Friday, April 29, 2011

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."

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