World War Z

Title: World War Z
Director: Marc Forster
Released: 2013

Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, Matthew Fox, Elyes Gabel,

Plot: When a zombie virus creates an epidemic throwing the the world into chaos and confusion as the authorities attempt to bring the situation under control and find a cure as former UN WMD Investigator Gerry Lane (Pitt) travels the world to find information on the outbreak. 

Review: Upon it’s release Max Brooks’ novel in 2006 it felt like a breath of fresh air for the zombie genre as it provided a new take on the zombie outbreak premise as it compiled the viewpoints of a range of characters from traditional survivor characters escaping the crumbling cities through to soldiers and scientists struggling to find a solution to the escalating situation. Of course what might work as a book doesn’t always translate when adapting to the screen after all there are many things which work in a book that won’t work as a film. 

While the most obvious solution would have been to present the book in a documentary style blending found footage and talking heads to cover the various viewpoints of the book. This however was not the film the producers wanted and following a rewrite of the initial script which seemed closer to this concept the film we get instead is much more of a standard zombie action romp only taken to a global scale as zombie set pieces blend with a healthy dose of globe trotting. 

Rather than dwelling on the film I wanted and instead focusing on the one which we got here director Marc Foster certainly delivers a fun ride even though his filmography hardly marks him out as a director you’d expect to be linked to this kind of film (Quantum of Solace aside) but here he wastes little time in thowing the audience into the chaos and confusion of this new zombie infested world as news reports playing in the background over breakfast hint towards the early signs of unrest. It is only when Gerry and his family go from being stuck in a traffic jam to running with the masses as a garbage truck ploughs through tailback. Blending quick cuts and the ability to switch the focus from panicked masses to claustrophobic up close encounters Foster really shows a flair for the action here though which makes it more the surprising that he hasn’t done more action films especially when they are shot here with such flow and momentum as the action moves from the chaotic city streets into the claustrophobic bustle of the supermarkets overrun with panicked looters. We even get a great sequence in a tower block lit in the red glow of roadside flares which felt reminiscent of Rec

Once the film settles into its globe trotting groove as Gerry finds himself drafted back into active duty for the UN in order to keep his family safe on a Navy cruiser and its from here that the action is switched to focusing on more open and larger sequences even if we do get a memorable outbreak on as plane sequence the focus is clearly on bigger and better as each attack sequence has to top the last. However these sequences really do tend to overshadow many of the subtle moments were the film really shines with Gerry collecting scraps of information from each country he visits, constantly trying to piece together the scraps of information he can gather to find out the source of the virus while often discovering the ways that each country has approached dealing with the situation from constructing walls in Jerusalem or the mass teeth pulling operation carried out by North Korea and it’s during these moments it feels that we get the flashes of the source material it just makes me wish there was more opportunity for them especially when they give Brad Pitt more to do than just running away from things. 

When it comes to the zombies here Foster opts for the frenzied infected model over the shambling hordes of the book and while the gore is certainly restricted no doubt thanks to the studios at this time hardly rushing to make anything with an R / 18 Rating it certainly didn’t feel as though it detracts anything from the film with the real frustrations coming instead more from the stupidity of the human masses which are often more responsible for adding to the situation than the zombie threat. 

While there is a sense of disappointment which hangs over the film and how it moves away from the source material or that its another zombie movie holding back on the gory highlights the film we end up with is still a fun ride with more its share of memorable contributions to the zombie genre even if it lacks the social commentary of the greats.

Resident Evil: Damnation

Title: Resident Evil: Damnation
Director: Makoto Kamiya
Released: 2012
Starring: Mathew Mercer, Dave Wittenberg, Courtenay Taylor, Wendee Lee, Val Tesso, Robin Sachs, Salli Saffioti

Plot: Leon S. Kennedy (Mercer) enters the Eastern Slav Republic to investigate rumors of Bio-Organic Weapons (BOWs) being used in the civil war currently dividing the country

Review: Following on from Resident Evil: Degeneration and taking place prior to Resident Evil 6 and with director Makoto Kamiya back in the directors chair after helming the first film and thankfully learning from his mistakes and now with Shotaro Suga providing a script in one of his rare departures from writing for anime series including Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Blood+. 

Heading to Eastern Europe for this latest outing which sees the return of Las Plagas the parasites which first appeared in Resident Evil 4 replacing the T-Virus but still continuing the body horror which certainly is in full effect here with plenty of exploding heads and swirling tentacle as Leon finds himself in the midst of a civil war in the fictional Eastern Slav Republic were the President Svetlana is also running her secret bio-organic weapons program. This change of location is certainly a welcome one much like the freedom to play around the lore that Suga’s script brings to the film not to mention the fact that this actually feels like a film rather than an extended cut scene in the game which was one of the biggest issues with the previous film. 

Compared to the personality void Leon was in Degeneration thankfully this is not the case here with veteran voice actor Matthew Mercer giving him a much needed personality overhaul so that he’s an actually enjoyable character to follow this time.

Joining him this time is series favourite Ada Wong who once more seems to be playing both sides like the catwoman of the Resident Evil-verse as only further added to by her hinting at romantic connection between them. Ada though here really gets a chance to shine not as well as showing off her resourcefulness which only adds to the fun of her character outside of being the mysterious lady in red. 

The action scenes through the film are all alot of fun, especially with Leon finding an ally in former teacher turned revolutionary Buddy who has the ability to command lickers which is used to great effect especially when it comes to the the pair facing off against a group of seemingly unstoppable tyrants which is essentially an opportunity to cram in numerous explosions, hardware and a tank all used with the kind of extravagance typically reserved for Michael Bay.

A real step up from Degeneration across the board with improved voice acting, a better script and Kamiya approaching this like a feature than a video game all making for a good time if one that’s unlikely to make it into the regular rotation, it’s still a fun time while it lasts.

Resident Evil: Degeneration

Title: Resident Evil: Degeneration
Director: Makoto Kamiya
Released: 2008
Starring: Paul Mercier, Alyson Court, Laura Bailey, Roger Craig Smith

Plot: Based on the long running survival horror games as Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy reunite to investigate a potential conspiracy surrounding the outbreak of the T-virus while a survivor of the Racoon City outbreak is planning his own revenge.

Review: Set between the Resident Evil 4 + 5 video games this cannon entry in the long running survival horror game series marked the first CGI outing for the franchise after Paul W.S. Anderson brought his own spin to the series while introducing the world to a new action heroine in Alice who after being such a cornerstone of the movie world of these games feels noticeably absent here with director Makoto Kamiya making his feature debut after spending most of his career as a visual effect supervisor for series like Bleach, Alice in Borderland and Kingdom. 

Opening with series mainstay Claire Redfield finding herself in the midst of a zombie outbreak at an airport in the first of the films big action set pieces and it’s certainly an effective start to the film especially as the zombie horde is added to by a plane crashing into the terminal after suffering it’s own zombie outbreak. Here we are introduced to the actual lead of the film in Leon S. Kennedy who leads the rescue effort to get Claire and her fellow survivors out including the shady Senator Davis.Frustratingly after this sequence the film hits kind of a lull as it sets up the WilPhama research facility which despite being a hi-tech facility is surprising easy to break into as proven by the revenge seeking Curtis who is keen to expose the cover up of Racoon City (see Resident Evil 2).

Plot wise it’s nothing to write home about and really just there to get the film onto its next big action sequence. At the same time Leon is such a charisma black hole he hardly makes for the more thrilling character to be stuck with especially when the voice acting is pretty much on the same level as the games. As a fan of the games though it was frustrating to see Claire being reduced down to being a damsel in need of constant rescue than the kicker of zombie ass fans of the series best know her as.

Were as Anderson’s films took the spirit of the film and went in their own direction, Kamiya sticks more closely to the video game world with the end result being a film that feels like an extended cut scene from the game, with a number of sequences looking like the film is suddenly going to hand the controls over to the player which possibly might have made for a more engaging experience. Still the obvious upside of being a CGI feature is that there are really no limits when it comes to crafting over the top action sequences so if you want to crash jumbo jets, or have a giant zombie hulk tearing a facility apart you can with ease and these are the  moments were the film really shines even if it falls into the usual tropes of video game action sequences with the small army of troops surrounding out hero and drawing guns all perfectly synchronized. 

While it certainly has it’s bursts of satisfying over the top action it’s ultimately let down by the weak plot and less than stellar voice acting which only serve to detract from the film. Fans of the games will likely enjoy seeing this outing for these familiar characters, but for newcomers it will likely leave you wondering what the fuss was about.

Little Monsters

Title: Little Monsters
Director: Abe Forsythe
Released: 2019
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England, Kat Stewart, Diesel La Torraca, Josh Gad

Plot: While on a field trip to a local farm, Miss Caroline (Nyong) is forced to save her kindergarden class from a zombie outbreak.

Review: While there has certainly been no shortage of zombie properties in recent years as the sub-genre drifted from George Romero’s gut munchers to being like vampires and one of the most over worked and originally devoid sub-genres of horror. This is not say that we haven’t seen occasional bursts of originally with shock some life back into these movies such as 28 Days Later and more recently Train to Busan but those examples are far and few between.

Thankfully Little Monsters is another of those examples of someone trying to do something different with Zombies with director Abe Forsythe channelling the same comedic vein as Shawn of the Dead to craft a film which not only delivers on the gory shambling zombie fun but one which also a lot of charm.

Following failed musician Dave (Alexander England) who after finding out that his girlfriend has been cheating on him during a disastrous proposal attempt he now finds himself living on his sisters couch and looking after his nephew Felix (Diesel La Torraca). Accompanying Felix’s class on a trip to the farm under the geise of wanting to be a helpful chaperon when he real interest is in Felix’s teacher Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyong’o) who likes to wear colourful sundress and play the Ukulele. However when zombies escaped from the nearby military facility escape Dave and and Miss Caroline must work together to save the children before the military nuke the farm!

Fuelled by an upbeat energy that perhaps becomes alittle too sacturine in the final quarter this film finally feels like someone trying to do something new with the Zombie genre even if it’s not straying far from the traditional tropes, the Life is Beautiful style of  misdrection that Miss Caroline weaves to hide the horror which surrounds them from the kids certainly provides it’s fun moments such as her return from a bout of zombie slaying covered in gore which she dismisses as having been “Caught In A Jam Fight” which at the same time advising them not eat the bits dripping off her. At the same time Alexander England provides the more crude humour elements of the film alongside Josh Gad’s kids TV personality Teddy McGiggle who might not be as whole as his TV image would have you believe.

Suprisingly for a film whose cast are largely small children this isn’t the grating experience that the mere mention of child actors conjours up. Perhaps this is down to the fact that they are little kids acting as little kids and not smart mouthed, wise cracking kids and even more thankfully not from the Disney school of overacting. Sure what you can do with a group of kids in this plot is going to be limited as loosing kids in zombie attacks is only going to kill the tone, so they are pushed to the background for a large portion of the film. At the same time the chemistry between Nyong’o and England is really belivable with thier relationship evolution never feeling forced and more about the pair finding the common ground than sudden personality shifts.

If your looking for wall to wall zombie slaying action you will be disappointed as while the zombie sequences certainly deliver with one zombie staggering around the farm in a kola costume the scenes of them being slayed are few and far between with director Abe Forsythe preferring to have the cast run away than confront the zombies building up to possibly the slowest escape from zombies ever committed to film.

Unquestionably the film features great performances throughout along with a high quota of fun, even if it feels like it runs out of gas during the final quarter. This is still a fun companion piece to the still superior Shawn of the Dead

Creepshow

Title: Creepshow
Director: George A. Romero
Released: 1982
Starring: Hal Halbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Carrie Nye, E.g. Marshall, Viveca Lindfors, Ted Danson, Stephen King, Ed Harris

Plot: Horror anthology bringing together bugs, alien virus’ zombies and a very angry monkey over the course of five stories in a homage to the EC Horror Comics (Vault of Horror / Tales From The Crypt)

Review: Bringing together Zombie maestro director George A. Romero and the equally legendary Horror writer Stephen King who here makes his screen writing debut aswell as giving a rare acting performance which is often mistaken for being his first despite the fact it comes after his actual acting debut with Romero’s previous film Knightriders. The pair coming together to pay homage to the EC Horror Comics such as Vault of Horror and Tales From The Crypt over the course of five stories.

Utilising a much more visual style than I was certainly used to seeing from Romero who here creates his own comic book experience as the opening and closing of each story is bookended with comic panels, with Romeo even carrying the comic book imagery into the stories as he breaks up the screen with comic panel lines, backdrops and even little headers to indicate things such as locations and time passed all which really add to the experience.

One of the big advantages here over the other horror anthologies is that here we have a film which is all about quick pacing and fun concepts so thankfully there are no tedious slow burns or drawn out ghost stories and the stories vary greatly from each other as our first story “Father’s Day” the first of King’s story contributions and an original story which sees the a family gathering for their annual family dinner and remembering the miserly old patriarch of the family who we see from the flashbacks was continually abusive to his daughter until she had enough and she murdered him. However when she spills wiskey on his grave years later he returns as a maggot infested zombie eager to see revenge on the family. Sure It’s not the strongest story here but has some great effects work from Tom Savini who really pulls some neat tricks out of his special effects box for the film arguably creating for the film better zombies than he did for Romero’s Dead saga as they are more reminiscent of the Italian flesh munchers which Romero’s films inspired.

The next story “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill” sees Stephen King steps up his acting career as he plays a redneck called Jordy who gets infected with a plant like organism from a meteorite which crash lands in backyard. Based on his own short story “Weeds” I’d heard a lot of people bash King’s performance prior to watching the film and sure he might not be winning any Oscars but it’s enjoyably daft as Jordy’s own stupidity makes his situation increasingly worse to the point he becomes a human-plan hybrid with the film ending on an ominous fate for humanity.

“Somthing To Tide You Over” brings with it a real suprise in that we not only get a serious performance from Leslie Nielsen who I often forget before Police Squad was a serious actor with his credits including Forbidden Planet and The Poseidon Adventure but here he is downright evil as the wealthy psychopath Richard Vickers who after finding his wife has been cheating on him burrys both her and her lover (played here by a ridiculously youthful Ted Danson) up to their necks at the beach and waits for the low tide all while watching them via CCTV from the comfort of his luxury mansion. Of course keeping with the general tone of the film this plan backfires in a suitably supernatural way with a great payoff.

For monkey suit fans “The Crate” is a lot of fun and also based off the Stephen King short of the same name and has a real Basketcase vibe to it as when a mysterious crate marked “Arctic Expedition – June 19, 1834” is found at a university and discovered to contain an ape like creature with a taste for human flesh. Soon the mild mannered professor Henry Northrup sees an opportunity to dispose of his abusive and continually drunk wife Wilma who he is seen frequently playing out fantasy deaths for. Out of all the stories this one could easily have been turned into it’s own feature but none the less it’s still a lot of fun while it lasts.

Lastly we have “They’re Creeping Up On You” which features one of the most memorable special effects moments of the film as the cruel businessman Upson Pratt with an overwhelming fear of germs to the point that he lives in a hermetically sealed apartment as his only connection to the outside world being through the telephone. However when a storm cuts out the power to the city he finds his apartment slowly becoming more overrun with cockroaches and try as he might to get rid of them their numbers only increase. Due to Pratt being a completely disgusting individual so forced to endure his company for the whole of the story is pretty rough going making his eventual comeuppance all the more sweet when it eventually comes.

Followed up by two sequels with a Shudder exclusive series at the time of writing set to launch in the coming weeks the original film is still worth discovering, especially as it’s so visually different from Romero’s other films with none of the stories outstaying their welcome it’s a fun experience and one worth adding to the Halloween watch pile.