Almost Heroes: Doyle (28 Weeks Later)

 As a farewell (at least until The Bone Temple gets covered) to the 28 Series, let me honor a man who almost made it.

In 28 Weeks Later, the small British Colony is watched by a series of US Snipers.
Notably, we meet Doyle...

His name is 'D' for Danny and 'oyle' for Boyle.

Renner's Soldier turns out to be nicer than the rest, refusing to shoot at the crowd when ordered to.

Instead, he breaks ranks to help the survivors.

He manages to get the shrinking group out of the military compound and into the nearby City.

He gets them inside a car when the military releases dangerous gas (apparently trying everything).

However, they still have to escape.

As such, he helps push the car into gear, knowing that the military and their flamethrowers are nearby.
He gets the car to make an exit...but doesn't get out himself.

We salute you, Doyle.
You *almost* saved the day.

In his defense, the kids do make it out thanks to him...only to be ignored entirely in 28 Years Later.
Not your fault, buddy.

2025 Catch Up: 28 Years Later (2025)

 A Zombie Franchise that refuses to die?  Yeah- that tracks.

Danny Boyle is back after years of rights issues and rewrites.

This is...

A Cold Open introduces us to Jimmy, who has to flee from his town and family when the Infected strike.

Who is this kid?
Well...wait and see...for a while.

In 2030, the infection is somehow only in Britain (just pretend that Paris nuked itself like Boyle has suggested, I guess) and the Islands are locked off.

A family man (Quicksilver Meets Kraven) is raising his kid in a Village on one of those Islands.

They cross a small land bridge to hunt.

Their trip doesn't go too well, as the kid- Spike- doesn't like the killing of Infected.

They are also chased by a new Infected- an Alpha!

They already did this in Zombieland: Double Tap and the whole Alpha thing is not...a thing, but intensity.

Spike is unhappy that his Mom is getting worse health-wise and there's no Doctor.

He decides to break out of the Village with her to find a Doctor...that he was only told might be out there...from a story 15 years ago.

Kids r smart.

They eventually meet the strange Doctor, after being chased by more Infected and meeting a random Soldier.

Will this end well?

Speaking of ending well, this...is a bit divisive.

To find out how this all goes, stream it now.

A tale of two Films...or is it 3...or 4?

The first half of this Film works pretty darn well.
We get immersed in Island life, see the family and get the gist of things.

When they go Hunting, some interesting stuff happens.  It builds nicely.

...then we get a strange turn where the Film becomes all about Spike being, if I'm honest, kind of a jerk.  He's a kid, yes, but I can still judge his action, since they were written by smart adults.

His plan is not great.  His attitude is terrible.  His life skills...are lacking.

Ralph Fiennes is thankfully quite good in this, bringing some life and nuance to the 2nd half.  Does he also bring many not fully explained Plot Points and possible Plot Holes?  Also, yes.

Without full SPOILERS, the Movie is a blatant setup for The Bone Temple (and possibly more).  It just kind...of...stops.

Like the heads of random people in this Film, I'm torn.
I liked part of it.  I didn't really 'vibe' with the rest of it.

I'm a bit annoyed that they just ignored all of 28 Weeks Later, but, again, I'm not mad.

A Film with so much promise and lots of time 'in the oven.'  That said, it is all over the place in Pacing, Tone and Story.

Shudder Day: 28 Weeks Later (2007)

 As a Film Monster Connoisseur, I've always preferred Zombies to Infected.

That said, I should pay more attention to this Series, since it suddenly revived for 2 Films in the last Year.

Let's jump back to 2007 for...

As a refresher, a strange infection started to show up in England- specifically around London.

People would get bit, get red eyes and become dangerous infected.

They would chase you down, tear you apart and snarl the whole time.

That brings us to know as our Hero- Robert Carlyle- is hiding out in the Countryside with his Wife and other survivors.

They help a child and then immediately get attacked.

When his wife is cornered near him, he chooses Flight over Fight.

Later, we are introduced to the new situation.

The US Army has moved in and has locked down the area.

Led by the top brass (including a waste of a role for Idris Elba), they have the Isle of Dogs as a Safe Zone...for now.

Enter these two kids.

They are the Children of Carlyle and his Wife.

After he's not exactly honest about how he lost their Mom, they break the quarantine and go home to get a picture of her.

Things go wrong.
They go very wrong.

Can they get out when the infection is revived and people start to die?

Let's avoid 18 year old SPOILERS and say 'To find out, watch the Film now.'

A tense Film that will hinge upon how much you care about Children.

This Film seems to inspire two vastly different reactions- 'Those poor kids' or 'Those damn kids!'

Simply put, the crux of the Plot is them breaking quarantine and discovering Mom.  Granted.

That said, the point here is that this tenuous barrier was NOT going to hold it.  If they didn't do it, some lady might go back for her hair dryer, some guy might want his skateboard or some other kids may wander over just for fun.

Also, let's be clear- the Dad is at fault here.  If he stayed, these people wouldn't die.

For many, the real villain is the shaky cam.

It can be good in small doses.  It can create a look of frantic chaos.

If you actually want to see what is happening and avoid taking Dramamine though, this is a problem.

It is also funny to wonder if this Film is the origin of Jeremy Renner being cast as a Soldier (The Hurt Locker) and the 'guy on the roof' (The Avengers).

Regardless of how you feel about kids, this one has impact and kept the Series running...in about 2 Decades.

A Film that delivers what you want from the Infected in Films.  That said, it is full of that damn Shaky Cam!

'70s Class: Tales from the Crypt (1972)

 After finally watching both of the Tales from the Crypt Films, I realized that I never properly reviewed the original Film.

This is 1972's Tales from the Crypt, the Film based on the Comics of the same name.  No wisecracking Cryptkeeper here!

Back in 2010, I watched the Film...and only reviewed the first Segment.  It was a Christmas segment.
Logically, I should have either reviewed the rest too OR done that in January.

Instead, we're here today to make up for it.

The Plot involves a group of people meeting a strange man in a Crypt and seeing their fates.

To see the Stars and Character Actors align, read on...

A group of strangers break away from a Tour and walk down a path- feeling compelled for some reason.

They meet a Druid there- played by Sir Ralph Richardson- and he compels them to stay.

He first tells Joan Collins how she died on Christmas.  *See the Review from 2010 for that*

The next tale is about Carl Maitland, who leaves late night for a 'work trip.'

He's actually leaving with his Secretary.

He wakes up from a nap in the back of the car with a scream, while the lady drives.

They get in a fiery crash and he wanders around, scaring everyone he meets.

He finally gets to his lady and she tells him that he died in the crash...2 years ago!

In a final turn, we learn that THIS was the dream he woke up from...and it happens again.

******

The next story involves James Elliot, who is a snob that hates the man across the Street.  He's an elderly Garbage Collector who owns his House.

As such, he systematically destroys his life by costing him his job, his pets...

...and the ability to be friendly to the neighborhood kids.  

As a final stroke, he writes him a series of cruel Valentine's Day Cards, leading the man to suicide.

One year later, he rises from you grave and kills Elliot, giving him an ironic valentine.

In the next tale, Ralph Jason is a cruel businessman who has just lost it all.

His wife discovers a wish-granting vase (as you do) and wishes for money.

This leads to him being killed in a car crash and her getting the life insurance.

Saddened, she wishes for him back like he was before the crash...only to learn that he died right before it of a heart attack.

She regretfully makes a third wish to bring him to life...forgetting that he was embalmed.  Now he can't die!

In the final tale, we see the penny-pinching Major William Rogers, who takes over as the Superintendent for a Blind Person Halfway House.

He quickly cuts the Budget for food and heating...but only for them.

His cruelty leads to the Residents turning on him, locking him and his dog away.

Days later, he's let out through a makeshift maze, only to be attacked by his dog- driven mad from starvation and separation- and dies!

In the aftermath, they all learn that Hell is their final fate!

The End.

******

A good to great collection of Tales, each with a super subtle set of morals.

Fun Fact- most of these Tales are not *actually* from the 'Tales from the Crypt' Comic.  The Producer received a trade of Tales by EC Comics and used that here.

Most of those were from 'Vault of Horror' (not the Film)

The tales are fairly low-key, which is what you're going to get from stuff from this Era.  Plus, Amicus could be pretty cheap sometimes.

Acting wise, it is quite strong.  You get some great names like Cushing, Collins, David Markham and Robin Elliot.

Each Tale works pretty well on their own and in the Anthology format.  They are all from one, so...yeah, that tracks.

I'll leave you with this shot of Oscar and Tony-nominated Actor Sir Ralph Richardson posing for a Metal Album Cover...

Next up, I finally cover a '90s Cult Classic from an Oscar-winning Director.  Time to finally unwrap that DVD!  Stay tuned...

Tubi Thursday: Pro-Wrestlers vs. Zombies (2014)

 With WrestleMania coming this weekend, why not some Wrestling content?

In this case, a silly Direct-to-Video Film with a bunch of over the hill Wrestlers.
Joy.

The Film begins with shots of people at a local Wrestling Show.

Amongst the group is the late Kevin Sullivan (who isn't officially in the Movie) and TNA's So Cal Val.

Notable to the Plot, however, is the fact that Shane Douglas straight up kills a guy in the ring...and leaves.

The Medic at the Scene just happens to be that guy's Brother.

He uses his money to get the Promoter (and also the Film's Director) to book Shane and some others a 'private Show.'

Our Director looks like Edgar Wright...if he was played by an Actor in a shoddy Biopic.

Also, he's evil now and kills a random lady.

He makes her a Zombie and she makes some more, including out of Shane Douglas' 'family.'

Does that qualify as 'getting their ass franchised?'

The Wrestlers- which include Roddy Piper, Jim Duggan, Matt Hardy and his future wife Reby- arrive at the place....

...before Zombies show up.  What a twist.

Kurt Angle was also invited as a 'surprise.'

That translates to 'we got him last minute and shot his Scenes in a day.'

Yeah, he's barely in this.

The group get split up and killed in various, cheesy ways.

This is a Film which raised its Budget via Kickstarter and Shane Douglas, so don't expect fancy CGI.

Do expect a surprisingly good performance her from Piper.
No, really.

Seriously, his few Scenes of actual emoting are good.

Was he too good for this?  Yes.

He manages to survive to the end with our Final Girl- just like Karl Urban yesterday.
Weird.  

The End.

It was honestly pretty painful, no matter how much I love Pro Wrestlers and cheesy Movies.

For starters, the almost all Nu Metal Soundtrack.  Ouch.
Not even the funny kind of bad music.

The Production and Plot are really cheap.  
It basically just amounts to random Wrestlers running around, sometimes getting a focus Scene and then dying to Zombies.

Outside of Piper, I just did not care.

He is truly the best part of this Film.  He has presence.  He can act here.  He actually feels motivated!

Give him a good Film and you get They Live.  Give him a cheesy, direct-to-video one and you get, well, the other 86% of his Filmography.

I do love the closing shot of Piper in front of an American flag.  Nothing embodies America like a Canadian Scotsman!

This one was just kind of annoying, didn't have great action and wasn't really the fun kind of cheesy.  In fact, here's a reenactment of my face when I realized that I still had over an hour to go in this one...

A Film that wastes a potential idea for more of the same Indy Horror.  I'm sure it was fun to be an Indy Wrestler getting beaten up in zombie makeup by Roddy Piper...but not for me.

Tubi Thursday: V/H/S 2 (2013)

 After finally covering the Original last week, I might as well do the Sequel.

Is this a tape you'd want to return or never bring back to Blockbuster?

In the Framing Device (aka Tape 49), a man who films people for money (like a Private Detective) is hired to find a missing man.

Him and his girlfriend go to that guy's house...and he leaves her to watch the tapes.

In 'Phase 1 Clinical Trials,' a man- Adam Wingard- is given a cybernetic eye as a Trial.

Unfortunately, this leads him to see weird things, like a bloody man and child.

In 'A Ride in the Park,' a man goes for a nice bike ride before meeting a woman in need of help.

He's bitten and transforms into something strange.

Call on the horde.

In 'Safe Haven,' a group of Investigative Journalists meet up with a man leading a strange Cult.

He agrees to let them film him and his people at the Compound, but things go horribly awry.

I'm shocked...

In 'Slumber Party Alien Abduction,' a group of kids mess with the Sister and Boyfriend (who is over while the Parents are out).

The games end when Aliens show up!

To see the Film version of this, go here.

We get the wrap-up in 'Tape 49,' but it is pretty quick.

The End.

This is a marked improvement.  It's like going from Prom Night to Hello, Mary Lou: Prom Night 2.

The Framing Device doesn't feature terrible people, take too long and not be that interesting.  Yea!

The first Tale also gets to the point quite a bit quicker as well.  The hook is nice too.

The second Tale is probably too gory for many people, but worked well overall.

'Safe Haven' is apparently the most well-liked (and well-known) part of this whole Film.

The finale Tale is a freaky one that actually makes the Grey Aliens scary for once.

Are there problems?  Sure.
The Film Segments definitely rely too much on the 'Person looks away' or 'Camera glitches up' to cover up for Effects that would be expensive to do.

The usual.

That said, I still enjoyed this one more and I could see myself revisiting this in whole, as opposed to maybe one segment or two in the last one.

Now put on a happy face!

A Film with higher highs and not as low lows as the last one.  It is still loud and random though- don't worry.

New(er) Flix: Zombieland- Double Tap (2019)

 Pure luck brought this into my life.  I might as well celebrate having power again by covering it!

This is Zombieland: Double Tap, the 2019 Sequel to the 2009 Horror Comedy.
For as much as I feel that Zombie Films are overdone (mostly because they can be made super cheap), that one felt fresh.

Did it break new ground?  Not really, but it played with Genre conventions just enough and was charming, so I was good.

Can a long delayed Sequel be worth it?

On the plus side, everyone is back.  It is funny to see how the Marketing promoted it being by the Writer of Deadpool (2016) and Director of Venom (2018).  Wasn't the original press enough?

Regardless, let's see how much fun and splatter can be had with...

It's been 10 years since the last Film and our Heroes are aiming big.

They decide to move into The White House!

All seems well.

They got a home.
They got a family.
They got random stuff left behind.

So why is there a simmering tension?

The ladies leave (for personal reasons) and this depresses the other Heroes.

Okay, mostly Jesse Eisenberg, since...you know, that's his default emotion.

He meets a vibrant, Tiffany Straton-like lady and they hook up right away.

Well, it's all fine unless Emma Stone comes back....

She does.

Her Sister wanted some independence and left her.

So now she's back with the guys to rescue her, since she's hitching with a hippie.

The gang finds new allies...and frenemies.

The survivors are reunited in a brand new location that is not as safe as promised.

Can our unarmed Heroes win the day?

To find out, watch it now...

A very fun Film that definitely delivers more of what you want and gives you something new too.
In other words, a good Sequel.

The Plot is more nuanced than most Zombie Films with the Characters each having their own Arcs throughout.  Just because your monsters eat brains doesn't mean that your Characters can't use theirs!

While I personally have some issues with Woody Harrelson's beliefs, he's very fun here.  Hell, I can even stand Eisenberg, which is a big thing for me.

The new Characters are a nice addition- no question.

I also liked the new, mutated Zombies.  Nothing groundbreaking, but good stuff too.

The only real gripe I have is the minor Cameo by Grace Randolph.  Was she more well-liked in 2019?

Seriously though, this is a fun Sequel that was worth the wait.  It's also another Cult Film that brought in Rosario Dawson in for the Sequel to court its surly Lead.
That's 2 for 2 now!

Next time, normal scheduling should resume.  I've got a Remake of a '70s Film that I've not seen and it is by a late-great Horror Director.  Stay tuned...