the maestro did it again. Romero's 4th undead flick Land of the Dead is a feast for zombie flesheaters and their fans. I'll say it straightaway, this is one really good movie. much better than I anticipated, and so far the best movie I've seen in some time, in a theater that is.
so I plunked the $9.50 yesterday for the 2nd showing and was warned by the dude operating the box office that the air conditioning was on the fritz and if the heat inside becomes unbearable I'll be refunded my moolah. luckily, there was only one couple when I took my seat. not bad, no body heat to worry about from dozens and dozens of moviegoers. it was almost pleasant sitting there in the dark.
but when the trailers are underway a few people come in and find seats. most were single guys like me (I'm guessing they couldn't talk their partners into seeing a zombie flick too) but there was one younger couple sitting behind me a couple of rows. and they jump, get grossed out and are spooked in several places during the course of the film. which is nice, cuz I don't wanna sound blase but I've been watching horror movies for many years, I don't get grossed-out easily, nor do many things make me jump from my seat. I loved this flick, but nothing was so over-sickening, or surprising, that I turned from the screen or leapt from my chair. but hearing this couple's reactions (and I do think they enjoyed the film too) was an affirmation to the effectiveness of Romero's vision in particular, and movie-going in general. they were totally absorbed in the film, so that they stopped watching and was participating in the experience.
a seasoned cineaste can forget about that that movies, good ones however good is defined by each viewer, are experiences and not simply passive entertainment. I love zombie flicks of all sorts, even cheapass exploitation anti-gems. Romero invented the genre, and here he has unleashed a film that proudly sits beside his earlier work of the walking dead. I know of no higher praise.
2 Comments:
cards on the table - i thought i knew who romero was, but turns out that he is not the guy behind evil dead et al, so...i've never seen these films. its been awhile since i was involved in a big budget movie - i hear you saying the couple participated, but how bout you? i went to see the last installment of star wars and it was a horrible experience - the few minutes of joy i felt in it were replaced, time and again, with nausea, sadness, disgust. maybe i'll do better with zombies: doesn't sound like it could possibly be so insulting. actually, i was working in the basement today, and every time someone else came thru, their footsteps and whistling and clanging etc. felt creepy - lookign over my shoulder, mentally preparing how to hide/fight back - at one point realizing - shit, they had me cornered. i imagined them fairly monsterish/undead. it was fun and ridiculous - might as well paly with our daily fears.
absolutely kyle, that is perhaps why I dig horror movies is because they do play with our daily fears, they fire up the lizard parts of our brains that know no rational thinking. scare flicks are metaphysical in the deepest sense since they involve the unseen, the uknown, puts us in danger (we think for the duration of viewing at least) that our physical bodies and our, for want of a better term, souls are in peril. we have a sense of consequence, and the presence of living with good horror. they are, like good texts and music, adventures in the arts of our daily livings.
i hated _the revenge of the sith_ too. quite a let down. tho i love the first two films of the series, and probably go to my grave with that love. as for my reactions, I hope I wasn't sounding too detached and ironic, since I was enthralled with the viewing. however, I've seen dozens of these types of movies, and have become a little desensitized to the concepts and the levels of violence. so it was refreshing to hear gasps, groans, and squeals of delight from other moviegoers. that indeed was thrilling. and why sometimes stepping out of the house and watch films with our communities. such as why I think concerts and poetry readings are vital, so we might share pleasure with others and ourselves.
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