Day 265: Exit Humanity

Exit Humanity

 Collect the whole set!

When you think of the average zombie movie, what comes to mind? I'll bet it's lots of blood and gore and plenty of violence. It's probably filled with lots of “jump-at-you” scares and some chase scenes. What a lot of zombie movies forget to include is a sense of humanity in the main characters. Zombie movies are the quintessential “us vs. them” story and plenty of stories forget to include that. Of course, no one wants to die, but what are the other dangers of living in a zombie-infested world? A loss of purpose, a loss of identity, and a loss of humanity. Those thoughts are a bit deeper than your average horror movie, but someone had to address it at some point.

Exit Humanity is a 2012 zombie movie written and directed by first-timer John Geddes (producer on Scarce, Monster Brawl). The movie stars Mark Gibson (Monster Brawl, Psych) as former Confederate soldier Edward Young. The story comes from Edward's diary, read by his descendant Malcolm Young, voiced by Brian Cox (X2, Troy). Broken up into separate chapters, the story begins after the Civil War with an outbreak of the dead coming back to life and eating the living. The walking dead claim the lives of Edward's wife and young son, scarring and haunting Edward. He burns his son's body and gathers the ashes with the plan to scatter them in a special spot. Broken by their loss, Edward fails at a suicide attempt and beings to wander hopelessly through the Tennessee wilderness. He questions life, nature, and the essence of humanity and the world falls apart around him. He happens upon a small village where he meets Isaac (Adam Seybold, The Chair, Stock and Awe), another survivor. Issac convinces Edward to aid him in rescuing his sister Emma (Jordan Hayes, House At The End Of The Street, Nostrum) who has been kidnapped by rebel soldiers, led by General Williams (Bill Moseley, House of 1000 Corpses, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto). General Williams has been capturing survivors and forcing them to be bitten by zombies in hopes of finding someone with an immunity. During their rescue, Edward is shot and they bring him to the home of Eve (Dee Wallace, Cujo, The Howling) a supposed witch, who can heal him. Edward recovers and for a time, all four live together in relative peace. Eve reveals that it is because of her that the zombies now roam the land. Her sister was raped and Eve, using her knowledge of medicine, terminated the pregnancy. Her sister was killed by the town and Eve was shunned. Through a spell, Eve was able to bring her sister back to life, but the process turned her into a flesh-craving zombie, thus starting the outbreak. Initially angry, Edward manages to forgive Eve and find peace within himself. One night, Emma is bitten by a zombie, but reveals that she has already been bitten before and is immune. He completes his journal to the special spot, a beautiful, serene waterfall, and empties his son's ashes into the water. At the same time, General Williams and his men discover that Emma is immune to the zombie bite and capture her, killing Eve in the process. Will Edward be able to stop General Williams and save Emma before it is too late?

"My cramps are gone by my head is still killing me!"

 

While it may not seem like it from my general summary, Exit Humanity is far deeper than your typical horror movie. The movie constantly asks existential questions and addresses complicated themes. Edward Young's tale of survival is not just of the physical, but of the emotional and spiritual as well. He is tortured by the loss of his wife and son and, unlike typical zombie movie heroes, gives up. He doesn't run blindly into a horde of zombies and “kicks ass”. His inability to protect his family has shattered his psyche, making him question his own capabilities as a man. He comes out of his despair when he crafts a new “family” with Emma, Issac, and Eve and then casts off his humanity all together when he goes to get Emma back. This character development is much more in-depth than straight-forward movies, let alone horror. Despite all of this inner turmoil and existential crisis, the movie is still relatively easy to follow, even for those not looking to be touched. Of course, the movie does include the usual "man is the real enemy" theme found in most zombie movies.

Exit Humanity has a lot of poignant, heart-breaking moments, but also gives the audience a good amount of action and violence. It doesn't have a large amount of gore, but if that's all you're looking for in a zombie movie, you've come to the wrong place anyway. The zombies look good and move at my preferred slow, lurching speed. The locations used in the movie are absolutely stunning and make the poignant moments beautiful. Exit Humanity also includes a few animated scenes throughout, usually at the beginning of chapters. I'm not exactly sure what the reasoning was behind the use of animation, but regardless, they look very good. The way the movie was shot is very reminiscent of Valhalla Rising, with it's sweeping camera work, beautiful natural landscape, and directorial decisions. With only a few acting credits to his name, Mark Gibson plays the role of Edward Young very well, which is not easy considering the amount of emotional and physical acting required. Despite being a relative newcomer, John Geddes has a fantastic eye for great shots and flexes his directorial muscle with an array of creative and unique scenes. The music used throughout the movie is downright beautiful and if I have any complaint it's that we actually hear the music too much and miss out on some good lines of dialogue.

"Brains....tobacco.....cotton..."

I like that the movie was set in the post-Civil War era, separating the movie from other zombie movies. You shouldn't believe that the movie is just “zombies in the Civil War” because Exit Humanity is much more than that. The Civil War is just the backdrop for the deeper questions posed by the movie. Writer/director John Geddes crafts a fun and emotional zombie movie that is well acting and beautifully shot. The inclusion of animation is certainly different, but helps separate the movie from other zombie films. The movie clocks in at about 2 hours, so be prepared for a long watch. If you're looking for a movie with lots of gore and over-the-top violence, you will be disappointed. If you like the movies to have more meaning and ask difficult questions, you will enjoy Exit Humanity. Exit Humanity is special and hopefully other horror movies follow suit. I look forward to future work from John Geddes.

9/10

Day 264: The Resurrected

The Resurrected

Is this a horror movie or an antacid advertisement?

H.P. Lovecraft is one of my favorite writers. His ability to craft creative horror and science fiction that is still scary almost 100 years later is second to none. For whatever reason, almost every adaptation of his work on the big screen is terrible. Some movies draw strongly from the source material and some use the basic premise, but the end result is usually the same: horrendous movies. It's also not uncommon for a movie to use Lovecraft's name and his titles only to trick people into watching their celluloid bowel movement. The Tomb is a perfect example of this act. I'll never understand why it's so difficult to make a good movie based on H.P. Lovecraft's work. Maybe it's because I have such high expectations and I'm setting myself up for disappointment. What better way to explore this theory than by watching a movie I didn't initially know was a Lovecraft adaptation?

The Resurrected is a 1992 direct-to-video horror movie adapted from the H.P. Lovecraft short story “The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward”. Directed by Dan O'Bannon (Alien, The Return Of The Living Dead), the movie stars John Terry (Full Metal Jacket, 24) as private investigator John Marsh. The movie is told mostly in flashback from Marsh's recollection. John is hired by Claire Ward (Jane Sibbett, Friends, The Second Arrival) to look into the increasingly strange behavior of her husband, Charles Dexter Ward (Chris Sarandon, Dog Day Afternoon, Child's Play). Charles has moved from his spacious house in Providence, Rhode Island to a small bungalow in the rural Pawtuxet Valley region. He receives deliveries of long, wooden crates at all hours of the night and is very secretive of it's contents. The deliveries are followed by the overpowering stench of rotting meat or animal carcasses. Charles also begins to surround himself with undesirables, including the mysterious Dr. Ashe. Claire tells John that Charles had recently inherited the belongings of a long-dead relative named Joseph Curwen. Curwen was a shipping magnate and alchemist in the 1700's, eventually earning the reputation as a grave robber. Through his research, Curwen was able to unlock the secrets of immortality with the usage of “essential saltes” and fresh corpses. Charles' personality has changed so much that he now speaks in an antiquated style and is eventually committed to an insane asylum. John, along with Claire and his partner Lonnie, break into the bungalow and discover and underground laboratory which is filled with the ashes of other known occultists and alchemists. It is revealed that Curwen has in fact come back to life as Dr. Ashe and intends to bring back others. Along with the lab, there are a series of tunnels and the group encounter hideous half-human monsters and abominations, including one that kills Lonnie. How will John be able to stop the resurrected Curwen and is it too late to save the true Charles Dexter Ward?

Today's weather: Partly cloudy with a chance of grease

Initially, I didn't know The Resurrected was going to be an H.P. Lovecraft story. It became pretty obvious once the story took place in Rhode Island (a Lovecraft staple) and the name “Charles Ward” was mentioned. Of course, this raises the question, “Why did they not just named the movie 'The Case of Charles Dexter Ward'?” I, along with other Lovecraft fans, would have discovered this movie much sooner if the connection was more obvious. The title “The Resurrected” is fine, but it's so generic that it could be about anything. I mean, “The Resurrected” is probably the name of a local metal band. Or hardcore band. Or punk band. See what I mean? As far as Lovecraft adaptations go, this movie actually fairs better than most other attempts. It's updated to the early 90's (which is apparent in the furniture, clothes, and greasy “professional” mullets) with some extra characters and situations added, but it's essentially the same story. Lovecraft himself didn't like the story and it was published posthumously, but I enjoy it immensely. The original story has a good mixture of mystery and suspense with a healthy dose of old-fashioned horror. The film version fairs well-enough in trying to incorporate all of these elements into a cohesive film. One funny thing I noticed in the movie is when John tells someone that he drove two hours to get from Providence to Pawtuxet Valley. In reality, it's about a 15 minute drive and the area is neither rustic nor remote. When Lovecraft wrote the story, that might have been more true, but today it's a silly mistake. It was also disappointing to see that the movie was actually filmed in British Columbia and not actually in Rhode Island.

Despite having an obviously low budget, The Resurrected manages to use some pretty good special effects and makeup. I was actually surprised at how good some of the monsters looked in the movie as the prosthetics look quite scary. There is also a good amount of blood and gore which was completely unexpected. Despite writing scary stories, Lovecraft's work was never particularly gruesome or graphic. The problem is that these scenes are too few and far between. The movie is about 20 minutes too long and tends to drag in the beginning. For this type of story, a fast, steady pace would have been better than the slow drips we got. The acting is decent, but some of the dialogue is too cheesy for me to handle. Chris Sarandon puts on the best performance in The Resurrected, but not until about halfway through when his personality changes. It's a whole lot of scenery chewing, but in a fun way, and fits in well with the new character. I do question why they set the movie in modern times when they competently show flashbacks to pre-Revolutionary times. I think the movie would have had a more authentic horror feel if it had taken place in the early 1900's instead of the 1990s.

"Does my throat look red? It feels sore."

The Resurrected is a decent adaptation from a lesser-known H.P. Lovecraft story. While it may not be the first Lovecraft movie that deserves a shot at the big screen, it is a fun and exciting story, that in the right hands, could have been great. The movie has some good moments, mostly from gory violence and good prosthetic work. The pacing is a little slow and the movie runs about 20 minutes too long. Chris Sarandon is great with the rest of the cast pulling up the rear. If you're a Lovecraft fan, you'll enjoy the references and effort, but may be disappointed in the end product. Still, The Resurrected isn't a bad watch and some may enjoy it as a starting point to get into Lovecraft's work.

6/10

Day 263: Jeepers Creepers

Jeepers Creepers

And now the song is stuck in your head forever

Stay on the highway. For the love of all that is good and holy, do not take the scenic route, do not take back roads, and do not stop. Of course, if people actually followed these common-sense rules, we'd lose hundreds of horror movies. Just like how horror characters just have to run upstairs to get away from a killer, they also have to take the most dangerous road possible, preferably in a car that is guaranteed to break down. These tropes and cliches are tried and true in the horror genre. The real challenge is to fill in all the details with something different or interesting.

Jeepers Creepers is a 2001 horror movie starring Justin Long (Dodgeball, Galaxy Quest) as Darry Jenner and Gina Philips (Dead And Breakfast, The Sick House) as his sister, Trish. The siblings are driving one the back-roads of Florida, heading home for Spring Break from college. Their 1960 Chevy Impala is run off the road by a large, rusted truck. Further down the road, they spot the truck parked outside of an old church. They see the driver, a hulking man who's face is obscured by a cowboy hat, dumping what appear to be bodies down a large pipe. The drive sees Trish and Darry and pursues them in his truck, attempting to run them off the road again. They escape and, at the insistence of Darry, double-back to the church. Darry climbs down the pipe on a rope, but Trish loses her grip and Darry falls into a small cavern. Inside, Darry discovers hundreds of dead bodies, all of which have been eviscerated and sewn back together. He is able to escape the cavern through the church and is traumatized by his experience. Trish takes Darry to a nearby gas station where they call the police. While waiting, they get a phone call from an unknown woman, warning them of what is to come. She plays the 1930's song “Jeepers Creepers” saying that when they hear that song, they are in terrible danger. The ignore her warning and join the police on the way to the church when the police receive word that the church is on fire. On the way, the police are attacked by the driver who eats the tongue out of one of the officer's decapitated head. The driver pursues Trish and Darry, but Trish hits him with her car repeatedly. To their surprise, the driver sprouts large bat-like wings. They drive to a local police station to wait for their parents when they meet Jezelle Hartman (Patricia Belcher, The Number 23, (500) Days Of Summer) the woman who warned them on the phone earlier. She explains that her dreams predict the future and that the driver is an ancient immortal demon known as The Creeper who feasts on human body parts to stay alive. The Creeper smelled something it liked on Trish or Darry and will stop until he gets what he wants. How will Trish and Darry survive?

Creeper is way better than his original name 'Pizza-Face Lipschitz'

Jeepers Creepers is a horror movie geared towards the high school and sleepover crowd more than the typical horror fan. That's not to say that the movie is low on scares or gore, because it's not, but the overall feel of the movie just doesn't feel like an adult movie. Perhaps it's the main characters, Trish and Darry, who's lack of maturity make the movie come off as something more suited for viewing with a group of friends. It might also be because Justin Long has a very punchable face and I say that as someone who thought he was funny in the movie Dodgeball. Maybe that's because those douchey “I'm a Mac” commercials starring Long are still fresh in my head. The plot is undoubtedly generic, but does try to create it's own mythology by adding a new monster to the mix. The plot also relies on people doing incredibly stupid things which does get tiresome once you've already seen a lot of horror movies. Jeepers Creepers tends to set things up well, but fizzles after the action, leaving a lot of questions. If the Creeper has been around for years, why would he bother driving like a maniac and honking his horn, drawing attention to himself? How does Jezelle have these future-telling dreams? Why is there no follow-up after The Creeper kills a bunch of cops inside a police station? Why couldn't Trish and Darry just keep running away?

I give Jeepers Creepers credit for having the two main characters be brother and sister instead of boyfriend and girlfriend. It is very rare to have that and gives the movie a different dynamic than your average “attacked on the back roads” horror movie. Of course, it does bring up the small issue of a lack of romantic interest. Just about every movie has a romantic interest for the main character(s), but Jeepers Creepers does not. Why is that? The Creeper is a decent supernatural villain with some fun powers and an overall creepiness thanks to his cannibalism and strange look. I would have liked more on his origin a little sooner in the movie, but something is better than nothing. The is a fair amount of fun violence and more gore than you would expect from this type of movie. The inclusion of the Jezelle character is a bit too random and I'm not a particular fan of the “magical lady” character that occasionally pops up in horror and science fiction. She reminded me a lot of The Oracle from The Matrix, though much more enjoyable to watch. The movie also feels short, just barely making it to the 90 minute mark. I know I complain about movies being too long, but this really stuck out to me. The acting in the movie is fairly good and the dialogue relatively believable for college-age people in the early 00's.

"You don't understand. I'm a Mac! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

Jeepers Creepers has it's moments thanks to some good violence and gore. There is also a bit of dark humor in the movie, which may or may not elicit a laugh or two. The plot is pretty standard with a lot of the typical cliches and tropes you've come to expect in these types of horror movies. There are a few good scares and a genuinely creepy monster to keep things entertaining. The usage of the song “Jeepers Creepers” doesn't really make sense and feels forced in to the plot just so they could use the name for the title of the movie. The character development is a bit rushed and iffy at times and the lack of a love interest surprised me. The acting and direction is fine though nothing stands out in particular. There is already one sequel made with a third on the way. Jeepers Creepers doesn't have much that you haven't seen before, but it could be considered a good starter movie for someone just getting into horror.

5.5/10

Day 262: Mirrors

Mirrors

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the Kieferiest of them all?

Using a mirror in a horror movie is one of the oldest tricks in the book. They're always good for a quick scare and fun special effect. Some say that mirrors are a window into the soul. Personally, I think they're just a shiny surface that occasionally get covered in toothpaste when you don't close your mouth during brushing. Either way, the mirror is a useful horror tool, whether it was in Prince Of Darkness or A Nightmare On Elm Street or Stir of Echoes or The Ring. One can even say that the use of mirrors in horror is a cliché. Would an entire horror movie based on mirrors fit or break the mold?

Mirrors is a 2008 horror movie, based off ideas from the South Korean movie Into The Mirror, starring Kiefer Sutherland (24, Phone Booth) as former NYPD Detective Ben Carson. After an accidental shooting, Ben was suspended from the police force and fell into a downward spiral of alcohol and depression. His wife Amy (Paula Patton, Precious, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) left him and tries to limit his visits with their children Daisy and Michael. Ben is reduced to living in an apartment with his sister, Angela (Amy Smart, Road Trip, Crank) and has to take a job as a night security guard. His post is at Mayflower, a luxury department store that was gutted by a fire which killed many people. Unknown to Ben, the previous guard, Gary Lewis, was killed by supernatural means after his own reflection cut his throat. On his first night of guard duty, Ben sees all the mirrors in the building covered with hand prints, but the prints are on the reflected side of the glass facing out. Over time, he begins to see and feel visions of people on fire and begging for help. Ben actually receives a package sent from Gary, the now dead guard, with newspaper clippings about the fire and how a previous guard murdered his family, blaming their deaths on something in mirrors. As Ben begins to research the incident, Angela is viciously killed when her reflection rips pulls her jaw apart. In a fit of rage, Ben tries to break the mirrors in Mayflower, but they cannot be damaged. He asks the mirror what is wants and the name “Esseker” appears on the mirror's surface. By using his detective skills, Ben discovers that the department store was built on top of St. Matthews Hospital which housed a room full over mirrors used to treat mental patients. The name Esseker belonged to a young schizophrenic patient named Anna Esseker who had escaped a mass suicide at the hospital before it closed. Ben is able to find Anna who has since become a nun. She explains that she was not schizophrenic, but had some sort of demon inside her that escaped into the mirrors. With his family in terrible danger, with Ben and Anna be able to stop the mirrors in time?

And you think you had a bad day

I don't know if I've ever seen another movie that started out so strong and ended with such a thud. The first twenty-five or so minutes of Mirrors is a great mixture of suspense, mystery, and horror. The story is set up properly, giving us a bit of action in the very beginning and then filling in all the details of Ben's personal life. His story plays out like the typical “fired cop” character, complete with alcohol problem and shattered family life. It's so clichéd that I half-expected him to report to an irate chief and work with a partner that's “too old for this shit”. The beginning of the movie has a great horror atmosphere with the burned-out department store as the perfect setting. Everything is broken and burnt except for the immaculate mirrors. The special effects used to show the spirits in the department store look very good and Amy Smart's death scene is incredibly violent and disturbing. The inclusion of the evil being able to reach his loved ones was quite smart as it forced Ben to solve the problem. Many horror movies are lazy and keep characters in a haunted spot with no good reason not to leave. It's when the movie is taken out of the department store that things begin to fall apart.

The movie focuses too much on uncovering the mystery and gets far too complicated for it's own good. The addition of the hospital, a demon and Anna Esseker takes the story into a strange and unnecessary direction. One would think that the spirits (or demon, whatever it is) inside the mirrors were trapped souls looking for some measure of peace or something along those lines. It's far easier and entertaining to just have Ben looking for the real culprit of the fire than sending him on a wild goose chase. The department store was such a good setting that taking him out of it takes away from the horror of the movie. It doesn't help that the movie spends a good 20 minutes focused on Amy trying to save her kids while Ben tries to convince Anna to help him. These scenes just drag on for way too long and force the movie into a run-time of 111 minutes. That's unnecessary and it brings down the entire movie. Kiefer Sutherland is good, channeling a healthy dose of his Jack Bauer character from 24. Paula Patton does well enough, but like a lot of horror movies, the children are just too annoying for me to handle. Director Alexandre Aja (Piranha, The Hills Have Eyes) has some good moments, but doesn't get the most out of what should have been easy scares.

"I'm sorry, I got lost in my handsomness for a second."

Mirrors is a convoluted story that fizzled far quicker than it should have. What started out as a promising and fun horror movie became a complicated and boring supernatural mystery that was neither exciting nor thrilling. There are a few good scenes of violence and gore, but not enough to sustain the extra long run-time. It makes you wonder, if they're capable of showing extreme violence, why only settle for one or two scenes? The acting is decent and certainly helps make the movie more tolerable than if it were done by less-skilled actors. It's a shame that the movie turned out the way it did, because it really had a lot of potential, but potential can only take you so far.

4.5/10

Day 261: Survival Of The Dead

Survival Of The Dead

That zombie on the left just realized he left his wallet at home

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of George Romero's "...Of The Dead" series. Ever since watching the original Dawn Of The Dead with my father, on VHS no less, I've been hooked to Romero's brand of zombie movie. The combination of action, violence, scares, and social commentary create an epic and enthralling series of movies. While there is a debate over which movie is the best, I've enjoyed all of them. Even the newer ones, though lacking the same spark as the original three, still have their classic moments. I looked forward to seeing what Mr. Romero had to offer in his latest zombie installment.

Survival Of The Dead is a 2009 zombie movie directed and written by George Romero (Night Of The Living Dead, Creepshow) and starring Alan van Sprang (Saw III, Diary Of The Dead) as Sergeant Crockett. Crockett deserts his post with the National Guard not too long after the zombie outbreak spreads across the country. Joined by his fellow soldiers and friends Kenny, Francisco, and Tomboy, we see the group rob a group of college students, referencing the previous Romero movie, Diary Of The Dead. Not long after, the come across a group of rednecks in the woods. A standoff occurs, with the soldiers getting the better of the rednecks. They are joined by a teenager (Devin Bostick, Godsend, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid) and take an armored car full of money. The boy shows the soldiers a video of Patrick O'Flynn (Kenneth Welsh, The Aviator, Twin Peaks) who is advertising on the internet the safety of Plum Island, off the coast of Delaware, to any survivors. Unbeknowedst to the soldiers, O'Flynn has recently been kicked off the island by his rival Seamus Muldoon (Richard Fitzpatrick). The O'Flynns and Muldoons have been feuding for years and the rivalry was brought to a head when Patrick wanted to kill all the zombies on Plum Island. Seamus believed that while a cure may be available in the future, the zombies were still family and could have their humanity restored. After a gunfight between the outcast O'Flynn's and the soldiers, Patrick joins their group and takes them to Plum Island. We learn that other outsiders had arrived at the island only to be killed by the Muldoons. Patrick's daughter Jane has been turned into a zombie, but still rides her horse across the island. His other daughter Janet is still alive and offers to help Crockett and their group when Tomboy is captured by Seamus. With an island full of zombies and the family feud about to explode, how will Crockett and his group survive?

Who wants ice cream?

George Romero's zombie movies have always been in an ever-expanding scope. In Night Of The Living Dead, we start at a small farm house with just a few people. Eventually, the story grew to the entire coutnry being overrun by zombies who have begun to remember their past lives. Survival Of The Dead's story is inexplicably small in scope, focusing on a family feud rather than the usual small group of people trying to survive. We have a hint of that with Crockett's group, butt he main focus is really on the O'Flynns and Muldoons. For the life of me, I can't figure out what would possess George Romero to write about two Irish families fighting on a small island near Delaware. On top of that, he also throws in elements of Westerns by having cowboys and farms involved.Where does this come from? We went from zombies in malls and cities to an island farm? The location is beautiful, so that's no the problem. It just the addition of two Irish families feuding that left me a bit dumbfounded.

The family feud aspect doesn't make much sense either. I mean, if these were the only two families on the island, shouldn't they be inter-married and if not, don't they just have a massive incest problem on their hands? Romero goes for his usual social commentary, exploring the undying (pun intended) feud between families, but it falls flat. The movie would have been better suited as a Lord Of The Flies style breakdown in society with zombies thrown in. (Actually, that's a good idea. I'm trademarking it now.) The feuding doesn't make for a particularly interesting watch, especially considering just about everyone involved in the movie has certain irredeemable qualities. The movie has no hero, only villains. I suppose that can be seen as being "true to life" but that's rather existential for a zombie movie. Still, we need someone to cheer for and the main character isn't that person. Crockett is no hero because we see him robbing the students from Diary Of The Dead. I liked the direct connection from one film to another and it shows a lot of creativity and forethought on Romero's part.

"Stop asking about me lucky charms. It hurts me feelings."

Survival Of The Dead is the sixth movie in George Romero's "...Of The Dead" series of movies, though the movies no longer progress in a straight line. We can't completely ignore the first four movies since many of the same themes are touched upon in this film. What separates Survival Of The Dead from the others is the clear attempt at being funny. While his previous movies may have a scene or two with black humor, Survival goes for multiple scenes to actually make you laugh out loud. The comedy is too goofy for what is otherwise a serious movie. The kills and violence in the movie are pretty creative and will make you crack a smile. Unfortunately, they rely too heavily on computerized effects which look a little too fake for my taste. The acting is fine and Romero's direction is still good. There are a few scares and enough blood to keep the diehards entertained, but not enthralled.

"No hickies!"

There are lots of zombie movies out there, but George Romero is still the zombie godfather. We have come to expect a lot from him and it's a true testament to his previous films that we hold him in such high regard. With that regard also comes high expectations, much higher than your typical horror movie. Perhaps I expected too much, but Survival Of The Dead just didn't come close to his previous films. It's small-scope, strange story, weak social commentary, and forced humor are disappointing to see. The movie is still watchable, but it's clearly Romero's weakest zombie film. There have been reports of two sequels in the works and one can only hope that they're better than Survival Of The Dead.

4/10

Day 260: The Bunker

The Bunker

Pvt. Skeletonface reporting for duty, Sir!

War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing! There are no shortage of war movies and there are countless horror movies out there, but rarely do the two genres meet. It's actually surprising how few war/horror movies are out there given the fact that "war is hell". There is already so much blood and carnage in war that you'd think it would be a natural setting for horror. The same could be said for Westerns in horror. These movies do exist, there has just never been a great standout. What is it about war and horror that are so difficult to mix together into one great movie? All it takes is one great war-themed horror movie to spawn a a practically untouched subgenre.

The Bunker is a 2001 supernatural/psychological horror movie directed by Rob Green (House [2008], The Trick). Set near the German-Belgian border in 1944, a group of German Panzer soldiers are ambushed by American soldiers. They seek refuge in an old bunker being manned by a teenage soldier named Neumann (Andrew-Lee Potts, Primeval, 1408) and an old soldier named Mirus (John Carlisle, The Omega Factor, The Avengers). When they contact their commanding unit for instructions, they are told to just wait. Mirus informs the soldiers that there are tunnels below the bunker holding ammunition, but he has never ventured far into them. He tells a story of the forest they are in, how a plague ravaged a town and a priest convinced people to murder the infected. As the night progresses, strange sounds are heard from the forest, which the soldiers believe to be Americans. We also see flashes of a traumatic event that occurred previous to the soldiers' arrival at the bunker. Soon Mirus ventures down into the tunnels, believing he is speaking to his dead son. Another soldier follows, and when their commander wakes up, he believes they have deserted and forces the rest of the group down into the tunnels. Deep inside, they discover a pit filled with bones and rotting corpses. The soldiers begin seeing things in the tunnel, believing they are being tricked and psychologically tortured by the Americans. The Germans begin turning on each other, unable to get a grasp on what is going on and who is down there with them. Who or what is haunting the soldiers and how does it fit in with the recent past?

"You can't just yell "Blammo!" You have to actually shoot!"

Initially, I thought The Bunker was going to be a supernatural revenge movie involving dead villagers getting their revenge on Nazi soldiers. Sadly, this isn't the case, which is a shame because who doesn't like seeing Nazis die horrible deaths? The movie puts me in a tough spot because I don't want to feel sympathetic towards Nazis. The Bunker goes for a mixture of psychological horror and supernatural horror, though neither are very good. While we do see shadowy soldiers towards the end of the movie, most of the supernatural elements are implied with shadow and flickering light. Paranoia is the main factor in the movie, and while not executed perfectly, the movie does well enough to get us from point A to point B. It makes me wonder why the filmmakers even bothered trying to make this a horror movie instead of just a psychological thriller. The movie clearly doesn't have a large budget, so if you can't pull off spirits, then it's just not worth it.

Most of the money went into sets and uniforms, which both look very good. The acting is good throughout with a cast of people that you may recognize from bit parts in other movies. The film is fairly dark, not in content, but in actual color. While it makes things difficult to see at times, this styling actually serves a purpose. The dark colors are juxtaposed with the bright, dream-like flashbacks that inform the audience of what transpired before the soldiers arrived at the bunker. The atmosphere is fairly good and there's enough suspense to keep the audience interested in seeing what will happen. Unfortunately, the big reveal is kind of a dud, especially when you look at the DVD cover and expected something else. There is a mediocre amount of violence with one good scene involving a flare gun. It's certainly not enough for a movie set in World War II.

"Who left ze smoke machine on again?"

The Bunker had a lot of potential, but just couldn't pull it together for a good horror movie. The psychological fear and paranoia is decent, but the supernatural elements are too sparse to make everything come together. The movie would have been better off as a straight war film than horror. There is nothing particularly scary about the film and the lack of violence in a war movie is disappointing. The costumes and sets look very good and the solid acting helps carry the movie. The Bunker isn't a bad movie, I was just expecting a lot better. If you're looking for a better mix of war and horror, you're better off with Deathwatch.

5/10

Day 259: The Zombie Diaries

The Zombie Diaries

Dear diary, why does this movie suck?

The United Kingdom has had a good run recently with zombie movies. 28 Days Later and Shaun Of The Dead were both huge successes in the zombie genre despite being two completely different movies. They told different stories, but still respected the genre and created fun and entertaining zombie movies. As I've said before, it's much easier making a bad zombie movie than a good one. Just about every horror fan thinks they have a good idea for a zombie movie. While an idea may sound good on paper, the movie's fate lies in good execution. Today, I turn back to the UK for another zombie movie in hopes of lightning striking a third time.

The Zombie Diaries is a 2006 independent horror movie later released through Dimension Extreme films. The movie is shot in the "found footage" style and is not presented the typical (and expected) linear format, so I'll try to do my best in explaining things. The movie is also split up into chapters to make things even more unnecessarily confusing. Set in England, the movie begins with reports of a viral outbreak originating in Asia. Compared to bird flu, initially the Western world ignores the danger until reports of the virus reach London's doorstep. In the first chapter "Outbreak", a documentary film crew goes out to the countryside to interview a farmer dealing with the outbreak. When they reach the farm, they find no one is home and leave. Their car breaks down (of course) and they walk back to the farm and break in. They believe they are alone, but hear loud noises upstairs. They investigate only to find an eviscerated body and a zombie lumbering towards them. They run out into the words and try to plan their next move. The second chapter "The Scavengers" takes place one month after the first chapter and shows a separate group of people raiding a market for food and supplies. We now see the zombies have grow in number, despite being incredibly slow. In the third and final chapter entitled "The Survivors" we meet yet another group who have set up camp in a farm. They spend most of their time fighting zombies and bickering amongst themselves. One in the group, Goke, is particularly difficult to deal with. How are all these stories connected and how does Goke fit in with the first chapter?

Not-fast-enough food

There are good zombie movies, bad zombie movies, and zombie movies so horrendous that they make you want to completely give up on the genre. Look at that first picture at the top. That's the DVD cover to the movie. Looks pretty cool, right? Zombies emerging from a city in ruins and a badass protagonist ready to kick some undead ass. Yeah, the problem with that is there is no such scene in the movie. Not even close. The dupe people into thinking they're in for a fun zombie movie with lots of violence and action. Instead, we are forced to suffer through a pointless and insipid movie with the world's slowest zombies. I prefer slow zombies, but the ones in The Zombie Diaries move at the sound of smell. You could literally moonwalk past them and yet they are somehow able to sneak up and bite people. You would have to have your eyes closed, your nose plugged, and your fingers jammed into your ears while you loudly sing "Come Sail Away" in order to miss them.

As I've said in previous reviews, I'm not really a fan of "found footage", but done right, the style can create real scares. I felt it worked best in Cloverfield, but even Paranormal Activity had it's good moments. Above all else, both movies had a good reason for having a character hold a camera. It also boggles my mind that since this is supposed to be found footage, why the hell is their music during the movie? I mean, the music is really just electronic ambiance and swells, but in the characters' world, where did that sound come from? Did someone find the camera and then add music to it? Other than the original film crew, I have no idea why these other groups have cameras. It's never clear if it's the same camera being used and with all the time lapses and different groups, I have no way of taking a guess. Speaking of jumping around, when the movie switched from the first group to the second, I had no idea who these people were. Actually, I still don't know since their names are only mentioned once or twice and they're not particularly important.

Thrilling

 I know the filmmakers were trying to go for a big surprise ending, but the style just makes everything so confusing that I didn't even care. Normally, movies go from A to B to C. The Zombie Diaries went from A to Hot Dog to Elephant to B to C back to B to Beach Ball to A. They attempted at making social commentary, about man being the real danger, but it's presented in such a random way that it fell completely flat. Now that I think about it, there are barely any good zombie scenes in the movie.There is one or two scenes of gore and violence, but not nearly enough to even give the slightest hint at entertainment. The acting is "passable" with the best parts coming at the beginning when interviews are being conducted on the street asking about the outbreak. They're so good I think that they actually interviewed real people instead of hiring actors.

Horror fans have a certain expectation when it comes to zombie movies and The Zombie Diaries fails in every aspect. The story makes little to no sense and is a confused jumble of random characters that we feel nothing for. The zombies are incredibly slow and yet somehow manage to sneak up on some characters. There is no real reason why the characters continue to film and the addition of musical ambiance makes the style of shooting even more questionable. To my utter disbelief, they actually made a sequel to this movie. The only good thing this movie did was run for less than an hour and a half. At least they didn't bother to drag it out. Whatever you do, avoid The Zombie Diaries at all cost. DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!

0/10