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The Movie Fight Reviews – Zombieland
Last night, I got a chance last night to see my second zombie based comedy in a week. This one was the recent success, Zombieland, staring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone. In this hilarious look at a post-apocalyptic former-United States, we get to hear the rules that Columbus (Eisenberg) uses to survive amongst the terrors that are around every corner and, interestingly enough, the difficulties of interacting with those that are still Human.
Columbus makes sure we are well aware of the important and interesting rules that make sure that you will live in a world where death is trying to bite your brains around every corner. However, these rules start to come into question when he begins to interact with the few humans he is able to find, most importantly, the beautiful and dangerous Wichita (Stone). Along with Wichita’s little sister (Breslin) and a loner southern badass, Talahassee (Harrelson), They head out into the world to try to find something that will allow them to feel human again.
This movie is a lovely addition to a growing number of zombie movies that intend to generate laughter as much as they intend to generate terror or fear. This movie, among those I can think of, is definitely the one that leans away from the horror aspect generally associated with Zombies. To think about it honestly, there’s really very little that could make one consider this a Horror movie at all. It’s more of an Action-Comedy than a Horror-Comedy. Not that this fact takes anything away from the movie; if anything it might help you get your local scaredy-cat to go see it.
This movie is really quite funny. There’s plenty of story, emotion and gore here, but it isn’t at the expense of a strong comedic film. It’s also not a simplistic moron-minded slapstick comedy (mind you, I love moron-minded slapstick). It is a clever, smart, but also amazingly fun movie. Eisenberg is funny in the same way as you saw in Adventureland…
[BTW, I just wanted to mention something about Eisenberg and his film choice here. As far as I can tell, the character from this movie is basically the same character as in Adventureland, only in this movie, there are more Zombies and… less… Adventure? No. There’s plenty of Adventure here. Also! Stone plays basically the same character as Kristen Stewart plays in Adventureland, but with a bit of a more outgoing edge than an internal angst. And maybe a little less sexing of everyone in the movie. Anyway, they aren’t the same movie, but the love stories are terrifically similar. Not just because of the curly haired speed talker at the helm.]
I have a few best parts of this movie that help me to want to recommend it and I will list them here:
3. Woody Harrelson! Talahassee is a really fun, action packed and surprisingly interesting character. His take on life, his story that brought him here, and his amazing ability to kill the crap out of a zombie make him an essential part of the story.
2. Celebrity Cameo! I’m not sure I should reveal this part too much, because it made it that much better that I didn’t know it was going to happen. So, no spoiler here, but this definitely makes the movie glorious.
1. The rules! The use of the rules throughout the film make me so very happy. These are the things you would need if you wanted to survive and I consider this to be an amazingly clever way to tell this story.
Ok, a few rankings… Lets do Comedy, Action, and a few of the actors. As for Comedies, I think this is a pretty strong movie… I give it spot 45, above Bamboozled, but below National Lampoons Vacation. For action movies, I’ll give it 67, above X-Men 3, but below Bourne Ultimatum. I’m gonna say this is my second fave Breslin movie behind Little Miss Sunshine, but above Signs (which is saying something coming from me). I’d have to say that this is surely my favorite Eisenberg and Stone movie. I liked this better than Adventureland, and Stone is by no means what makes Superbad a great movie. As for Harrelson… gosh, I’d love to do a whole list here, but lets see.
It can’t be #1. That goes to No Country for Old Men. But… I don’t think I can put another role above this one. I considered putting White Men Can’t Jump or Kingpin up at the top, but… nah, I’m gonna go out on a limb and give Tallahassee number 2!
Ok, I think I’m out of Zombie movies for a bit… guess I’ll have to review other stuff instead. Darn!
The Movie Fight Reviews…. Dead Snow
Recently, I had a very unique movie going experience, during which I got the chance to see a fairly unknown movie by the name of Dead Snow. I had a great time at the movie for a variety of reasons. The theatre itself was definitely the number one reason, with the friends that I saw the movie with as a close second. When this movie comes in third on the list, that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t fun or interesting, just that those other aspects were really great for this particular experience (and I’m planning on going into that further in an upcoming post).
I went to see this movie last Wednesday at the Burton Theatre in Detroit. Dead Snow is a fun and unique Norwegian romp into the Horror-Comedy genre that we’ve been hearing from more and more lately. With Shawn of the Dead as the father of the genre and Zombieland as the recent Hollywood release to the same aim, Dead Snow peaks through the same window by giving us the only logical next step… Nazi Zombies. That’s right, Nazi Zombies!
In this story, a set of med students head up into the Norwegian mountains for a weekend of beers, snowmobiles and fraternization. Soon, their fun weekend is interrupted by, well, lets say “uninvited guests.” These guests turn out to be Nazi Zombies hell bent on killing the crap out of our dear med students in the most gruesome fashions possible. What starts as a horror movie, with all the proper startling moments, blood and gore, quickly turns into a hilarious Evil Dead-esque attempt by our heroes to escape the wilderness with their lives.
[So, before I go on to the review, I feel it necessary to go into the distinction between Nazi Zombies and Zombie Nazis. A Nazi Zombie is a subcategory of Zombie. This movie, for example, is primarily a Zombie movie. It just so happens that these violence hungry zombies are especially ruthless because they are Zombies. A Zombie Nazi... well, thats something I'd think we'd be more likely to see in a Indiana Jones movie. A Zombie Nazi is a subcategory of Nazis. They are Nazis that just happen to be Zombies as well. In many cases, I might even find this to be a less menacing Nazi (since their overwhelming thirst for brains might blind their hatred for non-Ayran people and cause them to attack indiscriminately). Therefore, do not forget, that the villains in this movie are Nazi Zombies, not Zombie Nazis.]
As I said before, I fully enjoyed myself at this film, but I’m more than willing to admit that a good portion of that was the atmosphere in which I saw the movie. There’s not a lot that’s really groundbreaking, stunning, scary, truly unique, or interesting about this movie. However, if you are with good friends, possibly an easily frightened friend or two, or if you love a dozen or so interestingly gory kills with your zombie movie, this movie will surely entertain. Don’t look for this movie to stand with Let the Right One In or The Orphanage for recent European Horror entrants, but it definitely has its moments.
To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t quite consider it in the same group as other Horror-Comedy movies that have the overwhelming respect of the public. It’s no Shawn of the Dead. It’s no Evil Dead II. I have a feeling, based on some of the events of this movie, that the director would really like to be put into that conversation, but I don’t see it quite belonging there. I’d say this movie, though a little funnier, belongs among some of the gore-based George A Romero zombie movies, like Dawn of the Dead or Robert Rodriguez’ Planet Terror or From Dusk ‘til Dawn. If you let this movie live in that list, I’d say it could hold its own fairly strongly.
As for Rankings….
For Horror, I think I’d put it middle of the pack. There are some weird things going on in the 70’s in my list currently, so I’m going to place this movie at 67, above Salem’s Lot, but below Little Shop of Horrors.
For Action, I think that this movie actually fairs pretty well for a Horror movie. I’d put it around 97, below First Blood (obviously) but above Transporter 2.
For Comedy, again, I think it’s a pretty strong Horror movie, and, in its case, this is intentional. I’d place it at 91, below Beavis and Butthead Do America, but above The Madness of King George.
Ok, so I’ve decided to rename these rankings lists that I’ve started doing for every weekend. I suppose you could call these reviews, but it’s irresponsible for me to call them that since I havent seen the movies…. So, I’m just coming up with lists because I can and I like to. If someone out there wants to start inviting me to sneak previews, I’ll be ok with that, but otherwise, I’m stuck ranking these movies all on my lonesome…. So, that being said, this weeks second-widest release is
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Synopsis: Celebrity photographer Connor Mead (MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY) loves freedom, fun and women…in that order. A committed bachelor with a no-strings policy, he thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call while prepping his next date. Connor’s brother Paul is more the romantic type. In fact, he’s about to be married. Unfortunately, on the eve of the big event, Connor’s mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for Paul, the wedding party and a houseful of well wishers — including Connor’s childhood friend Jenny (JENNIFER GARNER), the one woman in his life who has always seemed immune to his considerable charm. –© Warner Bros
Director Mike Water’s Movie Rankings:
1. Mean Girls
2. Just Like Heaven
3. The Spiderwick Chronicles
4. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
5. Freaky Friday
Matthew McConaughey Movie Rankings:
1. Contact
2. Dazed and Confused
3. A Time to Kill
4. We Are Marshall
5. Amistad
6. EDTv
7. U-571
8. Tropic Thunder
9. Failure to Launch
10. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
11. Thirteen Conversations About One Thing
12. Angels in the Outfield
13. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
14. Reign of Fire
15. Sahara
16. The Wedding Planner
17. Two for the Money
18. Fools Gold
Jennifer Garner Movie Rankings:
1. Juno
2. The Kingdom
3. Dude, Where’s My Car?
4. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
5. 13 Going on 30
6. Catch and Release
7. Catch Me If You Can
8. Daredevil
9. Pearl Harbor
10. Elektra
And your Keyword Fight….
Romantic Comedies about Womanizers Movie Rankings:
1. About a Boy
2. Wedding Crashers
3. Sideways
5. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
6. Down With Love
7. Casanova
8. Two Weeks Notice
9. Alfie
Let’s try this a little differently this week. This week, I’m going to throw my completely unseen reviews up here on the site, the rankings will go live and you can comment if you feel they are correct or incorrect. I would really really love to hear from more of you about what you think of these topics, but either way, my rankings are out there in the world now!
So, this week’s widest release is: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Synopsis: Hugh Jackman reprises the role that made him a superstar – as the fierce fighting machine who possesses amazing healing powers, retractable claws and a primal fury. Leading up to the events of… Hugh Jackman reprises the role that made him a superstar – as the fierce fighting machine who possesses amazing healing powers, retractable claws and a primal fury. Leading up to the events of X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe whose appearances in the film series have long been anticipated. –© 20th Century Fox
Writers David Benioff’s Movies:
1. 25th Hour
2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
3. The Kite Runner
4. Troy
5. Stay
Hugh Jackman’s Movies:
1. The Prestige
2. The Fountain
3. Swordfish
4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
5. X-Men
6. Flushed Away
7. Australia
8. Scoop
9. X2
10. Van Helsing
11. Kate and Leopold
12. X-Men: The Last Stand
13. Happy Feat
14. Someone Like You
Liev Schreiber’s Movies:
1. The Hurricane
2. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
3. The Manchurian Candidate
4. The Omen (2006)
5. The Sum of All Fears
6. The Ten
7. Ransom
8. Phantoms
9. Scream
10. Sphere
11. Scream 2
12. Kate & Leopold
13. Scream 3
14. Hamlet (2000)
15. Mixed Nuts
and Your Keyword Fight for this Movie is….:
Prequel Movies:
1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
2. Red Dragon
3. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
4. Hannibal Rising
5. Exorcist: The Beginning
6. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
7. The Scorpion King
8. Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd
This is the third and final movie that is being released that we will discuss this week. It’s The Soloist…
Synopsis: Hollywood heavyweights Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. team up in this drama based on a true story. Foxx (RAY) stars as Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless man with remarkable musical talent, and Downey Jr. (IRON MAN) plays a writer who realizes the man’s gift. ATONEMENT and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE filmmaker Joe Wright moves away from historical Britain to direct this film.
Director Joe Wright’s Movies: Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, and The Soloist
Robert Downey Jr’s Movies: A Scanner Darkly, Tropic Thunder, Chances Are, Soapdish, Chaplin, Natural Born Killers, Iron Man, US Marshals, Wonder Boys, Zodiac, Gothika, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and The Soloist
Jamie Foxx’s Movies: The Great White Hype, Booty Call, Any Given Sunday, Bait, Ali, Collateral, Ray, Stealth, Jarhead, Miami Vice, Dreamgirls, The Kingdom, and The Soloist
and Your Keyword Fight for this Movie is….:
Street Musician Movies: Conspiracy Theory, Once, Mary Poppins, Tenacious D’s The Pick of Destiny, August Rush and The Soloist
Well, I think I’ll keep at this. This time, we’re going to go with the widest release of the weekend, Obsessed…
Synopsis: “THE WIRE’s Idris Elba stars in this thriller as a man who seems to have a perfect life. He is married to Sharon (Beyoncé Knowles), and he has just earned a promotion at work. But destruction looms when a pretty temp (HEROES’ Ali Larter) grows a little too fond of him.”
So, your job is to Fit this movie into as many rankings as you can COMPLETELY UNSEEN! Your job is to rank the following lists:
Writer David Loughery’s Films: Passenger 57, The Three Musketeers, Money Train, Tom and Huck, Lakeview Terrace, and Obsessed
Beyonce’s Films: Austin Powers Goldfinger, The Fighting Temptations, The Pink Panther, Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, and Obsessed
and
Ali Larter’s Films: Varsity Blues, House on Haunted Hill, Final Destination, Legally Blonde, American Outlaws, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Final Destination 2, Resident Evil: Extinction, and Obsessed
Last but not least, our Keyword Fight is….:
Stalking Movies: City of God, There’s Something About Mary, Zodiac, Disturbia, Halloween, Basic Instinct, Wicker Park, Cape Fear, Red Eye, and Obsessed
OK, I’ll chime in with my rankings, but you should do so as well. Just one ranking will do; you dont need to do all 4. There’s no need to be shy. If you haven’t seen em, rank em on how much you want to see them, how much they appeal to you, so on so forth. Have some fun with it. I look forward to hearing from you…
Hey everyone…
Ok, I think this was somewhat unavoidable, like fate, but the first movie that we are going to discuss is Fighting…
Synopsis: “Small-town boy Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) has come to New York City with nothing. Barely earning a living selling counterfeit goods on the streets, his luck changes when scam artist Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard) sees that he has a natural talent for streetfighting.” –© Universal Pictures
So, what we are going to do is try to fit this movie into as many rankings as we can COMPLETELY UNSEEN! Your job is to rank the following lists:
Director Dito Montiel’s Films: A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Fighting
Channing Tatum’s Films: Coach Carter, Supercross, Havoc, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, She’s the Man, Step Up, Step Up 2: The Streets, Stop Loss, Fighting
and
Terrence Howard’s Films: The Best Man, Big Momma’s House, Angel Eyes, Glitter, Hart’s War, Biker Boyz, Crash, Ray, Hustle & Flow, Four Brothers, The Brave One, August Rush, Awake, Iron Man, Fighting
So, I figure on adding at least one keyword for each movie as well as these few actor/director credits… so this movie’s Keyword is:
Mixed Martial Arts Movies: Unleashed, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Bloodsport, Never Back Down, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, Cradle 2 the Grave, Redbelt, The Quest, and Fighting.
OK, I’ll chime in with my rankings, but you should do so as well. Just one ranking will do; you dont need to do all 4. There’s no need to be shy. If you haven’t seen em, rank em on how much you want to see them, how much they appeal to you, so on so forth. Have some fun with it. I look forward to hearing from you…
Hey everyone,
So, I’ve been trying to come up with a cool and fun way we can discuss the new releases for the weekend or what is in theaters now. I’ve decided to just shoot from the hip and try a few things…. If they don’t work out, so be it; I’ll try something else. If they do, great!
So… Here’s how the game is going to work…
On an average weekend, there are usually 3 main new releases that you can consider seeing. So, each weekend, starting with Friday, we’ll throw up a post for each movie…
In this post will be a listing of the movies that I want you to rank in order of preference. If you haven’t seen em, thats fine, just make your best guess and go from there. There may be lists based on directors, or stars, or keywords… you can rank any of them. I’ll try to lead the way for a little while, but I’d really love for everyone to participate. After a few days, I’ll tabulate the votes and these rankings will go live.
My hope is that this will create a little more participation for the site. Commenting is super easy, just drop in your rankings and go on your merry way.
Maybe it’s a little hard to explain here, but hopefully it will be clear when you see it for yourself…
Also, if you’d like, just let me know what you think of this idea. If you have a great way to make it better or more interesting, I’d love to hear it. I’ll try to start it this afternoon…
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