Maggie (2015) #415

The 2015 movie "Maggie" is a delightful surprise that finds a careful balance in being part family drama and part post-zombie apocalypse. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger (in perhaps his best role to date since returning to his acting career) as Wade Vogel, a loving father and family man who only wants to take care of his daughter Maggie. Unfortunately, Maggie has been infected by a zombie, and knowing that she is now contagious and will eventually "turn", she runs away to the city. She is caught breaking curfew and is brought to the hospital will Wade picks her from and brings her back home. Over the course of the next several days, the two are forced to deal with the realization of what's occurring to Maggie, as well as Wade's neighbors and Maggie's crush. The ending is inevitable but is filled with emotion and is very satisfying.

Several factors make this film amazing. First of all is Arnold; this is the most emotional that I have ever seen him in a movie and so he is completely believable as Wade. Although another actor may have been better suited for the emotional side of the role, Arnold is still emotionally and physically imposing for the moments of the movie that call it, such as dealing with the neighbors. Second is the restraint that director Henry Hobson shows by keeping the violence and gore to a minimum. Just because this movie is about zombies, they appear briefly and not over used, so their few appearances make a larger impact and justify the story line. Finally, Abigail Breslin's performance as Maggie is to be applauded. Again, not the best performance I've seen in this kind of role but still it's good, believable, and moving.

"Maggie" should be on the should list for any fan of zombie films.

Deadgirl (2008) #398

"Deadgirl" is a difficult film to watch due to the depraved nature of the story; two high school boys find a girl, who happens to be a zombie, tied up in an abandoned psychiatric hospital. The depravity comes in when one of the boys decides to have his way with the captive zombie, while the other boy decides to end their friendship when he decides that he doesn't want to sexually violate the living dead. While I can appreciate the fact that the director and producers of this film decided to explore this aspect of the zombie movie sub-genre and dared to be bold and different, I strongly feel that this story would be best served as a short story rather than as a movie. It may be deemed artistic by some but I was not entertained by this movie nor did I find it scary as a horror film. I did enjoy the secondary story between Rickie and Joann and I wish more time was spent on this dynamic and having the story about the "deadgirl" accent their relationship, opposite of what actually takes place precedent.

The Returned (2013) #376

"The Returned" offers a fresh and unique perspective for bloated zombie sub-genre by offering a film where the threat of zombies is very real but you never really see one except for the opening credits and a minor flash-back sequence. In fact, the word zombie is only used in one scene, and this single moment is made all the more intense just because of that word. Instead of the word zombie, the preferred politically correct term used in the film is "the returned"; those who have been infected with the virus that turns someone into a zombie but who was saved by medical means before the infected took over the body completely. Because of this set-up, the film is driven by emotions and relationships, paranoia, and social clashes over how those who have become "returned" should be handled. With strong performances by Emily Hampshire (Kate) and Kris Holden-Reid (Alex), "The Returned" is an intense and enthralling horror film without the usual blood and guts, making this movie safe for those who would typically avoid horror movies in the first place.

Kate works as a doctor at a clinic that treats those who have been infected by a zombie bite. By administering a vaccine daily, the infected patient becomes a "returned", those who have been saved from the horrible fate of becoming a zombie. Kate's lover Alex is a "returned", and during a dinner party, Alex finally reveals his secret to his best friend Jacob and Jacob's girlfriend Amber. Although initially shocked, Jacob and Amber remain friends with Kate and Alex. When news spreads that the national stock pile of the daily vaccine that Alex needs is running out and that there isn't a reliable alternative, Kate and Alex begin to fear the reactions of their neighbors and government more and more as the days pass. Special military controlled camps are opened and all documented "returned" must be transferred to a camp or else. Kate and Alex leave the city with Jacob and Amber, but soon this course of action develops it's own problems for Kate and Alex. As their options and their personal supply of vaccine runs out, Kate and Alex are forced to take desperate measures in order to prolong their time together....

Junk (2000)

Even Japan wasn't immune from the outbreak of zombie themed horror movies. It could be argued that the Japanese helped usher in the movement with such films as "Versus" from 2000 as well as today's review, "Junk". Personally, I found "Junk" to be more entertaining and ridiculous than "Versus". Labeled as a Yukuza Zombie film, "Junk" pays homage to zombie classics like "Re-Animator" and "Dead Alive". Because of these obvious influences, the zombie make-up is kept cheesy and barely a step above the quality of work that Tom Savini was doing in the early 1980's. But the film does capture a hint of the comedic undertones that both movies had, sometimes to the point that you think that the acting is a bit too much over the top.

A team of four amature thieves pull off a daring jewelry robbery and make off with an estimated 100 million yen worth of loot. They make plan with a local yukuza boss to sell the stolen goods to and begin daydreaming of what their lives are going to become. The trade is to take place at an old abandonded military base. Unknown to these two groups, the US military was using the base to conduct unauthorized tests in reanimation. The tests were successful but the scientists and other personnel were all killed and turned. It's not long before the thieves and the yukuza run into the zombies, and during a fire fight between the two, more zombies are created. Now it's a race for survival until the military can come save the day, led by the co-creator of the reanimation serum.

Favorite moment - Watching the "zombie queen" in action, clearly more of a video game final boss than a regular old standard zombie!

Kyoko the zombie queen is hungry

Kyoko now has white hair! Whaa?

Yukuza checking out the stolen loot.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

The 2004 remake of the classic "Dawn of the Dead" was Zack Snyder's smashing debut as a director and was a critical success. The two films have several glaring differences and because of this, they both stand out as exceptional films in their own ways. The beginning of the remake begins calmly and shifts into a non-stop adrenaline rush at a drop of a dime, showing how quickly the zombie apocalypse can spread through a typical suburban neighborhood. The remake has a larger cast which provides additional victims for the zombies throughout the film. The remake does not have a nomadic bike gang that raids the mall, instead it chooses to show the survivors making a break to a possibly even more secure location. And the zombies run, fast! Some die hard fans hate any film that features zombies running but I don't mind; if they can show vampires walking in the sun then movies can have zombies that run if they want to.

Ana is having a bad day. Her husband is bitten by the adorable neighbor girl who has all of a sudden become ravenous, and then her husband starts acting the same way, slobbering and clawing at Ana with a crazed look in his eyes. She makes it outside and sees that the entire neighbor is under siege as neighbor attacks neighbor with violent abandon. It's a zombie apocalypse and Ana is standing right in the middle of it all!

After driving away, crashing, and then being saved by a police officer, Ana and a group of other survivors hide themselves from the chaos inside the local super mall....only to be taken prisoner by the three security guards who work there. They manage to escape and turn the tables on the guards, then slowly fortify the mall and clear it of any excess zombies. More survivors come, a few of them turn and are killed in due process, and Kenneth the cop befriends a sharp shooting survivor trapped across the street. The survivors comes to realize that the mall will become there tomb if they don't act, so they modify two utility vehicles and try to make it to a boat in the harbor, with plans to sail away to a nice secluded island, where there surely aren't any zombies....

State of Emergency (2011)

"State of Emergency" is a very straight forward zombie, low budget film that includes a reason as to why there are zombies as well as a rare "after the apocalypse" scene that shows the survivors hugging each other in disbelief that they made it through the ordeal. The lead actor does a decent job with his role but some of the other actors portraying survivors have their moments of being outright obnoxious; if this was a script choice or an acting choice isn't exactly clear. According to the credits, the film was directed, written, edited, and musically scored by one person, Turner Clay; that is a lot of work for one person to do and I think he did a great job. There are only a few moments in the film that make it memorable in a field that is currently over saturated, and I'll go over those moment now.


The film opens with a scene that takes places later in the film, placed here just to add suspense. After this, it jumps to Jay and his girlfriend Emilie, who is slowly dying from stomach wounds. They are trying to find shelter after a large explosion occurs at a near by chemical plant. They make it to an old farmhouse but Emilie dies. Jay secures the farmhouse as well as he can, but an infected zombie-like resident attacks Jay, chasing him around until he is able to get to a gun and kill his assailant. Jay tries to get the attention of the military helicopters that occasionally fly by but to no avail. He actions does attract the attention of a group of survivors who are hiding in a large, well protected warehouse. Jay is able to safely get to the warehouse where he meets Scott and his wife Julie, as well as the loner Ix. While at the warehouse, Jay and Scott try to figure out their next move while waiting out zombies, including one that could still talk and was begging to be let in. When Ix falls into a diabetic coma, Jay decides to risk going outside to collect a pack of emergency supplies that the military dropped around the quarantine zone to help those who were not infected. A homing device is triggered and the military comes and saves the survivors just as their warehouse is broken in to. Each of the four survivors is tested and cleared, and given permission to leave.

What I liked best - the use of sounds are amazing, especially those used while Jay is alone in the farmhouse. So many echoes and mysterious noises, as well as the lovely rainfall in the background.

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Happy New Year's Eve!!

"28 Weeks Later" is one of those very rare films where I had to hit the pause button while watching it because it got too intense for me to handle the first time I watched it. This film is violent and unforgiving, and the way it is filmed only adds to the intensity of the events that are happening on screen. Danny Boyle has given up the director's chair and has taken on the role of executive producer. Robert Carlyle stars as Don and has great support from Jeremy Renner and Rose Byrne.

The film begins at the height of the original RAGE outbreak, where Don and his wife are living with four other survivors in a boarded up house. During their meal, a boy comes to the house and begins pounding on the door begging to be let in. They let him in but a few minutes later a mob of infected attack the house and quickly over run the place. Don barely escapes, leaving Alice behind after she decides to try to protect the boy. He catches a glimpse of her being attacked as he runs away to a boat waiting down at a stream. He escapes to live another day...

28 weeks later, a portion of London has been cleared and declared safe for a small portion of residents to return and start the rebuilding process. A U.N. team led by Americans are providing military support and protection of the quarantined area. Don's two children return to London after being away in Spain during the outbreak; they catch the attention of Major Scarlet Levy, the chief medical examiner, who was not informed that any children would be in the first group coming back. During her medical inspection of Tammy and Andy, Scarlet notices that Andy has different colored eyes, just like his mother had. Once home, Tammy and Andy ask their dad how their mother died, forcing Don to lie and tells that that he saw Alice being killed by the infected when all he saw was that she was attacked. The kids decide to sneak out of the quarantine zone and visit their old house, where Andy finds his mother in a feral state. The kids are discovered by the military and take them back to the zone, along with the mother to be inspected. Scarlet discovers that Alice is carrier of the Rage Virus, having been exposed to the virus but hasn't become fully infected; Scarlet also notices Alice's different colored eyes and suspects that her genes have a natural immunity from the virus. The Commander orders Alice to be killed and body destroyed immediately but Scarlet begs that Alice be spared because she could offer a cure to the virus. Before Alice can be killed, Don sneaks in and visits his wife, apologizing for leaving her behind. He goes in to kiss her and her saliva infects him, "turning" him immediately. Having loss all control, he ruthlessly kills Alice and begins to kill and infect the nearby staff. The virus quickly spreads throughout the quarantine zone, forcing the military to turn their weapons on both the infected and innocents who are trying to survive. Scarlet finds the kids and tries to protect them. With the help of Flynn, a sniper who realizes that London is lost and will be nuked, the group makes an attempt to escape London while being chased down by the infected, the military, and a very clever infected Don who is driven to find and kill his children.

Scarlet, Flynn, Andy, and Tammy

Flynn rescuing Scarlet and the kids

Don running away from the infected

Infected Don

George A Romero's Day of the Dead (1985)

George A Romero’s “Day of the Dead” is a decent zombie but is my least favorite of his original trilogy. I have to admit that I enjoy the loose remake more than this version; this film is relatively slow and doesn’t have much action until the end of the third act. This movie has two main storylines, the first dealing with the growing tension between the civilian scientific team working in the makeshift research bunker and the other one dealing with the insane Dr. Logan and the zombie Bub who he is training to be human again. Tom Savini does another fine job with his make-up and special effects for the zombie genre, especially when the movie gets to the point where the victims are torn asunder by the zombie horde.

Dr. Sarah Bowman is the main character in this film that takes place a good deal of time after “Dawn of the Dead”. She is the voice of reason and one of the few people who are not succumbing to the stress of the situation although she is beginning to have dreadful nightmares. When she comes back from a recent deployment looking for survivors and supplies, she learns that the military CO has been killed has been replaced by the tyrannical Captain Rhodes. All he cares about is his men, who he treats more like possessions than as people, and is sick and tired of the antics of Dr. Logan. Captain Rhodes doesn’t think the scientists are doing anything productive and is threating to shut the operation down and take the helicopter and its pilot and leave. Dr. Logan has been busy at work but not with finding the cause or a cure, instead he has been feeding his zombie pets the dead soldiers and training them to behave as if they were alive. Eventually one of the soldiers is bit which sets of a chain reaction of events that causes the zombies to get what they want, fresh meat. Sarah and the two helicopter pilots, Bill and John, manage to escape and live to see another day.

Captain Rhodes is having a very bad day.

 Dr. Logan and his test subject, Zombie Bub.

Sarah having a nightmare.

Day of the Dead (2008)

The 2008 film “Day of the Dead” is not a part of the George A Romero canon but is heavily influenced by his version that he made in 1985. Both films focus on military personnel and the doctors/scientists who are working on finding a cure or cause of the zombie outbreak. Several characters even share the same names in both films, although the personalities are not the same. The concept that a zombie might retain some of its human personality is also explored. This updated version of these concepts results in an entertaining zombie movie that deserves a chance. It stars Mena Suvari who is great in the role of Corporal Sarah Cross, who happens to be from the town that is experiencing the zombie outbreak. It also stars Ving Rhames who plays Captain Rhodes, one of the characters in the 1985 version. This film was written by Jeffrey Reddick who is best known as writing the complete "Final Destination" series.

There is a flu-like epidemic affecting the residents of Leadville, Colorado. The military arrives and blockades all ways in or out of the small town. Corporal Sarah Cross takes Private Bud with her as she checks in on her mom. Her mom is sick and so she takes her and her younger brother Trevor and his girlfriend Nina with them. At the hospital, Sarah and Bud find that the ER is full of people suffering from the epidemic. Suddenly, they start dying and then moments later the dead residents come back to life and attack the living. The hospital becomes a chaotic scene and Sarah and Bud barely escape while Trevor and Nina end up finding safety in the town’s radio station. The film focuses on Sarah and Trevor and those with them as they try to stay alive and escape from the mobs of super-fast, strong, vicious zombies.

Zombie Captain Rhodes, pulling out his eye only to eat it moments later.

Corporal Sarah Cross and Captain Rhodes inspect the hospital.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

On October 1^st, 1968, exactly 45 years ago, George A Romero forever changed the zombie genre and the popularity of zombie films with his classic “Night of the Living Dead”. From the famous “They’re going to get you Barbara” to shooting zombies in the head, Romero set the style and sensibilities for future zombie movies for the next several years. Romero also made a provocative choice by casting Duane Jones as the lead character, during a time period when African Americans were never cast as the hero in an ensemble full of Caucasians. Romero also made the same casting choice in his sequel “Dawn of the Dead” by casting Ken Foree as Peter, one of my all-time favorite characters in all of the horror movies I’ve seen. The story was co-written by John Russo and was at first a comedy/horror. But Romero made changes after being inspired by Richard Matheson’s classic “I Am Legend”. What would the world of horror be like without this film??

Spoilers!                                                              Spoilers!                                              Spoilers!

Barbara and her brother Johnny take a lengthy afternoon drive to visit their father’s grave. While they are there, Johnny begins to tease her sister because she doesn’t like graveyards, and while doing so a strange man comes up and attacks Johnny, killing him. The stranger chases Barbara to a secluded house where she finds a woman’s corpse inside. She runs out but comes across Ben, who takes her back inside and talks her down from her shock while boarding up the windows and doors. They discover that there are others in the house, hiding in the cellar. With their help, the survivors try to escape from the farmhouse with disastrous results. The zombies finally attack in masse and break through the barricades, trying to grab the survivors through the windows. Barbara meets a gruesome fate as she’s over taken by zombies when she notices that her brother Johnny is among them. Ben is the only one to survive the night, only to be mistaken for a zombie by a sheriff’s posse the next morning.

Ben defending the farmhouse.

Barbara running away from the first zombie in the graveyard.

Return of the Living Dead (1984)

There are some many wonderful things about “Return of the Living Dead” that I don’t know where to begin. For a long time this was one of my favorite guilty pleasures but that recently changed when I found out how many other people I know who also love this film. This movie is one of the reasons why I began writing this blog because it’s one of the movies that I love to talk about often and seemingly endlessly! This is the first time that it’s explained why zombies eat people; by consuming brains, the pain of rotting goes away for a little bit. This is brilliant! This movie also has zombies that can run, talk, use radios, and act just like they’re alive…except for the eating brains part. I find this completely acceptable because I like the all or nothing approach; they can be stumbling, slow, and relentless or they can be like the zombies in this film. Or maybe I accept this movie’s version of zombies because I first saw it when I was nine, my first zombie movie ever!  

I love how this movie directly mentions “Night of the Living Dead” several times, mainly in the beginning. I always thought that they could do this because of the lack of a copy right for “NOTLD”. Not so; I found out that John A Russo co-wrote both films! Romero did sue Russo for his part in “Return” but it obviously didn’t damage the movie I know and love! One of the best references of “NOLTD” occurs when Bud, Frank, and Freddy are trying to kill the reanimated corpse in the freezer. They decide to impale it in the head with a pick axe and when it doesn’t die, they begin to panic.

Bud - “I thought you said if we destroy the brain that it would die”

Frank - “It worked in the movie”

Bud - “Well it ain’t working now, Frank”

Freddy - “You mean the movie lied?!”

“Return of the Living Dead” begins with Uncle Frank showing his nephew Freddy around the medical supply warehouse where the two work. To impress his nephew, Frank tells Freddy how they have canisters that were involved in real life events of that inspired the movie “Night of the Living Dead”. They go downstairs to see the canisters and when Frank slaps the side of one, the pressure within bursts and a poisonous toxin fills the warehouse. They pass out and when they come to, the find that the dead bodies have come to life; first seeing a dog that’s cut in half barking and then hearing the dead body in the freezer pounding on the door to get out. The warehouse owner comes to help them, and after they manage to neutralize the reanimated corpse (by cutting him up into pieces with a bone saw); they go over to the mortuary across the street in hopes of using the furnace to burn up the evidence. The embalmer, Ernie, eventually agrees and the body is burnt to nothing but the fumes (and toxins) go into the air and come back in the rain, affecting all of the corpses in the graveyard and bringing them back to life!

Meanwhile, in the graveyard are a group of friends who are waiting for Freddy to get off of work so they can go party. They start to have a good time in the cemetery, including Trash who takes off all of her clothes and dances around. When the rain begins to fall, it burns their skin so they run to find shelter. Freddy’s girlfriend Tina is already at the warehouse when it begins to rain. She goes into the basement and comes across the zombie from inside the canister. She hides in a metal closet and screams. Her friends hear her and come to the rescue, but one of them dies when he’s bitten in the head. They run back to the mortuary for shelter. There Tina finds Freddy, but Freddy and Frank are feeling sick and have been infected by the toxins. They soon turn and then it becomes a free for all as to who lives and who dies when the dead return back to life!

Favorite moment – One of the scariest moments I’ve ever seen in a horror movie was when Zombie Freddy is asking Tina to be nice and open the doorway to the attic that she’s hiding in so he can eat her brains. I was nine when I saw this and it still gives me shivers! His pleading, so sweet and gentle, quickly turns to rage. As Ernie moves himself behind Tina, you can see him raise his pistol to her head, ready to kill her before Freddy can get to her. It’s super intense!

Bud is ready with a bat to kill canister zombie!

Bud calls the military for help. Spider uses a sledgehammer, just like I would!

Frank and Freddy have been told that they're dead. Not the best news to hear...

World War Z (2013)

While “World War Z” is a great action/adventure movie, the horror elements are under used and under appreciated by the film makers. This might be due to the fact that they wanted to make a movie with a PG-13 rating and as we all know, zombies can become pretty gruesome really quick. The movie does feel like a horror film during the third act, the part of the movie that was re-written who knows how many times.

There were a couple of moments that really impressed about this film, one of which is their presentation of quickly the foundation of civilization can crumble. Watching the chaos unfold was chilling and reminded me of the similar scenes from “Cloverfield”.  Another nice attention to detail was when Brad Pitt’s character shoots one of the infected and gets some of its blood in his mouth. He runs to the ledge of the apartment building, ready to jump in case he “turns”. But after counting down to 11, he realizes that he’s ok. But there is one detail that I don’t like at all; there is a moment when Brad Pitt cuts off the hand of a soldier who was just bit, and then she doesn’t turn. Not cool! If you get bit you turn, this is not negotiable!

Gerry (Brad Pitt) is coerced into helping the UN discover the source and cure to a worldwide zombie epidemic. He runs around a lot, flies in a few planes here and there, and discovers a useful technique to use against the zombies. 

Favorite moment - the scene on the plane with the stow away zombie was pretty fun, intense, and horror-like.

Rammbock: Berlin Undead (2010)

I believe it’s safe to say that the zombie genre has moved in a direction to include those films where the zombies aren’t necessarily the previously dead. The movies such as “28 Days Later” and “REC” are about people who become infected and change into mindless killing beasts, so how is that different from a regular zombie besides being dead? The German film “Rammbock: Berlin Undead” falls under the new-wave zombie movies and adds a unique and plausible new detail to the mythos; once bitten, the infection doesn’t take over until the infected becomes agitated or excitable. I’ll buy that.

This film keeps things simple, showing what it would be like to be trapped within your apartment during a zombie outbreak. How ready are you for an emergency? How much food or water do you have on hand? Do you have the medicine that you need?

The film begins with Michael, who has gone to Berlin in hopes of getting back together with his longtime girlfriend, Gabi. He goes to her apartment and finds that she is gone and two workmen are doing repairs. The older of the two becomes angry while working on the radiator and turns into a zombie (sounds like the Hulk!). We assume that he was wounded before but it’s not very clear. Michael and Harper, the younger repairman, manage to lock themselves in Gabi’s apartment. From there, they communicate with the other residents through open windows. One resident promises food if someone can give him sedatives to keep his wife from changing. Michael and Harper create a battering ram (Rammbock) and bash through into the neighbors unit. There they find pills, more zombies, and become trapped. Harper ends up trapped in the kitchen and Michael luckily finds a ladder leading into the attic. Michael finds Gabi in the attic as well as an uncomfortable truth, and Harper discovers the zombies’ weakness. The movie ends with an exciting escape scene and a touching conclusion for the heart broken Michael.

Harper and Michael

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

One of my favorite zombie movies ever is the immensely popular “Dawn of the Dead”. The original version has stood the test of time and is still chilling to watch today. These four talented actors playing strong, well-written characters trapped in a seemingly hopeless apocalyptic situation is simply unforgettable. The movie also showcases the make-up work of Tom Savani who created some memorable zombies and left his mark on future horror movies to come. What is interesting to find out is that this movie would not exist if it wasn’t for the assistance of Dario Argento, who was a big fan of Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”. With Argento’s influence and assistance, Romero was able to find the funding that he needed to film this movie, as well as a place to stay in Rome where he could write the screenplay. All of these factors played important roles in the productions values of the final piece.

This movie has brought me so much joy over the years. It’s amazing to think that in the 1990’s I had to leave a $200 deposit in order to rent this movie from Scarecrow Video because it was out of print at the time. It’s also amazing to remember that when my friend and I watched this film, he was actually afraid to walk home in the dark because he was so affected! And finally, how can you not appreciate the cheesy nature of the motorcycle gang? They provided comic relief, a tilt in the storyline, and numerous bodies for the zombies to eat and tear apart.

The movie opens by showing the chaos behind the scenes at a television studio. Some people are trying to stay focused and work while others are trying to flee. The world as we know it is quickly crumbling as the government is losing control over the zombie “invasion”. Stephen and Francine plan to steal the stations traffic helicopter but they need to pick up Stephen’s friend Roger. Roger, meanwhile, is a member of a SWAT team involved in a SWAT raid on a low income apartment building whose inhabitants are refusing to follow the orders of the mandated martial law. The worst in humanity is displayed by a racist and overzealous member of the SWAT team who is eventually killed. The residents are quickly killed off by the SWAT team and the zombies that they were harboring inside. Roger ends up meeting another SWAT team member named Peter, and together they go and find Stephen to escape the ugly chaos.

The four survivors eventually decide to land on top of a mall in order to grab need supplies. While inside, they realize that they can fortify the building and stay there until they think of some better plan. They manage to block the doors with semi-trucks from a nearby parking lot, but while finishing up the job, Roger is bitten in the leg. After the outside of the mall is secured, the four of them begin the gruesome work of killing off the zombies in the mall, with Roger being pushed around in a wheelbarrow and shooting. Once this task is done, they realize that they can live like kings and do whatever they want in their fancy, comfortable prison. After some time (a few days), Roger finally dies and returns as a zombie, who is quickly killed by a remorse Peter.

Before long, a mob of motorcycle bandits see the helicopter on top of the roof of the mall and realize that there are people inside. After making radio contact and announcing their intentions, Peter and Stephen prepare for the coming onslaught. The motorcycle gang breaks in, leaving a wide opening for the zombies to stumble in from. Stephen becomes greedy as he watches the gang steal random junk from the stores and begins to shot at them. They fire back and general chaos breaks out. Stephen is killed by zombies and is turned, the gang members are decimated by the zombies, and Peter and Francine are trapped. Their only option is to fly the helicopter, which is low on gas, somewhere else, anywhere. Peter chooses to stay behind and just as he is about to commit suicide, he comes back to his senses and makes it to Francine just as she is about to take off. They escape and fly off into the night.

Favorite moment – it’s impossible to choose just one or two!  

Roger turns

Stephen zombie

Time for a break

Zombies want to go shopping too! 

Author's Note - Zombies

There is no denying that zombies are a very popular horror genre these days. With the success of shows like “The Walking Dead” and countless, horribly made films on Netflix, zombies are a major movie monster, ranking among the classics like vampires and ghosts. Ever since George A Romero helped change to concept of a zombie from a drugged voodoo victim to the hungry undead, zombie movies have steadily become more and more prominent. This week’s theme of zombies will include some of the best the sub-genre has to offer as well as a few that I haven’t seen yet. Hopefully I won’t regret renting them!

Besides the seven reviewed during this week, be sure to consider the other zombie related movies that I’ve reviewed previously if you’re looking for one to watch. These include -

1.      .  Dead Alive
2.     .   Dead Snow
3.     .  28 Days Later
4.     .  Dellamorte Dellamore
5.     .   La Horde
6.      .   Mutants
7.      .   REC 2
8.      .   REC 3

Braindead aka Dead Alive (1992)

“Dead Alive” is easily the most fun filled horror movie I’ve ever seen. Co-written and directed by a young Peter Jackson, this film takes a very different approach to zombie movies. This film has been referred to by many as being a major influence for other film makers and the zombie sub-genre in general. The cast is full of unknowns outside of New Zealand and that’s ok because they more than hold their own in this comic, gore filled film. In fact, this film contains what three of my friends refer to as the most disgusting moment in a movie that they’ve ever seen! Mmmm, pudding! This is also the only movie that I’ve seen where two zombies are having sex and actually conceive a baby zombie!

Lionel Cosgrove lives with his selfish, controlling mother Vera in Wellington, New Zealand. One day Lionel meets the lovely Paquita and a clumsy courtship begins. While on a date at the zoo, the young couple is having a fun time while Vera spies on them. While standing next to a dangerous exhibit, Vera is bit by the ugly and vicious Sumatran Rat Monkey. She kills it and makes Lionel take her home, leaving Paquita behind. Vera soon becomes sick and turns into a zombie, killing various people who come to the house. She escapes from the house and is killed by a tram, allowing Lionel to focus on Paquita. But even at the funeral, Lionel realizes that Vera isn’t dead yet. He goes to the grave yard late one night to retrieve her body but is assaulted by a gang of punks. Before Lionel can do anything, Vera climbs out of her grave and turns them into zombies as well. Only the Father Jon McGruder, a kind of kung-fu priest, can save Lionel but is also killed and turned. Lionel brings the “surviving” zombies back to the house and locks them in the basement, giving them tranquilizers to keep them calm and sedated. And then Lionel’s obnoxious Uncle Les shows up, creating more trouble than Lionel can deal with! Will Lionel and Paqita ever get together? What does Uncle Les want? What will happen to Vera and the brood of zombies she’s created? Watch this movie and find out!

Favorite moment – the scene where Lionel takes the zombie baby to a park as if the child was a normal baby or actually needed some fresh air. I recently found out that this scene was adding to the finished movie because Mr. Jackson still had some money left in the budget and extra days let to film something. Wonderful idea adding this scene Mr. Jackson!

Lionel and Paquita

 Vera and the Sumatran Rat Monkey

Zombie Baby!

Død Snø aka Dead Snow (2009)

The first thing you notice about the film "Dead Snow" is that its in Norwegian and you have to read subtitles to know what's being said; if you hate subtitles, do give up because this is a great film. The second thing you notice is that the writer is a huge fan of 1980's horror films; why else would the film geek be quoting classic lines in English? The third thing you notice is that the film starts off with a serious tone when the horror begins but by the end the movie feels a lot like "Dead Alive". It's an intense, comical, and relentless film about nazi zombies who want their stolen gold back!

What's great about this movie are all of the different ways that the zombies are killed off; gunned down by machine guns, blown up by hand grenades, axed apart, and so forth. And these aren't you stumbling dumb zombies, these are fully trained nazi soldiers that just happen to be dead. And numerous, as in uncountable. Once you think they're all dead, more crawl up from the frozen mountain side. 

I highly recommend this film and it can often be found on Netflix.

La Horde (2009)

Unlike “Mutants”, “The Horde” takes place in Paris and is teeming with thousands of hungry undead. This movie is filled with action sequences which feature the survivors going one on one with a zombie at various points; these scenes are fine but last too long and feel repetitive. The film is more action than horror and doesn’t try to build suspense, the closest it gets is when a gun jams or they run out of ammo right when a mob of zombies is closing in on them. It’s one of the better zombie movie choices on Netflex at the moment but it doesn’t offer anything new to the genre.

The plot is simple but interesting; a group of rogue cops try to extract revenge on a drug dealer after he kills one of their own. Everything goes downhill pretty damn fast when they realize how poorly thought out their attack plan is and how prepared the drug gang is. While the gang is dealing with the cops, the zombie apocalypse begins and they realize that they should work together in order to survive. The ending is surprising and fulfilling in one respect but makes you slap your head in another.

Favorite moment – When this scene happens!!! (see picture below).