When There is No More Room in Hell
"Land of the Dead" is the most recent flick by the originator of the kick ass zombie flick, George A. Romero. The plot is fairly simple, after the dead arose from the grave in the original "Night of the Living Dead" and proceeded to overrun the earth in "Dawn" and "Day of the Dead", mankind has learned to adapt. Now, all that live are holed up in a massive island city which is fortified enough and remote enough to repel the zombies. Groups of humans, using superior technology (most notably the bad ass armored vehicle "Dead Reckoning" ) and tactics, raid nearby small towns for food, medicine, and other supplies. Sure, people get bit occassionally, but for all intents and purposes, society has resumed, albiet on a much smaller scale. That is, until the zombies start to develop rudimentary thought processes...
In terms of the basics, acting is solid, the story flows well, and, without a doubt, the special FX by my boys in KNB are top notch. There are some problems. The movie feels short, and there just seems to be something missing. I dunno, I can't put my finger on it. Like, maybe the characters were a little underdeveloped or the climax was a bit of a let down. Or maybe, I've just been waiting so long for a Romero zombie movie that nothing short of sheer perfection would have satisfied me. Despite this, it's a hell of a good flick all in all, and definately reccomended for any fans of zombie flicks out there.
Enough with the basics. It's time for the fun stuff. First off: Gore! Tons of it, thick and red and chunky. Lots of clever gags involving zombies in various states of decay, as well as lots of clever gags involving zombie and human dispatchment. If there's something to get bitten, torn, or ripped off, it gets it in this flick (again, big up to the KNB guys). Second off: Horror makeup legend Tom Savini makes a cameo! Wooo!!! (For those of you who can't recognize the almighty Mr. Savini on sight, look for the zombie biker who splits a dude in half with a machette.) Third off: Romero has stated that his movies are often a statement on the time period they were made in (which is why "Day of the Dead" is such a bummer. It was made in the 80s afterall). In this flick, Romero tackles new millenium classism, rich American swagger, and the disparity between the rich and poor. Not to mention how meaningless all those things become in the face of a true crisis. Needless to say, if you're a conservative (and if you are, I'm a little surprised you're reading my blog...) avoid this film like the plague. By the by, Dennis Hopper (ching!) manages to combine sliminess, cleverness, and bullheaded bravado in equal measure as the rich asshole who rules over the human city.
In summation, "Land of the Dead" isn't the greatest zombie flick ever made (that would still be the original "Dawn of the Dead"), but it is an enjoyable film if you're a fan of the genre.
In terms of the basics, acting is solid, the story flows well, and, without a doubt, the special FX by my boys in KNB are top notch. There are some problems. The movie feels short, and there just seems to be something missing. I dunno, I can't put my finger on it. Like, maybe the characters were a little underdeveloped or the climax was a bit of a let down. Or maybe, I've just been waiting so long for a Romero zombie movie that nothing short of sheer perfection would have satisfied me. Despite this, it's a hell of a good flick all in all, and definately reccomended for any fans of zombie flicks out there.
Enough with the basics. It's time for the fun stuff. First off: Gore! Tons of it, thick and red and chunky. Lots of clever gags involving zombies in various states of decay, as well as lots of clever gags involving zombie and human dispatchment. If there's something to get bitten, torn, or ripped off, it gets it in this flick (again, big up to the KNB guys). Second off: Horror makeup legend Tom Savini makes a cameo! Wooo!!! (For those of you who can't recognize the almighty Mr. Savini on sight, look for the zombie biker who splits a dude in half with a machette.) Third off: Romero has stated that his movies are often a statement on the time period they were made in (which is why "Day of the Dead" is such a bummer. It was made in the 80s afterall). In this flick, Romero tackles new millenium classism, rich American swagger, and the disparity between the rich and poor. Not to mention how meaningless all those things become in the face of a true crisis. Needless to say, if you're a conservative (and if you are, I'm a little surprised you're reading my blog...) avoid this film like the plague. By the by, Dennis Hopper (ching!) manages to combine sliminess, cleverness, and bullheaded bravado in equal measure as the rich asshole who rules over the human city.
In summation, "Land of the Dead" isn't the greatest zombie flick ever made (that would still be the original "Dawn of the Dead"), but it is an enjoyable film if you're a fan of the genre.
1 Comments:
BTW, Army of Darkenss is being made into an RPG, on sale in October, but .pdf's are avaiable now at www.drivethrurpg.com, although the store isn't cool enough to carry TORCPress comics, available at www.torcpress.com/comics.html. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home