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PhilParma
Reviews
Zombieland (2009)
Not Shaun of the Dead. This movie is a ploy.
Being a big fan of zombie cinema, I was pretty pumped to check out this film. The trailers for the movie, I thought, were pretty sparse with anything except for zombies getting murdered, which is always a good time.
However, about a half hour into the movie, it dawned on me that this movie was basically shamelessly pandering to the hipster generation. Laced with dozens of indie hits, Zombieland's soundtrack seems to be more interested in being considered cool than complimenting the movie. This, coupled with the constant on-screen titles (Rule #1: Cardio, Rule #2: Double Tap, etc.) seem very self-indulgent. These jokes are funny when initially introduced, but lead to groans when you see them for the 20th time. It is almost reminiscent of Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide, but 'stupided down' for people who don't take the dead rising seriously. I understand that it is a comedy, but to compare it to Shaun of the Dead, an homage to George A. Romero's movies that takes care to establish the nature of the dead, and not rely on the notion that everyone watching the movie 'gets' zombies, further gives the movie the feeling that it is cashing in on a recent phenomenon.
Woody Harrelson is amusing, but he is almost out of place in the film, especially alongside a 12-year old member of the cast, who has no business being alive amidst the undead apocalypse. There is a pretty clever scene involving Bill Murray, but considering how long you have to wait through the movie before it happens, and how much more there is after the scene, it hardly makes up for the rest of it.
*MAJOR SPOILER BELOW*
Not one character dies. This is sacrilege in this genre. Further, it doesn't add an ounce of suspense or depth to the film, because you can tell no one will die from the start of the film. The movie has an atmosphere of being a children's movie (beyond the swearing, which, if they had cut it out, this could have been PG).
In summary; wait for it on video, watch it once, enjoy it (or don't), and then forget about it. This movie isn't worth cult status - it just wants to cash in on trends.
The Devil's Rejects (2005)
I liked this movie better when it was the Texas Chainsaw Massacre...
... Well, it's not quite the same, but, it has the same feel.
The Pic is basically about a few serial killers on the run from the law. They kill or damage anyone that comes across them, essentially setting the scene for them being true bad-asses, and pulling off such atrocities that only the most depraved would find appealing (though you might chuckle at the lines of dialogue, especially from their leader, Captain Spalding).
Then, about 2/3s into the film, the gears switch, and it turns out that these killers are being hunted by a vigilante of sorts, and all of a sudden we're supposed to be cheering for these monsters! Well, it just didn't work for me. These characters were set up to be such heartless fiends, and then, a little torture later, they're practically crying, and so vulnerable. It just doesn't make any sense, nor does it really effectively make you empathize with them. Some people might actually cheer on the vigilante, who is clearly supposed to be hated -- he just looks evil.
Now, a friend of mine pointed out that this kind of switch happened in A Clockwork Orange. This is true, however, remember two things; 1. What happens to Alex is against his will, really, and an entire society turns on him, showing he can't live in a world where he's harmless. 2. Rob Zombie is no Stanley Kubrick.
Apart from the shaky handi-cam work, which doesn't really bother me, Zombie pulls some rather pretentious movies. For example: musical montages. Many of them appear, and are so drawn out, that only a fool couldn't see what was going to happen. The finale is similar. It is almost as though Zombie just really wanted his movie to end with Freebird, and then just wrote any old ending he felt like. It's a shame, really, because the first 2/3s of the film were all right. Not spectacular, but all right... but it goes downhill so badly.
Also, I don't know how kosher it is to show how in love you are with your wife through film-making. It feels like every other shot has Sheri Moon Zombie's ass in it. Selah.
Club Dread (2004)
Not 'Scary Movie'.
The thing I hear many people saying is that they expect it to be like Scary Movie.
You cannot assume that. That's not even close to what Broken Lizard is going for. Broken Lizard is not trying to Parody (making specific jokes about specific films), but, in fact, it seems that they are they are trying to Satire (poke fun at the genre in a sardonic way, effectively poking at social situations). A ridiculous premise (killing on an island which is dedicated to drugs, sex and every other sin you can think), and pokes fun at just what culture is capable of now -- an island dedicated to having sex and taking drugs, imagined by a retired, loaded hippie.
Yes, it's stupid humour, but it's smart, inside stupid humour. This is a movie that you have to think to enjoy somewhat, even if the humour is at its basest. Maybe that's not what you want going in, but if you're familiar with other Broken Lizard films (supertroopers), this should come as no surprise.
Supertroopers fans: Keep an eye out for the big, blue feather. It's back. 7/10