Saturday, May 28, 2011

E


Edges Of Darkness 2009 - ** We're conflicted. Is this a zombie movie? The first 10 minutes, and moments interspersed throughout contain zombies. The film takes place during a zombie apocalypse, and yet.....This film, as a quote from Revelations at the beginning tells us, takes place during end days. As such the undead are just a part of the equation, along the way we meet vampires, the horror of technology run amok, a Lara Croft type warrior woman, and the Anti-Christ himself. I guess you could say it is a three part horror anthology like "Trilogy Of Terror" with the zombies as a back drop.This is a low budget production, with the normal level of acting associated with such ventures. The three stories presented are enough to keep one amused for 90 minutes. The story about vampires having the tables turned on them is never satisfactorily explained. The episode featuring the Anti-Christ VS the church is just there, but provides the heft of the violence (amateurish at best), and the computer upgrade horror tale is simply unnecessary and uninteresting. Unless you can view this free, there is no reason whatsoever to spend good money on its acquisition.



Evil (2005) - ***1/2 As far as we know this is the only zombie film produced in Greece, and what a zombie film it is ! Engaging from start to finish, and filled with particularly well done gore, this film will satisfy all of your viewing desires. Athens is under siege from the walking dead, and a small group of survivors try to cope and survive. An old story yes, but this film manages to make you care for the characters, something that a lot of Hollywood films fail miserably at. You can relate to them because they talk and act like real people. There are some unique kills here, and a few scenes that we have never seen before in a film but have wanted to. We highly recommend this film, even if you happen to be one of those folks who can't stand subtitles.

                                                                                       

The Evil Dead 1982 - **** Though not strictly a zombie film per se, this film and its sequels are classics of the horror genre. So much has been written about them that we'll be brief. This first film in the series introduces the viewer to the iconic character Ash portrayed by the great Bruce Campbell. The plot revolves around what happens at an isolated cabin when a group of friends plays around with the Necronomicon, the "Book Of The Dead". The special effects and make-up may seem a bit cheesy now, but are great given the budget and the era, and director Sam Raimi weaves an enjoyable tale that makes one smirk while being horrified.



The Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn 1987 - **** A compelling sequel that is every bit as good as it's predecessor. This time around Raimi fills his script with very dark humor which showcases Campbell's comedic talent. Though not as scare filled as the original, it turns up the laugh and blood quotient considerably.



Evilution 2008 - ** We had high hopes after viewing the first fifteen minutes of this film. As it turns out they are the best part of this alien life form creating zombies flick. Like the "28" films these are not traditional zombies, they are very fast and agile, performing back flips at one point. The U.S. army discovers an extraterrestrial life form and tries to weaponize it with predictable results. There are some very good gore scenes, but fewer than one would wish for. The acting is good for a project this size, with the exception of the lead played by Eric Peter-Kaiser. He is so laid back, and never responds realistically to anything going on around him no matter how dire. Most of the film takes place in a run down apartment building in a bad part of town, and the cast of characters are sterotypes of such an environment. There are Hispanic gang members, a horny divorcee, drug addicts, etc. It's all very predictable, and reaches a very cliche climax. Not a horrible film, worth checking out for the gore quotient.



Exit Humanity 2011 - **** Oh Canada, you've made us proud !!! We can say with complete assurance that this is in our top ten genre films of all time. The viewer is enthralled in the first ten minutes by this wonderfully crafted, nuanced screenplay. Where to begin? The story is narrated by Brian Cox as Malcolm Young who is a descendant of the central character Edward Young. Young was a soldier in the Civil War who years later loses his family to a zombie outbreak. Actor Mark Gibson who portrays Young, and kind of resembles Ewan McGregor in the film, does a superb job of conveying his characters anguish. All of the acting here is first rate, you have Dee Wallace, as well as a team up of two zombie film greats Bill Moseley and Stephen McHattie (both played the lead disc jockeys in the zombie radio station films "Dead Air" and "Pontypool" respectively.) There is excellent gore to be had here, but it isn't gratuitous, just the amount that the film requires. Some of the violence is depicted through animation, an innovation that does not detract from the overall experience, but rather adds to it in some way. Like 2010s "The Dead" the cinematography which here features the beauty of Ontario is outstanding. Add to this the fact that the zombies themselves are some of the best we have seen in some time, and what you end up with is an experience that can only be described as sublime. Steve and I were like little kids as we watched this, we kept looking at each other and uttering, "this is really good". We don't want to say anymore, we want you to have this viewing experience spoiler free. As the old saying goes don't walk, run to find a copy of this, it truly is that amazing a film. Kudos and thanks to writer/director John Geddes for presenting this gift to fans of the zombie genre everywhere.



Extinction: The G.M.O. Chronicles 2011 - *** There is not a single original concept in this German made film. There is less gore than we are happy with, and no gratuitous nudity either. The antagonists here are the infected not the walking dead, and don't require damage to the brain to die. Having said that, we really enjoyed this film. It is well shot, well acted, and the plot engages the viewer from beginning to end. An American corporation creates a G.M.O. (genetically modified organism) to increase crop production, it mutates spreading to humans who turn into a variety of zombie types. Some are slow, some are fast and acrobatic, and there are some strange mutations that are only hinted at. From there it is a story we've seen a hundred times, a small group of those with natural immunity must band together to survive. But the strong characterizations and believable acting are the saving graces of this production. The characters act pretty much the way you would expect people to in the actual situation. One thing we found interesting was the fact that there is a scientist who holds the key to a possible cure named Peter Bishop; we're not sure if this nod of the head to "Fringe" was intentional or not. The main character Tom Keller is portrayed by German actor Daniel Buder; we wouldn't be surprised if Buder has a big career ahead, as he has all the leading man qualities. The ending of the film leaves open the possibility of a sequel, which we would not be adverse to. This is actually 110 minutes well spent.

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