ZOMBIELAND (2009)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156398/
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Rhett Reese (written by) & Paul Wernick (written by)

Those of you who know me know that I can sometimes go off on a rant about crap movies having no problem getting a wide, theatrical release while good films crawl around under cover of “Mom and Pop”, small screen venues or after hours purgatory…if the see the light of day at all. There are movies that get rave reviews during test screenings that are still battling it out to even get a DVD release. So, seeing a zombie genre film that is this much fun, this entertaining, and this original in wide release is just so damn refreshing.

“Columbus” (Jesse Eisenberg) is a loner with compulsions who is trying to get back to his home in…Columbus…after the zombie plague has ravaged the world. He’s worked out certain rules to help himself stay alive in this dangerous, new environment. On the road, he meets “Tallahassee” (Woody Harrelson), “Wichita” (Emma Stone), and her sister “Little Rock” (Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine fame) and the four of them work together to make their way towards a safe spot where there are no zombies. The basis for a classic, road trip scenario.

When I first saw the trailer for ZOMBIELAND, I wanted to love the film. I wanted it to be an amazing, 2 hour fun park ride. However, we all know trailers can be utterly deceiving, tricksy and false! However in this case, just like GRINDHOUSE before it, Zombieland had everything it promised – fun, comedy, horror, interesting story and, of course, ZOMBIES.

Zombieland walks the fantastic line of horror and comedy. Not since the likes of SHAUN OF THE DEAD have I had so much fun in a horror film.  The story is a vehicle for situations to arise and little more, but it’s a zombie film and that’s all it needed to be. The main four characters are grand in their roles and bring enough to them to make them interesting without getting too muddy or clichéd.  The movie never takes itself too seriously, but also avoids becoming silly. One minute you are giggling at a sight gag and the very next second you are startled by a sudden zombie mishap. Witty writing and attention to the story arc made it all work well together.

This is a very smart horror film as well. Someone has done their research on both the genre and it’s fans. I am a huge zombie fan. I’ve seen many a zombie film. Reese and Wernick gave me fantastic zombie action while calling out things that drive me crazy when I watch lesser zombie fair. They play with genre norms, cliches and lore to bring a truly witty and engaging story to the screen.  Clever visual gags and some fun cameos and setups had me wanting more and more of what this film had to offer.

If you’re a fan of zombies, comedy, and some fun scares, this is SO the movie for you. Don’t wait, just go see it and enjoy! We need to reward the efforts made to bring smart horror to the main stream audience and keep the turn key, shock, “set ‘em up to be killed” horror pablum at bay.

A+

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick about Zombieland. Awesome interview, as usual!

http://creativescreenwritingmagazine.blogspot.com/2009/10/zombieland-q.html

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