Last Ones Out, (2016)

In southern Africa, Henry, an American tourist, goes in for an operation. Just before the surgery, however, a zombie outbreak takes place leaving him alone on the operating table, in the dark, and unable to move.

With the help of a young doctor and a couple of hospital staff, Henry is whisked out of the undead-infested hospital and onto a pickup truck headed out of town.

Through a found satellite phone, Henry learns from his less-than affectionate fiancé that there is an evacuation point in the nearby town of Harbel. So the group sets out across the country in hopes of catching the convoy out.

As luck would have it, just as their pickup's gas tank is drained, Henry’s appendix needs emergency tending-to on the fly. But an impromptu, broken-glass scalpel, pool-table appendectomy is such a success, he is up and running from the undead within the day, and we’re back into the action. 

(Okay, I realize that some suspension of reality is required to enjoy a zombie apocalypse film, but, Come On! Having your belly cut into under the most hygienic and careful conditions leaves some abdominal pain. Running, fighting, and helping to carry another man within 24 hours of such a hurried and desperate procedure is asking a lot from the audience to overlook! Jus' sayin.')

Well, some betrayal, some ulterior motives, and some inter-character tension among the fleeing foursome provides some interesting drama, (assumedly to cover for the shortage of actual zombies!) and help to reshape certain characters’ personalities.

As the changing collection of survivors pushes on, and a fairly linear story of the ‘get to the extraction point’-class evolves, things settle into a standard zombie survival road movie.

The zombies are of the growling, running variety and of pretty decent quality at that, but sadly, are just too few and far between - even in what appeared to be a fairly densely-settled township.

Convincing acting from both living and dead, excellent production quality and an exotic location, help balance out the lack of an original story, (and honestly, the whole appendectomy-thing could have been omitted completely without any loss to the story.)

         ZMR scoring saw Last Ones Out earning itself a 2.78 out of a possible 4.0. This equates to a worthwhile and enjoyable viewing, (despite my complaints,) and a welcome addition to my Zombie Movie library.

And, of course, YouTube has a pretty enticing trailer to further tempt those on the fence: LAST ONES OUT

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, (2016)

   Few things can make a movie more tolerable like low expectations. The lion’s share of these expectations and preconceived opinions for me stem primarily from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ trailers - Looking so much like a ‘Hansel and Gretel,’ (2013) or  ‘Van Helsing,’ (2004) or ‘Brothers Grimm,’ (2005) or any other classically-based story ‘modernized’ for today’s audiences, with hip, and stylish young actors looking cool and engaging in all sorts of parkour-esque moves while glibly dispensing witticisms. 

    Okay, I admit, I have NOT seen any of those films, so it isn’t fair of me to judge, but those are the reasons why I won’t. 

   To my great surprise, however, ‘P&P&Z’ does not play like one of those blatantly anachronistic examples of millennial-targeting cinema. Moreover, it attempts to maintain some sort of an albeit tenuous grasp on Jane Austen’s original storyline, following the five Bennet sisters’ pursuit of an appropriate, socially-mobile, husband before their spinster years of the late twenties.

     The obvious difference in the story is the whole ‘zombie apocalypse’ thing that’s going on. Which, to be honest, has a cool backstory of its own. 

     Through an illustrated narrative, it is revealed that in the alternative reality in which Pride And Prejudice And Zombies is set has been dealing with the zombie virus for close to a century. Structures, fortifications, and general precautions are commonplace as the undead are now a part of life. This provides a nice element in the film with the living discussing the undead in an almost blasé manner, such as the family talking about how to remove zombie blood from marble.

The main cast is so entrenched in the prim and proper Regency Period-styles and mannerisms that the contrast of zombie fighting seems pretty far-fetched. But the story does mention the training of young people in the arts of the East as part of a “proper education,” as a way to blend these skills into the whole period’s mentality.

    I was particularly impressed with the choice of zombie styles in this movie: Russo-style zombies, a la ‘Return of the Living Dead.’ A rarely seen zombie type in films these days, ‘Russos’ (See my Zombie Classification Chart for more on this!) can talk, think and even set traps for the living. They attempt to blend into society for the sole purpose of feeding on people. Heck, they even feast on brains! That last part plays a key role in the film, too, with a small creative departure from the Russo-style.

    Lastly, former-Time Lord Matt Smith absolutely steals every scene he is in. His foppish Parson Collins provides some comic relief without being blatant or cartoonish.

    So, yeah! I enjoyed this entry into the genre, against my expectations! I then held it up to my Zombie Movies Rubric and found it scored an admirable 2.75 out of 4, uh, Stars? Points? Bites? (I should really have a scoring standard in place.) 

    In any case, 2.75 translates to a “definitely worth a rental” recommendation. 

Slightly too hip and stylish music-video-style trailer from the YouTubes: PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES

Aw, heck! Have another:
 PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES

Train to Busan, (2016)

     Imagine stuffing all of the scope and scale of the movie World War Z into a hurtling train crowded with potential victims. Next, imagine it being really, really good. Yup.

     So, a man boards a train to take his daughter to her mother’s house, unbeknownst to him, at this very moment an infection is sweeping the city. One of the infected gets on the train and soon, train and its passengers and crew are caught up in the outbreak. 

     The characters in this film are not only well acted, but believable and with some depth and background. Each person on the train has obvious stories of their own, from the fund manager too busy to spend enough time with his daughter, to the burly boxer guy with his pregnant wife. From the high school baseball team and their one “cheerleader” to the overbearing executive who, although selfish and hate-able, shows a sympathetic side at a vulnerable moment. 

These people are interesting, and not your stereotypical zombie movie victim and/or hero archetypes, just people, who, either through the acting or the incremental reveal of their personalities, seem very realistic and definitely root-for-able, and their reactions as the story unfolds are perfectly convincing, and assist in the sense of fear, desperation and claustrophobia.

     The ‘infected” themselves are done really well. Excellent make-up and presentation, even though they are runners, and they growl, (and not my personal preference for on-screen living dead, the shambolic, decaying corpse-type.) For this particular setting, however, they fit the bill quite aptly.

     The closest frame of reference for the zombies here actually would be those from World War Z. In fact, this is probably as good a companion piece to that flick as Hollywood could ever hope for. It adheres to WWZ’s style of movement and even some eerily reminiscent scenes, (such as the Z’s falling from helicopter skids and land amid some skateboarding teens, only to get up and pursue them! That was a great one!) This was also evident in the waves of the undead falling over themselves while attacking on board the train.

     The transformation from bitten to full-on zombification is quick, with death throes being violent convulsions and contortions, (again, à la WWZ.) But this is Korea, and no mention of global infection is made. In fact, some explanation of how the outbreak came to be was discussed, but most of this was through written research and, sadly, got lost in the translation.

     Aside from this, and the need for subtitles,  Train to Busan does not feel like a foreign movie, just a movie in a foreign language. Actually, considering the vast mountains of total crap zombie films out there, the fact that this one ranks so high up there should be enough to make skeptics of foreign zombie films reconsider their position.

Speaking of ranking, according to my Zombie Movie Rubric, Train to Busan earned a total tally of a 3.625 out of 4, giving it a hearty recommendation from me, and one worthy of repeated viewings, too!

You need to see this... Seriously.

     In short, this is a great zombie movie. The kind of zombie movie that any fan of this genre would want to see. 

    But, here is a trailer for you to enjoy until you do!                    Train To Busan Official Trailer #1! 

     Oh, heck! Here is another!!!

Train To Busan Official Trailer #2!

Clash of the Dead, (2016)

Also known as 'World War Dead: Rise of the Fallen"

     

     While filming a documentary on the Battle of The Somme, a group of filmmakers are warned by a passing Frenchman that the area they are filming in is not safe. The film decided only to keep this warning in the film’s “making of” reel. And so, cameras continue to roll for a behind-the-scenes film aside from the actual feature.

     After a few creepy suspense moments peppered amongst the get-to-know scenes, and a body is found. But this body was chained up in a box in the water with an amulet on it that the historian/scientist among the group believes was purported to have immortality attributes. The inevitable ensues.

The 'soldiers emerging from the mist' scene ranks up there with any climbing from the grave scene!

    Shown through the documentary's cameraman's lens as well as a few hand-held cameras, the movie switches between polished and “found-footage,” (in what I imagine would amount to a reconstructed account, should the narrative continue so far.) The switching back and forth is a welcome respite from the twitchiness of first-person, “Blair Witch”-type of footage film, which is in full effect, along with some focus/static/hold issues tossed in occasionally to assist in the story’s narrative. A bit annoying at times, but an effective tool.

    The zombies are, of course, Nazi Zombies, (type #5 in my Zombie Classification Chart!) but these soldiers are a bit different. The titular dead in question are more Romero-esque in nature. They attack with their hands and teeth, not weapons, and move in a classic staggering/shambolic way. Also, the question of contagion from a bite comes up, but the ‘destroy the brain’ theory never got put to test. In all, it is less of an outbreak of Zombism, and more of an occupation of it.

     The pacing is balanced and natural. There is a slow build up to the actual action, but the kick-off scene, the one which really acts as a starter pistol for the horror, is a great one. The crew is doing some filming in a wood-rimmed field when a figure staggers all silhouetted out of the dusky shadows. As the crew look towards the person making his way silently toward them, others appear from the wood all around them. Annoyance turns to concern quickly, and as the soldiers attack, the disbelief and subsequent WTF moment is caught on the previously mentioned shaky hand-helds.

     The documentarists with cameras and the ones with either good sense or good cowardice choose to leg it, and the chase between the unarmed filmmakers and the undead soldiers is the meat and potatoes of the film, with trenches, tunnels and some really dramatic countryside scenes for backdrops.

     The Nazis Zombies, themselves, do not get much in-focus screen time. The dusk/night setting, the trenches, and the tunnels, while creepy and add some terrific atmosphere, make for some difficulty to see the soldiers’ faces. This, combined with the frenetic camera work, surely helped to keep the make-up budget down. I can’t complain about this, though, since crap make-up jobs can really kill a nice, scary vibe and turn serious horror sour quickly. The shortage of clear shots of the century-old undead side-steps this issue neatly.

     I, of course, turned to my Zombie Movies Rubric for a more objective scoring and Clash Of The Dead earned itself a 2.88 points out of a potential 4. This comes with a solid recommendation as an enjoyable entry into the field of zombie pictures!

     For a glimpse of the movie, YouTube has a REALLY cool trailer for it here: CLASH OF THE DEAD.

     Try not to be put off by the total crap job of the cover art. 

See? Told you it was crap!

The Girl With All The Gifts, (2016)

   

    In a heavily fortified military base is a school classroom for children. These children, however, are in five-point restraints and shackled to wheelchairs. They are wheeled in for daily classes and back to their cells afterwards, all under the strict supervision of armed personnel. Among these children is Melanie, a girl with a surprisingly sunny and optimistic disposition considering her lot. 

       One day, Melanie is taken for an experiment and gets a look at the outside world - and the siege of “hungries,” or the undead, that surround the base, trying to get in.

       Well, things go awry, as things are wont to do, and soon a small number of people escape the overrun base and flee into the infected British countryside, along with Melanie, who is muzzled and cuffed just in case her true nature comes out. 

The first half of The Girl With All The Gifts shares only Melanie’s perspective and we, the viewer, are kept off balance in a state of speculation, but in a good way, as the sense of mystery and tension builds. It is from this viewpoint that we see the others in Melanie’s life as she sees them.

Soon, however, this haze of mystery is blown away and a more traditional Zombie Apocalypse-style film unfolds, with a band of survivors wandering an undead-infested wasteland in search for safety. Unfortunately, the members of this group must also wrestle with their distrust of one another, and fears of getting shot, directed, or eaten by one of their own.

Melanie, it appears, is among a second-generation of those afflicted with a fungal infection around the brain, (the movie’s explanation for the death, reanimation and flesh-eating tendencies of its antagonists,) and is thought to be the source of a cure for it once a proper, if terminal, operation can be performed upon her.

The storyline is a very original one: introducing new facets and stages to the zombie genre while still managing to keep the whole “flesh-eating, infectious bite, killed-only-with-a-head-shot” stuff from standard walking dead fare. The zombies, (or “hungries” as they are referred to here,) are runners, both the original and the second generation ones. They move, growl and chitter akin the World War Z’s dead. (Melanie and the next gens seem to be able to control themselves until they can smell the living. Then, the ol’ appetite kicks in!) The zombie’s looks are neat and classic, and not only merely dead, but really most sincerely dead.

The acting is top-notch, of course with the young newcomer that plays Melanie making a very engaging center of the film, but it was Glenn Close’s scientist, Dr. Caldwell, who I really enjoyed. She came off as both malevolent and strangely compassionate. 

Although the movie had a decent flow to its action, it definitely could be divided into chapters that stood apart from one another, too: At the base, on the run, the second stage, the next generation… I had to check to see if there were more than one person directing this!

Despite my nitpicking, on the Zombie Movie Rubric, The Girl With All The Gifts tallied itself up a whopping 3.45 out of a potential 4! This earns it a hearty recommendation from me, (despite running zombies!)

Here is a YouTube teaser, The Girl With All The Gifts. the whet your appetite.