is more scenes of chaos in the streets. To maybe have some of the survivors get to the mall by going through such places. And more newscasts too of what's happening (the crisis, not the TV show w/Rerun).
: : : I'll have to see it again to see if I feel the same way of course. But at least I do want to see it again just for the pure enjoyment from the first viewing. If you go in there with a halfway open-mind, you shouldn't be disappointed.
: : : If there's anything I didn't cover, let me know.
or actual parts; that is worth the price of admission right there :)
also any more news on Twilight of the Dead?