Theory on why people are so mad at non-GAR NOTLD sequels

[Geophyrd]

Gonna get burned for this observation, so I'm ready for it. Just keep in mind that I'm describing myself even if I use the word you. If I'm not describing you, well, that's ok. This is an observation I'm making on a slow day at work... Recently, I went back on this site and reread all the invective for Land of the Dead, the Dawn of the Dead remake as well as the upcoming (with Ving) Day of the Dead. I've been trying to figure out why people hated them so much. I mean, Dawn remake was actually really good. If it had a different title, someone might have cried foul ('Its really a lot like Dawn of the Dead!') but we would all have pretty much accepted it and loved it for what it was. Fun and tittilating. Didn't we all wind up digging 28 Weeks Later, even if it wasn't a zombie movie? Isn't that why Stephen King's book Cell is being prepped to be a movie? (probably on ABC, starring Steven Weber acting badly with subpar special effects puncuated with Mick Garris tossing blood around) Land of the Dead was good, even if it wasn't brilliant. I do want to know where Dead Reckoning is going (and also what good money is in a dead world) and what happens to Riley. Seeing some more Asia Argento would be pretty alright in my book too. So why do people hate it so much? Why do much bitterness towards both Day (non-GAR) and LOTD2 (with GAR?). I mean, after all, would you rather watch a good (even if not great) Land of the Dead or a couple of Uwe Bowe movies? The only reason I can imagine for the bitterness is that we watched GAR's movie at a specific time and place and they delighted us. To mess with the memory is to invalidate something cool from back when. Its easier to dis current efforts (by GAR and others) than it is to re-evaluate past memories. Some of those past memories weren't always great even if we remember that they were. I'm not sure if I loved Dawn of the Dead because it was great or because it was great to a twelve year old who was seeing it for the first time. Given GAR and the others their due. They're making pretty good flicks and no only do you get to keep your memories but you can actually watch the dvds of the actual movies. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, how many times did you put on a movie you liked years ago and then wonder how in heck you ever liked it? Same thing.

[bassman]

Good post.... You were comparing "Dawn04" to "28 Days Later". The difference is that "28DL" had a good script and characters you care about. "Dawn04"....not at all. You're right...."Dawn04" can be entertaining in the thoughtless running action kinda way. But that's it. It has no meaning or thought put into it at all. As far as what you said about "Land"....I agree. I've been one of the ones that enjoyed it from the beginning and alot of people automatically claim that we only like it because it's Romero's. I think you put it best....it's good but not great. Definitely better than most these days. It's good in it's own right. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, how many times did you put on a movie you liked years ago and then wonder how in heck you ever liked it? Same thing. Generally, this is not the case for me. As a younger lad, I really enjoyed the "Ghostbusters" films(and I mean REALLY), but to this day I still enjoy them and laugh my a** off everytime I watch them. There are other examples too, but this one just popped to mind. I honestly can't think of a film that I used to enjoy and now don't....

[Danny]

well dawn sucked becuase the writing was bad, there was random character development for no reason, zombies didnt seem to be nothing more than a latent threat. 28 days later is infinitley better than yawn 04 becuase .the writing rocked, the acting rocked, the cinematography rocked, AKA - its better. i liked land but compared to the origional trilogy which was done by a small group ,self budgeted it meant romero had freee reign on creativity , but land was pure hollywood, cgi, and producers screweing with rokmeros origional idea "well if we lose zombie rats we can lower the rating for more moolah". and people dont like day becuase of contagion, and i dont know but if its anothe uwe boll film like i heard then its 100% gonna gobble goat balls, becuase uwe boll CANNOT direct films hes a hack with less talent than a prono director

[DjfunkmasterG]

I think Geo is very well spoken on this, as is Bassman311. There are many movies I watched as a youngin that still tickle me pink today. He noted Ghostbusters... For me it is GB along with Weird Science, and Sixteen Candles, not too mention Beverly Hills Cop and Caddyshack. However, The memories of the GAR movies stem much further than something cool when I first saw them. Even though I had seen DAWN at a very young age and thought zombies were neat/cool. As I got older I started seeing the subtext behind those films, and they became classics and masterpieces of their time... Hell DAWN is still a masterpiece in cinema in my book, not bad for a 20+ year old film. LAND although not as horrible as House of the Dead still is subpar on many levels, one being the story. Nothing will ever change my mind on that... it doesn't feel like a GAR film, doesn't look like a GAR film, although it is a GAR film. Will it turn me off from future zombie movies he does... NOPE. I still think the man has one Masterpiece of zombie mayhem left inside of him and I do hope I get to see it very very soon. I believe everyone deserves a second chance and he has brought me 3 great zombie films in the past, so one flubbed film doesn't turn me off completely. 28 Days Later is just awesome because it grasped onto and held the type of filmmaking GAR used to do. If you watch 28 Days Later you feel like you're watching a Romero zombie film, but it isn't Romero. Dawn of the Dead 2004 is nothing Romero and it never intended to be... As I have stated many times, like Zack Snyder said "it is just another chapter in a book called DAWN of the DEAD" and I agree with this. It doesn't tread on the original, or degrade it in anyway... plus it is extremely entertaining. A lot of the loathing for DAWN 04 stems from the name and name only. I wish people would just see it for what it really is, a kick arse zombie flick.

[coma]

A lot of the loathing for DAWN 04 stems from the name and name only. I wish people would just see it for what it really is, a kick arse zombie flick. I thought I was swimming in a plot hole when I saw it. It was entertaing, but as it progressed I felt like I was watching a movie, rather than "in the movie". The name raised expectations, but the makers of Scooby Doo didn't have me in much anticipation of quality, so it was better than I expected.. I don't like bad writing and bad characters. Call it some thing different and I would still feel the same way. Its "OK'. And that's all. Action alone doesn't make a film kick ass to me. There's gotta be more. That scene with the shootout over the dead baby was dopey as hell with a sterotype character.It;s like they wrote a script and realized there were no characters, so they went back and pasted some archetypical cliches over them. This was a big budget movie, not some 20 grand video backyard epic. Expectations should be higher. My accesement. Missed the point of the source material. Many of the action setups made no sense. Writer doesn't know squat about writing. But it was fun, if you can ignore the crap. and I'm never gonna change my mind!!! It didn't suckas bad as the Planet Of the Apes remake, though. Whatta stinker. It's like 28 days later is Art. It expects alot from you and treats you like you are worth talking up to. while DOTD04 is commerce. Talks down because you won't/can't notice and besides, they already got your 10 bucks.

[bassman]

It didn't suckas bad as the Planet Of the Apes remake, though. Whatta stinker. I liked the "Planet of the Apes" remake. It was nothing compared to the original(obviously), but I still felt like Burton did a decent job. I would have liked a different lead man rather than Mark E. Mark....but....it was okay. Burton needs to lay off the remakes and get back to his roots, though. I'm still praying for a "Beetlejuice 2".

[DjfunkmasterG]

The POTA remake isn't that bad. It has Tim Roth, and Helena Bonham Carter, both talented actors. It is just very different from what people expected.

[coma]

The POTA remake was more like the book "Mokney Planet"m but I was really dissapointed and hated the end. I don't think MarkyMark was the problem. It's Burton. He's made a feww of my most loved movies, and my most hated. And I will never forgive him for his gay ass BAtman And no matter how I gripe about DOTD04, I will still see A Day remake. I can't help it. Probably 1st day too. what I'm really into seeing in NOTLD 3D, but I can't see out of 1 eye too good, so it may be a headache fest and have to wait for DVD. ARRG. I think the NOTLD3D loks really good.Even if it sucks , I'll see it at least twice.

[bassman]

And I will never forgive him for his gay ass BAtman And after that comment.....your opinions now mean nothing Just a joke.....don't take it personally. No really, "Batman" was great.....

[coma]

And after that comment.....your opinions now mean nothing Just a joke.....don't take it personally. No really, "Batman" was great..... No it wasn't. You suck dude. You're wrong and I'm right because I am awesome. Awesome! I like Burtons original work almost every time (maybe every time) and I love Ed Wood. But when he remakes something I get ill. P.S. Batman sucked

[zombievsshark]

Here's what makes me want to violently hate NOTLD3D in the trailer...zombie Johnny TEXT MESSAGES Barbara the infamous line. I...I just don't need such drek in my zombie film...god. he even uses numbers instead of words like '2' instead of 'to'

[OddDNA]

Here's what makes me want to violently hate NOTLD3D in the trailer...zombie Johnny TEXT MESSAGES Barbara the infamous line. I...I just don't need such drek in my zombie film...god. he even uses numbers instead of words like '2' instead of 'to' What manner of "yes-man" agreed that this was a clever idea.

[Danny]

I like Burtons original work almost every time (maybe every time) and I love Ed Wood. But when he remakes something I get ill. P.S. Batman sucked dude no, just no. jack nickleson rocked as the joker!

[bassman]

dude no, just no. jack nickleson rocked as the joker! He's got a point. I wouldn't go as far as to say that it "sucked", but after buying the new special edition DVD and watching it for the first time in a long time.....it's not quite as good as I remember it. You're right....Nicholson kicked a** as the Joker(Keaton did a great job as Wayne/Batman, as well) but the film as a whole.....should've been handled a little differently. I have lost alot of respect for Tim Burton over the years, but "Batman" is still a decent film that just needed a little bit more. "Batman Begins" has definitely taken the taco for the title of "Best Batman Flick", in my opinion.

[coma]

dude no, just no. jack nickleson rocked as the joker! No dude, YOU"RE wrong. I am right. Right. Right .Right. You will bow to my superior taste Kneel Before ZOD I thought "jack in joker makeup with a dumass smile" Plus I saw it when I was 22, so it wasn't some movie I saw when I was 6 so I have no childhood memories of it. I grew up on Neil Adams/Denny O'NEil Batman and Love Dark Knight Returns. The Hype was the dark Batman come to life, and it was like a celebrity lovefest with campy elements. It looked so cool on the TV commercial and the reality was different. I'm glad Batman Begins was made so I can watch am excellent adaptation. When I saw Burtons BAtman I was kinda bored and a bit angry through it. I expected something on a par with Superman 1,2 and got something just OK. My feelings are similar to those that dislike Dawn 04 (though it was a million times better than Dawn04) He's got a point. I wouldn't go as far as to say that it "sucked", but after buying the new special edition DVD and watching it for the first time in a long time.....it's not quite as good as I remember it. You're right....Nicholson kicked a** as the Joker(Keaton did a great job as Wayne/Batman, as well) but the film as a whole.....should've been handled a little differently. I have lost alot of respect for Tim Burton over the years, but "Batman" is still a decent film that just needed a little bit more. "Batman Begins" has definitely taken the taco for the title of "Best Batman Flick", in my opinion. Pretty much how I feel (except for Jack) Batman Begins is the geek gift I waited like 35 years for.