LAND OF THE DEAD; Carlisle’s Final Word.

“In a world where the dead are returning to life, the word "trouble" loses much of its meaning.”
Kaufman

 

Script Logic; 1/2

Pace; 1/2

Acting; 1/2

Aesthetic; 1/2

Originality & Intention; 2/2

Score; 6/10

Final Word; I didn’t expect much of this film before I watched it, and perhaps those low expectations led to me enjoying this strange little movie more than I otherwise would have...

Interestingly, the film stays clear of the usual early-days setting of popular zombie fodder and delves into the future- exploring the world that springs up as a result of the walking dead, all be it in a fairly surreal and comic-book sensitivity. Anyone familiar with Romero's work will understand his habbit for using film as a way to explore the trends of society, and with a set-up that includes the rich and wealthy safely living high above, while the poor are forced to survive on ground-level, the subtext here is neither as subtle or suprising as past efforts (that said, it's still enough to boil the blood of working class stiffs such as myself). Another thing worth pointing out is Romero’s obvious sympathies with the zombie population, never more apparent than in this film, where we are treated to something of a ‘zombie renascence’. The cast, including Dennis Hopper’s scenery chewing turn as a ruthless millionaire named Kaufman, deliver hit-and-miss performances, and the way in which the story unfolds is similarly scatter-shot, but the gore (when it arrives) is splatter at its best. Highlights include an arena where criminals are piutted against the undead, and the inevitable zombie attack climax. 

The overall effect is a film that all at once manages to be curiously sweet-natured and a warming tribute to straight-to-video 80’s apocalypse-trash the likes of Mad Max and Cyborg. Nice to finally see a modern horror that’s not driven by excess spite.

 

Also, the keen-eyed amongst you may notice the odd genre-cameo including the 2 chained zombies in the scene above. Any guesses as to who they are?