The Dead (2005)
This infamous little film would have completely missed my attention, had it not been for a list of interesting zombie flicks I found online, that previously made me finally watch Romero’s Dawn of the Dead from 1978. This movie probably suffers from a little hindsight. Today we have AMC’s Walking Dead series which caters to all our zombie-lovin’ needs. But this flick predates the TV Show by five years! Still, it can be summarized as one man’s Walking Dead in Africa. Sounds interesting!
The movie features Rob Freeman as an American aid worker trying to get out of Africa, that has been struck by a zombie outbreak. Like the Walking Dead, these are slow-walking zombies, but there are quite enough of them to get the upper hand and kill you. Even in the African wilderness. I don’t know how this movie has not been seen by everyone, since it really is cool. It suffers a little in production, but the interesting locations and setup will soon have you forget that, as you experience the African night during a zombie apocalypse. This movie is naturalistic and realistic, and thus have some unsettling gory scenes, so ye squeamish be warned.
We’re the Millers (2013)
This comedy was recommended in one of the podcasts I listen to irregularly, and since I’m always on the lookout for a good comedy, I decided to give it a chance. Having watched some 40% of the film and LOL’ed quite a few times, I decided to stop it, and watch it from the beginning with Lady C. You know you’ve found one-to-watch when you want to share it with others. The plot here is pretty simple: drug dealer owes money to his boss and as a payment accepts getting a smidge of marijuana across the Mexican border into the US. The lead, played by Jason Sudeikis, gets the idea to disguise himself as a family father, hiring a neighbour, a homeless girl and a stripper as his family members. Hilarity ensues!
This movie is actually very funny! I was fearing it would be another Ben Stilleresque disappointment, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Elysium (2013
Look at the poster of this flick. It looks like Hollywood crap, doesn’t it? Matt Damon is distressed, and there’s something interesting going on behind him. Meh. At least that’s what I thought until I finally watched this movie, with very, very low expectations. It’s a Neill Blomkamp film, of District 9 fame, who also made the brilliant but infamous Europa Report (link to review). Unlike Europa Report, Elysium is a return to the subject matter of Apartheid, but with a classical sci-fi twist. This is more like the original science fiction movies where a political or ideological idea was blown up in a counterfactual world, and thus falls right into the collections of sci-fi lovers like me. Sharlto Copley makes a good villain but Matt Damon is sort of just Jason Bourne. Again. I’m giving it a 5/10 for good entertainment value.
Sound of my Voice (2011)
This creepy flick is about two documentary filmmakers attempting to penetrate a cult who worships a woman with an extraordinary claim. It’s a very intimately told story of losing one’s mind, and the thrill of following the undercover filmmakers draws you into their struggle for sanity. I have long read about cults from ex-members and the truth is that cults don’t feed on the ignorant, but normal people like you and me who are overpowered mentally by behavioral manipulation, suggestive logic and beliefs and convincing coincidences. I watched this together with Lady C, and I have to warn you it’s not a good dating movie. It is, however, executed with great care to draw you in, but leaves you with questions and a creepy feeling of wanting more.
Knights of Badassdom (2013)
This movie almost wasn’t finished and published, but they pulled it through and managed to create an honorable salute to nerds of all nations! If you’ve ever played roleplaying game or are indeed a LARP’er, you definitely should check this movie out. It’s a funny comedy that plays on the tangents of old slasher-style horror movies, but done in the milieu of medieval RPG loving nerds. The blurb: Live-action role players conjure up a demon from Hell by mistake and they must deal with the consequences. Starring Peter Dinklage, Ryan Kwanten, Steve Zahn and Summer Glau along with a great cast of nerd-loving actors, you’re in for a treat. But this flick comes with a huge caveat. While I’d want to recommend it to everyone since just for it’s awesome title, I don’t really think it’s a movie for everyone. It’s not self-important, rather very lighthearted, but it might be a bit too heavy on RPG related references for everyone to enjoy. If you’ve ever played Warhammer or D&D pen and paper, or gone LARP’ing, today or in your younger years, be sure to check it out though!