Horror-tober 3: Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

Zombday is usually my favorite day but I think next year I might have to change the classification of this day because I am running out of new zombie movies to watch, or at least there are less that pique my interest. We'll see.

The Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse is a gory tale of friendship and survival with sophmoric and raunchy humor. Longtime friends are coming to terms with growing up and feeling like they are "uncool" for being teenage scouts. When the zombie apocalypse breaks out, they realize they need to stick together because they have the skills to survive and save the town.

I think if I had seen this as a teenager or just as a 13 year-old boy I might have enjoyed it more. From start to finish the movie was a zombie gore fest with lots of references to boobs and sex. Sort of like watching a terrible version of Superbad (or something similar) with zombies. It was boring and stupid, but it did have zombie cats, I liked that. More zombie cats please and less zombie boobs! Oh, and more zombies singing Britney Spears. In fact, I want a whole troop of zombies singing and dancing to "Toxic" or "Work Bitch". I would watch that. I was also disappointed that Blake Anderson (Blake from Workaholics) was in the film so briefly. The truth is, this is my second time watching this (first time was outside of Horror-tober earlier this year) and I did not enjoy it anymore than the first. In fact, I think I enjoyed it less which doesn't happen very often.

Joey and I agree on a rating for this one:

Day of the Dead

First Throwback Thursday of the fest.

I couldn't justify waiting till Monday for a zombie flick, so I picked one that it has been over 10 years since I first saw it. I could have picked any number of Romero films but I chose this one because out of all of them, it was the one I remembered the least.

A zombie test subject

I know it has been a long time since I saw this one, because I don't remember any of the "smart" zombie aspect of the film. When I first saw Land of the Dead in theaters I was intrigued by the idea that zombies could have enough brain power to remember their lives before undeath and sort of learn. That is also a subject Romero touched on in this classic. The story jumps right into some time after the first outbreak. A group of military personnel and some civilians hole themselves up in an underground bunker, periodically flying a helicopter to check cities nearby for survivors. We aren't sure who the civilians are until the story builds and we learn that they are a group of scientists that are trying to discover what makes zombies tick and maybe if there is a cure for them. The doctor they all call "Frankenstein" has questionable morals but discovers a particular zombie he names "Bub" that is very capable of higher brain function. He appears to remember a past life, saluting the soldiers and brandishing a gun.

Bub saluting

The zombies are in a way evolving, while the underground bunker setting and the barbaric attitude of the soldiers and "Dr.Frankenstein" make it seem as if the living are devolving back into cavemen. Of course, the practical effects of the time are a little hokey but at the same time impressive and fun to watch.

A head used for a death scene of one of the soldiers for the film

The film itself is a little slow, but the material, story and the bits of good gore towards the end are what make it one worth watching. I give it 3.5 skulls, I like it but I don't love it.

Resident Evil: Retribution

I didn't learn my lesson. Another made for 3D and a sore disappointment for Zombday, but I only have myself to blame.

I am a fan of the video game and movie franchise, but the last one was really bad. I thought I would give this one a chance to redeem itself, but I dare say this one may have been even worse. Of course, they also leave with a definite sequel. As much as I hate to say it, I will probably watch that one too, just because I have a desperate need for closure on this goddamn series for some reason!

Too many leather unitards, too many slow motion action sequences and blah script round out this installment. They introduce new characters, Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong without any characterization, mostly just to give a shout out to the video games I think. Three characters from the first and second movie are brought back for essentially nothing. Although it was kind of nice to see Michelle Rodriguez in it again. And the Red Queen terrorizes Alice yet again. This one is not worth watching folks, and I am sad I wasted my time with it, so the review is short to prevent wasting more time on it.

Milla in a unitard

Sienna Guillory in a unitard and three familiar faces

They also introduced a flying monster at the end, which to me looked a lot like one of the flying Zergs from Starcraft. But I guess these creatures have been featured in some of the games.

 Flying Resident Evil monster 

 Starcraft Zerg or Mutalisk

That evening I also saw This is the End with my boyfriend. So my real lesson is I should have just stuck with that one to write a review for, even though it wasn't truly "zombie." (P.S. It was alright - would be a 2.5 skull maybe. It had good moments but the humor was just too much like it was written for 12-year old boys.)

My rating:

Hell

Hooray! It's Transcontinental Tuesday. (Man, that's a hard one to say.) And tonight, Hell was on the menu.

This film comes to us from Germany. In the not so distant future, Earth has become a barren wasteland as the sun scorches the surface. In the beginning of the movie, text reads:

2016 - The world as we know it has ceased to exist. In just four years, the Earth's atmosphere has heated up by 10 degrees Celsius. People are fighting for survival. Water and food supplies are running out. Social order is collapsing. 

I find there are infinite ways to show the human condition with post-apocalyptic movies. It's a reflection on how we react to extreme changes - how we struggle to survive. But also, how some cling to the past, and try to live as if nothing has changed. Their morals deteriorate to the point that they will do anything to keep that falsehood - anything to continue to survive as if their lives were normal. There are characters in this film that are like that. Most survivors, like our protagonists, are wanderers. Traveling to survive, but they encounter a group of people that are not nomadic as they are. They own a farm in the mountains that they can no longer grow crops on or have livestock - in fact, aside from occasional birds, it appears as if no animals have survived. This family can only find enough water to drink. Yet, they cling to their former lives, and without livestock they have found another source for "livestock."

Anyway, the idea of the movie was a little cliche, but I liked how it was done. It didn't delve too deeply in why it is like Hell on Earth - and I liked that. It went straight into the present and the action of the film. All the characters were believable and most were well acted. It was never too gruesome, which was good since it was more about the overlying story. It is definitely worth a watch if you are into post-apocalyptic movies or just want to see a movie that is interesting and will keep your attention.

My rating: