For those of you who **have seen** Survival of the Dead - - - opinion poll!

[bassman]

Returning with a second viewing review. I passed Survival while at the store and just couldn't turn it down. In some way I felt like I owed it to *someone* to buy the damn thing. So I did. My original thoughts still stand. It's an okay movie, but obviously it's very far from the legendary trilogy. In fact, there are a few things that if taken out, could really improve on the film. 1) CGI gags. No more. It looks horrible and takes you straight out of the picture. 2) Horse Riding. No. Just NO. 3) Van Sprang's over-acting. I liked the guy in the last two films, but he just takes it totally overboard with this one. Some of his character's mood swings are enough to give the audience whiplash. Take out those few things(and they COULD have been edited out), and you've got a decent film. It also could've been a lot worse, imo. Out of the new three, this one is about on par with Land while Diary is the worst yet. As for the dvd/br - The Walking After Midnight documentary is a fun watch whether you liked the film or not. Regardless of the result, it does seem like they had a good time making it and the doc is a fun time to watch. The commentary I've only made half way through, but it's the usual stuff from Romero and Grunwald's past commentaries. Some decent facts, but nothing that really makes it worth the time.

[MinionZombie]

Interesting note about the commentary there - Romero commentaries are great for past work - his present day commentaries for his latest movies (anything from the 00's) aren't much cop. I listen to them, naturally, but they're nowhere near as good as the more nostalgia-tinted 'ah back in the day, remember when, hey old friends' type chat-tracks on his past works. It is on my to-get list, but it's been an expensive time recently, and my Quad Core needs repairing, so I'm looking to be tighter-belted for a bit.

[AcesandEights]

Okay, finally got to see it and I have to say it wasn't too bad. I actually voted 'liked it.' I mean, I had low expectations and it's not a film done in a serious vein, so if you approach from that standpoint it's pretty enjoyable. Is it what I had hoped for? No. I just look at it as a very entertaining & well done Sci Fi made-for-tv level of film, even with that damnably cheesy CGI. They really just should have thought things through a bit more and it could have been something other than a guilty pleasure for me. Also, I think the commentary level of the film was back in check for most of the movie and a bit more subtle in topic and approach.

[BillyRay]

muldooooooooon!!!

[AcesandEights]

muldooooooooon!!! The island was obviously a riff on Hy-Brazil. No? You don't believe that? Well, I tried to make sense of it, but yeah, the Irish accent/island culture was annoying and unnecessarily overplayed.

[BillyRay]

Oh yeah, it's one we can pick apart for days. (And we have!) I don't have any issue with Zeds + Comedy (Go figure), so I enjoyed it for what it is - a fun little zombie flick that doesn't take itself too seriously (or make a helluva lot of sense).

[AcesandEights]

Oh yeah, it's one we can pick apart for days. (And we have!) Yeah, I picked up on that I don't have any issue with Zeds + Comedy (Go figure), so I enjoyed it for what it is - a fun little zombie flick that doesn't take itself too seriously (or make a helluva lot of sense). I'm getting a bit worn out on zeds as a punchline, but I knew what to expect going in and wasn't overly put off by the cornball cgi kills (flare gun/roundhose, some of the other bad cgi 'gags' etc.). This does make me want to see some personal horror/actually scary zombie films now, though. To me, Survival was a an even cornier action-zed film than Dawn '04 (which I enjoyed for what it was).

[strayrider]

Yeah, I picked up on that I'm getting a bit worn out on zeds as a punchline, but I knew what to expect going in and wasn't overly put off by the cornball cgi kills (flare gun/roundhose, some of the other bad cgi 'gags' etc.). This does make me want to see some personal horror/actually scary zombie films now, though. To me, Survival was a an even cornier action-zed film than Dawn '04 (which I enjoyed for what it was). Romero is most funny when he isn't trying to be funny. Dawn had a few good laffs (not including the "pie fight") such as the expression on Stephen's face when Peter shattered the glass in the skylight with his rifle, or the way that Roger looked up in awe at he rotors of the chopper after the helicopter zombie rose into the whirling blades. These scenes always got a chuckle in the theater (of course, it WAS the midnight movies and everyone was stoned ... but still). Humor does have its place in a zombie film, just as it does in life, but c'mon be subtle about it. I think what I miss most in GAR's recent works is a sense of impending doom and the mood that comes with it. He "almost" recaptured it when VanSprang's Guard buddy bought it, but this scene somehow fell short. In fact (IMHO) every character's death since Stephen has fallen short of the "mark". Since then it's been: "Oh, you've been bitten? Here, let me shoot you in the head before the viewing audience has a chance to grieve over your loss." C'mon, GAR, one more film ... make it moody ... make it gritty ... make it depressing to the point that we walk out of the theater so downtrodden and stressed that we want to scream. Forget comic books, forget comedy ... forget corny CGI gags ... take our emotions, twist them into knots, and kick us out on the street to deal with it ... -stray-

[Purge]

Just got done watching it a few minutes ago. Better than I expected. The old Irish countryside was a nice contrast to the ensuing chaos, and it had some nice plot twists.

[AcesandEights]

I think what I miss most in GAR's recent works is a sense of impending doom and the mood that comes with it. He "almost" recaptured it when VanSprang's Guard buddy bought it, but this scene somehow fell short. In fact (IMHO) every character's death since Stephen has fallen short of the "mark". Since then it's been: "Oh, you've been bitten? Here, let me shoot you in the head before the viewing audience has a chance to grieve over your loss." I definitely agree, Stray! I was a bit put off that they didn't play up the creepiness of the boat and zombies just popped up when GAR felt a 'cool' kill effect or character emphasis was needed (O'Flynn forking a zombie to death ). I mean that boat was a little creepy just by nature of how it looked and the fact it was abandoned, toss in a little atmosphere, tension and actors acting a bit more creeped out by the circumstances and and it could have been great! Anyway, good to see you posting, Stray!

[Gillfigno]

Just watched it on Netflix. It was heads above Land and better than Diary as well. It was watchable, but I'm not sure if I would buy the movie or not. There were so many instances where I would have done something different, especially in regard to sticking with tonality. The pacing was all over the place and I felt the film could have used more exposition. Maybe have George edit again. One second we're watching a tense scene of a guy diving from an armored car to brave a zombie infested river, and suddenly the film cuts to a looney tunes smoking-hole-in-the-wall explosion gag with matching one-liner. Not that I want a Romero film that is devoid of humor, I just think that he has been kind of beating a dead horse lately. Well, zombie-eating a dead horse, I guess. It's not like Land where I felt the whole film is trash because of pretty much every aspect I can think of, but this is no where near the quality of Martin and Day of the Dead, two films that are humorless. Romero should be as subtle with the humor as in Dawn or not bother, I think. These are supposedly Horror films, after all. It would be nice to have a zombie be something to be feared, instead they're always used as some kind of gag or deux ex machina in these newer Romero films. Please no more CG glory kills. It's embarrassing. I can stand a screwdriver to the ear or shovel skull-capitation, which were well set up and had neat effects. I can't take any more weird cartoon CG novelty kills. It's too much like a video game. In fact, the Flare Gun kill was on a game called Blood back in 1997. Otherwise the film was good but nothing spectacular. Though I would say I 'liked it.'

[MoonSylver]

Welcome aboard. Agreed on most if not all of the points above. There does seem to be a lot of consensus on them. Not that I want a Romero film that is devoid of humor, I just think that he has been kind of beating a dead horse lately. Well, zombie-eating a dead horse, I guess. '

[Trin]

1) CGI gags. No more. It looks horrible and takes you straight out of the picture. 2) Horse Riding. No. Just NO. 3) Van Sprang's over-acting. I liked the guy in the last two films, but he just takes it totally overboard with this one. Some of his character's mood swings are enough to give the audience whiplash. I like Bassman's list here. I'd add that message driven plot is no longer acceptable. I think the comedy has taken on a different tone than in Dawn. The pie fight may have been silly but it served the purpose of displaying the biker's lack of fear, and lack of respect, for the zombies and the dangers they pose. It was obvious that they were used to moving around among them. It also pointed out the callous nature that they dealt with the former living breathing people. No respect for the dead. Peter acknowledges that some "still have respect for the dead" even as they risk their lives to house their dead. The bikers are everything opposite of that. That helped establish them as reckless villains. The fire extinguisher? The flare gun? The dynamite blowing up the shack? What do any of these gags serve?

[ProfessorChaos]

it amazes me how some like land and hate the other two, some enjoy diary but not the others, and apparently there's even those who prefer survival to either. talk about different strokes....and then there's those who either hate or like all three. it's funny, cuz there seems to be a trend of not liking at least one of, if not two of the newer dead films...but nobody ever has much negative stuff to say about the older films. on another topic, i went out with some friends last night, and another friend we ran into at the bars told me that he had rented survival (i got him on a zombie kick, he's a big fan of the first 3 movies and TWD) since it was the newest romero dead film and he'd never heard me mention it...as if i'd not heard of it and he wanted to one-up me, i guess.... i told him there was a reason i didn't bring it up, and asked him what he thought, to which he replied "i should've invited you over and forced you to watch that piece of shit with me...it was bad, man." i told him i couldn't even finish it, and bought him a beer since i indirectly caused him to waste $$ renting it.

[Trin]

it amazes me how some like land and hate the other two, some enjoy diary but not the others, and apparently there's even those who prefer survival to either. talk about different strokes....and then there's those who either hate or like all three. That is really remarkable. I don't think there are any two people who completely agree on Love/Like/Dislike/Hate across all three newer movies. ...since i indirectly caused him to waste $$ renting it. GAR has transcended traditional horror. Survival is the true meaning of horror. It takes your money and leaves an empty place in your soul. Enjoying movies is for romantic comedies. Wusses. A horror movie should fill you with hate. Your buddy shoulda come up and punched you in the nose for all the deep suffering you caused him, and then you say, "Yeah, that's right. It was a pretty good horror movie huh."