Land of the Dead trailer!!!

[Beefy]

Oh man, if there's a film that's going to set my inner geek off more than Episode 3, it's Romero's return to the zombie genre he created in the first place.  Like Episode 1, it's a film many thought would never be made.

And now it's less than two months away.



http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/georgearomeroslandofthedead.html

[Gamplayerx]

I hope John Leguizamo is a zombie.  That would be excellent.

[Bishamonten]

"a group of hardened mercenaries is called into action."

Though I am excite for this flick, this sentence does not fill me with great hope.

[Beefy]

"a group of hardened mercenaries is called into action."

Though I am excite for this flick, this sentence does not fill me with great hope.

I'm not expecting a masterpiece.  Romero tends to make B-level films.  I think I'd be disappointed if it wasn't a bit cheesy.

The more I think about the fact that this is getting released in less than two months, the giddier I get.  I may take that day off work.

[Bishamonten]

"a group of hardened mercenaries is called into action."

Though I am excite for this flick, this sentence does not fill me with great hope.

I'm not expecting a masterpiece.  Romero tends to make B-level films.  I think I'd be disappointed if it wasn't a bit cheesy.

The more I think about the fact that this is getting released in less than two months, the giddier I get.  I may take that day off work.

Yea, but I liked Dawn of the Dead so much because it was mostly about normal people with normal fears and normal flaws.  "hardened mercenaries" makes me think "Resident Evil: Apocalypse"

[eo000]

unrated trailer

[Beefy]

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE

*Variety's review*

George A. Romero shows 'em how it's done in "Land of the Dead," resurrecting his legendary franchise with top-flight visuals, terrific genre smarts and tantalizing layers of implication. Nerve-shredding fourth installment may not fully reclaim the visceral or satirical impact of the writer-director's 1978 masterpiece "Dawn of the Dead," but it's still a satisfyingly splattery feast of guts and ideas. Though Universal isn't flogging it half as aggressively as last year's "Dawn" remake, pic should grope its way to killer B.O. with no small help from Romero cultists, whose devotion will be nothing short of zombielike.

The horror maestro has come a long way since the third film in the cycle, 1985's "Day of the Dead," and an even longer way since his seminal 1968 classic "Night of the Living Dead." This time around, Romero is playing with bigger stars and a higher (though still modest) budget of about $15 million, as well as a new shooting location (Toronto, instead of his native Pittsburgh).

That said, "Land" is a tour de force of not only independent filmmaking but independent thinking, rigorously worked out on all craft and technical levels yet enlivened by its twisted engagement with the real world.

Romero's apocalyptic vision of an earth beset by endlessly self-perpetuating flesh-eaters remains as relevant and resonant as ever, and this time he's even injected some not-so-subtle political invective into the proceedings. At one point Kaufman, a corrupt, gray-haired city official, declares, "We don't negotiate with terrorists," making this the second actioner in recent months, after "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," to lob a grenade in the direction of the White House.

The city in question is one of humankind's last remaining holdouts, an island metropolis surrounded by water and electric fences that keep out the walking undead. Perched in a high tower that dominates the skyline, Kaufman (Dennis Hopper, his brow furrowed with self-entitlement) owns everything and everyone in the exclusive community of Fiddler's Green, advertised as the place "where life goes on," and where upper-class citizens are admitted only via waiting list. Those still outside on the streets, meanwhile, are in the early stages of revolution.

Cholo, one of several soldiers sent out on rescue missions to bring back food and supplies, sets things in motion when Kaufman refuses to let him move into Fiddler's Green. The disgruntled mercenary (a hot-headed John Leguizamo) promptly hijacks Dead Reckoning, an armored military vehicle that holds enough firepower to bomb out the city, which he threatens to do unless Kaufman meets his demands.

In response, Kaufman commissions Cholo's superior Riley (Simon Baker) to recover the stolen tank, accompanied by sharpshooter sidekick Charlie (Robert Joy) and gold-hearted hooker Slack (Asia Argento, putting a tough-talking spin on a familiar role).

Tension between Riley and Cholo, effectively fleshed out by Baker and especially Leguizamo, reps only one of the story's intriguing contrasts. Both guys want out of a nightmare situation, but where Riley hopes to start over away from civilization, social-climbing Cholo wants to retreat inside, into the ranks of the city's elite.

Romero clearly has a lot on his mind, working through issues of class, segregation, individualism and personal responsibility. As always, the scenario eerily and amusingly mirrors the times: Astute viewers will laugh at how the undead phenomenon has already become commercial fodder in the form of theme-park-style attractions and bloodsports. More chillingly, the gleaming facade of Fiddler's Green implies an entire nation struggling and failing to lead normal lives in a war zone, turning against itself in the process.

Most suggestive of all are the zombies themselves, who have become frighteningly resourceful and smart, having learned to communicate as well as use tools and weapons. Unlike the trendy, fast-moving denizens of the recent "Dawn" redux and "28 Days Later," Romero's walkers still shamble along slowly, yet with an increasingly purposeful gait that makes them seem all the more human. They also look more realistically undead than ever, thanks to pic's ace makeup team (led by Greg Nicotero) and special contact lenses that lend their eyes a bluish, otherworldly glaze.

Pic's ideas about continual evolution and advancement extend equally to the carnage, which for most auds will be "Land's" ultimate test. And Romero rises to the occasion with a mastery, discipline and gleeful sense of invention that shows just how far a slim budget can go given the right sensibility. Fans of the trademark spewing, sausage-like intestines will be quite appeased; few will be prepared for the semi-decapitated zombie (emphasis on semi) or the ugly disadvantages of having a pierced navel (you've been warned).

Romero has a way of at once honoring and updating modern horror-pic conventions, relying more here on shock cuts (with super-sharp editing by Michael Doherty) and surprise zombie ambushes than the queasy claustrophobia that pervaded "Night" and "Dawn." The upshot, happily, is a similarly blissful sense of unease.

Miroslaw Baszak's nuanced lensing, finding endless varieties in a predominantly gray palette, accentuates Arvinder Grewal's chilly production design at every turn. Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek's score is serviceably grim, with repeated patterns that evoke the restless walk of the damned.

[Beefy]

HOLY CRAP IT'S OUT TOMORROW!!!

[Alice]

HOLY CRAP IT'S OUT TOMORROW!!!

Are you excited?

[Beefy]

HOLY CRAP IT'S OUT TOMORROW!!!

Are you excited?

BOUNCING OFF THE FUCKING WALLS, NOW!!!

[ignom]

[Alice]

[OBB]

I read that the two lead guys from Shaun of the Dead make cameos as Zombies in the movie.

They're both chained to swingsets, with a sign that says "Pictures with a zombie, $10.00" on it

[Beefy]

IT'S ZOMBIE DAY!!!

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE MUSHROOM MUSHROOM ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE MUSHROOM MUSHROOM ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE MUSHROOM MUSHROOM ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE BRAAAAAINS!  NEED BRAINS!!  DELICIOUS BRAINS!!!

[Alice]

IT'S ZOMBIE DAY!!!

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE MUSHROOM MUSHROOM ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE MUSHROOM MUSHROOM ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE MUSHROOM MUSHROOM ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE BRAAAAAINS!  NEED BRAINS!!  DELICIOUS BRAINS!!!

You're too cute.

[Jessie]

IT'S ZOMBIE DAY!!!

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE MUSHROOM MUSHROOM ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE MUSHROOM MUSHROOM ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE MUSHROOM MUSHROOM ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE BRAAAAAINS!  NEED BRAINS!!  DELICIOUS BRAINS!!!

You're too cute.

Isn't he though?

[ignom]

IT'S ZOMBO DAY!!!

ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO ZOMBO YOU CAN DO ANYTHING AT ZOMBO.COM!

[Bishamonten]

Augh, I'm totally jealous.  I'm avoiding all human contact tonight so i can't go out and see it.  I really hope it's good - the whole "elite mercenary squad" thing is sorta a bad sign, but I'm putting my hopes in Romero.  I demand a review after you get back!

[Alice]

Augh, I'm totally jealous.  I'm avoiding all human contact tonight so i can't go out and see it.  I really hope it's good - the whole "elite mercenary squad" thing is sorta a bad sign, but I'm putting my hopes in Romero.  I demand a review after you get back!

Well technically zombies aren't human.  So I think you can go see it.

[Beefy]

Local paper gave it 3 1/2 out of 4 and called it one of Romero's finest hours.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/land_of_the_dead/

[Alice]

Why is it that we are obsessed with Zombies?  Is it something genetic?

[Beefy]

Why is it that we are obsessed with Zombies?  Is it something genetic?

I started watching Fulci's Zombi 2 last night in anticipation.   

[Bishamonten]

Beef, I can't recall, do you have Netflix or not?  I may need to start going through and building a good run of Zombie flicks into my queue.

[Beefy]

I do indeed have Netflix.  Set to arrive today, in fact, are Tanya's Island and SS Hell Camp.

[Beefy]

[Bishamonten]

Heh.  The "send more cops" bit is a classic.

[Beefy]

  5 hours, 15 minutes

[Beefy]

  4 hours 25 minutes

[Beefy]

  2 hours, 2 minutes

[Beefy]

ONE HOUR!!!

And off to the theater I go... 

[Beefy]

It good, me like.

/eo

[Beefy]

[Gamplayerx]

I certainly hope you've mailed off eo's royalty check.

[Jessie]

We saw it yesterday.

Ewwww.

It was so gross that it made me retch, flinch, and giggle.

[Number 6]

i have never been more upset in my life

i give up on all modern horror films

even when great people make them

[Beefy]

i have never been more upset in my life

i give up on all modern horror films

even when great people make them

I'm guessing Number 6 did not approve.

I thought it went to the place it needed to following the logical thematic progression of the others.  There were moments that were cornball, as there were in each of them, but every time I thought it was going to crash and burn into stupidity it got itself back on course.  It was, once again, not so much about zombies as it was about social commentary.  It did play out more like an action flick and was much more quickly paced.  And yes, speaking as someone who has seen way too many zombie flicks, it did manage to come up with some zombie gore scenes I had never seen before.

So, not up to the original Dawn of the Dead's standards, but I'd put it above Day of the Dead.

Oh, and I bet there will be no more iconic of a visual in any film this year then when the zombies emerge from the river.  Beautifully shot and made me stop breathing for a moment.

And, since the film recuperated 2/3 of its budget in the first three days, there's a good chance we might not have seen the end of the line yet.

Concerning Romero, let's be honest.  Aside from his Dead films, none of which are completely perfect, he's never been a consistently reliable director.  It's like Tobe Hooper doing Texas Chainsaw and then never managing that level of skill again.

In my opinion, the GREAT zombie film has yet to be done.  Night of the Living Dead comes amazingly close, but I think it can still be done better.

LOTD was the deepest film, thematically speaking, I've seen this summer.  Perhaps this year.

The more I think of it, the more I want to see it again.  Unlike, say, Batman Begins, which gets worse and worse upon reflection.

[ignom]

Did anybody else think that one of the zombies looked like one of the biker guys that looted the mall in Dawn of the Dead?

I just looked it up. Tom Savini.

[ReBurn]

We saw it yesterday.

Ewwww.

It was so gross that it made me retch, feltch, and giggle.

[Number 6]

Did anybody else think that one of the zombies looked like one of the biker guys that looted the mall in Dawn of the Dead?

I just looked it up. Tom Savini.

it was the exact same character from Dawn....and the only reoccuring character in the entire series....it was thought up while George and Tom were doing the commentary for the Dawn DVD.....a little cheesy but a nice shout out to the original

i suppose i was a bit quick with my original statemnet...

i did not like the film.....i did not like the fast pace and the concentration on action....but i also know that this is how horror films need to be these days (this just makes me think of the horrible things they will do to Death Race 2000).....i also felt that the gore was lacking (although you are right there were some rather creative parts.....i guess i wanted to see more of a Fulci/Gordon Lewis gore fest....and that would be my fault).....esp since it was rated 'R'......

i do have to admit....as i did to my buddy upon walking out of the theater.....if Romero was to release another zombie film or anything for that matter....i would be there opening day with a huge smile on my face

i would also support anything with the name Argento in it

[Jessie]

You know, if the world really were being taken over by zombies, I don't think it's too far off on assuming how society might break down.

In fact, it's probably dead on.

Heh, I said dead.

[Beefy]

Did anybody else think that one of the zombies looked like one of the biker guys that looted the mall in Dawn of the Dead?

I just looked it up. Tom Savini.

it was the exact same character from Dawn....and the only reoccuring character in the entire series....it was thought up while George and Tom were doing the commentary for the Dawn DVD.....a little cheesy but a nice shout out to the original

i suppose i was a bit quick with my original statemnet...

i did not like the film.....i did not like the fast pace and the concentration on action....but i also know that this is how horror films need to be these days (this just makes me think of the horrible things they will do to Death Race 2000).....i also felt that the gore was lacking (although you are right there were some rather creative parts.....i guess i wanted to see more of a Fulci/Gordon Lewis gore fest....and that would be my fault).....esp since it was rated 'R'......

i do have to admit....as i did to my buddy upon walking out of the theater.....if Romero was to release another zombie film or anything for that matter....i would be there opening day with a huge smile on my face

i would also support anything with the name Argento in it

I wonder if teh studio drove the decision to make it a quicker film, or perhaps that's just how Romero wrote it.

Supposedly quite a bit of gore got cut but will be placed back in on the DVD.  There were still several truly gross moments.  I don't think you could get away with Fulci level gore in an American R-rated film.  I think you're more likely to see that in a Lions Gate type release.  Heck, even High Tension had gore cut down for U.S. audiences.

I used to be obsessed with Argento and Fulci.  Argento's output has gotten worse with age, though.  And my Fulci interest subsided as I got older.  I still have a few laying around.

[nallen]

I saw Land of the Dead last night, and I gotta say I liked it a lot.   I think the pace of the film was a little quick, but there was a lot of plot to get in, so I believe it was unavoidable. 

As for the thematic style, Romero stays with the horror film as social commentary, which I appreciate.  I am not a fan of gore for the sake of gore, it's comes off as pointless.   There are bits of zombie gore to be sure, but it actually comes off as character development and plot related (often with stinging social messages thrown)

I see the film as an allegory about the place of America in the world.  A wealthy few, living surrounded by water on two sides, and a fenced off defended boarder to the south.  The wealthy carefree leaders, who give the poor all the vices they need to keep them inline, and believe that they are upholding a responsibility.   Then the poor of the humans are sent out with over welming fire power to take resources from the only creatures with less than they (in this case the Dead.)   The rich get the benefits of this, and the poor get to live.   But eventually the poorest come calling and get organized.  Even talk of escape to Canada!