Sesos!!!: REC 4: Apocalypse

Before Fox tries to possibly match up to their last Film, let's see it in Spanish.  Today's Film is OREC 4: Apocalypse, the 2014 wrap-up to the Series.  It took 7 years to get through 4 Films- not counting our so-so Versions.  The Film attempts to put a cap on this Story, but is it too late?  To review, the 1st Film is about an Apartment Complex overrun with a Zombie outbreak.  The 2nd Film told both a parallel Story (not shown at all in the original) and put more of an ending on the whole thing.  It is most notable to me for explaining how the Virus worked...and sounding pretty silly in the process.  The 3rd Film was a weird Sidequel that didn't exactly add much, other than a body count.  It did give a good lesson- don't make out with your Zombie Wife!  This time around, we loop back to the Apartment Complex and bring an end to this whole thing.  Time is extremely-relative here as we are now only a day or two (at most) from the events of OREC and OREC 2.  To their credit, they use at least one returning Actor- which also presents some minor problems.  Basically, our Reporter is noticeably older than she should be.  It was a rough day or two, I suppose.  Will the end finally come?  Will the Zombie-Demon Plague be ended?  Will they actually use Quicksilver for more than 10 minutes?  To find out the answer to *most* of those questions, read on...

Back in REC 2, the SWAT Team go into the Building to clear any survivors out before they blow the building.  They find one- the Reporter.

Some time later, the Reporter and others wake up in a mysterious Facility- a Tanker.

Oh and the surviving SWAT Guy is also a Doctor.  Of course, he is!

While this is the only Film to not feature any notable Found Footage elements, there is still plenty of this.

Speaking of Found Footage, they borrow the Plot of The Last Broadcast for a while with a Subplot based around the surviving Camera from REC having its footage restored.  Thankfully, the pay off is less ridiculous.

Despite best efforts, the Virus breaks loose.  Yet again, we must blame those damn Monkeys!

This Film does give us 'new' footage from REC that explains alot...and is gross.

Since the Film is so new (and Streaming on Netflix), I won't SPOIL any more of it.  I will tell you that things are obviously not going to go well for this guy.  The End.

Brains?  The Film is...pretty good.  It isn't that unique in the grand scheme of things, but it is pretty well done.  The semi-claustrophobic setting has been done before- see the 3rd Blind Dead Film and the 2nd 30 Days of Night Film-, but works for the Story.  While these Zombies are more like Infected, being trapped in a confined space with them is a must.  Speaking of the Infected, they really downplay the demonic angle here, which I like.  They don't disregard it, but they also don't focus on it so much like in Part 3.  None of the truly silly stuff- like the Infected looking demonic in the mirror or them being frozen when you read from the Bible- is here.  Yea!  I didn't care for any of that crap and I don't miss it.  In place of all that, Monkeys!  This is arguably the FIFTH Film I've seen in about a Month with killer Animals from the Zoo- the second of which featuring Zombies!  The fact that a Character has to yell out 'MONKEYS!!!' in this Film is certainly a plus.  Without SPOILing anything, I will just say that the late twist thrown into the Story is kind of a cheat, since there is no set-up to it.  Mysteries work when you have all of the pieces, but can't decipher the puzzle.  When you just don't give us a piece, that's just cheating.  Speaking of which, maybe don't take Plot Points from Jason Goes to Hell while you're at it.  All in all though, this was better than I expected- especially after the last Film.  Of all the Films, I'd recommend this and the Original over the others.  If you plan to go see it, just don't rush all at once...

Next up, a look at some recent fare.  Let it not be said that I won't cover any Film from any Decade.  Stay tuned...

New Crap?: REC 3- Genesis

Will this film renew my faith in this series?  Today's film is REC 3: Genesis.  The first thing to know is that this film is...a sequel, I think.  Given the title, you might assume that it's a Prequel.  Of course, Children of the Corn: Genesis wasn't a Prequel either (I think), so that is a flimsy pretense.  Now Haunted Poland: The Origins- that's a Prequel.  It's sure to be utter shit as well, but that's a story for another time.  That time is, of course, when Maynard makes me review it to see if that little vein above my right eye finally bursts.  Where was I?  Oh right, this movie.  Quick history: REC was a movie.  That was probably too quick, huh?  REC was a good movie, making me actually not hate a Found Footage movie.  The sequel...oh god, the sequel.  The film was a Parallel Sequel that explained how the Zombies were actually possessed by demonic spirits.  No, really.  A man bites you on the neck...which makes you get possessed by a demon.  Yeah, I don't like that movie.  So, naturally, I was wary of the third film.  It's set at a Wedding and has, you guessed it, a Zombie outbreak.  I will say this: they don't undo the weird explanation.  Getting past that major issue, I'll try to enjoy the film and give it a break.  As the first review of 2013, my goal is simple: set the bar low.  Expect very little and read on...

There's a lovely Wedding going on in Spain.  Since this is a Horror film, you know that shit is going to go down!

In the early parts, the story is filmed in the usual fashion.  Between the two Cameramen, one of them sees some men in HAZMAT Suits.  It's Zombi 3 all over again!

Actually, a bigger point is that he goes 'Hmm...guys in HAZMAT suits.  Oh well, I'll talk to the Spongebob guy now..."

 Eventually, the outbreak occurs via the Uncle, who was supposedly bitten by a dog that was apparently in the first film.  It's a flimsy excuse, admittedly.

My bigger issue, however, is with the OTHER Zombies that show up, leaping through the windows.  If all of the Zombies were inside of the building in the first two films- which apparently happen during this- UGH-, how the hell did they get here?!?

After the outbreak, they do away with the Found Footage aspect in a way that I won't SPOIL and focus on two stories: the tale of the bride and the husband.  They got separated, so the whole film is basically just them getting back together.

 Instead of removing the demon-possession-via-bite idea, they expand upon it.  In one scene, they reveal that the bitten/possessed appear as demons in a mirror.

I can buy the 'vampires don't have reflections' thing to a certain extent, but THIS is just silly.

 For the Third Act, our heroine busts out a chainsaw...for one scene.  I hope it was worth doing this just for the visual to put on the DVD box!

With Zombies/'Demons' literally knocking at the glass, time is running out for both parties.  Oh and the French girl really is a slut.  Good call, movie!

With blood-spraying and people dying left and right, is there any hope for this pair to be reunited?

Is there any hope?  Will this film hold a happier ending than the first two?  To find out, watch the movie.  The End.

Eh, it could have been a lot worse.  I don't hate this movie, but I'm a bit torn about it too.  First, the good stuff.  The gore is well-done, there's a lot of tension in many scenes and I liked the look of the Zombies/Demons- aside from the mirror bits.  The film drops the more annoying aspect- the Found Footage idea-, but not completely.  They still make use of footage from stationary cameras, even when they could have made some of those scenes more dramatic otherwise.  I won't SPOIL the scene, but I think that you'll know what I mean.  It takes a sad, dramatic scene and makes it a bit impersonal.  The bad stuff is the mixed tone.  I don't mind humor in Horror films, nor do I mind serious Horror films.  This one...is just off in a lot of ways.  There are humorous characters...who die violent deaths that are supposed to be sad.  There are moments- like when our hero passes off his friend dying like nothing happened- that I'm not sure whether they're intended to be funny or not.  Another thing is this film's confusing place in the series continuity.  It somehow starts before REC, continues through the events of both films (thanks to one convenient TV screen) and supposedly ends AFTER both films.  Confused?  All I can ask is this: where did the other Zombies come from?  They explain the Uncle and Aunt...but not the Cirque De Soleil Zombies that leap through the windows like they were part of the Lost Boys.  All in all, I liked the film, but have a mixed opinion of it from my one viewing.  Maybe future viewings will skew my opinion one way or another.  Unlike REC 2, I actually am not horrified by the idea of seeing it again.  Take us away, REC throwback scene...

Up next, I switch to Action for a film featuring a fat, old Action star on the decline and a fit, old Action star on the rise.  Throw in a silly title, plus 'Oda Nobonuga,' and you've got a film!  Stay tuned...