I was beginning to come to terms with how much I hate people when I read that Dawn of the Dead is expected to be this weekend's box office champ, and realized a world in which zombies beat Jesus is a world I can learn to be happy to live in.
And yes I am doing my part by going to see Dawn of the Dead, hopefully this evening. Sarah Polley, yes; Jim "We have the same initials, it was meant to be!" Caviezel, hell no!
New to the whole walking dead thing? Read up, lest ye be caught unprepared.
update: I saw it this evening and posted my impressions as a comment, you can read them here. Spoiler-free, if you're worried about that sort of thing.
if you really thought so, you'd leave a comment on my damn blog.
She said she'd eat my brain if I didn' comment.
Lia, this article--and its headline "Zombies Push Jesus from Top of North American Box Office"--are sure to please you.
Awww yeah! Thanks, Drew! I love the first line from that: "The combined might of Jesus and Mel Gibson was no match for a plague of ravenous zombies at the weekend box office in North America." Take that, Son of Man! Up yours, Gibson!
I watched Dawn of the Dead with Kate and Jenny and was pleasantly surprised both by how good it was and how much I enjoyed myself. It's certainly not 28 Days Later, which is probably The thinking man's zombie movie (if not the ONLY thinking man's zombie movie) what with the darkness and social commentary, but it was thoroughly satisfying nonetheless and not in the usual gotta-turn-your-brain-off-to-enjoy-it horror movie kind of way. 28 Days Later is still my favorite of the genre but it's too emotionally heavy for me to imagine watching it over and over again, which is not a problem I see myself having with Dawn of the Dead.
Those of you planning to go see it, make sure you SIT THROUGH THE CREDITS. The ending is very different if you leave when the movie usually ends, right before they start scrolling. Makes me wonder what the extras are going to be when they release it on DVD.
I would argue that both Night of the Living Dead and the original Dawn of the Dead qualify as thinking man's zombie movies. NotLD is very much taps in to the late 60s/Vietnam/civil rights anxiety and the distrust and fear of authorities. And DotD contains examinations and critiques of American consumerism and capitalism via its mall setting. Also, both movies go with the "there may be more to fear from each other than from the monsters" theme used to such effect in 28 Days Later.
I haven't seen the new DotD, so I can't comment on that. Actually, The Passion and Dawn of the Dead are thematically similar -- dead bodies coming back to life, the ritualistic consumption of the flesh and blood of others, etc.
It rocked, 'nuff said. I enjoyed a lot of the dark humor, I love how the pace moved from slow to insane in an instant, I thought it was great that one of the cast members used to be in the cast of Touched By an Angel as Death, and the fact that it was 90% Canadian kicked ass as well.
All in all, infinitely preferable to Cody Banks 2, Destination: Blow Me.
My favorite headline today in google news was "Zombies Drive Jesus From Top Of Box Office". I hope someone takes those two films and makes a film mash-up soon.
Finn, you're not serious, are you? "the ONLY thinking man's zombie movie"?
Have you seen Romero's or Fulci's body of work? Day of the Dead? Anything at all, really?
I don't mean to come off snarky, but that's really a very, very bold statement -- and I'd like to know what you've seen, and why you don't consider them films for the 'thinking man'.
Sorry -- Lia, not Finn. The top-down comments style threw me off. Finn knows what's going on.
Jairus, just a tip: claiming to not mean to come off snarky doesn't really work when you've just said something very, very snarky like, "Anything at all, really?" If you're going to snark then by all means, snark at full force! The ass-covering just makes you look insincere and therefore a jerk.
Anyway, in response to you and finn, in 20/20 hindsight I should've been more specific in the post, i.e. "the ONLY thinking man's zombie movie of our generation."
Romero's trilogy was groundbreaking in many ways outside the horror genre -- having strong black male leads, for instance, was something you rarely saw in any 60s movie and is still very unusual outside of comedies to this day.
Fact is though that very few zombie (or any other subgenre of horror, for that matter) movies released in my lifetime have bothered to even pretend at subtext underneath all the gore. My favorite one till 28 Days Later was the 1990 remake of NotLD, which I think is superior to the original in some respects, but good, respectful remake != innovation. This Dawn of the Dead actually does a better job at making us see the ridiculousness of middle class suburbia, mall culture and consumerism, especially if you treat all the non-subtle product placement as wink wink, nudge nudge irony.
(What I've seen of Fulci, I wouldn't call thinking man's zombie movies, certainly not in the same league as Romero. Talented director to be sure, but oh the plotholes and thin plots! I like to get some sort of social commentary while I'm being scared shitless, if you please.)
finn said: Actually, The Passion and Dawn of the Dead are thematically similar -- dead bodies coming back to life, the ritualistic consumption of the flesh and blood of others, etc.
Ha! I hadn't thought of it that way, which you'd think I would've having spent an entire decade of my life in Catholic school. Somewhere out there a grad student's just gotten inspiration for a paper in film or religion, or religion in film...
I think it would be awesome if as andrew proposed, someone made a Son of Man Vs The Zombies movie. I don't know though if it would be better off as a musical, a la 2001's Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Reuters) - A Brazilian pastor died of an apparent heart attack while watching the Mel Gibson film "The Passion of the Christ," witnesses said on Monday.
the body count so far:
Jesus movie: 2
Zombie movie: 0
If you liked the new "Dawn of the Dead", DEFINITELY check out "Day of the Dead" and "Return of the Living Dead". Both are much gorier.
"Day..." is considered a little slow, but I dig it. (You have NOT seen awesome zombie makeup if you haven't seen the beginning of "Day...").
"Return..." is a spoof, but it's still scary and has awesome effects.
But the best zombie in a movie - ever - is probably the Father in 'Creepshow.'
Re: Fulci. I've only seen 'City of the Living Dead'. I wasn't that impressed with it. There wasn't much zombie action, and I'm not a big fan of the supernatural-zombie approach.
I've reviewed the latest 'Dawn of the Dead' at my weblog.
Out of curiousity: Has anyone seen Zombi, Dario Argento's cut of Dawn of the Dead? I'm afraid I'm way behind in my European horror movie viewing.
In regards to subtext beneath horror movies: I think it's more a matter of there being very few high-profile, high-budget, thoughtful horror movies. But wouldn't this apply to any period? How many thoughtful horror movies are there overall?
That said, there seems to have been a bit of a resurgence in the indie horror movie in the past 5-10 years? Some off the top of my head: Ginger Snaps, the movies by Larry Fessenden (Wendigo, Habit, No Telling), Dog Soldiers, I'm sure there are others.
(Note: I have seen none of the above films so I could be completely wrong as to their quality.)
Finn,
I saw Zombi (is that the Italian spelling? that's a good band name) and it was pretty good. The eyeball and the splinter scene is pretty scary. At least that's what I remember, since I was just a kid when I saw it at a drive-inn. I have no idea what my parents were thinking, taking me to that. Also Cabin Fever was a fun b-movie.
i wish photoshop had a zombie filter.
I love zombie there cool there very freaky when they jump out of nowhere from /Jamie Padley and Jake Quirk PS there really cool
PICHI
espero que saquen otra pelicula de Zombies donde pasen cortos de una familia conviviendo entre ellos una seņora dandole viveron a su bebe un dia muy nublado vientoso donde los niņos jugando en el campo y otros trabajando un guardia escuha sombidos como A 150 metros quijidos muy feos y donde hay empieze el Terror
this movie is bullshit, why dont you think in something healthier you people make me sick
you ar all mader fucking noobs you ^have in 10 seconda a troj
I am A hacker fuck the system right to copy
aner ad all of dis regristet page
please help me i need reall help please im begging u. who ever who can help please just help me. i c dead people n they r lookin at me all the time i am very scared and frightned please do something to make them stop
yeah i just glanced at your page and my eye cought that zombie pic it kicks ass.
i hav had a real experecine with a zombie belivi it or not
when i has 14 years old my family was living in n.c. me and my dad took a three day hunting trip when we got back home my mom was lying on the bed dead her body was stiff as a bored dead at least two days the smell was awful so me and my dad went do stairs to call the police after my dad hung up the phone we heard bumping around so my dad picked up his rifle and tells me to stay down stairs he walks up the stairs slowly, i was standin at the base of the stairsmy dad went up the stairs and kik opened the door and went inside i heard a scream so i went runing up the stairs
and saw my dad standing there in complet shock and when i looked at went he was staring at i to was in a complete over-welming shock wut i saw was my mom walkin around aim lessly no diretion her legs takin small steps arms stright as a bored her eyes were the scarest they werent white like the movies. the were pure blood red not blinking my dad was past the state of shock and said sherri. she turned around and my dad wlaked to her slowly as he got close to her she bit him in the nose before he could back up she started biting him like a wild dog i was in so much shock all i could do is stand therethen she saw me she got up and started wlkin towards me but i couldnt move i just was standing there before she could even reach me i heard gun shots
1 bullit didnt kill her then i saw 2..3..4..5 it took 5 bullits to take her down then i blacked out the last thin i remeber was hitting the ground
after tat i was put in a foster home untill i was 18 then i left 4 cali and i've been here ever since the dunbury sheriffs depart denies any of this of corse u may belivie me or u may not but tats my story
i like to dream with zombies is like i do my own movies i only had like 5 dream and all of it are diferents i like the movies dawn of the death and 28 days later but i wish to see another movie like this ones could someone recommend onother tks cya i have to go
you images is very good
you are an asshole God says. Why? Well, because you say zombies beat him..... which is a lie u moron.
Everyone go to http://etrebilal.tripod.com to find out how to get another www.runescape.com account's password.
ass shit bitch mother-fucker
whore god will damn this whole earth
sing sing sing with my dingle-ling
for my fat bitch mom gave me birth
yeah, my fat bitch mom gave me birrrrrrth! duhn.
if you thought this was funny then send me all your money LOL JK, JK.
If you thought this was funny write to 455@gamezonemail.com and I will senf you more as I come up with them.
wankers u all suck kok u r on about jesus how gay r u people
wankers u all suck kok u r on about jesus how gay r u people
i had bad dreams about zombies. iwas dead scared of them for a while. but now ther my f----- obbsecion.
your scary girl just me...