ZOMBIES :D

Why, oh why do I love zombie movies?

Demotivationals. Gotta love them.

Then again, why wouldn't I? I think part of it is the adrenaline rush, similar to that in suspense movies when a character runs away from imminent death and you're holding your breath just hoping they'll survive. Another part is putting yourself in the situation: "What would I do if the world suddenly fell to flesh-eaters without a sense of mercy or pain?" Scary thought, right? But that's what makes zombie movies, and other survivalist-themed movies, so hard to not watch.


I still need to watch some of the better zombie flicks, like Dawn of the Dead. It's not on Netflix!!! grrrr


So, here are my 4 favorite zombie apocalypse flicks, in no particular order, that all earned official Spoon status!!!

• Zombieland
• 28 Days Later
• Shawn of the Dead
• Night of the Living Dead

Okay, so there is debate on what classifies as zombie: after all, 28 Days Later is about a virus, not the dead coming back to life. As is Zombieland. But it's the same idea, so I count it! Bow to my will.


Anyway, Zombieland and Shawn of the Dead are fantastic because they're funny and brilliant. This new genre of romantic-zombie-comedy is freaking amazing. You almost, ALMOST, want to live in Zombieland. It's like a happy zombie movie. Who thought of that?


Movie Quote: "You ever see a lion limber up before hunting a gazelle?"
#2: "You got red on you."


Perhaps what I like is that the romance part actually makes sense. If a guy and a girl escape death multiple times together, fighting a war against hellish creatures, then falling in love at the end simply makes sense. That's a pretty strong bond. In normal romantic comedies, it just doesn't always add up.


The other two are pure art, whereas the first two are pure entertainment. Night of the Living Dead started it all. For an old movie with somewhat silly special effects, it is intense and creepy. And it doesn't disappoint. There isn't really a part where you think, "No, that's not right. That shouldn't have happened." Like the girl who freezes up in shock for the entire movie. You have to hate her, because you want to slap her but you can't. Good job director for having a good diversity of characters. And the ending, while not predictable, made complete sense. It was a very, very satisfying and exciting movie. I thank the people who made it for starting one of my favorite genres.


28 Days Later twists a lot of things we take for granted in movies. Like the fact that when the world falls, all humans will: 1. Remain sane, and 2. Help each other out. As we learn in this movie, sometimes the threat isn't just the enraged, infectious flesh eaters. It's other people, too. The zombies, however, are not to be forgotten. They are terrifying. None of this slow amble towards food; they sprint. Adrenaline doubles during the frantic dashes to safety. The action factor has increased. And it is a ride for your life! Oh, what fun!


I also love the point when the girl Selena tells Jim (Naomie Harris and Cillian Murphy, respectively) not to expect anything. Thanks to imdb.com, I can get the full quote :D


"He was full of plans. Have you got any plans, Jim? Do you want us to find a cure and save the world or just fall in love and f***? Plans are pointless. Staying alive's as good as it gets."


Because, well, that's what tends to happen in movies. Either the protagonists save the world, or fall in love. SPOILER ALERT: this movie fulfills one of these things anyway.


Other zombie movies I enjoyed that qualified for Fork it status:

• Resident Evil (1 and 2, probably 3 though I haven't seen it): Action-Packed, cheap entertainment. FUN
• 28 Weeks Later: pretty exciting, not nearly as good as the original

I feel like I'm missing one...ah whatever.

Some movies I did NOT like:

• The Crazies(newer version): does this count? Well, it sucked. KNIFE IT
• I don't even remember the name, but it was on the Chiller Channel and it was based off a video game. You really shouldn't trust these kinds of movies. If it wasn't in the theaters, chances are there's a good reason for that. It was bad. But there was nothing else on.

And with that rant, I depart, with a quote from one of my all-time favorite movies ever:

"Who are you, and why are you doing this?"

"We are bad men, and for the money."

New Releases and a Surprise Hit!

It has been some time. Oh, the life of a college student who so wisely takes 18 credit hours, expecting free time. *Note sarcasm.


Aaaaannnyway, I would like to introduce you to three new releases in theaters still, and a super-special surprise hit!


First off: Hall Pass


Not going to go into much detail about it, but it's a pretty straightforward comedy-romance. By the way, that is in fact different from a romantic-comedy, which is usually centered around the romance. This, however, is centered more around the comedy, with a touch of romance. Still, it was quite predictable in its plot, leaving the surprises to the jokes and more shocking moments.


Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about Owen Wilson. I mean, he's funny, in a way, and his voice was fantastic for Cars, but he's one of those drier comedic actors that doesn't really hit that ol' funny bone, except when he's the "villain," aka Zoolander and Meet the Parents.


Other that that, the movie had me laughing out loud--literally, not in that text-y way that should be more appropriately be name, LSTM (laughing silently to myself, thank you Demetri Martin). Jason Sudeikis, who plays the best friend and partner in crime, was really funny. He's vaguely familiar, and apparently he's known for SNL, so I'll have to check that out. There are some great one-liners, that I definitely cannot repeat in polite society, and a moment I'd rather forget...but that's okay. The female counterpart leads were fun as well--I love seeing Pam from "The Office" in movies. I feel like I can say, "I knew her before she was popular!" Yeah, me and many thousand other people. And did you know Amanda Bynes was originally cast for the role of the babysitter? Huh...that would have been interesting, and I'm not sure if it's in a good way.


My rating: Fork it! If you're a huge fan of the trashy idiot-men trying to party and having a roller coaster ride in the process, go for it. If you need an easy, fun time, go for it. Otherwise, no harm done in not seeing it.


Next on the list: Limitless


I'll try to be unbiased, but it's hard when Bradley Cooper is on the screen. I tend to be a sucker for big-time Hollywood hotties, except Gerard Butler (and I don't know why).

But seriously, this was a fun movie. There's a little bit of an action flick, a little bit of a godfather-esque business drama, and and add a little well-place, natural comedy and romance. It really is unique. Shocking, intense, suspenseful, even a little harsh at times. It's an adrenaline ride with few breaks.


My favorite scenes were the ones that had DeNiro and Cooper facing off in verbal battle. That's fantastic material right there. I could feel the electricity buzzing the whole time, and I loved it. I didn't want there to be a winner between the two; it felt like a sad defeat.


On a more serious note, Limitless brought out a lot of elements of the terrible desperation of drug addictions. Yes, it's a drug that makes you better and smarter, but the addiction leads to people getting hurt. And the struggle for power makes you willing to do anything. The writers apparently had no qualms about crossing the line here.


My rating: Fork it Good! It's not on my list of ones-to-see-again-and-again-and-again-until-my-hands-hurt-from-typing-this-way, but I recommend people see it. One day, I'll find myself watching it again, but probably only in a passive sense. But still! It's a fantastic one-time flick, and fun! Go see it!


Third of Four on the list (hang in there with me): SuckerPunch

Talk about having a predisposition towards a movie. I went in expecting to love it, because I liked the premise, I like the director of 300, and I'm a fan of action and fantasy stories that are purely about being awesome, if not realistic. Which caters to the nerds like me, but if someone doesn't enjoy it, they're just boring. I mean, there were Nazi Zombies in this and Orcs. COD and LOTR anyone?


It's a little difficult to understand. I still can't pin down whether or not the club where the girls performed was real or not--I'm guessing yes. So, the storyline is confusing, but here's what you need to know to enjoy it: a girl locked away in a mental hospital creates a plan to escape, and to help, she creates an alternate reality where each part of the plan has some intense battle scene straight from every graphic novel/fantasy movie that ever existed.


You would think that this would remove some of the suspense. After all, things like sneaking into an office to steal a map are really suspenseful, and not actually showing that part should alleviate that intensity. But no, it doesn't. And that's genius, in my mind. That's skill.


My rating: Fork it Good. It's a little exhausting to want to watch all the time, and the mind-blowing action is not meant to be worn out, but I think even people who are skeptical about this fantasy-action drama should try this movie. It's one fun ride.


Now for the surprise hit! Before I reveal it, let me just say that I specifically searched for a romantic-comedy that would be bad, so that I could say I watched a bad rom-com. But no, I actually really liked this movie. And I'm still befuddled by that fact.


Here it is: Beauty and the Briefcase


What about this movie doesn't scream "I'm not going to be good?" It's made for TV, it's got a silly premise, and re-hashed, cliche jokes and plot conflicts. And the acting...oy, nothing fantastic there. AND YET I LIKED IT. Why?


I'll start by saying there were some unexpected turns. The typical conflicts in the plot (evil girlfriend, main character lies and gets caught) were toned down and played out in a less annoying way than most rom-coms. And the more I watched, the more I fell in love with the main love interest, Michael McMillian. He's just aderrrrrable. It's so cheesy and contrived, and Hilary Duff, my Lizzie McGuire, never really learned how to actually act. But it was fun! And cute!


I face-palmed myself for liking this so much. I must have been in the right mood.


Which leads to the rating: Fork it! If you're with your girlfriends, with a ton of sugar you claim you shouldn't have (but you will), you should watch it. It's quite a cute movie.


Next up on the movie list, to continue my losing battle against the rom-com, will be a blog dedicated to that genre. Prepare, Hollywood Cupid, to go down.