As much as I adore “The Walking Dead,” it’s always so much better when it focuses on silence and quiet dread. Scenes of Carl walking through a deserted suburb, or Michonne walking camouflaged within a herd are some of the most uneasy moments of the new episode. Much to my surprise, the series has been veering much closer to the comic books than it has been for the last four years, and it’s borrowed some of the best and most compelling story lines involving the aftermath of the prison invasion. There are a lot of callbacks to the first season. There’s a mention of Shane teaching Carl to tie knots, there’s a top down zoom in of a military tank like the final scene of the pilot, and now Rick and Carl have holed up in a house together exactly like Morgan and Duane did in the pilot.
Tag Archives: Zombies
The PC Thug: You Can’t Keep a Good Zombie Down
Okay, so I know not everyone enjoyed “Land of the Dead.”
Many people I spoke to during the time of its release seemed to hate it, though I persisted in my thoughts that it would eventually gain appreciation, much like “Day of the Dead” eventually did. I fondly remember many people telling me that “Day of the Dead” was a terrible film back in the early nineties, and now it’s considered a classic. Even director George Romero considers it his favorite.
The First Wave (2014)
Director David Frayne’s “The First Wave” is intended as a prologue for a now in the works feature film. And from what I’ve seen in the entire six minutes of this short introduction, the feature film version of “The First Wave” promises to be quite an incredible twist on the zombie sub-genre.After a massive epidemic of flesh eating zombies plagues the city and families are consumed, science has finally found a way to cure the epidemic. Now once walking dead cannibals are turning up in hospitals cured, as doctors anxiously try to move forward and maintain the steady rise of recuperated monsters.
Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness (2013)
Marvel Entertainment thought Brian Rosenthal’s fan film was too damn excellent for anyone to see, so they wiped out this fan film from the internet faster than you can say “Necronomicon.” But for the few folks that were able to catch it, director Brian Rosenthal delivers one hell of a kick ass short fan film that previews what could be an amazing film. In an alternate reality where Marvel and Sam Raimi teamed up for a great horror action film.
Night Of The Comet: Collector’s Edition (1984) [BluRay/DVD]
Director Thom Eberhardt’s eighties apocalyptic classic is a great amalgam of zombie horror and coming of age drama. And while it does watch very much like an eighties film with brutally dated clothing and hairstyles, Eberhardt’s film has been incredibly influential since its initial release, nonetheless. Scream Factory provides a fitting and really sharp treatment (though maintaining the grit and grain) for what is still a stellar dose of post-apocalyptic fiction that entertains as well as frightens.
Stalled (2013)
Director Christian James’ “Stalled” is a very creative, and often clever horror comedy that takes the zombie movie to a new direction. It tries, at least. “Stalled” really seems to have a grasp on its premise for the first forty minutes, and then scrambles to keep monotony from setting in the rest of the way. In spite of that, “Stalled” is a creepy, interesting, and very unique zombie horror comedy that takes a few notes from “Shaun of the Dead.” It’s a horror movie about a perpetual loser who gets his life together in the wake of a bona fide zombie apocalypse. But it tries to add its own twists to the conventions, which make for a good experience.
Juan of the Dead (2011)
“Juan of the Dead” is a silly and occasionally creepy zombie movie, but one that also dares to have a brain and display some very volatile commentary about the state of Cuba, and the inherent poverty that runs rampant. Though Juan lives in poverty and is mostly considered a loser by most in his neighborhood, he’s managed to carve out a comfortable existence for himself, and is something of a saving grace for neighbors. After Juan and his friend Lazaro come across a rotted corpse while fishing that attempts to bite them, they kill it and then decide never to talk about it again. What’s funny is that most of the situations may seem like a warning sign to most, but director Brugués comments on the state of Cuba through it.