So today's feature film was "White Zombie". The quality of the movie was pretty bad but it is from 1932. The movie itself wasn't horrible, definitely clear its from a particular time when the thought of zombies was somewhat fresh.
The zombies in "White Zombie" were not your everyday, brain-eating zombies. They were dead but under a spell rather than driven by hunger for flesh. The plot of the movie is a jealous man wants to steal another mans fiance so he turns to a witch doctor to make her fall in love with him and dump her fiance. The witch doctor makes a potion and after she drinks it she dies and turns into a zombie under the witch doctors command along with his gaggle of zombie slaves. Near the end the witch doctor is killed and the girl comes out of her zombie state and embraces her original man.
The zombies I'm used to are dead, thus do not come back to life. Maybe in killing a zombie is where one can properly use the term "kill them dead". They're dead but not dead-dead. Anyway, this confused me but hey, it's a start for the zombie movement so I respect it. Perhaps this is where the phrase zombie-like-state came from, to be blank and not all there but not trying to eat your best friend, just kind of there.
I realize everyone has a different vision about what zombies will be so this was probably just an adaptation or what people honestly believed, more dead and empty instead of dead and hungry. This movie also was the inspiration for the name of the band White Zombie which is Rob Zombies first band so the movie had a bit more appeal because of that. By now we all should know how I feel about Rob Zombie.
I think this movie in its own way was good. The acting wasn't amazing and its not what I'm used to for zombie movies but its different and was interesting to watch. If you're really interested in the zombie genre and the genres beginnings it's worth seeing.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Day Thirteen: Favorite number calls for a favorite actor
The number 13 is my favorite number. It's the day I was born and although tends to be most peoples unlucky number it has always stood out to me. That said, there is no link between the movie I watched for this day and the film itself. I just chose a movie starring one of my favorite actors for the thirteenth day. "The Last Man on Earth" was my choice movie today, with Vincent Price as the lead.
"The Last Man on Earth" is an adaptation of a book called "I Am Legend". If you've never seen this film but have seen the Will Smith movie "I Am Legend" they are the same storyline. Man looses family and friends and is trying to stay alive and protect himself from vampires. The adaptations between the two movies and the novel are different but essentially the same.
Bob Morgan, Vincent Prices character is immune to the virus that infected the people and turned them into vampires. He comes across a seemingly cured woman who ends up having been infected but has a serum that calms down her symptoms. She asks for him to join her and the other people who are able to control their symptoms. He declines and ends up in a war with the other people. He ends up wounded and goes to a church.
I'd like to take this moment to say "Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!!". Alright, now that I got that out, back to the story line.
The ending has him impaled by a spear. In his last moments he calls his killers freaks and says that he is "the last true man on earth". Leave it to Vincent Price to end with a statement like that. I love old movies for lines like that, like in "The Wizard of Oz" when Dorothy returns home and says "there's no place like home". I apologize for the reference, it was the first that popped into my mind but I'm sure you get what I mean. That final moment when a line ties the entire movie together. Such a classic signature move of from that time.
The movie was good, I recommend it. The vampires or infected where actually quite funny, and while the movie lacked being horrifying or anything I enjoyed it. It's made me want to check out "I Am Legend" and perhaps even read the book.
"The Last Man on Earth" is an adaptation of a book called "I Am Legend". If you've never seen this film but have seen the Will Smith movie "I Am Legend" they are the same storyline. Man looses family and friends and is trying to stay alive and protect himself from vampires. The adaptations between the two movies and the novel are different but essentially the same.
Bob Morgan, Vincent Prices character is immune to the virus that infected the people and turned them into vampires. He comes across a seemingly cured woman who ends up having been infected but has a serum that calms down her symptoms. She asks for him to join her and the other people who are able to control their symptoms. He declines and ends up in a war with the other people. He ends up wounded and goes to a church.
I'd like to take this moment to say "Sanctuary!!! Sanctuary!!!". Alright, now that I got that out, back to the story line.
The ending has him impaled by a spear. In his last moments he calls his killers freaks and says that he is "the last true man on earth". Leave it to Vincent Price to end with a statement like that. I love old movies for lines like that, like in "The Wizard of Oz" when Dorothy returns home and says "there's no place like home". I apologize for the reference, it was the first that popped into my mind but I'm sure you get what I mean. That final moment when a line ties the entire movie together. Such a classic signature move of from that time.
The movie was good, I recommend it. The vampires or infected where actually quite funny, and while the movie lacked being horrifying or anything I enjoyed it. It's made me want to check out "I Am Legend" and perhaps even read the book.
Day Twelve: Oh Vincent Price, you have yet to let me down!
At long last, I watched a Vincent Price film. Oh how I waited for this moment, and it was well worth the wait. "House On Haunted Hill" had it all; a chilling situation, an expressive and interesting lead actor, stories of ghosts and the music to add the flair the ghosts need to make a proper entrance as well as an intriguing mystery and storyline.
Vincent Price has, as most people know, an amazing voice. He seems to have a certain something that draws you into the movie, something I feel is lacking in Hollywood today. I could probably go on and on about Vincent Price, but I'll just stick to the movie for now. I'm sure Vincent Price will make his way into my movie selection again which will give me more opportunities to gush about him.
The plot of the movie is somewhat simple. Six strangers are invited to this house which is rumored to be haunted. They are invited by, as the doctor puts it an eccentric and his wife. They are told that at midnight the doors of the house will lock, trapping them all inside. Who ever makes it through the night will each get ten thousand dollars. The movie takes an interesting turn when Fredrick, Vincent Price's characters wife is hung. From there it takes a few turns and ends fantastically.
As I thought, "House On Haunted Hill" did not disappoint. I figured Vincent Price wouldn't let me down and am glad the movie overall was very enjoyable. I recommend it to anyone who likes classic horror flicks and think it was a great first Vincent Price movie.
Vincent Price has, as most people know, an amazing voice. He seems to have a certain something that draws you into the movie, something I feel is lacking in Hollywood today. I could probably go on and on about Vincent Price, but I'll just stick to the movie for now. I'm sure Vincent Price will make his way into my movie selection again which will give me more opportunities to gush about him.
The plot of the movie is somewhat simple. Six strangers are invited to this house which is rumored to be haunted. They are invited by, as the doctor puts it an eccentric and his wife. They are told that at midnight the doors of the house will lock, trapping them all inside. Who ever makes it through the night will each get ten thousand dollars. The movie takes an interesting turn when Fredrick, Vincent Price's characters wife is hung. From there it takes a few turns and ends fantastically.
As I thought, "House On Haunted Hill" did not disappoint. I figured Vincent Price wouldn't let me down and am glad the movie overall was very enjoyable. I recommend it to anyone who likes classic horror flicks and think it was a great first Vincent Price movie.
Day Eleven: 28 Weeks? Yes. 28 Months? Sorry guys, not likely.
After "28 Days Later" naturally there had to be a "28 Weeks Later". I personally liked "28 Weeks Later" more for the gore factor but it still was slightly disappointing.
Movies such as these where the zombies, or infected, are stupid fast and crazy make me long for the days when zombies were slow and had issues getting onto escalators. I do believe I prefer the classic zombies; still scary but at least you can get away from them if you're a good sprinter. Now the hyper-souped-up zombies were a creative twist but still, makes you appreciate the good ol' days.
Now it might just be me, but I am not a fan of the overly drawn out scenes. I understand its to build up anticipation and fear but come on. I don't know, maybe it was the acting, maybe I was just tired of the storyline. Either way, not the best in my mind but its worth a watch if you enjoyed "28 Days Later".
Movies such as these where the zombies, or infected, are stupid fast and crazy make me long for the days when zombies were slow and had issues getting onto escalators. I do believe I prefer the classic zombies; still scary but at least you can get away from them if you're a good sprinter. Now the hyper-souped-up zombies were a creative twist but still, makes you appreciate the good ol' days.
Now it might just be me, but I am not a fan of the overly drawn out scenes. I understand its to build up anticipation and fear but come on. I don't know, maybe it was the acting, maybe I was just tired of the storyline. Either way, not the best in my mind but its worth a watch if you enjoyed "28 Days Later".
Day Ten: Oh, infectious disease... you never lose your touch!
The beginning of "28 Days Later" starts off with raging Chimps and then flips to a naked man attached to machines in a hospital. He then wakes up, finds clothing, and most importantly Pepsi, then wanders around the hospital. When he finally ventures outside he walks aimlessly around London its clear he is definitely alone.
Now I've got to say, ever since I saw that scene in the trailer the thought of being so incredibly alone has made me feel very uneasy. I like alone time, but that's going a little too far. Not to mention it would mean basically everyone I've ever known has either been infected with "Rage" and become a crazed freak who wants to kill me, or died by some other means.
The more zombie movies I watch, the more I think the government should put serious thought into a zombie action plan. In movies they are never prepared and while that is really no surprise, it still scares me. Or I could just take matters into my own hands and consider learning how to work military machinery or at the very least a gun. In my dreams I am completely capable of firing a gun but when I wake up I have my doubts, and the last thing I need while dealing with the undead is doubts. I mean hell, if I last 28 days in a zombie apocalypse I want to make sure I know what I'm doing so I can last a heck of a lot longer. I really have to work on my zombie survival plan. My Mom was probably right to keep the baseball bat by the door for so long, and I think I'm going to start keeping it within arms reach from now on.
As for the movie, it wasn't terrible. I enjoyed it to a point but found my attention wandered within its long drawn out scenes. There were even some somewhat gross parts, one in particular was the part where one of the army men gets his eyes pushed into his skull by thumbs. What a way to go.
Now I've got to say, ever since I saw that scene in the trailer the thought of being so incredibly alone has made me feel very uneasy. I like alone time, but that's going a little too far. Not to mention it would mean basically everyone I've ever known has either been infected with "Rage" and become a crazed freak who wants to kill me, or died by some other means.
The more zombie movies I watch, the more I think the government should put serious thought into a zombie action plan. In movies they are never prepared and while that is really no surprise, it still scares me. Or I could just take matters into my own hands and consider learning how to work military machinery or at the very least a gun. In my dreams I am completely capable of firing a gun but when I wake up I have my doubts, and the last thing I need while dealing with the undead is doubts. I mean hell, if I last 28 days in a zombie apocalypse I want to make sure I know what I'm doing so I can last a heck of a lot longer. I really have to work on my zombie survival plan. My Mom was probably right to keep the baseball bat by the door for so long, and I think I'm going to start keeping it within arms reach from now on.
As for the movie, it wasn't terrible. I enjoyed it to a point but found my attention wandered within its long drawn out scenes. There were even some somewhat gross parts, one in particular was the part where one of the army men gets his eyes pushed into his skull by thumbs. What a way to go.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Day Nine: You can't kill the boogeyman!
So Day Nines movie actually did scare me. The original "Halloween" was definitely a success. I have always liked the story of Michael Myers, I even liked the first Rob Zombie movie, although that was half love for the story other half love for Rob Zombie.
People under-estimate how much music can help a good scare. The music for "Halloween" has always been amazing. Very simple if you think about it, I mean was tapping the beat of the stalking music on my dog. Dramatic tones were put right where they should be, in moments when Michael appeared in the frame. I got some good jumps out of this movie which is hard to do lately.
A random fact that is more related to my challenge than this movie but I actually dream in horror movies now. From the music to the dark lighting and dull colors, the classics horror movies are coming out through my dreams. Most of the dreams aren't scary, no nightmares to speak of just seems like I'm living my life in a horror movie without the horror. It's actually kind of fun, I'm really glad that that's the only side affect I've had thus far.
In closing, the Halloween franchise definitely has something going for it. The thing about Michael Myers that scares me the most is that he's no longer human. He looks like one sure, but there is no emotion in his killing. He doesn't care if you have a wife and kid's, or how young you are. The scariest people -in movies and life- are the ones who know longer feel compassion and sympathy.
Now that, my friends, is what nightmares are made of.
People under-estimate how much music can help a good scare. The music for "Halloween" has always been amazing. Very simple if you think about it, I mean was tapping the beat of the stalking music on my dog. Dramatic tones were put right where they should be, in moments when Michael appeared in the frame. I got some good jumps out of this movie which is hard to do lately.
A random fact that is more related to my challenge than this movie but I actually dream in horror movies now. From the music to the dark lighting and dull colors, the classics horror movies are coming out through my dreams. Most of the dreams aren't scary, no nightmares to speak of just seems like I'm living my life in a horror movie without the horror. It's actually kind of fun, I'm really glad that that's the only side affect I've had thus far.
In closing, the Halloween franchise definitely has something going for it. The thing about Michael Myers that scares me the most is that he's no longer human. He looks like one sure, but there is no emotion in his killing. He doesn't care if you have a wife and kid's, or how young you are. The scariest people -in movies and life- are the ones who know longer feel compassion and sympathy.
Now that, my friends, is what nightmares are made of.
Day Eight: 1, 2 Freddies coming for you...
After watching an epic fail from Wes Craven I felt I should watch one of his classics so I chose to watch the original "Nightmare on Elm Street." Thank god I did or the Craven name would mean nothing to me except for when I use it to describe crap movies.
One thing I noticed in a similarity between "Nightmare on Elm Street" and Craven's latest disaster, was one character always calls out the villain. What is it with people trying to find the things that are trying to kill them? Don't be a hero. Freddie gets a thousand more movies and you're still the stupid chick who called out the monster in the first movie. Although, kudos for trying.
I really liked that Johnny Depp was in this. I actually laughed when his bed ate him. Great way to start of your career, maybe some of the crap actors these days should have done the same.
A creepy part for me is the song. The " 1, 2 Freddie's coming for you" song, gives me a mini panic attack because like I've said in previous posts, children terrify me in horror movies with their creepy voices. The song is very catchy though, and creepy, so clearly a winning tune.
"1, 2 Freddie's coming for you. 3, 4 better lock the door. 5, 6 get your crucifix. 7, 8 don't stay up late. 9, 10...
Never sleep again..."
One thing I noticed in a similarity between "Nightmare on Elm Street" and Craven's latest disaster, was one character always calls out the villain. What is it with people trying to find the things that are trying to kill them? Don't be a hero. Freddie gets a thousand more movies and you're still the stupid chick who called out the monster in the first movie. Although, kudos for trying.
I really liked that Johnny Depp was in this. I actually laughed when his bed ate him. Great way to start of your career, maybe some of the crap actors these days should have done the same.
A creepy part for me is the song. The " 1, 2 Freddie's coming for you" song, gives me a mini panic attack because like I've said in previous posts, children terrify me in horror movies with their creepy voices. The song is very catchy though, and creepy, so clearly a winning tune.
"1, 2 Freddie's coming for you. 3, 4 better lock the door. 5, 6 get your crucifix. 7, 8 don't stay up late. 9, 10...
Never sleep again..."
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