after work the girls wanted to go to the cheapo movie theater. fine. we can watch whatever you pick, i told them, except i really didn't want to see "kingdom of heaven" again and they were leaning towards that. they were going to call me and let me know what they picked in case i got there late and they already went inside. i was surprised when they picked "land of the dead". didn't think they were up for that sort of thing. fine with me, only i wish i had seen the films inbetween "night of the living dead" and this one. that's ok, just more films to add to my netflix list.

i love "night of the living dead" and the parody piece "night of the living bread" but really can't think of any other zombie film that i like. i just haven't seen too many of them and any that i might have scene was during my own zombie phase so i have forgotten about them. i didn't know what to expect for "land of the dead" since i haven't seen romero's other zombie flicks. i guess i was expecting it to be lame and lame it was not. i think "land of the dead" offers something for everyone who doesn't dislike horror films. it's not about gore and special effects to the hilt. don't get me wrong, there are some great people eating scenes, but this is not about shock value. ignore some of the bad screenwriting choices and there is social commentary. i don't really want to get into it but yeah, horror films can say something. not all are about blood and guts.

i liked the basic setup of the film. the zombies have been running around for years now to the point where living humans have been forced to live in fortified settlements and create special para-military units to search for supplies and protect what's left of the human race. what i love about this setup is that a lot of zombie movies seem to be about the beginnings and this is more like what do you do when zombies run the place? that sort of theme is more common in sci-fi films.

the intro credits are visually gorgeous and a voiceover clues the audience in as to the state of things. it also hypothesizes what were to happen should the zombies evolve from the mindless state that they are in and gain some sort of intelligence. this is where the film really shines as it focuses on one zombie in particular who is making efforts to communicate with other zombies and grow. it is like watching a child develop. but i have a few bones to pick about this as well. he seems to be developing incredibly fast while no other zombies show signs other than mimicking him? what gives?! (except that at the end, none of them give a shit about fireworks anymore--perhaps the hunger is too great when such a feast is so close at hand.) it would've been great to see a couple other zombies also start to put 2 + 2 together. on top of this, the main zombie's movements are almost completely human and his makeup isn't as zombified as the others. is it hinting that various stages of zombification exist or a regression back to human form? i digress. the setup of having one main leader showing signs of development cries to the audience that if you were to eliminate the leader, than humans would be safe again, or as safe as they can be in their settlements.

what really added to the horror film experience to me was the fact that we were seeing it in a cheap theater and there were young kids right behind us who were completely engrossed in the gross scenes. audience participation in horror films is mandatory! you need someone to scream, cringe, shout to the screen, or throw popcorn. something! (think of the "scream" trilogy when the characters go to a screening of 'stab'--now that's a horror audience!) it all adds to the ambiance. plus, girls are squeemish. if you go with a couple girls and you hear them squirm then all the better. the only thing lacking was some munchies of my own. i think that "land of the dead" has returned my interest in horror films.