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World War Z (2013)
World War Z (2013)
2013 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Inspired by the book of the same name, “World War Z” starring Brad Pitt has made it to theaters after several delays including seven weeks of additional shooting that was ordered by the studio after principal photography had ended. While the book covers survivor interviews in the wake of the zombie pandemic, the film covers the early days the outbreak and casts Pitt as Gerry Lane, a former U.N. troubleshooter who is left his life in the field for the ability to be a stay-at-home husband and dad to his wife and daughters. When an unexpected outbreak starts to lay waste to several cities, Gerry and his family are evacuated by his old U.N. Allies to a secure location aboard a naval flotilla and he is told that his family will remain in security providing he agrees to spearhead an investigation to determine the source of the outbreak.

With very few options Gerry leads a team to Korea in an attempt to get to the source of the outbreak and find a cure, or at the very least, a course of treatment to battle an outbreak that’s quickly is decimating the world’s population and threatening to destroy life as we know it in a very short time. The dangers are numerous and Gerry soon learns that there is a much larger puzzle to be solved which sets them on a journey around the world in a race against time to save humanity. Along the way he encounters signs of the world gone mad and utter devastation from locales ranging from Jerusalem to Cardiff as it becomes obvious that the infection has spared no region of the globe. With time running out, Gerry must find a way to turn the tide and save humanity before it is too late. With his resources dwindling he embarks on a desperate mission to test a theory and save the world.

The film does have its share of tense moments however the PG-13 rating does severely limit the amount of gore and horror that can be displayed. One key scene implied that a weapon had become imbedded in an infected enemy and that Gerry was struggling to extract it in order to use it to defend himself. Due to the limitations of the rating this had to be implied rather than shown and Pitt came across as more comical than tense and desperate.

The movie also suffers from converted 3-D which does absolutely nothing to enhance the film as there were very few moments that benefited from the 3-D technique. Perhaps if the film had been shot in 3-D the quality it would’ve been better but it was clear that several of the scenes in the film were not set up nor shot with 3-D in mind.

There are some very good effects; especially the ones were hordes of infected throw themselves recklessly like swarming insects upon barricaded survivors which really helped underscore just how hopeless and desperate the situation for the survivors was. No matter how much firepower you have, a wall of infected coming at you in endless waves is eventually going to outlast your supply of ammunition.

There had been some reported tensions on the set between Pitt and Director Marc Forster, but to me the biggest red flag was the seven additional weeks of shooting that were done after principal photography had been completed. While re-shoots are not uncommon, re-shoots of this length are, especially when it led to the film being delayed from its original planned release to the summer.

In the end what you have is an uneven effort. The film has a very good concept, good cast, and potential to be a fantastic series but suffers from a real lack of scares. It’s a sanitized look at a zombie invasion that greatly undermines the subject and the source material. The studio has hopes of doing a trilogy of films and I would definitely like to see future releases in the series provided they improve upon the original, offer films that are more in keeping with the book and are more respectful to zombie genre. As it stands now, Pitt does the best he can with the material but is let down by a script that is big on clichés and offers very little in the way of scares and originality.

http://sknr.net/2013/06/21/world-war-z/
  
Days Gone
Days Gone
2018 | Action/Adventure
A story that captivates from beginning to end (2 more)
Characters worth getting invested in
Addicting Gameplay
Still kinda buggy (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
Days Gone is a story of Deacon St. John as he deals with a world tortured by a zombie horde known as Freakers. The story happens a few years after the outbreak and after seemingly losing his wife after sending her off on a rescue helicopter. Deacon travels around beautiful Oregon with his best friend Boozer on their trusty bikes. Throughout the game Deacon will intertwine his story with 4 other survivor camps, as he helps them survive the zombie stricken world.

Deacon fights not only the hordes and hordes of undead, but crazy cultist who worship the Freakers, other bikers, and just plain others trying to survive in his quest to save his friend and then to find out the truth of what happened to his wife after letting her go.

The scenery is captivating of the many places you will explore, scour, and loot. From the mountains to the forests to the snowy peaks, to a massive island fortress, you will never stop scanning the horizon as you drive the roads on your motorcycle. I would often crash into a tree or drive off the road, as I was too busy looking through the scenery or just captivated by the beauty of it all.

The one part I hate the most, is not anything that's wrong with the game, but more just my fear of the zombie menace. One big part of the game is destroying "Hordes" or simply big ass groups of these zombies, that move like a pack, and can kill you in an instant. Many parts of the story include you need to clear out a Horde, and the biggest one in the whole game known as the Sawmill Horde still gives me nightmares.

But the taker of the cake for me is the captivating story between Deacon and his search for the truth of what happened to his wife Sarah. If you haven't finished the game, go do that and then come back.

So the story is Deacon can't truly come to terms with the death of Sarah, as he would often visit the site of the helicopter supposedly carrying Sarah crashed. Deacon would eventually happen upon the scientist who allowed her onto the helicopter, which gives hope that she is still alive. After chasing lead after lead, and leaving his buddy Boozer behind, Deacon makes a treacherous journey through a snow-covered mountain top, which he can't return from, to chase the last hope of seeing his wife once more. And the moment that made me unable to put the controller down for a few hours, Deacon joins a militia after noticing the mongrel ring he placed on Sarah's finger before placing on the helicopter, on another man's finger. After initiation, he is lead around the camp until he is introduced to the local scientist who turns out to be the long lost Sarah.

This moment alone made this game a 10 alone. It made me feel as though I had reunited two people who were separated by the chaos of this new world. But the bliss doesn't last all too long as, Deacon must keep his relationship a secret, so they both don't get hurt or caught. But after a long mission together, the two are stranded in a snowstorm in a cold shack, which reignites the flame of their past. After being exposed by a rat name Skizzo, Deacon is exiled and sent for execution, but due to the friends he had made on way, he is saved. Deacon with all those he had helped, storm the island and overthrow the psychotic General and finally saves Sarah for good. And as the credits roll, Deacon and Sarah ride into the sunset, to a life reunited.

Now this game has its detractions and a few bugs, but as a whole, this is probably one of the most underrated games that have been released recently. One crucial part of the game was ruined in playthrough as somehow the audio of a long cutscene was desynched so it just made it hard to focus and enjoy the scene. The only other thing that I can complain about was that there is still much of the side missions to attend to when you connect with Sarah again, but I threw it all out the door after that point as I wanted to get to the story between the two, and everything else didn't really matter to me, and if I was forced to detract from her, I got annoyed and rushed through. But besides that, this game is a must play.
  
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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Little Monsters (2019) in Movies

Jul 7, 2020 (Updated Oct 26, 2020)  
Little Monsters (2019)
Little Monsters (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Horror
A New Zombie Movie That Proves Zombie Films "Still Have Fresh Brains To Savor"
Contains spoilers, click to show
This movie was pretty good. I enjoyed it quite a bit and even though it had somethings that were predictable and cliché, it really was unique in its own way. It really had me invested in the main character Dave from the beginning because of his situation. After his break up his living on the couch at his sisters and getting in trouble for cussing and being a bad role model for his nephew. He gets in trouble for letting his nephew play violent video games and for taking him out late at night to use him as a prop when his plans to propose to his ex-g/f that goes horribly wrong. That scene was hilarious as his surprise proposal leads to him and his nephew catching his ex having sex with another man and the naked man beating him up. It's kind of slow moving plot wise with all this setup but you get invested in the characters and they mean more to you and you better understand their motivations. Dave winds up taking his nephew to school and when he sees his attractive teacher Miss Coraline played by Lupita Nyong'o he's more than happy to volunteer to chaperone on a field trip when another parent drops out. At the field trip on the farm is when your officially introduced to Josh Gad's character Teddy McGiggle who is filming his children's show there. Teddy winds up being nothing like he pretends to be and shows his true colors when the trouble starts up. The zombies from a U.S. testing facility break free and head straight to the farm attacking anyone and everyone they see. I thought they did a good job on the zombies and make-up/special effects since most scenes happen during the day. There wasn't as much action or blood as I wanted but there were always scenes that built the tension and made sure danger was always present. The character development from Dave was really good and made him one of my favorite characters but Miss Caroline was a real badass. She demonstrated that she would do anything to protect those kids and let Teddy McGiggle know that she would take care of him too if he didn't cooperate. As i mentioned some of it was predictable like there being a facility where there were zombies, and the zombies breaking out, the military not being able to do anything to contain it at first, and it spreading so quickly. But it was unique in bringing the kids into the situation and how Miss Coraline made it into a game so the kids wouldn't be scared, how she got them to focus on her so they didn't look at the zombies alot, and how the zombies started singing along towards the end. Like I said above pretty good movie, I give it 7/10 and my "Must See Seal Of Approval". If you haven't seen this movie you need to check it out.


  
Army of the Dead (2021)
Army of the Dead (2021)
2021 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
6
6.8 (21 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I can't say that the name Zack Snyder held any pull to watching Army of the Dead. I'm still mad that I watched 8 hours of Justice League. But, I was sold on zombies and the poster, so I gave it a go.

Zombies have taken Las Vegas and the only option to end the danger is to raise the city to the ground. As the countdown to the cities destruction begins, a group of mercenaries are recruited to enter the quarantined zone for a wealthy businessman. Their retrieval mission will end with them getting out of the city safely, or the zombies getting them... whichever comes first.

A heist film with zombies and plenty of action? Three of my favourite things in one. The heist part is solid, it had time constraints to add tension, and the added peril of flesh eating monsters brought a bit of the unknown to each scene in the quarantine zone.

However... the idea doesn't pan out so well in production.

I enjoy Dave Bautista's acting career. Drax is a legend, and his dramatic yet comedic role in My Spy is great. Army of the Dead is a whole new ball game. Scott has the potential to be a really good lead, there's backstory, moments of action that Bautista is made for... but there's that script. There are so many points that diverge from what's happening that he ends up with something that hovers around average.

The humour between Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick) and Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer) was fun. It wasn't quite a double act but it did cut through some of the more serious (and clunky) sections. My other call out is Tig Notaro. I loved the attitude she brings to her role, that's the level of sass I aspire to. It wasn't until after my viewing that I realised she had been CGId into the film as a last minute replacement. For the majority of the time I didn't notice, it's just one group shot as they enter Vegas that sticks out like a sore thumb. And with it being so early in proceedings, I was worried that it would be foreshadowing for what was to come.

Thankfully though, the effects were pretty good apart from that (and that tiger). The creatures were impressive and I was pleased to see that they still had the consistency of who the zombie population would be while they were inside the walls. Some of the action sequences may have been a little over the top, but it is a zombie action film so you've got to give it leeway.

I enjoyed Army of the Dead while I was watching it. But it's one of those films that changes when you think about it deeper. The main issue for me is that... this film doesn't need to happen... and a close second is that they attempt to give it a twist that comes to nothing, and because of that, ultimately felt bizarre. I don't think I'd mind watching it again, but I'm not feeling the urge to rush to Netflix.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/08/army-of-dead-movie-review.html
  
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Jazzy Jeff (7 KP) rated REC (2007) in Movies

Jan 6, 2018  
REC (2007)
REC (2007)
2007 | Horror
9
7.5 (13 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Zombies (2 more)
Suspenseful
Tense zombie chases
Shaky found footage (0 more)
My favorite horror film
Contains spoilers, click to show
The film offers newbies to the horror genre the kick they are looking for within the horror genre. Suspenseful, intense, scary, and gory, it is without a doubt one of the best Horror movies of the past decade, if not of all time, and one i have remembered. 2007 had not seen a whole lot of found footage movies, or those of memorable ones other than cloverfield and the blair witch project, so this style was relatively new, and it's yet to have been done better. We follow a young reporter and her cameraman (who represents us as the audience) as they become unwillingly quarantined in an apartment with its residents, pleading with the outside for their escape. An outbreak is turning those infected into flesh eating "zombies" carried within the people as a standard illness at first. This film creates the "you are there" experience like nothing you have seen or will see before, and that you are just as desperate to escape as the camera crew. Nothing within this film feels staged, the emotions feel raw and geniune. The scariest moments are things that are happening in the frame but not front and centre, those things lingering in the dark or the corner of your eye. As the story slowly gets revealed, you get more unnerved by the events unfolding. There are brilliant and terrifying scenes that will stay with you for life.

However, the rest of the franchise doesnt give as much impact as this one presents.
  
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Lirahlu (37 KP) rated Dread Nation in Books

Mar 1, 2019  
Dread Nation
Dread Nation
Justina Ireland | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
7.6 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Amazing Alternative History Horror
In a post-Civil War America where neither side won because of the Zombie Apocalypse, Jane McKeene studies to become an Attendant – part body guard, part chaperone – as part of the Native and Negro Reeducation Act due to the breakdown of institutionalized slavery. While she excels at the fighting and weaponry, Jane continually fails her etiquette lessons despite being the daughter of a wealthy, white plantation owner. While other girls at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore County, Maryland desire an Attendant’s life with a wealthy family, Jane’s one goal is to return home to Rose Hill Plantation in Kentucky. Just weeks shy of graduation, Jane, her ex-beau Red Jack, and her light-skinned “frenemy” are sent West to a “Survivalist” pioneer town where blacks are still very much treated as slaves and forced to fight “shamblers” on the front lines with rusty, ineffective weapons. Though segregated with the rest of the blacks, Jane refuses to accept the town’s ingrained injustice – even when the price of resistance is death.
Dread Nation is a fantastic mashup of the alternate history and horror genres. Ireland’s characters are intricate and flawed, and therefore believable. Ireland does not shy away from the horrific history of slavery and racism in the United States and the characters and world she’s built around them are stronger for facing these issues head-on. An absolute must-read for anyone who is not shy about gore and loves a strong female character who can hold her own in a fight.
  
Pet Sematary (2019)
Pet Sematary (2019)
2019 | Horror
A Boston doctor moves his family to what is believed to be a quiet town in Maine. He soon discovers that the town has a secret past and supernatural powers. A good horror movie requires an atmosphere and a good movie based on the book makes you want to read the book to see what was left out. Neither requirement is met in this version of "Pet Sematary." The setting of the atmosphere I may have missed due to longer credits attached to "Shazam" that my gig required me to view. When I entered the theater, the family was already in their Maine house. In the short time I was not there, two things were established, the gas trucks that constantly careen through the town, a ominous sign of accidents to come and the family move to Maine to get away from the hustle of the city. The shadow of death could not have come until I was already in the theater. This aspect of the family dynamic was firmly established later when Ellie sees an animal dead on the road. The titular pet cemetary was also introduced while I was in attendance. The directors did not set up any foreboding specters for the cemetary or the family past, a sign of people in need of paying attention to their own creation. Throughout the film, there should be moments that terrify you from Church to the zombie child to Judd's mysteriously dead wife. None of these approach master level suspense.
  
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TacoDave (3640 KP) rated Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) in Movies

Dec 10, 2018 (Updated Dec 10, 2018)  
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Horror, Musical
Acting (3 more)
Music
Pacing
Humor
One Song (0 more)
"Anna and the Apocalypse" is Fantasticly Strange
I didn't expect a lot when I saw "Anna and the Apocalypse" yesterday. I knew a little about it. I knew it was a Zombie/Christmas musical that was supposed to be "Shaun of the Dead Meets La La Land," and I knew it was popular at film festivals last year, but I didn't have any other real feel for what I was in for.

Luckily, I *loved* this movie. The first 30 minutes or so just follow several high schoolers as their school prepares for a Christmas performance. The way they randomly break into song, then look at each other weirdly when the song ends and continue with their day was amusing. The songwriting was great - the singing too! - and, except for one song, I wanted to own the soundtrack.

The rest of the movie follows a group of parents and students trapped in a school with zombies outside and, concurrently, a small group of high schoolers who are trying to make their way to the school to see if their loved ones are still alive. Heads explode. Bodies are mangled. People get bitten. And there is quite a bit of gore.

Yet, at the same time, the movie is light and hilarious. It walks a fine balance between horror/comedy/Christmas/musical, and succeeds almost completely.

If you like horror movies mixed with comedy and you are a fan of musicals, this one is a no-brainer. Pun intended.
  
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Horror, Musical
There's genuine festive joy in here, yes it's a little blood-stained, but still... festive joy. There are Christmas trees, an innuendo-filled song and Santa, it's probably more on the non-Christmas side of festive watchlists but I'm here for it anyway.

The songs are fantastic, they're fun and catchy with some great dance montages. It really does peak on the musical side of things. My only quibble would be Paul Kaye's song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now", it's a little cheesy and doesn't feel quite like the tone of the rest of the film. On repeated viewings though it does grow on you, but not quite enough to jump off the bottom spot.

You do need that comedy villain to hate though and in that respect Paul Kaye certainly does really well. In fact the whole cast were great, and there isn't even a caveat. "They were great... considering it's a monster movie." Every performance fit with their character and they managed to make an apocalyptic film feel really upbeat. Everyone had the right amount of pizzazz in them to make this zombimas spectacular come to life.

Being focused on such a small group and area meant that it was really easy to engage with what was going on. It's filmed really nicely as well with your classic background zombie action for comedy effect. All in all this is an enjoyable (sort of) Christmas film and has something for everyone in the family.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/12/anna-and-apocalypse-movie-review.html
  
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AJaneClark (3975 KP) Dec 9, 2019

I enjoyed this movie for what it was, a light and festive zombie flick! 🤣 thank you for your review x