Land of the Dead

[barsoomcore]

See, news like that, plus Dennis Hopper, are things that make me worry.

I don't want to be in a freakin' George Romero picture thinking, "Hey, lookit Dennis Hopper getting eaten. Hey, there's the Shaun of the Dead guys." I want to be in a freakin' George Romero picture thinking, "AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Maybe that's just me. It's been a long while since anyone made a SCARY movie.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I agree barsoomcore, it's been a long time since I've seen a truly scary movie. There have been some disturbing movies, but nothing that scary.

I think the last time I was truly scared from watching a movie was The House on Haunted Hill remake. It was really a crappy movie, but there's something about the fast then slow moving things that really gets under my skin.

I had nightmares after the Dawn of the Dead remake, but the movie itself didn't get to me. I just tend to have zombie nightmares for some reason...:/

Kane

 

[Kai Lord]

I want to be in a freakin' George Romero picture thinking, "AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Why? Did you think "AAAAAAAAA!!!!" during any of his previous films?

Maybe that's just me. It's been a long while since anyone made a SCARY movie.

Did you actually think the original Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead were SCARY movies? How do you define scary? Jump in your seat scary? Lots of films do that, they don't even have to be horror films. Do you mean just creepy movies that give you goosebumps while watching? Ju On did that for me. Or movies that make you think twice about that dark closet or hallway when you get home (The Ring and again Ju On are the first and only films to have done that for me in at least 15 years, possibly longer.)

I don't think its even *possible* for a movie about freaking zombies to do that for me but maybe you meant something different.

 

[Templeton580]

*

 

[barsoomcore]

Why? Did you think "AAAAAAAAA!!!!" during any of his previous films?

Holy crap yes.

Obviously we're very very very different on this score. Dawn and Night remain two of the scariest movies I've ever seen. They scared the crap out of me. Shaking, curled up on the couch, whimpering, couldn't sleep, nightmares, the whole ten yards.

I don't find "jump in your seat" stuff very interesting. Sudden loud noises and suddenly appearing indistinct images are easy to do. Not scary, just startling.

Neither Ju On nor The Ring REALLY scared me. Nor did A Tale of Two Sisters. They all got close, closer than much else has done in a long time, but the conclusions of both films just ended up too unsatisfying -- you got to the end and just sort of felt, "What was the point?"

Although the moment when the girl walks out of the TV will forever remain seared in my memory. Good grief.

It's HARD. A scary movie has to walk a line that is so fine, so easy to trip off of, either into ridiculousness or into mudanity, that it's very rare a film doesn't go awry at some point. You've got to keep your audience guessing, but at the same time you need to deliver something that makes sense.

I don't think its even *possible* for a movie about freaking zombies to do that for me but maybe you meant something different.

It's not so much the zombies. It's the hopelessness, and what that does to the characters involved. What Romero's proven to be such a genius at is telling zombie stories in which the people are far scarier than the monsters. What's really horrifying in his movies is how the bonds between people fall apart under stress, and how willing they end up being to sacrifice each other in order to survive. THAT'S what freaks me out about his films.

For me, zombie movies are scary in the same way that Alien was scary -- they provide a personification of the uncaring maw of Death, against which there is no reasoning, no appeal, no negotiation. This is why slow zombies are scarier than fast zombies -- the point of zombies is that even though you're smarter, quicker and stronger than they, you will still lose because they will never stop coming. It's the unfairness of it that's horrifying -- the notion that the world doesn't care if you're BETTER. You will still fail, because there isn't any way to win.

A story in which the hero comes to a bad end because he isn't sufficiently good is a tragedy, not a horror story.


"Hey, barsoomcore, could you pop in on this thread and mumble pointlessly about movies?"

"Sure. Happy to help."

 

[Villano]

I'm just looking forward to trying to spot the zombie cameos by the Shaun of the Dead guys.

I saw on IFC (Independent Film Channel) that Tom Savini is also reprising his biker role, Blades, from Dawn Of The Dead for a cameo, this time as a zombie. Savini said that his character was a zombie for about a year at this point (how long does it take for a zombie to decompose?! ).

While it makes me appreciate that they're tying it in to Dead continuity, it does make me wonder if this is supposed to be set before Day. There seems to be a populated city in this one, whereas Day made it look like there might only be scattered survivors. If a year has passed between Dawn and Land, then Day was set inbetween. It seems a little strange.

I'm glad they are keeping with slow moving zombies instead of the trend of hyperactive ones. OTOH, apparently, there are some zombies that can think and use guns (Savini's zombie has a machete). I know there was one that knew how to use a gun in Day (Bub), but gunfights with zombies don't excite me.

 

[KaosDevice]

While it makes me appreciate that they're tying it in to Dead continuity, it does make me wonder if this is supposed to be set before Day. There seems to be a populated city in this one, whereas Day made it look like there might only be scattered survivors. If a year has passed between Dawn and Land, then Day was set inbetween.

The vibe I got was that this one came after Day but I've been known to be wrong.

On the scary movie topic I think maybe that whole 'being scared' of movies thing doesn't necessarilly have as much to do with the movies as it does with age. Maybe just being older, slightly more jaded and thicker skinned is the factor here and not that the movies are less 'scarey' what ever that means really. How many people here have seen films they saw when they were younger and wondered what we were so freaked out about. I know I have.

Yet another reason why getting older kind of sucks sometimes. :\

 

[barsoomcore]

Oh, that's definitely true, I agree. You're at your most susceptible in your teens, I think. When your brain kind of shuts down for a few years and your adrenal glands are ready to kick in at a moment's notice. And you do whatever everyone around you is doing, so if one person screams, you all scream.

Good times.

Still. It's not impossible. Just HARD.

 

[Kai Lord]

Holy crap yes.

Obviously we're very very very different on this score. Dawn and Night remain two of the scariest movies I've ever seen. They scared the crap out of me. Shaking, curled up on the couch, whimpering, couldn't sleep, nightmares, the whole ten yards.

How old were you when you saw them? I was probably about 20 when I saw Night and I remember thinking "wow that's pretty harsh" but was never scared in the sense that you were. What you describe is my reaction to the original Blob when I was about eight years old.

Neither Ju On nor The Ring REALLY scared me.

Well I wouldn't expect them to since they're very recent. But I did have to chuckle when I got home and found myself looking over my shoulder when passing by dark rooms and closets.

For me, zombie movies are scary in the same way that Alien was scary -- they provide a personification of the uncaring maw of Death, against which there is no reasoning, no appeal, no negotiation. This is why slow zombies are scarier than fast zombies --

Slow zombies don't do anything for me at all. With fast zombies you're still dealing with beings of which there is "no reasoning, appeal, or negotiation." But with them being fast it means you also have to think fast when they show up, and relentless monstrosity + think fast often = panic. But I get that you get more of a thrill out of dread than panic, which the slow-movers are more appropriate for.

I also think things that are quicker and stronger than you are scarier than things that aren't. Jaws scared the crap out of me as a kid. But Attack of the Slow Moving Jellyfish Swarm certainly wouldn't have.

 

[ukgpublishing]

From what I gather the gore factor in this movie is excellent and is supposed to include spines being torn out and entrail being eaten to name a few.

The slow zombies is a reaction to the critism the remake of Dawn got for having the fast zombies, but the Zombie in Land are supposed to be incredibly strong to make up for the speed and very viscious compared to those in the orginal Dawn. Plus of course they are getting smart

Anyway anyone who is going to see this in the US, I envy you as it doesn't release in the UK for some time