28 Weeks Later

MAY 9, 2007

GENRE: ZOMBIE
SOURCE: THEATRICAL (PRESS SCREENING)

Today was an odd day. I honestly thought the highlight would be mocking 28 Weeks Later. I didn’t care for the original at all, due to the DV footage. If you recall a few reviews back, I pointed out that DV footage was, quote, “Satan’s Photography” (I did not say that at all). Also I hated the last half hour or so when they decided that, even though they “weren’t a zombie movie”, that they would steal entire scenes from Day of the Dead. Fuck you, 28 Days Later.

So needless to say a sequel wasn’t really something I looked forward to, but I DO enjoy mocking shitty movies, so I was counting on the screening to be the best part of my day.

But leave it to Bruce Willis to take that away from me.

In a turn of events that is in no way coherent, but at the same time makes perfect sense, I helped prove Bruce Willis was engaging in “talkback” on Aintitcoolnews, and even chatted with this god amongst men for a few minutes on AIM. Of course, for those unfamiliar, talkback is the name given to posting your thoughts on something after reading an accompanying article on the internet, something that would occur here a lot more often if I had more than 8 readers (and here I’d like to give a shoutout to Chris at Short Film Texas for being the lone man to regularly partake in this activity). Anyway, you can read the story here. It’s good stuff. Except for when Willis slams on Michael Bay. That is uncalled for. That man is a saint.

But then, to make matters worse, 28 Weeks Later was GOOD! What the hell? I talk to my idol and then see a good movie? Can’t a guy get a break?

Yeah apparently, director/co-writer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo decided to improve on everything that was wrong in the original, while adding his own flair. What a dick, huh? How dare he make a sequel that for once almost validates an inferior original.

This movie is pretty goddamn great, in fact. The characters are likeable, the action is ramped up, the music is amazing, and most importantly, someone took the extra 2 minutes it takes to load a real camera instead of popping in a 60 min tape in order to make a film that doesn’t look like total bullshit. Along with the always welcome Catherine McCormack, we have additional eye candy in Rose Byrne, who is cute as hell, except for when she is bludgeoned to death near the end (at least, I assume she’s not cute then. I missed that part due to not being able to hold off urinating any longer, damn me). Robert Carlyle is great as always, though there is a strange bit where he plays his zombie (fuck you, they are zombies) more like Michael Myers, appearing in the background, watching our heroes, and then disappearing when the character goes for a better look. Uh, “rage”, sir? Luckily it’s a one time offense (and for all I know it was meant to be a hallucination). Also along for the ride is Harold “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLT!!!!!!” Perrineau, playing basically the same guy he played in the Matrix sequels, only with better hair.

The kid who plays the kid is named Mackintosh Muggleton in real life. Isn’t that the most Harry Potter-y name in history? I half-expected him to start eating rage flavored Bernie Botts beans. He shares cinema’s closest brother-sister relationship ever seen outside of those weird pornos, with a girl named Imogen Poots.

Speaking of which: Muggleton, Poots, Fresnadillo, Perrineau… can we get a Smith or a Jones in here, please? The credits list looks like the world’s most complicated Jumble.

The Reaping’s Idris Elba is also around, playing a general of some sort who just disappears from the movie after an hour or so. Apparently some of the film was re-shot (surprisingly, unlike many films, this was seemingly for the better) so perhaps his fate didn’t fit with new material, but it was still puzzling. I like that guy.

I really hope all 8 of you go check this out this weekend. I for one am sick of seeing R rated horror films tanking week after week. And unlike almost all of those others (Wind Chill, Hills Have Eyes 2, The Reaping) this one is actually worth your 10-14 bucks. And it’s because of the failure of these R rated films that Live Free or Die Hard is rated PG-13, which is exactly the reason Bruce Willis came online to talk to people like me. So, uh… I really have no point here, I guess.

Look, just go see the fucking movie.

What say you?

14 comments:

  1. Well, um, as one of the 8, i *would* go see it this weekend but i already saw it with you.

    ps you picked the worst time to pee, MORAN.

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  2. I can't wait to see this movie (the first one didn't suck by the way even though they did use crappy DV)! Congrats of proving it was really Burce.

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  3. Thanks for the "plug" and I ABSOLUTELY plan on seeing 28 Weeks Later this coming weekend.

    While not a big fan of DV movies either, I thought that 28 Day Later was actually the first horror film to use it effectively. (Granted I've seen about 100 other shitty ones, including my own, shot on DV so guess it's a crap shoot.)

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  4. Haha well I don't mind DV at home, but my one viewing of 28 days was in a theater, where the lesser quality was intensified. I'm sure it plays better at home, but then again i didn't care for the script either. And in the end, for independent filmmakers such as yourself, it can be DV or not making a film at all. Besides, some people can't even tell the difference (my wife is one).

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  5. WOW! Your reviews are horrible on various levels. On this movie I don't care, but you like Michael Bay. WOW! I can't even express my feelings about how you shouldn't even be allowed to express your thoughts. Basically you suck, I mean "suck" in the worst way. I wish I could express how much you truly are an idiot.

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  6. You're right.

    Sorry everyone, Horror Movie A Day is no more.

    Clearly having a different opinion of others leaves me in no way eligible to discuss my thoughts on horror movies.

    I wish you all well.

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  7. Well, you do like Michael Bay...

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  8. Who are the other 7? (PC is one of the 8)

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  9. Hahahah back before HMAD was picked as a blog of note, I was getting like 100 hits a week tops.

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  10. so many thoughts i have; also, too much alcohol i have.
    1.)i now believe these movies are more The Crazies than they are NOTLD.
    2.)i actually like the first one. i think, of all the newer zombie movies it is by far the best.
    just because you say it isn't a zombie movie doesn't make it so.
    3.i like that they retconned the viris so they it produces true zombies (i.e in the field there's a "zombie" running with most of his torso gone.)
    3.) i get it. the military is evil. EEEvvviiiilll!!! they would never, ever, ever, ever allow changing situations in the field to affect their decisions. they would never let people who obviously aren't zombies live even though we've established that the viris isn't airborne.
    it made sense to kill them all in the big escape with all the risk involved with so many people. not "good" but understandable. but killing a handful of people driving a car?


    man, watch some hbo. idris elba is from the reaping? man, that man will always be stringer bell from the wire.

    anyway, great blog.....

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  11. I am a 9th person. recently started readin gyour reviews...all of them...after I started doing my own obscure reviews on facebook. I am glad to know that there are others like me... I thought both these were not bad at all, but hated the non-zombie zombies...come on now...

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  12. ur way off 28 days later is a classic,,,havent seen this one definently gotta pick it up

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  13. I loved 28 day later, but I cut them a lot of slack bc I knew what a tiny budget they had, and I love both the main actors. I also appreciate movies that treat children as small people instead of useless morons. The girl was sad her dad was dead, yet still capable of driving a car away from the rapists. Smarter than any final girl I've seen in a good long while.

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  14. Oh, aack. I hated "28 Days Later" with a passion and now you tell me "28 Weeks Later" is completely different and good? How many good zombie films are there that I haven't seen? Not many, it seems. I might just have to take a chance on this one...

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