-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Official Land Of The Dead Thread
- Thread starter Tedesco!
- Start date
- Status
Litigation Manuel
Member
I went in with safe expectations, not too high, but looking to enjoy it. I got what I wanted. The story is probably the best out of all of the movies, it makes the most sense in terms of what the characters do, how they react, and what actions they take. There weren't any moments where you wanted to yell "what the hell are you doing!?" like in Dawn and Night. The gore was brilliant.
The gore was probably the best part. The zombies were not near as scary unfortunately, mostly because of how they were thinking. For some reason, knowing that they're coming to get you is less frightening than knowing you can't avoid them. However, the transition to smarter zombies was done fairly well, not over the top, just right.
Overall, I enjoyed it, probably his best made film with the best looking zombies and best gore, but the characters were less developed than those in other films. I'm yet to see all of Day, but I'm tempted to think it might go above it.
Like how the one guy with the skateboard waiting for the boat got killed by a clown and a little kid! That was awesome! And when all the zombies were clawing at Dead Reckoning and the fingernails scraped off -chills whenever I think of it.
Overall, I enjoyed it, probably his best made film with the best looking zombies and best gore, but the characters were less developed than those in other films. I'm yet to see all of Day, but I'm tempted to think it might go above it.
Ash Housewares
The Mountain Jew
Anyanka said:
it's a ZOMBIE MOVIE!
I don't see how they'd get around
having a mercy kill
with all the screaming he was doing I thought I was watching 'Story of Ricky'
it was pretty good, I liked it, but I had hoped for more, it did have a nice dark ages feel to it though
Virgin Wii
Banned
It was incredible. I'm seriously thinking of placing it at #2 in my rankings, but I'll wait for another viewing.
Who was the good-natured hero in Night? Dawn? Day? Who was the tough chick in Night and Dawn? The mercy kill in Night and Day? You're full of shit.
Anyanka said:
Who was the good-natured hero in Night? Dawn? Day? Who was the tough chick in Night and Dawn? The mercy kill in Night and Day? You're full of shit.
I'm not a zombie movie buff or fanatic, so I had low expectations for the movie to begin with and I was alright with it. I mean, it's a zombie movie, I'm not going to take it very seriously. I have to be in a mood for zombie movies, and they're all pretty much the same, so really, the only thing that bothered me was:
I agree that it was a little too short. I would have liked to see the city life and how the inhabitants go about their things.
How Big Daddy 'learned' constantly. It just seems that it was dumb luck more often than not, and he definitely didn't have that big of a crew at the beginning of the movie.
Also, you would think they would have a switch somewhere near the gates to stop the electric wire, but I guess that makes too much sense.
Also, you would think they would have a switch somewhere near the gates to stop the electric wire, but I guess that makes too much sense.
I agree that it was a little too short. I would have liked to see the city life and how the inhabitants go about their things.
Forgotten_Taco
Member
RE4 vs. SH4 said:
I agree, what the hell? Did you even see his other movies?
That said I was rather unimpressed with Land, maybe it was my own fault, I went in with my own expectations having read little/nothing about the movie.
Ash Housewares
The Mountain Jew
there was one scene that impressed me
it was the lesbian kiss as the zombies approach the city, it distracts you just long enough, JUST FOR A MOMENT, you lose your focus and BAM zombie attack, only startle of the movie that really worked, nice job!
VistraNorrez
Member
fart said:
People have different opinions.
Anyanka said:
Credibility out the window.
You rip on Land for cliches? Dawn04 was a much bigger offender. Did Dawn04 have a midget pimp? No, Land wins by default.
VistraNorrez
Member
TJ Bennett said:
I actually thought it was pretty easy to ignore the social commentary. Other than those two lines, and I found Cholo's more funny than anything, it's not there too much.
The more I think about it, the more I like Land.
There will be an unrated edition out by the end of the year, so far it seems to be 6 minutes longer. Including said scene that was cut out.
PopfulMail
Member
Anyanka said:
Have you no shame?
Uno Ill Nino
Banned
George A Romero is over-fucking-rated. This movie sucked. I don't care if I never see another zombie movie for the rest of my life now. Too many shitty entries into the field the last few years. Shaun of the Dead and House of the Dead are the two worst offenders IMO, with Land of the Dead being 2nd best to last year's Dawn of the Dead remake. Not saying much at all.
Why is LOTD supposed to be so much better than the rest of them? Its not at all. The zombies can THINK this time? Is that why its better? They didn't really think though. I mean they learned how to knock down barriers and poorly use firearms. Big deal. Doesn't change that the characters were 1 dimensional "by the book" horror movie fare or that the main plot was kind of pointless.
Really overhyped. Boring, predictable, and very, very tired now.
Why is LOTD supposed to be so much better than the rest of them? Its not at all. The zombies can THINK this time? Is that why its better? They didn't really think though. I mean they learned how to knock down barriers and poorly use firearms. Big deal. Doesn't change that the characters were 1 dimensional "by the book" horror movie fare or that the main plot was kind of pointless.
Really overhyped. Boring, predictable, and very, very tired now.
VistraNorrez
Member
We all have our own opinions, but I really can't stand the use of the word overrated. Such a garbage copout word. Any that uses it loses such credit with me.
Duck of Death
Member
I saw Land of the Dead last night. It is awesome, probably Romero's best movie.
Duck of Death
Member
For those who have seen the movie, what do you think was the best gore effect?
:lol
I'm thinking the backlit hand getting torn in half or when the zombie has his hand in some guys mouth and pulls out his throat/tongue/DEAR GOD WTF WAS THAT!?
VistraNorrez
Member
Best gore:
Any head shot were parts of the head were shot off. Also intestines are always welcome.
PopfulMail
Member
Uno Ill Nino said:
Demi!! ATTACK!!!
Anyway...favorite gore scene...
probably the hand in the mouth, but damn if those finger nails breaking off on the side of Dead Reckoning wasn't some painful shit.
TJ Bennett
TJ Hooker
Favorite gore scene would have to be the "headless" zombie bit. Not so much for the gore but just for the shock of it all. For a second I thought Romero was changing the rules of zombies on us.
On another note, I'm glad to hear the DVD will be at least 6 mins longer but it could use a lot more than that. I want more stuff on the characters dammit.
On another note, I'm glad to hear the DVD will be at least 6 mins longer but it could use a lot more than that. I want more stuff on the characters dammit.
VistraNorrez
Member
Ecrofirt said:
"You can tell I'm Ray Romano, just look at me and you can tell I'm Ray Romano."
The first time I saw him onscreen, I couldn't stop thinking about how much he reminded me of Ray. The mannerisms and everything just made me think of him.
Now that you mention it yea, he does.
Oh and another one of my favorite gore parts was
When Riley was climbing up the Dead Reckoning and he kicks the zombie in the face and it crumbles off. It was a really nice touch that showed the decay. Also I love Cholo's first headshot on the garbage zombie. I hear that on the DVD a zombie rips someone's face off, starting from the upper lip. That could be classic.
Ned Flanders
Banned
Firstly, I'm not a big zombie-flick afficianado. I've seen some movies in the genre before, but which ones they were and the details therein are lost in the shuffle of my memory (I remember one with a mall and a chopper escape etc that seemed like pretty good cinema) outside of the Dawn remake from last year. I'm not a big fan of camp or lampooning in these films unless its done with minimal setup and a focus on the irony. The compelling thing for me is the proposed reality of the zombie scenario...the "what if" so to speak. What would happen if you woke up one day and a zombie outbreak were underway etc. I thought the Dawn film from last year did a pretty good job of illustrating that scenario, at least at the outset.
Land of the Dead had a spectacular premise that was really compelling to me. The concept of the fortified city with the zombies locked outside, the rich and aloof occupying the tower while the others remained in and around street level..all sounds cool to me. I wanted to see how people lived in this potential future and how they managed the zombie threat.
But the movie came up far short IMO. For one, it immediately got off to the wrong kind of start for me personally.
A moronic concept to be sure.
The camp, particularly the
, definitely turned me against the film, and some of the one-liners fell flat. Dennis Hoppers dosages must have wavered greatly throughout the course of the film, because it seemed as though he was Oscar-Hopper for moments and then a scene or 2 later was "soon to be starring in the next Leprechaun film"-Hopper without warning. The humor was just uneven and for a premise that seemed to take itself so seriously, some of it was just silly. I could accept things like
because those are plausible circumstances that just happen to be funny...but
Get fucked. LAY-MUH.
I thought the plot had potential and the characters were pretty decent despite the understandable cliches...Riley and Cholo were compelling enough, and the scarface guy made a workable sidekick without being too gimmicky. I agree with whoever said that they seemed underdeveloped, and there was very little insight into Hoppers character. I don't even think they needed a longer movie to do them more justice, I just think they needed less of the boring
The movie just really fell flat during the period that it should have been most interesting. I also wish there would have been a little more attention paid to the commoners dwellings and how they lived in the city. It seemed like they had one city block available for all the scenes involving the commoners.
I liked some of the devices/concepts they used with regard to the whole "zombie future" situation a lot.
I wish they had expounded upon the isolation of the city a little more, or the country in general as to whether or not this was one of many strongholds or one of the few
I really loved the cuts of the forest when they were driving around, with zombies stalking among the mist-laden trees. Scary shit. I'm not the biggest fan of gore, but I gotta give them credit for some truly creative gore in this one. It just ain't a zombie movie without a good
or several creative
.
Overall the movie had almost all the correct trappings, a good cast, some interesting characters and a serviceable concept/plot, but it didn't do the concept justice IMO. I thought a little more consideration into the
, and a little tighter action would have more than made up for some of the other middling aspects. But as it is, the setting/trappings, Leguizamo, the gore, and some decent exposition were about all the movie had going for it. And sadly this movie confirmed for me that Asia Argento's hottest days are behind her. She's clearly not as voluptuous as she once was and in all looks more like a tired whore than the comely vixen. I don't even think a directors cut could save this movie from mediocrity, but I don't think it could hurt either. Dollar cinema material for sure. George you let me down..
Land of the Dead had a spectacular premise that was really compelling to me. The concept of the fortified city with the zombies locked outside, the rich and aloof occupying the tower while the others remained in and around street level..all sounds cool to me. I wanted to see how people lived in this potential future and how they managed the zombie threat.
But the movie came up far short IMO. For one, it immediately got off to the wrong kind of start for me personally.
The evolving zombies simulating occupations, hobbies and relationships seemed completely fucking assanine to me. I can understand if they're evolving in the sense that they're making trial-and-error connections (a la "They don't come around [the electric fence] anymore") or perhaps stalking with more cunning, but PLAYING THE TUBA?? PUMPING GAS?? The point of being a zombie is that you've lost your humanity..your ability to fulfill life roles specific to that of human beings. These zombies, particularly "Big Daddy" (the name of the leader, I surmise from the thread) were simply flesh-lusting Frankensteins..dumbed down humans who happened to need to feast on the flesh of the living. To me, thats not a zombie, and thats not the "evolution" I would have supposed was implied in the pre-movie hype/previews. I hated how Big Daddy reacted emotionally to the zombies being killed as though they were second class citizens. They're zombies for Christ sake..devoid of life and motivated strictly by bloodlust. What do they care if one of their own is slain?
The camp, particularly the
evolution-related camp
the zombie getting tangled in the table umbrella, the soldier falling on his grenade (even the zombie photo booth etc was ok with me)
the dangle-headed zombie chomp (please explain how this is anatomically possible), or the zombie with the tamborine?
I thought the plot had potential and the characters were pretty decent despite the understandable cliches...Riley and Cholo were compelling enough, and the scarface guy made a workable sidekick without being too gimmicky. I agree with whoever said that they seemed underdeveloped, and there was very little insight into Hoppers character. I don't even think they needed a longer movie to do them more justice, I just think they needed less of the boring
"lets go get Dead Reckoning" driving/lumbering around.
I liked some of the devices/concepts they used with regard to the whole "zombie future" situation a lot.
The "skyflowers" were cool for distracting the zombies, and I liked how there was a black market for things that were highly coveted. Zombie target practice was also cool and seemed like something that the fringe of society would indulge themselves in given their hatred for their zombie stalkers.
(the Cleveland reference at the end helped a little).
live-disembowelment scene
decapitations
Overall the movie had almost all the correct trappings, a good cast, some interesting characters and a serviceable concept/plot, but it didn't do the concept justice IMO. I thought a little more consideration into the
zombie evolution (and what actualy makes a zombie different from a live human being)
Ash Housewares
The Mountain Jew
Duck of Death said:
I liked the zombie priest, the
hand in mouth stuff was in Day so, seen it before, Day also had nice tearing of people's screaming heads off
SlickWilly223
Time ta STEP IT UP
I went to this movie tripping balls and I laughed my ass off.
was fucking hilarious. So random and unnecessary that I couldn't help but love it.
I laughed for 10 minutes straight.
That part where the zombie cuts off the arm of a soldier carrying a grenade, upon which he falls on and blows up
I laughed for 10 minutes straight.
Virgin Wii
Banned
Ned Flanders said:
This has been a theme in the "Dead" trilogy ever since Dawn of the Dead. In that movie, zombies return to the shopping mall, not because they know live people are inside, but because they have so many comforting memories of the place. In Day of the Dead, Bub learns how to control a walkman, shave, and use a gun. The implication that zombies are us is even made in the first film, with the zombies using tools (moreso than the following two movies, even). The human element is what makes them different from some emotionless killing machine from the beyond. Anything but moronic; I had chills going down my spine throughout the opening scene. They remember being human, and they want to do the things they did in life, but they don't have the capacity for it - they're dead.
Since the zombies are remnants of humans, they're also social creatures. Big Daddy was upset because his neighbors were getting killed off by raiders making the rounds every month of so. It seems that the zombies there were pretty stationary and not roaming the country looking for flesh; it's been at least 3 years since the zombie apocalypse happened, and Big Daddy is still at the gas station he worked at in life. I think that group of zombies in particular were more sensitive in being reminded of their former life, similar to how communities of humans can form their own ideologies. Obviously, Big Daddy was more intelligent than the others. He saw outsiders coming in to steal their possessions, kill a few of them off, then return from wherever they came from, and he got pissed.
RE4 vs. SH4 said:
Thank you for posting this. Every premise in the move is an extension of the original trilogy - the continuation of the zombie "development", the fortification of the city and social commentary - the works. It's entirely consistant with the word Romero created.
I just came back from seeing it, and while it wasn't a terrible movie, it was a far cry from Romero's early work. It disappointed me that he sacrificed the character development and story in order to meet the demands on the current modern, hip, action times. The premise and setting is great but then we're rushed through the whole thing and given machine gun fire every so often as filler that it gets boring. And don't even get me started on the ending. Some folks say the ending to Day of the Dead was bad, but this is 10 times worst.
That's not to say that I enjoyed some moments, like
and the beginning of the movie when
but the rest was lacking. Oh well, at least the gore really delivered, and in spades.
That's not to say that I enjoyed some moments, like
the clown zombie attacking that Mouse guy
we see this little zombie eutopia and all of them going on with their daily routines
Cerebral Palsy
Banned
I'm not reading the whole thread... But it seemed like Romero said, "Well, we're out of money so lets end the movie here." The ending came out of nowhere and was so uneventful. I also wanted Hopper to die in a more original way.
I thought LotD sucked. The people I went with liked it for what it was, but seemed to still agree with me. I think they were giving it a free pass just because it is hard to make a decent zombie flick. Shaun of the Dead still pwns everything else.
I thought LotD sucked. The people I went with liked it for what it was, but seemed to still agree with me. I think they were giving it a free pass just because it is hard to make a decent zombie flick. Shaun of the Dead still pwns everything else.
The movie was complete trash. You guys have seen my posts about zombie movies. I've seen them all. I have a dedicated zombie movies section on my dvd shelves
The movie, just as an action movie, WAS HORRIBLE
The movie, as a horror movie, WAS TERRIBLE
The movie, has a follow up to the trilogy, IS A TRAGEDY
Nothing worked. NOTHING. There was no sense of urgency. What made the original movies work were that people, even if they werent big name actors, acted in a realistic matter. In LAND, they were all so fucking cheesy.
What was the point of having that girl in the movie? NONE. There was TOO MANY CHARACTERS that we didnt care for at all, unlike the first 3 movies. No real personality, nothing. Everything was so cliche.
The difference between the Green Palace and the ghetto was not developped at all. We got so many shots of people hanging out in the fucking dead reckoning (WHO WAS LAME AS HELL, but that was expected). There was no real tension between the poor and the rich people, except for some vague hate explained there and there.
Nobody cared about Cholo, nobody. I didnt care about ANY of the human characters. And holy hell was Hopper crap, as usual. He's a mix of Roger Moore and Shanter in this movie. I was pissed off everything he was on screen.
The zombie makeup was SO AWFULLY BAD. They all looked like they were wearing masks. They all looked like the zombies from the Return of Living Dead series. The zombies in Night, Dawn and Day were much more realistic in execution. They all looked bloated to hell. I can understand having some random uglier zombies, but corpses don't decay like that. They all looked so angry, It was so lame.
oh, and now.. Big Daddy. That was the lamest thing ever. I fucking hated every time he went NOOOOOOOARHGHGHGHHG when some zombie was killed, or when something he didnt like happen. Zombies cant have feelings, this whole reasoning feels like something out of City Of the Living Dead. He walked around normally in some scenes, while in the next scene, he walked like a zombie.
It was just so lame. it wasnt even entertaining. I have no idea what went thru Romero's head for this one. It was nothing like the previous movies.
IT WAS RESIDENT EVIL 3. I think I feel like those star wars people who felt that ep1 raped their childhood
Dawn > Night > Day >>>>>>>>>> Land
I think that Shaun of the Dead is the best modern movie about zombies. While humourous, we really felt the urgency, and the pro tagonists were in danger ALL THE TIME, unlike in Land, where I wanted them all dead.
I'm gonna cry myself to sleep holding my Dawn boxset
The movie, just as an action movie, WAS HORRIBLE
The movie, as a horror movie, WAS TERRIBLE
The movie, has a follow up to the trilogy, IS A TRAGEDY
Nothing worked. NOTHING. There was no sense of urgency. What made the original movies work were that people, even if they werent big name actors, acted in a realistic matter. In LAND, they were all so fucking cheesy.
What was the point of having that girl in the movie? NONE. There was TOO MANY CHARACTERS that we didnt care for at all, unlike the first 3 movies. No real personality, nothing. Everything was so cliche.
The difference between the Green Palace and the ghetto was not developped at all. We got so many shots of people hanging out in the fucking dead reckoning (WHO WAS LAME AS HELL, but that was expected). There was no real tension between the poor and the rich people, except for some vague hate explained there and there.
Nobody cared about Cholo, nobody. I didnt care about ANY of the human characters. And holy hell was Hopper crap, as usual. He's a mix of Roger Moore and Shanter in this movie. I was pissed off everything he was on screen.
The zombie makeup was SO AWFULLY BAD. They all looked like they were wearing masks. They all looked like the zombies from the Return of Living Dead series. The zombies in Night, Dawn and Day were much more realistic in execution. They all looked bloated to hell. I can understand having some random uglier zombies, but corpses don't decay like that. They all looked so angry, It was so lame.
oh, and now.. Big Daddy. That was the lamest thing ever. I fucking hated every time he went NOOOOOOOARHGHGHGHHG when some zombie was killed, or when something he didnt like happen. Zombies cant have feelings, this whole reasoning feels like something out of City Of the Living Dead. He walked around normally in some scenes, while in the next scene, he walked like a zombie.
It was just so lame. it wasnt even entertaining. I have no idea what went thru Romero's head for this one. It was nothing like the previous movies.
IT WAS RESIDENT EVIL 3. I think I feel like those star wars people who felt that ep1 raped their childhood
Dawn > Night > Day >>>>>>>>>> Land
I think that Shaun of the Dead is the best modern movie about zombies. While humourous, we really felt the urgency, and the pro tagonists were in danger ALL THE TIME, unlike in Land, where I wanted them all dead.
I'm gonna cry myself to sleep holding my Dawn boxset
That's what fucked this up, the big guns and the tanks and battle vehicles. I mean, what's so scary and dangerous about a pack of slow assed zombies when you have a freaking tank with missiles, mini guns etc.
The whole element of survival and despair is gone cause not only do the people in the movie have all this hi tech equipment and weapons but they have found a way to cope and just live with the zombies. Shit they even have food, medicine and booze.
The whole element of survival and despair is gone cause not only do the people in the movie have all this hi tech equipment and weapons but they have found a way to cope and just live with the zombies. Shit they even have food, medicine and booze.
I was thoroughly entertained and had a lot of fun.
It's not as gritty or epic as the first two "Dead" film, but I liked it a lot more than Day. The only thing I wanted was it to be longer, as just when I was really enjoying the flick, it seemed to wrap up.
Bring on the sequel.
It's not as gritty or epic as the first two "Dead" film, but I liked it a lot more than Day. The only thing I wanted was it to be longer, as just when I was really enjoying the flick, it seemed to wrap up.
Bring on the sequel.
PopfulMail
Member
FoneBone said:
It's $7!! Spend it and form your own opinion.
- Status