Zombieland

[fade]

Not sure why the old thread is closed, but I just saw this.

Eh, I didn't like it. I didn't hate it, but I did think it was fairly boring. It had too much fake excitement in it, which was curious, because despite the energetic music and frenetic camera, the actors could best be described as "tired". Esp. Bill Murray. He seemed almost bored. I don't understand all the praise his scene got. He pops in for 2 minutes, says what just about any other schmoe might say (seemingly fighting a big yawn the whole time), and gets lauded for it. The plot was even tired. Like it couldn't get up any momentum. We had none of the scary fun of a zombie movie, and the script really reached for laughs that weren't there. I never laughed once, and the only scenes close to funny were on the trailer already. It felt like a guy trying to run a 5K after running a marathon.

A comedy zombie movie will be invariably invite comparison to Shaun of the Dead, but there really isn't one. SotD was clever, witty, and frightening in spite of the comedy. This was none of the above.

(Yes, Amy, I said I disliked something. I also said I liked something (SotD) and I posted a fan thread on Lost in the last few days. You always seem to preferentially remember the negatives. "The evil that men do lives after them / the good is oft interréd with their bones." or something.)

 

[Rob King]

I thought Zombieland was pretty great, but I'm not one who particularly cares for scary movies so that might explain a bit of it. I maintain that, since it was not much of a horror film, classifying Zombieland a "Zombie Movie" is (strange as it might seem) misleading.

I can kind of get what you're saying about tired actors. Bill Murray was fun, but I think I'm with you when you say you don't understand the praise he got for it. Let's be honest: the praise was for him being Bill Murray, not for anything he really did. The rest of them ... I just excused the tired-ness as intentional, seeing as they've been living in Zombieland for a few months at that point. But maybe I'm making excuses.

I guess what it comes down to is that it was a movie about family and community, with a zombie outbreak being the backdrop. It's not exactly a typical formula, especially when there is little/no focus on fear, so it does strike me as the sort of thing one would either love or care very little for.

---------- Post added at 12:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:54 AM ----------

I did like Tallahassee a lot, though. His gung-ho attitude toward zombie-killing was a lot of fun, and I liked his elder brother/cool uncle sort of relationship with Columbus & the others.

 

[Element 117]

(Yes, Amy, I said I disliked something. I also said I liked something (SotD) and I posted a fan thread on Lost in the last few days. You always seem to preferentially remember the negatives. "The evil that men do lives after them / the good is oft interréd with their bones." or something.)

I made a guess as I clicked on the thread title. This little tidbit here? Fucking bonus, man. Made my day.

 

[Troll]

You are wrong, good sir. According to the rules of the internet I am now required to make personal attacks as a result of your differing opinion. Have at thee!

 

[Charlie Don't Surf]

I saw it, I liked it well enough, I laughed a few times, then it ended. And I have no desire really to see or think about it again. It was just pretty okay. I think I would have laughed a lot harder if I didn't know there was a huge

Spoiler

celebrity cameo

in there. But oh well.

 

[fade]

Re: Character driven:

Yeah, I got that, I really did. Honestly, though, that doesn't change my opinion on the acting and production, which is what really brought the movie down. It was like barbiturate users at a rave.

Re: Not liking it:

Opinions. Everyone has them. I like eleventy kajillion things. I just find it kind of boring to write about them in the same way it's more fun to read about the villain than the hero.

 

[LittleSin]

Ha. Billy Murray acting tired. HA!

Have you seen Bill Murray act in anything? He's a very low energy guy.

 

[SpecialKO]

Opinions. Everyone has them. I like eleventy kajillion things. I just find it kind of boring to write about them in the same way it's more fun to read about the villain than the hero.

I disagree with you about Zombieland, but I totally get this sentiment. It's a lot more fun to write about something you dislike, and why you dislike it.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Fade dislikes something... else. Lots of that in the pile. I feel shocked.

 

[Espy]

Ha. Billy Murray acting tired. HA!

Have you seen Bill Murray act in anything? He's a very low energy guy.

lol, exactly my thoughts.

 

[Charlie Don't Surf]

What the heck, I thought I was the resident elitist that hated everything. I never got that vibe from fade at all.

 

[Hailey Knight]

He's not elitist--that's you, definitely. Just a few people notice that fade doesn't seem to like much of anything. He doesn't rub it in anyone's face or talk down about people for it; he just seems a bit negative.

 

[Jiarn]

Thankfully that's what opinions are for.

 

[SpecialKO]

He's not elitist--that's you, definitely. Just a few people notice that fade doesn't seem to like much of anything. He doesn't rub it in anyone's face or talk down about people for it; he just seems a bit negative.

He does...fade into the background a bit.



/runs

 

[Troll]

He's not elitist--that's you, definitely. Just a few people notice that fade doesn't seem to like much of anything. He doesn't rub it in anyone's face or talk down about people for it; he just seems a bit negative.

I think his avatar is perfect in this regard.

 

[fade]

I still think you guys are focusing on the dislikes. If I went back through my post history, I bet it's evenly balanced between likes and dislikes. I think the difference between me and other people is that I have no problem saying that I don't like something, period. Like escuchion said, if you like it, I don't mind. Hell, I even care. The problem with HF is that you guys don't say, "that's cool. I do like it, and here's why I like it." Too many people here go, "No, your dislike is wrong, and here's why." There's a big difference. I like discussing differences of opinion, just don't take my return discussion as an attack or anger. It's just talk, baby.

---------- Post added at 07:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:45 PM ----------

And like I said in the first post, I'm hardly the first person to notice people preferentially remembering the negatives. People from Jesus to Shakespeare to pretty every married man ever has noticed it.

 

[Rob King]

For what it's worth, I never noticed you as a downer or anything.

All the same, I'll always feel free to disagree. Maybe that might come out as 'Here's why you're wrong,' but I hope it never comes off as 'You do not get to have an opinion!'

 

[Dave]

Fade is a downer?


How the hell did I miss this?

 

[Cajungal]

I know I've picked on you before and called you "cranky" but you don't just talk about things you don't like. Two of your other recent threads are about something you like, so there's that. You're pretty good at communicating why you don't like something without being offensive. Although I disagree about the cameo... I think that sort of laid-back feeling is present in a lot of his roles.

 

[Chazwozel]

I love Fade.

 

[Jay]

At least this thread isn't about how great Mystic River is.

Anyways, as a person who's huge into the zombie gendre, I thought the movie did perfectly as long as you know that the movie never took itself seriously, enjoyed the innovative ways they killed zombies, didn't mind the michael cera look a like and get a hard on at looking at emma stone.

 

[Charlie Don't Surf]

Ugh I love Mystic River. I should rewatch it.

 

[Element 117]

Mind you. Fade is kick ass. See his facial hair pics.

 

[Steve]

I enjoyed Zombieland. I love the slow motion zombie kills. That should be a staple in zombie movies from here on out. I thought this was better than any of the Day/Dawn/etc of the Dead movies but not as good as Shaun of the Dead.

 

[AshburnerX]

Yeah, Zombie works have been getting consistently better now that directors and writers realize that they can be used to tell serious stories, full of metaphor and nuance. I think The Walking Dead is going to be a real turning point... if it does well, we might be able to get a World War Z mini-series on HBO or something. After that, who knows that the future will bring?

 

[SpecialKO]

I think it was more, ah, family-accessible than Shaun of the Dead. If I had a friend who I wanted to initiate into zombie films who was really ambivalent about the traditional gore-factor, Zombieland might be the one I would show them, first.

 

[Charlie Don't Surf]

Yeah, Zombie works have been getting consistently better now that directors and writers realize that they can be used to tell serious stories, full of metaphor and nuance. I think The Walking Dead is going to be a real turning point... if it does well, we might be able to get a World War Z mini-series on HBO or something. After that, who knows that the future will bring?

World War Z is going to be a movie starring Brad Pitt.

 

[SpecialKO]

Yeah, Zombie works have been getting consistently better now that directors and writers realize that they can be used to tell serious stories, full of metaphor and nuance. I think The Walking Dead is going to be a real turning point... if it does well, we might be able to get a World War Z mini-series on HBO or something. After that, who knows that the future will bring?

World War Z is going to be a movie starring Brad Pitt.[/QUOTE]

And written by JMS! :aaahhh:

 

[Troll]

I thought this was better than any of the Day/Dawn/etc of the Dead movies...

Even the original Dawn of the Dead?

 

[Jiarn]

Yeah, Zombie works have been getting consistently better now that directors and writers realize that they can be used to tell serious stories, full of metaphor and nuance. I think The Walking Dead is going to be a real turning point... if it does well, we might be able to get a World War Z mini-series on HBO or something. After that, who knows that the future will bring?

World War Z is going to be a movie starring Brad Pitt.[/QUOTE]

I'm looking to find a negative in your statement and can't seem to do it.

Also I thought it was being financed by him and Angelina's production company and not starring in.

 

[Charlie Don't Surf]

Brad Pitt to star in 'World War Z,' the big screen adaptation of Max Brooks' novel

 

[Jiarn]

Brad Pitt to star in 'World War Z,' the big screen adaptation of Max Brooks' novel

Well then I revert to my previous questionative statement.

 

[Chazwozel]

Brad Pitt to star in 'World War Z,' the big screen adaptation of Max Brooks' novel

Brad Pitt is an awesome actor. This is a good thing.

 

[AshburnerX]

Why is World War Z getting a movie? The "many stories, many story tellers" thing would have been better suited to a 30-60 minute episodic mini-series. Now it's doomed to ether discard the interesting viewpoints that made the book so awesome or it's going to be a complete re-write.

 

[Fun Size]

I was under the impression it was getting a documentary treatment, but I can't remember where I heard that.

Also, Zombieland was worth watching for the beautiful opening credits, but it suffered terribly from hearing how awesome it was. By the time I finally saw it, it didn't live up to the hype, which, as someone constantly two years behind in movies, is the scourge of my existence.

Bright side: I know enough to skip Transformers, even when it's on TV.