Movies!
I admit to watching far too much television. It’s only gotten worse since I can now watch Netflix directly on my TV.
In an attempt to get some good out of my somewhat bad habit, I’m going to start reviewing the things I watch. This will force me to get some writing done as well as let people know some of the fun things I’ve watched and some things to avoid.
I have a fondness for zombie movies, so the first few reviews will be of these movies.
Camille 2008 starring James Franco and Sienna Miller. This is actually incredibly sweet. It is a romantic comedy, despite the death of Camille (Sienna Miller). I highly recommend it if you want something a little quirky. There is no gore.
Sometimes They Come Back 1991 starring Tim Matheson. This is a Stephen King movie. King fans will no doubt enjoy it. I didn’t find it terribly creepy, but it was still interesting. I’ve never read the book, so I can’t compare the two. There isn’t much gore.
The Horde 2009 French. Cops and Crooks trapped by zombies. It is violent and gory, but I didn’t get much out of it. I didn’t really care about any of the characters and there were no huge surprises.
Day of the Dead 2008. This is a remake of Romero’s classic, but it isn’t much like the original. However, I found it rather scary as it is one of the movies that opted for fast scary zombies. It is very violent and gory. I enjoyed it as a scary thrill ride.
Dead and Buried 1981 James Farentino, Melody Anderson (who played Mary on the Little House series). I found this movie fairly slow moving but there is an amusing twist at the end. There is some violence and some sex, but it is not bad.
AAAH! ZOMBIES!! 2007 This is completely hilarious and I can not recommend it highly enough. There is violence and gore, but it is also incredibly funny. The story is told from the point of view of the zombies. The use of black and white at the beginning is intentionally, do not adjust your set.
Zombies of Mass Destruction 2009. This is also quite funny as the characters are hilarious in their reactions to zombies and to each other. It also offers commentary on society after 9/11. Gore and violence do abound, but if this doesn’t bother you, I do recommend you watch this.
Bloodlust Zombies 2011. This was interesting from the viewpoint of an incredibly low-budget movie. There is lots of violence, a fair amount of nudity and some pretty bad acting. I’m pretty sure I could gather my friends together and make something of this quality.
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night 2010. This is based on a comic I have never read. Dylan Dog is a paranormal investigator and his sidekick is a zombie. I enjoyed because it is fun and a bit cheesy. There is the usual violence and sex. I recommend it if you are in the mood for a slightly goofy not very horror-y mystery sort of movie.
Dead Heat 1988 Treat Williams, Joe Piscopo. Criminals are resurrected as zombies. This is the sort of cheesy ‘80s movie that you may have watched on cable on a Saturday. It isn’t that good, but it is goofy and good enough to watch if you just want something amusing.
Doghouse 2009 British. Men out for a boys’ weekend, and instead find a town of zombie women. It is violent and goofy and you can take some offense at the women v. men stuff. It is a perfectly acceptable zombie flick.
Dead and Deader 2006 Dean Cain. Cain is a lieutenant who has become a half zombie. The rest of his squad are full zombies. Mayhem and hilarity ensue. This is a fun watch and I like the characters.
Boy Eats Girl 2005. Teenage boy is resurrected as a zombie. Works hard not to eat the girl he loves. This is a pretty fun teenage-romantic comedy/kill all the zombies movie.
Severed: Forest of the Dead 2006. Please don’t watch this. Genetically altered trees cause people to become zombies when they get the sap into a cut. Otherwise, standard zombie movie.
2012: Zombie Apocalypse 2011. People fleeing zombies for the safety of an island. Standard zombie mayhem. Not bad, but not great. It does have Ving Rhames who I happen to like.
Zombie Town 2007. Zombie mayhem with rednecks. Not bad, but not great.
The Zombie Apocalypse 2008. Don’t bother.
Masters of Horror: Joe Dante: Homecoming 2005. Dead soldiers return to have a chance to vote. It isn’t quite as corny as it sounds, this is about social commentary not zombies running wild.
Devil’s Playground 2010 British. When 30,000 test subjects of a drug turn into zombies, a mercenary tries to find the one woman who is immune. This is was good because of the interactions of the people in the face of a major crisis.
Survival of the Dead 2009. This is a Romero film. One group of people wants to keep zombies alive in the hope there will be a cure. One wants to kill them all. It is interesting, but not gripping.
There you have it. Some really good options. A few “I’m in the mood for a zombie movie” options, and a few to avoid. These are the movies I’ve watched on Netflix streaming. I haven’t included things I watched in the theater or on DVD.
In an attempt to get some good out of my somewhat bad habit, I’m going to start reviewing the things I watch. This will force me to get some writing done as well as let people know some of the fun things I’ve watched and some things to avoid.
I have a fondness for zombie movies, so the first few reviews will be of these movies.
Camille 2008 starring James Franco and Sienna Miller. This is actually incredibly sweet. It is a romantic comedy, despite the death of Camille (Sienna Miller). I highly recommend it if you want something a little quirky. There is no gore.
Sometimes They Come Back 1991 starring Tim Matheson. This is a Stephen King movie. King fans will no doubt enjoy it. I didn’t find it terribly creepy, but it was still interesting. I’ve never read the book, so I can’t compare the two. There isn’t much gore.
The Horde 2009 French. Cops and Crooks trapped by zombies. It is violent and gory, but I didn’t get much out of it. I didn’t really care about any of the characters and there were no huge surprises.
Day of the Dead 2008. This is a remake of Romero’s classic, but it isn’t much like the original. However, I found it rather scary as it is one of the movies that opted for fast scary zombies. It is very violent and gory. I enjoyed it as a scary thrill ride.
Dead and Buried 1981 James Farentino, Melody Anderson (who played Mary on the Little House series). I found this movie fairly slow moving but there is an amusing twist at the end. There is some violence and some sex, but it is not bad.
AAAH! ZOMBIES!! 2007 This is completely hilarious and I can not recommend it highly enough. There is violence and gore, but it is also incredibly funny. The story is told from the point of view of the zombies. The use of black and white at the beginning is intentionally, do not adjust your set.
Zombies of Mass Destruction 2009. This is also quite funny as the characters are hilarious in their reactions to zombies and to each other. It also offers commentary on society after 9/11. Gore and violence do abound, but if this doesn’t bother you, I do recommend you watch this.
Bloodlust Zombies 2011. This was interesting from the viewpoint of an incredibly low-budget movie. There is lots of violence, a fair amount of nudity and some pretty bad acting. I’m pretty sure I could gather my friends together and make something of this quality.
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night 2010. This is based on a comic I have never read. Dylan Dog is a paranormal investigator and his sidekick is a zombie. I enjoyed because it is fun and a bit cheesy. There is the usual violence and sex. I recommend it if you are in the mood for a slightly goofy not very horror-y mystery sort of movie.
Dead Heat 1988 Treat Williams, Joe Piscopo. Criminals are resurrected as zombies. This is the sort of cheesy ‘80s movie that you may have watched on cable on a Saturday. It isn’t that good, but it is goofy and good enough to watch if you just want something amusing.
Doghouse 2009 British. Men out for a boys’ weekend, and instead find a town of zombie women. It is violent and goofy and you can take some offense at the women v. men stuff. It is a perfectly acceptable zombie flick.
Dead and Deader 2006 Dean Cain. Cain is a lieutenant who has become a half zombie. The rest of his squad are full zombies. Mayhem and hilarity ensue. This is a fun watch and I like the characters.
Boy Eats Girl 2005. Teenage boy is resurrected as a zombie. Works hard not to eat the girl he loves. This is a pretty fun teenage-romantic comedy/kill all the zombies movie.
Severed: Forest of the Dead 2006. Please don’t watch this. Genetically altered trees cause people to become zombies when they get the sap into a cut. Otherwise, standard zombie movie.
2012: Zombie Apocalypse 2011. People fleeing zombies for the safety of an island. Standard zombie mayhem. Not bad, but not great. It does have Ving Rhames who I happen to like.
Zombie Town 2007. Zombie mayhem with rednecks. Not bad, but not great.
The Zombie Apocalypse 2008. Don’t bother.
Masters of Horror: Joe Dante: Homecoming 2005. Dead soldiers return to have a chance to vote. It isn’t quite as corny as it sounds, this is about social commentary not zombies running wild.
Devil’s Playground 2010 British. When 30,000 test subjects of a drug turn into zombies, a mercenary tries to find the one woman who is immune. This is was good because of the interactions of the people in the face of a major crisis.
Survival of the Dead 2009. This is a Romero film. One group of people wants to keep zombies alive in the hope there will be a cure. One wants to kill them all. It is interesting, but not gripping.
There you have it. Some really good options. A few “I’m in the mood for a zombie movie” options, and a few to avoid. These are the movies I’ve watched on Netflix streaming. I haven’t included things I watched in the theater or on DVD.