Change Your Image
ka2006
Reviews
Day of the Dead (2008)
You can't purify the dead...
First of all, the original Day of the Dead is my personal favorite of all the Romero "Dead" films and all you 1 star giving "purists" can "purify" my knob.
Secondly, titling this film "Day of the Dead" was stupid.
Thirdly, get over it.
It's flawed...but as pure entertainment it succeeds.
As a remake of Day of the Dead...it ain't.
Get over it.
They're not ruining the genre; they're enhancing it. Think of it as a (fast zombie) sub genre if that helps you maintain your purist integrity. But you people need to lighten up (or maybe light up) and just embrace it all. Watch Fido or Dead and Breakfast
it's all zombie love! There are exceptions, of course. I'm compiling an "Avoid" list on my Netflix review page (BZMR or Bub's Zombie Movie Reviews). Number one on that list will always be (coincidentally enough), Day of the Dead 2: Contagium. Here's my question: if you give THIS film only 1 star, what do you hold in reserve for such a ridiculously BAD film as Contagium? Your credibility suffers, you see. If you think THIS film only deserves one star (the least you can give it) then you mustn't have ever seen a truly BAD movie! Also, your spelling usually gives you away.
You just can't put films like this up against the work of an artist like Romero. But they can be appreciated on a different level. Just watching Contagium as a rock bottom basis of comparison should add another 3 stars to your rating of THIS film. If you've already seen Contagium and still think THIS film deserves only 1 star, then I just don't understand you.
And Mena Suvari kicks so much more total zombie butt than that chick did in the Dawn of the Dead remake
or maybe I was distracted and the whole thing really sucked
Bub says check it out anyway!
Day of the Dead (1985)
In my opinion
This is currently and has been my favorite zombie movie for a long time. I have to file TRUE CLASSICS like: "NIGHT of the LIVING DEAD", "WHITE ZOMBIE" and "I WALK with a ZOMBIE" back in some other "CLASSICS" folder.
"DAY of the DEAD", however, is a classic to be. It will eventually join these black & white classics in infamy. "DAWN" has its moments, and could have benefited from some serious editing (the remake is an improvement). "NIGHT" is legendary. "DAY", however, will ultimately prove to be the most satisfying "DEAD" film for all of you that haven't REALLY discovered it yet (watch it again). There just hasn't been anything better made yet...in my opinion.
Day of the Dead 2: Contagium (2005)
Bottom of the zombie movie barrel
This is the one movie that I would reserve a 0/10 vote for if I could. I have to give it a 1/10 because IMDb allows no less. And I haven't seen "One Missed Call" yet so I should probably reserve such a harsh rating. But I feel pretty safe predicting that nothing else is gonna knock this piece of crap off the top of the dung heap any time soon. This movie doesn't deserve any more comment, but I have to fill ten lines of text.
It's that bad.
Don't waste your time.
ka1/3/2008
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The CLASSIC The 10
This is how it's done...right. This is the CLASSIC. It can't be done like this again, but it can be done well again, as Romero did with "DAY of the DEAD". He did it well again with "DAWN of the DEAD", but personally, I find the original "DAWN" dragging much of the time, the remake superior, and "DAY of the DEAD" much more interesting than either "DAWN". Bite me. That's my take. "LAND" sucked, but had it's merits. Can't wait to see "DIARY of the DEAD". Love you George. Would've just shut up after the first sentence, but I have to fill ten lines.
ka1/3/2008
The Quick and the Undead (2006)
They Didn't
This movie baffled me. I could not get a grip on it. Thought I might be missing something. Glad to see that most of you agree with me. This isn't always the case (see my recent review of RE: Extinction).
To expound upon the faults of this film any further would be a glorious waste of time...so I will...
They're dressed like cowboys, but it's modern times, right? No? I don't get it??? When I picked up the box, I thought: ZOMBIE WESTERN! COOL! That's how it was presented. Haven't seen that yet. Hope they did a good job.
They DIDN'T! They tried to create an iconic character that would spawn a series. They didn't.
They tried to make an Aussie indie zombie flick on the caliber (and perhaps riding on the coat tails) of the very well done "UNDEAD". They didn't.
Okay, maybe they just wanted to make a confusing, disjointed, mess of film salad that might ultimately be edited into something watchable. They DIDN'T! This is the new number 2 on my list of Worst Zombie Movies Ever. There are really just the two so far, "DAY OF THE DEAD: CONTAGIUM" being the first (not to be confused with "DAY OF THE DEAD", which is one of my favorite zombie movies of all time). If you're gonna make a zombie movie (and I'm not a zombie movie maker, I'm just a connoisseur) make a good one. Flight of the Living Dead is a good example of decent recent zombie filmaking. FYI.
If you're really forgiving, you might think, well, didn't they at least throw in something to make us feel like we didn't want our money back? Guess what...THEY DIDN'T!
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
Just Lame
What's wrong with you people? You currently have this movie rated higher than both previous installments of the series. I've done what I can to right things by awarding it one more star than it deserves (even though I know it won't make a dent). I would definitely rank Extinction last in the series thus far with Apocalypse by far the best. You guys have Apocalypse ranked LAST in the series! LAST! It was infinitely better than this tripe. It was better than the first one.
Okay, I've checked the spoiler box (the irony was well noted) so here goes: I was intrigued by the opening (remake?) sequence, but began to worry as the camera swept over the ditch full of Alices. How well preserved they were. Wouldn't Umbrella like, dig a hole and cover them up or burn them or something? You're not supposed to be thinking about things like this when you're watching a movie. You should be taken along for a ride...not questioning the production values of the producers, the intelligence of the writers or the competence of the director. I did all that throughout this film.
I'll be honest, I love Milla. I'm probably not alone here. I love the games, too, but for me Milla looking great and kicking ass has been a huge draw with this series. Am I alone here? So, yeah we get this short (remake?) glimpse of our muse el buffo and then briefly in that skimpy red dress that we know and love (but really, we've seen this) but for the rest of the film she's decked out in thirty pounds of designer spaghetti western garb. HUH? Let's take this ultra hot bona-fide action heroine and cover up every inch of her glorious body except her airbrushed face. Who's idea was that? Which brings me to the subject of Jill Valentine. It's been discussed at length on these pages and pointed out repeatedly that her absence could have been easily explained with a few lines of dialogue. Don't the fans DESERVE at least that much. I say NO! This particular fan felt he had the right to expect no less than Sienna Guillory to reprise her fantastic portrayal and her very embodiment of the character Jill Valentine. Lucky for Ms. Guillory, ultimately, that she had no part of this mess.
So anyway, there's this loooooonnngg boooorrriinngg stretch where they're in the desert and I started getting drunk, but I remember hoping and believing so hard that the movie would get better....that IT DID! Finally, at the end, I think. But it wasn't enough to erase the horrible memories of what these sadistic filmmakers had previously dragged me through. At least it was over, though.
And it could've been worse. I could have bought this DVD (I own copies of the first two RE films on DVD). But I didn't buy this one, I rented it. AND I took it back the next morning earning me a $1 credit to my account. So I guess Sienna Guillory and I both came out on top here.
And those CGI crows were just lame.
KA 1/3/2008
Red Dawn (1984)
In Defense of Red Dawn
Somebody called this "possibly the worst film of all time" which is ridiculous. I've seen Red Dawn numerous times & although the film is very flawed, it's just asinine to think this might even 'possibly' be the 'worst film of all time'. By contemporary standards it's pure fargin' ART compared to say, Fantastic 4. In it's own time...how 'bout Dirty Dancing? But, "OF ALL TIME"!?!?! You can't just throw a statement like that around when there's garbage like Day of the Dead 2: Contagium out there. Red Dawn at least has a certain amount of entertainment value in it's well executed vicariously cathartic vengeance theme (suckers me in every time)....AND you can laugh at all the little goofs like Colonel Bella expressing his previous allegiance to insurgents in such countries as "ANGOLIA", or the main premise of a modern day ground attack on this country...until you start thinking about how many of our troops are currently really far away....hmmm....
Plus, this is a definitive 80's flick (like Weird Science or ET)...and Patrick Cheeezy, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson & Powers Boothe provide memorable presences....if not performances.
Although director John Milius appears to have rested on his dubious laurels through much of the production, I still feel that this film, over time, has achieved iconic placement in the grand scheme of things. It belongs in the time capsule, faults and all.
WOLVERINES!
The Baxter (2005)
Uggh
One star for Michelle Williams. One star for Elizabeth Banks. In that order. Maybe half a star for Theroux (for somehow coming off sleazier than Showalter) and another half for Ian Black (who shows us what got him those Sierra Mist commercials), but I'm not good with fractions so FTS and besides The Baxter gets stripped of at least one full star due to Peter Dinklage's WAY over the top, stereotypical turn as Benson Hedges, the gay, midget wedding planner (he set us back 50 years). Showalter IS a Baxter and he doesn't deserve Cecil. I picked her from the get go and I LOVE Elizabeth Banks. We have to WANT the underdog to win, dude. Actually, Banks didn't seem to have enough to do here. Probably a waste of her talent, although Williams characterization of Cecil is really magnificent. She, probably alone, makes watching this film worthwhile.