July 2010
1 post
The Evil Dead
They’re going to get you. But you don’t know why and they don’t have the decency to explain so I guess you better just try and escape, but don’t run out madly into the woods like that… wait! Oh. Nuts.
Zombie Speed: Fast? Slow? It’s hard to pay attention long enough to be sure.
Zombie Catalyst: DON’T PLAY THE TAPE OF SOME GUY READING THAT BOOK BRUCE!
...
March 2010
3 posts
28 Weeks Later (2007)
A good sequel, and a defining modern zombie movie.
Zombie Speed: You run for your life, they run for your life
Zombie Catalyst: The Rage virus
Zombie Contagion: Blood
Zombie IQ: Instinctual, with memories
Protagonists: Father, daughter, son, soldier and medic
Apocalypse Vibe: London without the tourists
Some zombie films spend their entirety telling a story that 28 Weeks relates in its...
28 Days Later (2002)
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland keep the zombie formula fresh in the new millenium.
Zombie Speed: 100 meter zomblympic gold medal winners
Zombie Catalyst: A virus
Zombie Contagion: Blood
Zombie IQ: Instinctual
Protagonists: Hot guy, hot girl, know-it-all kid and her father
Apocalypse Vibe: Fabulous right up to the midnight hour, but then, overlooked
Music: FUCKING SLAYER
Jim is you and...
Return of the Living Dead (1985)
The film that pioneered the zombie need for “Braaaainnnssss!”
Zombie Speed: Running, jumping, sumo-wrestling.
Zombie Catalyst: A poisonous gas.
Zombie Contagion: Exposure to said gas.
Zombie IQ: Powerfully smart, apart from when it interferes with the plot
Protagonists: Four blue-collars and a bunch of teenagers
Apocalypse Vibe: Minimal and obscured by bad acting
Invincible...
February 2010
1 post
Zombi 2 (1979)
Need I say more than: Shark versus Zombie?
Zombie Speed: Shambling
Zombie Catalyst: Voodoo
Zombie Contagion: Death
Zombie IQ: Brainless
Protagonists: A reporter and a daughter seeking her father
Apocalypse Vibe: It’s the beginning of the end, but it’s a mediocre one
Behaviour of female survivors: Holding dear to the ideals of pre-feminism, the lovely ladies stand there and...
January 2010
3 posts
Day of the Dead (1985)
The zombie apocalypse has come and conquered. Only small groups of survivors remain. What are they going to do? As it turns out, not much.
Zombie Speed: Shambling
Zombie Catalyst: Undisclosed
Zombie Contagion: Bites, or death
Zombie IQ: Can use a Sony Walkman if given the opportunity
Protagonists: A bunch of lame scientists and a bunch of lame soldiers
Apocalypse Vibe: Mostly...
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
A black and white picture, a 4:3 aspect ratio, zombies with bits of cracker stuck to their faces. Can it really be any good? Yes, yes it can.
Zombie Speed: Shambling
Zombie Catalyst: Some lame “Radiation” crap
Zombie Contagion: Bites, or death
Zombie IQ: Can bludgeon
Protagonists: A smart black guy, a courageous dumbarse, a loser and a bunch of useless women
Apocalypse Vibe: Raw
As the...
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Nobody else understands zombies quite like Romero did back in 1978. The original Dawn of the Dead is the zombie film.
Zombie Speed: Shambling
Zombie Catalyst: Undisclosed
Zombie Contagion: Bites, or death
Zombie IQ: Can bludgeon
Protagonists: Traffic reporter, his pregnant girlfriend, his cop friend and another cop who tags along
Apocalypse Vibe: Genre-defining
At first all the characters...
December 2009
1 post
Land of the Dead (2005)
Land of the Dead emphasises that in a world of zombies, you can’t let your guard down, everyone needs guns, and if you aren’t a tough guy — you’re dead. But we knew that already, didn’t we?
Zombie Speed: Shambling
Zombie Catalyst: Undisclosed
Zombie Contagion: Bites, or death
Zombie IQ: Learning abilities, tool-use
Protagonists: A natural leader and a...
November 2009
1 post
Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland is a light but satisfying mix of character development in a ruthless survival situation… but it mainly focuses on the lols.
Zombie Speed: Jogging
Zombie Catalyst: Undisclosed
Zombie Contagion: Bites
Zombie IQ: Brainless
Protagonists: A geek, a tough guy and two sisters in crime.
Apocalypse Vibe: Ambient and well presented.
Zombies are certainly not the main...