Night of the Living Dead Reviews

[Mutineer]

Ill start

First and foremost, you will find my commentary on userfilms that are submitted here to be honest. I will never blow smoke or praise a project for fear of hurting peoples opinions. In time, I hope that this will be seen. If it is ****, I'll say it. It it is rad, I'll say it. None of it matters, it is my own subjective .02

I have not hidden my disdain for this project since hearing about it; NothLD 07. I found it a shameless use of the original classics title in spite of others doing it. Even the ONE SHEET is a rip off of the original films poster art. Then I heard that it really was nothing like NIGHT but pays some homage. And after all, it was not at all like NIGHT; but then I scratch my head and ask "Then why use the name to pimp your project?"

First and foremost, congrats to the filmmaker for getting off his duff and actually making a film. Shooting a feature is a daunting task much less writing it as well as cutting it. But this is mostly where my praise will stop.

This is a forgettable Zombie film. At 40 minutes into the piece I have not only gotten 1 zombie but I have gotten nothing but cell phone conversations, and sadly, there isn't a lot of excitement in cell phone conversations. I found the the dialogue a mess with nothing but exposition moving us forward. The characters were without any emotion and the lead actor made me want to punch him really hard in the nose; it's okay, I feel the same way about Julia Roberts.

The filmmaker has a lot to learn from even the more rudiment techniques in filmmaking from the Split Edit and the use of the Line (axis) to the more advanced audio and lighting. I almost was annoyed when the filmmaker went Dutch because of the painfully obvious ignorance in every other category. Was he going Dutch on purpose or was it an accident ?

Overall, this was like a 4 year old that has finally taken his first **** on the toilet; nice but now lets learn to wipe your ass as this was amateur filmmaking at the lowest end of the curve. Just because one can make a feature, doesn't mean they should make a feature as this filmmaker just isn't ready for primetime.

Most importantly, I like one thing in my zombie filmss and there just weren't enough zombielove in this for me. A lot of people sitting around talking about zombies though.

Keep shooting as you'll only get better with more practical experience. I look forward to seeing that growth.

[DVW5150]

Assumptions can change how a movie affects outcome, Ill be honest, I had no expectations about graphic quality .
The green lighting was abit much , the begining in black & white to color was good. I like choclate syrup...
When the characters were inside wherever they were, it would've amped the tension with some sounds from outside of where they were. Sirens, distant crashing , lights flicker.An occasional foley of zed moans .
For an outlaw movie, it shows Mr. Eveneshen has more than potential.
I must say, some of the acting was not convincing enough.:|
Good writing & hard work pays off big I hope for all involved.:skull.

All in all , worth your time to see ; how GAR has inspired some cool young film-makers.:skull:

[CSZ]

I did find myself laughing at how cheesy it was. At first I was laughing with it but then after about 20 minutes I got the feeling that the film maker wasn't trying to make me laugh. So I started laughing at it then I started to get pissed the name NOTLD was used for this film. I think if you wold of went with a return of the living dead approach you wold of had something. It was bad acting,editing and dialogue If you turned it up to realy bad it wold of been good. I liked the line...Did you get his name...No he bit me! ..Now That was funny!

[ngm231]

now not that a 14 year olds opinion matters... but i f***ing loved it. i was expecting to see somthing along the lines of changing just a few of the charecters and scenarios around, but the first ten minutes of the film threw me for a loop. aside from a few zombie tards everything else seemed very well done.

i don't know if im correct but i think the guy in the yellow shirt who got eaten was from survivors.

Loved the film and am buying a copy of the dvd.

A+
sincerely,
Nick M.

[capncnut]

All in all, worth your time to see; how GAR has inspired some cool young film-makers.:skull:


i f***ing loved it. i was expecting to see somthing along the lines of changing just a few of the charecters and scenarios around, but the first ten minutes of the film threw me for a loop. aside from a few zombie tards everything else seemed very well done.
There you go, two people that know their s**t as opposed to speaking it. :lol:

[DjfunkmasterG]

Ok here are my thoughts...

I like Reese's escalation and I had my reservations about Night of the Living Dead, but I am with the people who like it. My biggest pet peeve is the TV news reports, they made the film seem way too amatuer and thats the biggest problem with the movie. I thought the character interaction was good, however, I did feel his buddy used the word cocksucker way to much, to the point it got annoying, but the movie had me feeling the Heeby Jeebies while watching it.

Now I know Reese had less of a budget than I did for my flick, but I felt he did very well, and I would be proud to have this in my zombie collection.

Night of the Living Dead 07 is one of the best no budget indie zombie films I have watched. The sad thing is people will tear it to shreds because of the title, and not give the film the chance it deserves, and that is a fcuking shame because this is a very watchable film.... Hopefully though they can look past the cheesy TV segments which I feel are the lowest point of the film.

:D :D :D :D out of :D :D :D :D :D

[MinionZombie]

Howdy folks, I checked it out this avo, and you'd better throw me on the "loves Night 2007" fire. :cool::)

Yeah, the news report bits were the weakest link in the chain for me too, they did pull me out of it when they cropped up, but that was basically the only flaw worth noting. Anything else is just the usual things you learn to polish as you continue filmmaking, the sort of things the filmmaker themselves will have already spotting when editing or sooner, so I won't bother talking about that stuff (which is only a minor issue anyway).

Onto the good and great stuff - I was quite impressed by how well you did at the acting gig, Reese, some of the lines were quite complex (I know I'd have been struggling big time), but some of the exchanges were rather spiffing - and actually quite funny (especially the exchange near the end with the girl/lady/young woman (pick your term of preference :)).

The final chunk of the film was my favourite part...

I thought the exchange between Reese's character and his lady friend was rather good, and actually quite funny too, but it didn't detract from the drama of the moment either...and my all-time favourite part - suicide via garden trowel to the face - F*CKING GENIUS.

This felt like a proper remake/reimagining. It took key aspects and reorganised them completely, such as Barbara, or certain aspects of the story, and transplanted them into a new story - that's how a remake is supposed to work, so I give props and respect for that.

It was also quite dark at times, which I really enjoyed...

Such as that psycho woman who baseball-bats Reese's mate on the noggin' so she can feed her zombified husband - gloriously devious and I also liked how that plot thread was left hanging, the thought of possibly more innocent victims falling into her web was a nice possible suggestion when you're done viewing and have time to mull it over.

All-in-all, a solid no-budget indie zombie fest, lots of fun, well made and enjoyable...*mental hugs* :p:):thumbsup:

[Debbieangel]

I know I am known to give encouragement and not put anybody's work down but, I have to say I really do feel Reese has soo much potential and this film was well done.
The dialogue between the characters was excellent it kept ya interested in what was going on even when zombies werent on the screen.
The only thing I didnt care for was the newscast,for me it the pic wasnt too clear but, other than that ...
I for one think you did a good job Reese and your cast and crew!!!:)

[B. Brown]

I'm going to give this an 8 / 10 ... 10 being as good as the original NOTLD.


Pros:
1. The acting was great by everyone, with the exception of the crazy man in the community center who had the mop obsession. It was good to see he was punished for that, though, later on. :lol:

2. Continuity and Flow: The film was very stable as far as the plot went... and it flows very nicely.

3. Color Grading: Interesting use of colors in this movie, from that greenish horror tint, to the black and white.

4. Satisfying: It was overall a very enjoyable film to watch; it definitely made my Friday night exciting. There wasn't any crazy BS in it either- military heroes didn't show up to save everyone, and there weren't any retrofitted buses with plows on them.

5. Footage: Awesome camera work, overall, and the audio was done well.

6. The Romero Factor: The film wasn't exactly terrifying, but that's what gave it the Romero trait. NOTLD, DOTD, DOTD, and LOTD weren't exactly horrifying films, but had interesting meanings to them all... which is the case for this film.


Cons:

1. Low amount of zombie action. I would have liked to see more.

2. Unnecessary F-bombs. This is minor though... not something that really bothered me too much.

3. I could have gone for more gore, but that's just me.

4. Nudity. Where's it at!!!??? ....





............. what?

:lol: :lol: :lol: Just kidding, of course.


Overall, excellent job to you and your team, Reese.

Two thumbs up for this movie. :D

[Klaang]

I really liked the film, I think you have done an excellent job on it. I think it is interesting to see a new take on the story with many comparisons to the original.

Well done.

-Klaang

[Tofu]

4/5. Call me a NOTLD 07 fan.

I thought the acting was better-than-average overall, and excellent in certain parts, especially from Reese. You really should give yourself an acting credit, dude; you obviously busted hump on this picture, and acting goes right along with that. :)

I thought the green coloring was a little much at first, but after the first few minutes, it simply becomes part of the picture, and in fact helps contribute to the claustrophobic feel that I think was the intention here.

I for one was not disappointed, but actually glad there wasn't an overload of zombie action. Just a little bit peppered here and there. It made what we did see worth it, and was classic Romero.

I didn't have much of a problem with the language; it maybe seems excessive at first, but really, if you're surrounded by a bunch of angry flesh-eating mofos, who wouldn't be dropping the "F" bomb every other word? I would. :lol:

I did have a few issues with the flick. As has been mentioned before, the newscasts felt really amateur, especially compared to the almost professional execution of the rest of the film. It really felt out of place. It might seem revisionist, but personally, if it were my film, I'd go back and reshoot/re-edit those parts before going to DVD.

The rest were really minor, and as MinionZombie said, the kind of stuff that every developing filmmaker will notice and learn. There were a few minor audio issues, and in particular, one case where the shot composition didn't quite feel right -- a conversation between John and Mick. I can't remember exactly where, but I do remember it was before they got John's arm disinfected in the bathroom. There was something about the way each character was facing off-camera, and the angle at which they were shot, that made it feel like they were not talking to each other, but each to a wall and had been edited together.

But again, that's all minor stuff. Overall, a great effort, and definitely a new addition to my DVD collection once it's released. Great stuff, and congrats! :thumbsup:

[livingdeadboy]

thanks to all of you who are watching and writing reviews, getting a better response then I thought.

[Danny]

like multineer i aint one to sugar coat my views (sprays the mz reppellent to ward him off, so he just lurks by the fence yelling "jaded mother****er!":lol: ).


anway, onto the review. MAJOR SPOILERS!!!



when i first heard about the project i wasnt exactly that excited, though i wasnt going "oh not another frikkin remake" either , though night is my least favrouite of the films ,mostly becuase ive seen it so much i can probably recite the script from memory. So i wasnt expecting anything spectacular or anything to crap, i whent onto google video expecting an average type movie, and to be honest an average movie is kinda what i got, though thats not saying its bad, just nothing that i can see becoming "cult" in the foreseeable future.
whilst it was nice to see the idea redone rather than just remade, which i think theres still 2 or 3 in the works right now:rolleyes: , it seemed more akin to deadlands than night pace wise, romero famously revelaed his movie monster within the first 10 minutes of the movie but any real zombie action only occured in here around 25 to 30 mins into the hour long feature which shows the pacing could have been sped up a little to be inkeeping with the george romero vibe.
the script was well written, despite the obvious limitations that come with no budget filmmaking, as was the action, when action scenes occur they give the right level of frantic pace to the scene but the overall colour sceme of the scenes and camera work meant, even when outside, the mise-en-scene of the feature felt very claustrophobic, like the camera was set to half zoom by accident, the choic of camera angles was a little basic, but again totally forgivable, the one major fault visually was the editing faults.
a few exampels of this are when to people are having a dialogue but are being filmed on seperate cameras, it is very obvious that they are talking and stopping and moving the camera and starting again rather than just setting up two camcorders and have then talk that way, there was minute second delays that made the dialogue seem a little rushed, though that means the director makes good use of 'clerks' style 5 minute one shots for monologues, which really gets around this.
the biggest problems with this film that really dragged it down a little in my book were the unfortunate continuity errors, most prelavent during the final scene with his ...i think love interest but i cannot be sure, they both spit up blood but when the camera cuts away to them adn then returns the blood is either instantly dry or not there at all, now little touches like that may not seem like much but if they were that abviously noticable then it will slightly impede the viewing experience.
script wise the biggest fault was the lead character being given all the choice dialogue, i mean its understandable to make your protagonist stand out but even the bastards of the piece need a few emorable lines, which they were sadly lacking here. The tv segments seemed far more ammetureish than the rest of the film and really broke the reality of the piece so you stopped being drawn in and whent back to thinking "this is just a movie", that i would have improved upon myself.
From a fan view however my biggest letdown was at the end were , after the venus probe type things at the start , which appeared the director was using the romero rule of not giving away the cause he states indefinatly at the end that it is a virus, so the film is filled with more than 2 "someone got bitten and is dying" characters, in my opinion this is a sub par plot device that is now expected from the genre and can be used purely as a safe fall back for a lack of plot development, though thats just my view as a horror fan, that shouldnt be taken to say anything about the calibre of the film itself.
On the plus side, with zero budget the director has created an excellent homage to the godfather of the zombie subgenre of horror which, whilst nothing to memorable is still very entertaining for a fan of these types of films which i can recommend viewing if only for the experience of seeing a film which you can tell was made by a fan for the fans, rather than for the cred's.

whilst dragging with a slightly stale plot i found this film to be an entertaining way to spend an hour, sure you may not be urged to review it many times over but its still above the likes of redneck zombies and vampires vs zombies so i can recommend it.

my view, 6 skulls out of ten.

:skull: :skull: :skull: :skull: :skull: :skull:

[livingdeadboy]

thanks for the review Hellsing, and thanks for actually pointing out what could stand to be fixed without being crude or vacuous about it . Every movie we make we try to improve something, so those comments go along way. Same goes will all the other helpful reviews.

[Mutineer]

like multineer i aint one to sugar coat my views


The problem that usually stems from 'forum users films' is that they don't want to hear or see critiques that may be harsh (not suggesting LDB is reacting this way, he is not); yet no one, including these budding filmmakers, has a problem with trouncing on other films that are in release, calling them trash, a waste of time, the director is a hack; etc ...

My commentaries are not personal, but merely a subjective opinion. I expect a lot more from todays filmmakers and the technology and wisdom available and if I don't see it, I'll let them know.

I'm an amatuer filmmaker myself and think everything I have ever done is **** despite the mixed reviews I have gotten. So, don't take it personal.

If you can't handle negative critiques in a forum of your own peers, then what are you going to do when your films make it into the real world where'll they tear you to shreds ?

-

LDBoy

My review was fiull of some helpful future advice (or even on a Re-Cut) of your film. If you don't want to hear from me then at least Google it:

Split Edit

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/split_edit.html

180 Degree Rule

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_degree_rule

-

I prefer a community of peers that are honest yet helpful. :) I wasn't kidding when I said making a feature is a daunting task; wow. I do commend you for getting it done.

[livingdeadboy]

oh dont worry Mutineer, my comment to Hellsing was in no way shying away from your review, I do appreciate your review and helpful pointers.

My comment on being crude and vacuous comes from another zombie forum where the reviews are far from helpful and more of a borderline tear down session...however I suppose everyone is entitled to their views. And I will be the first to admit that there are many flaws that could have been avoided in Night '07.

[JohnoftheDead]

I'm gonna watch this sometime this week, I didn't know it was available to watch online.

[capncnut]

You need to hurry then, I think it's only up for a week or two max.

[Yorkie]

I watched this the other night and I thought it was great to say it was made on a low budget which really didn't show it kept my interest all the way through. I really didn't know what to expect but was glad I had put time aside to watch it. :)

[JohnoftheDead]

Holy Crap! This is the worst Z-movie I've ever seen! This is even worse than those direct to cable return of the living dead movies last year! HAH! I don't mean to be mean, but did anyone else actually watch this "film"? The time has come to stop being nice to people just cuz they're members here. Now I know I'm new to posting here, & this thread may get me banned, but this movie is just awful. I didn't make it half an hour in without wanting to go watch The Notebook or something a little more my speed(please detect the sarcasm). I'm really pissed that I just wasted that much time of my life. Come on people, you can't be serious?

[capncnut]

Now I know I'm new to posting here, & this thread may get me banned, but this movie is just awful... Come on people, you can't be serious?
But you just had to carry on right? :rolleyes:

You're in the minority dude. Not all of us expect $1,000,000,000 worth of bells and whistles when watching a movie. Worst Z List movie ever? No, you can't be serious? Hatchet merchant.

[Mutineer]

Holy Crap! This is the worst Z-movie I've ever seen! This is even worse than those direct to cable return of the living dead movies last year! HAH! I don't mean to be mean, but did anyone else actually watch this "film"? The time has come to stop being nice to people just cuz they're members here. Now I know I'm new to posting here, & this thread may get me banned, but this movie is just awful. I didn't make it half an hour in without wanting to go watch The Notebook or something a little more my speed(please detect the sarcasm). I'm really pissed that I just wasted that much time of my life. Come on people, you can't be serious?

I agree.


But you just had to carry on right? :rolleyes:

You're in the minority dude. Not all of us expect $1,000,000,000 worth of bells and whistles when watching a movie. Worst Z List movie ever? No, you can't be serious? Hatchet merchant.

Who said anything about millions of dollars worth of bells and whistles ? The movie is bad and the filmmaker has no idea what he is doing. My review lists just a few of the problems with it.

Is it the worst ever ? No, no, no. I've seen much worse but it's on the low end of the bad spectrum. Hopefully the filmmaker will grow as he continues to make films, but he's going to have to study and learn. I'd recut it myself; the use of Split Edits would tremendously help on a recut.

Even in listing some minor problems the filmmaker has not once inquired or responded to it. Maybe he is Googling it, I don't know. I thin kthe community should support their fellow filmmakers but definately not coddle.

The script was bad. Just blah blah blah blah between talking heads and cell phones. Exposition overload.

A zombie film with nary a zombie; almost.

-

[livingdeadboy]

Here is my opinion on all of this, and this is no way meant to be an attack on anyones reviews, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

From the get go of this little project, I wanted to do something like the original. In the original, its a nitty gritty film, the editing isn't that great, continuity problems, lighting problems...scratches here and there, not a big zombie action opus, and lots of talking, lots of radio and tv reports. But still fun to watch, its not perfect by any means. And that is exactly what I wanted to do, was just go back and do what they did. Obviously this was not the best route to take.

While I understand there are still some technical errors with the movie, I assure you a good chunk of them are done on purpose. I really wanted people to not have to look for a great looking glossed over big budget looking project, cause thats not what the original was. Yeah I wrote a lot of chatter, I am sucker for chatter. And yeah its not a gore fest, it was never meant to be. Some shots are done with cheesey zooms and hand held movement and zero framing... ala. the original. This is all this was folks, just good ol' fun...however the problem these days is that I guess it just cant be done anymore.

You want lighting, we know how to light, watch the One Bad Day teaser if you want, its lit...hell even Escalation had some lighting here and there. I just didnt want to do what everybody else would do approaching this movie, lots of gore, lots of zombies...cause its been done to death...and I personallly thought that it would be a cool change of pace.

So to those who enjoyed it, glad you did :) And to those who didnt, I am really sorry that you feel that way, and that you feel your time was wasted.

Anywho, regardless, we made it, people saw it, its done and there it is.

[CrazyCortez]

Well I just saw the movie, it was OK. But I cant see how this is a remake, not much of the original pieces where in it ;p Some negative points for me where the talking parts between where was told what happend almost and the news. Also i know it was low budget, but the effects should be better, like when zombies eat. :P

Apart from that the movie was nice, but you are a long way from the Romero status ;)

good job!

[bassman]

There's always that group of people that call your work crap just so they stand out and be noticed.:rolleyes:

[ngm231]

There's always that group of people that call your work crap just so they stand out and be noticed.:rolleyes:

im gonna have to agree with you there, hell most people are probably bitching just to bitch.

[capncnut]

Yeah NGM, it gets on my tits to be honest. :mad:

[B. Brown]

You win some, you lose some.

With these reviews, it looks like you won most of them. ;)

[capncnut]

You know what, that post just put a smile on my boat race. Too true man...

[kortick]

it was good reese

you stated your intentions from the beginning
that this was done for enjoyment and not for
any other reason

people who didnt understand that wouldnt get your vision

those that do understand your motivation
which you made clear from the very start
are able to enjoy the film

you did a good job

[Mutineer]

There's always that group of people that call your work crap just so they stand out and be noticed.:rolleyes:

I never understand these types of remarks.

IF someone does not like a film they are trying to stand out ? I don't get that, unless it is simply the mind of a 14 year old at work. I thought his film was less than subpar;

NO ****ING OFFENSE :rolleyes: :confused:

It is a subjective opinion. I expect bars to be raised amongst the aspiring filmmakers and this one lowered it.

-

If a director states their intent, then the film can be enjoyed ? A viewer has to get it ? This is the secret for filmmakers ? Just state you intent ?

-

If your comments are directed at my negative critique of the film then by al means say it (and blow me while your at it:D :bored: ) . I took the time to watch it and I wrote a review with more than few sentences. I stated why I did not like it and offered some constructive tips for the next go around.

-

And you guys are gonna make stupid remarks about people trying to get attention ot just not getting it ?

-

:rolleyes: :dead:

I'll say what I've already mentioned; if yall thought this was good, then you're too easy. Your standards must be really effin low. :lol:

[kortick]

actually mutineer
nobody really cares if you like it or not

knowing about the persons vision
and the fact that it wasnt made to impress anyone
should change anyones expectaion of the film

you didnt like it
fine

no big deal
none at all

[bassman]

I don't remember it being directed at anyone in particular. No need to throw cheap insults.

[Mutineer]

actually mutineer
nobody really cares if you like it or not

knowing about the persons vision
and the fact that it wasnt made to impress anyone
should change anyones expectaion of the film

you didnt like it
fine

no big deal
none at all

Don't try so hard.

No one cares ? I presume you speak for the entire community. Perhaps you don't care; but then why reply ?

I am sure if I said 'That film was rad!' everyone would be happy. :rolleyes: Like I said, in time, you'll see I am consistent with my honest reviews. But I appreciate your open acceptance of others opinions and your class.


I don't remember it being directed at anyone in particular. No need to throw cheap insults.

No cheap insults; but when only 2 people say a negative remark about the film; the power of deduction is pretty simple

But if not directed at me; I'm still speaking out against that kind of rationale. Someone doesn't like the film; that's their deal. It probably isn't an attempt to get notcied

I'm not taking it personal for those that are upset I made a bad review. It is what it is.

-

Anyways; I suppose I've said my peace on the thread.

[kortick]

you should read before you post

i quite clearly stated he didnt make this movie for any other reason
but for it to be a fun project for himself

he didnt care if anyone liked it
not me not you not anyone

why dont you read things before you post?

[Danny]

remember when this was a thread for reviews about reeses movie:rolleyes:

[kortick]

it is hellsing

he said he didnt like the movie
and it is ok

i am just trying to point out to him that this was a fun project for reese

nobody likes everything

and really if he doesnt like the movie it is completely fine
i am not angered by it

but keep in mind he made this as fun
dont put so much weight on it
cuz reese didnt

mutineer is more than entitled to his opinion

i would never say he shouldnt say what he feels

i dont have that right by any means

[MinionZombie]

Exactly, this thread is for reviews, not in-fighting (which, if it must be continued, is better in private so not everyone has to see it). So kindly return to review-related chit-chat, I'm sure Reese would appreciate that more. :)

[capncnut]

Actually, shouldn't this be merged with the 'important' Night 07 review thread?

[livingdead7]

Well, I left this board, at least from regular posting, as a result of harrassment over a difference of opinion from more than a few other people here. Well I come back from time to time, as I jsut can't stay away. I've been a fan of this site sinc eit's very early days, and I always will be...just not the forums. I just finished watching this movie and, yeah, it's beena whole week since anyone posted a review, but I'll post one anyway, to show my appreciation to the maker of this film.

To start...I liked it. I did, however, think there were a few things that could have been improved, even for an amateur film. I'll go over my main points.

1) The zombies. These didn't even look like zombies. I understand someone who was bitten on the arm with a shirt on and came back as a zombie wouldnt exactly look like a zombie right off, but all the other zombies were the same way. There just wasn't any makeup effects as far as the zombies go.

2) Acting. I thought the acting was par for an amateur movie. Some of the actors in this film were better than others. Some weren't bad at all, while others weren't that good. Let's just remember that this is AMATEUR work, so to expect above average acting is asking for dissapointment.

3) Plot. Simple, well told, and to the point. I was a little dissapointed at the long indoor scenes such as all the time spent in the hall with no zombies. A zombie flick needs lots of scenes where fighting the cadavers takes place.

Well, in school style grading I give it a C. 2 out of 5 stars...but for amateur work..thats a good mark. It was well worth the time to watch, and I hope they continue to make amateur movies. I always wanted to be a part of something like this...to be a part of a group making amateur zombie flicks. I've always had good ideas, but never had the means. I'm just glad these people do what I cannot. Good job, and keep up the good work.

[JohnoftheDead]

I REALLY wasn't just trying to get noticed. I'm in my 30's, I'm long past that, if I ever was there. I'm also to that age where I hate to waste my time with bad films, because there are alot of them, & I've wasted my time on alot of them, but this one was by far the worst. I honestly think that the worst part of this movie was juat BAD, BAD, BAD dialogue. I felt like I was watching a little kid 99 percent of the time, you know how you'll here kids swearing around eachother as if just looking for a reason to throw in a swear in any possible place they can? Well here it is, it's all so contrived, & forced. I've had this problem with other movies & alot of music. Also, it just comes down to asking yourself while watching a film, "is there anything at all I'm enjoying about this film, to actually make me sit here any longer?" For me, the answer to that question was no. Maybe I went about posting entirely wrong the first time, but I did it, so what & it's over now. Also, the fact that a section is here to review the film, & the fact that the film was posted online for us to view, completely contradicts anyone saying that the filmmaker doesn't care what anyone else thinks of this film.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Dude, relax and don't get your panties in a bunch. :)

[livingdead7]

Thats one of the reasons I stopped posting here a while back, John...I didnt agree with a few people, but in my case it went beyond being put down on a message board. Things were said that proved the other parties cowardice.

Anyway..I do agree with you, John. I felt the same way about the dialogue at times. It wasnt a very good movie, but for an amateur film, it wasn't all that bad.

[Cody]

we need a hug and make up smiley

[Regressive]

Alright, I'll give you something to read..

So.. I was browsing around bored when I decided to make a visit to HPOTD just to see if there'd been any more f'ing remakes :mad: put out recently that I could exclaim explatives about to myself and my friends. One more heartless, spineless, thoughtless piece of s*** that completely misses the point of what makes a good zombie movie. Low and behold, here YOU are. Immediately I started rolling my eyes.

So here's the part where I slowly make that transition to telling you I was actually pretty impressed. I hate being so predictable but yes, I'm impressed. I've gone through my seeking every zombie film imaginable period. I've seen Redneck Zombies and countless others. I've seen BAD zombie movies. This is not bad in my opinion. It may be flawed from a budget and time standpoint. There are things I would have done differently. And hey if my own ideas were implemented, who knows, the movie could have been a giant s***load worse than it was. It's YOUR vision, and because of specific key elements, I respect the hell out of this movie.

I feel that dogging the obvious flaws is just pointless here because no doubt, it's your work, you want to defend it obviously but you also are going to be far more critical of yourself than anyone else could ever be. Almost every artist I like can't even stand their own work. I'm the same way. Not saying that you don't like how this turned out, but you're certainly AWARE of the problems. Let's just get past all that bull****.

If you're going to do a revisioned remake, I believe, this is how it should be done. I was only speaking a week ago to a friend of mine regarding the first three Romero zombie movies. We were talking about how the time period it was released in itself IS a character in Night, Dawn, & Day. That's the way it is with any classic movie. Everything comes together almost by some cosmic force. Anything that will last, regardless of the art form, anything that will one day be referred to as a classic will be a product of it's time and the sum of it's parts almost on a subconscious level. The problem with remakes, sequels, a TV show going past 4 seasons (yes, there are exceptions), etc is that you're there trying to get back the magic from something that already happened. It's wrong, it's gone, stop it.

This idea carries over to a ****load of things..music too..it's why we have has-beens. It's why the 60/70-year old members of the Rolling Stones still touring make you want to vomit. If they had any luck at all they would have been killed in their prime like Hendrix, Morrison, Joplin, etc. I could be shredded for this, who gives a ****, but it's why I think Land Of The Dead should never have been made. I thought that movie was **** because it seemed to try to reach too hard for something that every fan was already fully aware of BECAUSE IT ALREADY HAPPENED. There was so much time, so many years for us to analyze the reason these zombie movies worked, that doing it again now, it could never be as good because of the simple fact that we are affected. So is Romero. Any of us making zombie movies now are affected by the specific things we thought really MADE those classic movies, including Romero. More importantly, LotD couldn't work because the majority of the reason it was made was based on fans requesting it. Romero needs to stop, and we all need to appreciate what we have and let it be. This new whatever the **** part 5 sequel garbage he's working on now may have some moments that will make us smile, but it's simply a caricature reaching for something it can see but can't touch. That's my opinion.

If ever any new art is created with the intentions of pleasing fans of a former work, moreso than the artist making an uncompromised vision, it is inherently flawed. When you create for yourself, you make much better work because most fans don't even understand that leaving that world behind gives you the ability to use your imagination. You can wonder what happened to those characters. THAT IS A GOOD THING. What happened to Peter and Fran after they flew off the mall roof in a helicopter with low fuel? Did they crash? Were they eaten? Did Fran have the baby? Did they survive and deal with Flyboy's effeminate demon spawn? Who ****ing knows man, make it up in your head, look at our fiction section, it's awesome!! That being said, again, if you feel you have to retread, then Reese has the right idea.

Getting back to the subject I was initially getting to wayyyyyy up there... I don't care how critical you want to be of this movie, you cannot disregard it HAS significant moments that work. This movie has impact regardless of it's limitations. To write it off as amateur, unwatchable, a complete waste of time? My personal opinion is if you're tearing it down to that extent, then you're up your own ass with the "I don't sugarcoat" vibe. That's fine, that's YOUR personal issue. I KNOW we have rented movies from Blockbuster (wherever you rent from) with far less to appreciate than this movie. Movies with a lot more budget, a lot more time to get things right and a hell of a lot less ****ing heart.

Specifically, I want to emphasize the point where the zombies are smacking the sliding glass door behind the shades and the sister is standing there hearing that. It really isn't very often I get to putting myself back into the shoes of a side character in a horror film because we assume they're going to be dead, we're just waiting to see how. Maybe I can credit the low budget aspects with this feat, but nevertheless it worked. It just worked. The sound of the banging, not seeing behind the blinds, and knowing that glass can only take so much abuse? That's a haunting moment. It made me think as soon as I heard the sound and saw the house setup, "Oh, man that's a ****ty situation.." Not to mention man, these characters are written in a pre-affected zombie fashion. At that point she could think anything was behind that sliding glass door. She was operating under the assumption these could be murdering psychotics. Come to think of it, her TV wasn't working and John wasn't giving her much information so it really could have been anyone or anything beyond. Once again, a key element was not seeing it. Maybe that was a budget limitation, maybe it was cheaper for her not to peek out and get the generic "How well did Reese dress up his zombies, let's check it out" scare. Less was more, and it worked. WE all knew what the hell was behind the shades. We were given the time to be there with her and wonder what we would do in her shoes. Same kind of principle in M. Night Shamalan movies, Signs in particular. Say what you want about him or that movie. Less was more. People complained about the lack of us seeing the alien making it cheap. Does seeing the alien reeeeally make it scary? Does seeing the zombie reeeeally make it scary? Hell no. We know what an alien looks like, we know what a f'ing zombie looks like, that's all a part of the special effects element. If people concentrated on the more important things first, like a STORY and the DYNAMIC of the situation they're faced with, the special effects would carry a lot more weight. Otherwise we're seeing what we expect, and that would bore the **** out of us.

Take 28 Days Later for instance. I don't wanna hear your **** about "not a zombie movie" blah blah blah, whatever kind of reserved hatred you have about that movie or it's sequel, the point is this. For the first time in a LONG time, I was able to stop and think to myself about the situation. You're there with your girlfriend/wife/father/mother/best friend talking about anything. Someone you've known for years, someone whom, before this crisis started, you probably had decided or at least fooled yourself into believing you would die for, should those circumstances present themselves. A decision you may have even considered only because you figured that circumstance never WOULD present itself. This person is suddenly infected by one drop of blood or saliva to their eyes or mouth, and think about how easy that is... and you now have less than 20 seconds to decide to kill them or they are going to rip you to f'ing shreds. You have to realize they are gone, say your goodbyes, and go immediately into survival mode, only hoping you're capable of overpowering them to begin with...all in 20 seconds. THAT is F'ED UP!!

That brings me to my unshaken belief of what makes a good zombie movie. More than any other movie monster, a good zombie movie is about the remaining LIVING PEOPLE. In actuality, we're the monsters. We're the ones who get selfish and careless and stupid, put ourselves in jeopardy and get eaten. We're the ones who talk a great game and then go cowardly and F over everyone else. We're the ones who let the world crumble to s*** because we can't work together positively. Zombie movies done right are introspective engagements at their core. If they're done RIGHT.

So whether or not this movie has it's limitations, and it's retardedly redundant to even point them out given the circumstances, it should be credited with what it got right. There were plenty of other things besides Barb's moment with the shades, but I've written way too much. Even THAT I appreciate because it only shows the movie got me talking. So thank you Reese. Your movie is now a part of my zombie consciousness on a positive level. I assure you that's a feat.

By the way, if you get enough recognition and praise resulting in finance to go back and make tinkering edits on your movie? Sure, mess around a little here and there with the news footage but don't go all George Lucas on it. Some of the charm can be lost. You have a lot to be proud of.

[capncnut]

Interesting review there Regressive, glad to hear you liked it.