Flavours of the Month: June & July 2020...

It's been a rough couple of months in the wake of a family health emergency, which has thrown our lives into the air - and then, as if in some act of the middle finger from forces of fate, it's just been nothing but problems to solve, paperwork to trawl through, and things to take care of around the house - hence the quiet time here on the blog. To put it bluntly it's a living hell, both physically draining and emotionally traumatic. Despite the sheer upheaval of it all, I've picked out time to just bleb out and lose myself in something else...

Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...

Triple Bill Mini Musings: Vamps, Apes, and Bombs...

Fright Night (2011):
What's it about?
Remake of the beloved 1980s horror comedy about nerdy teen Charley who discovers a vampire master named Jerry has moved in next door.
Who would I recognise in it?
Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Toni Collette, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco.
Great/Good/Alright/Shite?
The original wasn't perfect, and I only saw it for the first time fairly recently, so I missed any 'formative years' or 'original 80s release' charm, however it was good fun. Similarly, the remake isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination - the second act goes a bit listless, and the pacing is curious - however it remains a good slab of fun. Farrell and Tennant gleefully chew the scenery (the latter as theatrical magician Peter Vincent, updated from the original's horror film star and late night movie marathon host), and there are nice touches littered throughout (e.g. looking up how to pick a lock on the internet as you're doing it). Die hard fans of the original will no doubt feel this update's a bit redundant, and while it doesn't stray too far from the original's path, there are enough modernising tweaks to give it a pass in the end. Not brilliant, but not terrible either. Oh, and try not to enthusiastically tap your feet to "99 Problems" by Hugo during the end credits - I dare you. On the border between Good and Alright.

Click "READ MORE" below to go ape and order a pizza...

Wet 'n' Wild Radio Podcast #4 (November 2009)...

You can find a link to the WNWR website under my "Make with the Clicky" links list on the right side of the blog, just scroll down a bit and you'll hit upon a list of links and in there you'll find it.

It's been a couple of months since the last WNWR Show, as talked about previously on the DeadShed blog here:

http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2009/08/wnwrcom-podcasts-2-3-in-review.html

So good news, there's a new episode of the podcast in town. It's another beastly entry at a sizeable, but never dull, two hours featuring Gary Ugarek - the writer/director (and about 103 other things) of the Deadlands movies - and Brian Wright, who has likewise been involved in the Deadlands movies in various capacities from producer to photographer to one of the key roles that is the music ... and indeed, he's the kind chap who has done a bunch of free music for me that I've used in various shorts I've put together (e.g. Skinner, which was talked about in WNWR#3, Signing Off, VHS-2 and so on - I've even used a couple of his tracks in the Gaia & Genesis DVD).

As before, these guys make for rambunctious listening, and Gary in particular is (as always) characteristically up-front telling it like it is. The guys wax lyrical, and honestly, about a variety of things this episode, including a whole bunch of background information on the trials and tribulations of getting Deadlands 2 out there on DVD (via Anthem Pictures, Amazon, and a bunch of other stockists - check out http://www.playingwithdeadthings.com/deadlands2-trapped-thedvd.html to find out more about the DVD and where to get your bloody paws on it.

It's also good to hear that Deadlands 2 on DVD is doing very well, and yes indeed there is a Deadlands 3 planned - matters relating to which we also get to hear about from Gary in his typically head-on style.

Another interesting topic of conversation revolves around Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead. Now in a previous episode Brian remarked that he wasn't too keen on the former from what he'd seen, but I'm pleased to hear he's definitely now a fan of it. Indeed, while Gary was much more open to the film from the off, his initial thoughts weren't stellar - however, having seen it more than half a dozen times already, he's now brazenly placed it in his Top Five ahead of Shaun of the Dead ... that's right, ahead of Shaun of the Dead.

Naturally (and quite sensibly in my view), Brian is perplexed by this and the duo get into an entertaining and perhaps even thoughtful (certainly in a genre fan way) about the two films.

I have to say that, personally, Shaun wins out over Zombieland. The latter may be really entertaining, but Shaun is simply the better film in all respects. It's got shamblers, not runners ... it's written by folk who are well versed in the zombie genre (unlike Zombieland, I was a bit bummed to hear) ... it's structurally a really good script ... it's got that British sensibility (American zombie films are, like Italian zed flicks, dime-a-dozen with a handful of outstanding entries) ... as Brian says it's from the trifecta that is Pegg/Wright/Frost ... it's seriously funny throughout, and yet painfully emotional in pitch perfect scenes like when Shaun has to deal with the immediate death of his mother ... it's got a well-honed style that flows throughout the movie effortlessly ... the zombies kick ass, the situation does become really quite horrifying at times, the editing is crisp, the performances are spot-on, and the theme of moving from your 20s to your 30s and what the consequences are, are perfectly distilled through the filter of a zombie apocalypse.

*gasps*

Plus, Shaun of the Dead doesn't put some really stupid character decisions into the script, unlike Zombieland which does have some really, unbelievably stupid moments.

That said, as you'll know from my musings on Zombieland, I still loved it - that movie survives its flaws and becomes a kick ass slab of fun, with genuine moments of real emotion, and also the ability to (more than once) wrong-foot the audience with some perfectly executed scenes (you'll know the ones I mean, and indeed one such scene is referenced by Brian during the debate).

However, whereas Zombieland is the delicious cheese burger that really hit your spot, Shaun is like a finely cooked roast dinner prepared by your own mother ... this analogy only works if your mother is a good cook, though, but you know what I mean.

There's no contest.

...

So yeah, another spiffing WNWR podcast, and I'm looking forward to the next episode!

Zombieland...

Things seem to be picking up quite nicely for my top ten films of 2009 list, because Zombieland was bloody good fun, and as good as I'd hoped it would be.

Make no mistake, this is a comedy that just so happens to take place during a zombie plague - you could pretty much replace zombie with any other creature, or virus and still get the same effect. Characters are the primary focus of the script, and that's what really carries it throughout, as well as a consistent level of comedy.

Not only comedy, but a perfectly balanced sense of sadness and loss, which strikes unexpectedly and powerfully. Even a careful choice of music (David Sardy's "Estasi Dell Anima" for example) can wrong-foot you and make you second guess your assumptions, which makes for thrilling and even moving moments - you find yourself really drawn in and on the edge of your seat at times, or dewy-eyed when a moment of utter seriousness comes along - afterall, this is a world where everyone has lost someone, and this aspect is perfectly weaved throughout the script for all the protagonists.

However, the script does fall down on occasion when the characters make some utterly bloody stupid decisions ... however, being a comedy, with an otherwise tip-top script and a real sense of fun about it, you can easily forgive such transgressions.

Everything about this movie is entertaining - Harrelson's Tallahasse is pure gold, with a tragic past - Eisenberg's Columbus is the oft-seen nice guy nerd who always finishes last, but in this fucked up world finishing first - Stone's Wichita is an easy-on-the-eyes girl-next-door that every guy wants, who has been forced to carry the world on her shoulders - and Breslin's Little Rock is a pleasantly not-annoying movie kid, who has likewise been forced to grow up too soon.

I was a bit disheartened to learn that the director wasn't much for horror (if at all), and had pretty much just watched 28 Days Later and stopped there ... however, he's still pulled out a great flick. I would hope, should there be a sequel, that he avails himself of the work of George Romero.

That's not necessarily a bitch about the whole running zombie issue - unsurprising as he'd only seen 28 Days Later (which is NOT a zombie movie, it's living people with an infection - they can die of starvation, unlike an actual undead zombie) - indeed, Zombieland is one of the flicks on a small list I have of 'running zombie movies' that have gained a 'get out of jail free card' due to them having something far more to offer than just zombies.

In fact, at times there's not a hell of a lot of zombie action going on - again illustrating how it's more about the characters, than the action (which is good) - although you do feel that in a world filled with zombies, there should be hoardes of them roaming around causing havoc. It all seems a bit on the empty side ... but again, the positives from the start out-weigh this ultimately mostly unimportant transgression. Had the writer/director been more of a student of the zombie genre, then I'd figure such an issue would have been dealt with in a more intricate manner - the sort of detail that me and my fellow zed-heads attribute to the undead universe.

Everyone knows by now that Bill Murray has a small role to play at one point in the film, but thankfully I had again been wrong-footed, this time by the rumours. I won't go on to spoil anything (unlike that one berk on the BBC Radio 5 Live film review podcast - a reviewer should know better, goddamnit - actually, they also attributed a certain "rule" to the wrong character, thus misreading quite seriously one particular character dynamic) ... anyway, the whole Bill Murray segment is riotus fun, and it's great to see him getting fully stuck in to the cameo role.

So yeah, a bloody good ride - I just wish it had been ten minutes longer - at a mere 80 minutes it feels a bit cut short, but hopefully there will be an unrated & extended double-disc DVD release (there bloody well should be, considering the box office success it's had).

So yeah, bring on that (hopefully awesome) DVD release! Plus, finally, "the soundtrack kicks fucking ass" - to quote High Fidelity.

My Top Films of 2009 list thus far stands as, in no particular order:

The Wrestler
Crank 2: High Voltage
Drag Me To Hell
Inglourious Basterds
District 9
Dead Snow
Zombieland
Adventureland