State of Emergency

Another reviewer wrote "don't expect a zombie movie". I think that is a thing of perception. What is a zombie movie to you? What do you combine with it and what expectations do you have when you watch one where zombies are involved? Because yes this is not that action orientated and yes it is laying a lot of weight and attention on the living rather than the (un)dead.

That doesn't mean they are not a big part of the movie and the issues of the characterts involved here. You get cliches and running zombies here - so bear with those if you can. This is low budget but still quite nicely done overall. There are worse outputs out there and this is really slow burning too ...

"State of Emergency" is not your average zombie movie. The movie starts out with a fairly good and interesting introduction to the main character, Jim (played by Jay Hayden). However, the movie is fairly slow in pace, and sadly never really picks up and gets into gear.

Now, don't get me wrong, because the movie is not all bad or an entire waste of time. What works out well in favor for the movie is the characters and the way that it manages to build up the relations to the four characters of which the movie revolves.

However, if you are looking for a zombie-fest or gore-show, then "State of Emergency" is a wrong bet to put your money on. As with "The Walking Dead", then "State of Emergency" is a character-driven story, although it just never gets anywhere near "The Walking Dead" effects-wise. I will say that all four people hired for the four main characters did good jobs with their given roles.

As much as I enjoy zombie movies, then I have always had a problem with agile and running zombies, which is what they have in this movie. And why do zombies in low-budget movies always have to make growling sounds like predatory big cats? It is just so stupid.

For a low-budget movie, then "State of Emergency" did a good enough job with what was available, and what they did use worked well enough in favor for the movie. However, it doesn't score high on the zombie ladder in regards of entertainment and enjoyment. There are far worse zombie movies available on the market.

"State of Emergency" is good is you have 85 minutes to spare and got nothing better to watch.

In Montgomery County, the couple Jim (Jay Hayden) and his fiancée Emilie (McKenna Jones) is ready to go to work when there is an explosion of a chemical plant in the outskirts of the town. Soon Montgomery County is in quarantine and under siege by the army and people turn into zombies.

Jim and Emilie escape from the town, but they have a car accident and Emilie is deadly wounded. They arrive in a farmhouse, but Emilie dies. Jim receives a phone call and a man named Scott (Scott Lilly) invites him to move to the tobacco warehouse close to the house where he is. Jim meets Scott and he introduces his wife Julie (Kathryn Todd Norman) and the unfriendly and weird Alex "Ix" (Tori White). Along the days, they become friends while they wait to be rescued by the marines. Will they survive?

"State of Emergency" is a surprisingly good and dramatic low-budget horror movie. The plot has great character development, good story of sympathy and friendship, but very few zombies; therefore fans of zombies will certainly be disappointed. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Código Vermelho" ("Red Code")

The plot: After an explosion at a plant that stores biological weapons, a rage virus transforms a small community into bloodthirsty cannibals.

Yes, it's a straight-up ripoff of 28 Days Later and The Crazies. Once you get past that, it's actually pretty watchable, as long as you keep your expectations reasonable. The characters are a bit on the stupid side, but they're likable idiots. The slow pacing and brief run-time don't really leave much time for character development, and you end up not really knowing who these characters are. This is a bit of a problem because the film basically revolves around the characters; there's little gore or action, especially considering the genre. There's a little bit of drama, suspense, and romance, but don't hold your breath waiting for them. When the characters aren't have flashbacks to explain their thin back story, they're staring out windows or peering through rifle scopes. It's not very exciting, but it's a fairly tolerable waste of time.

If you're looking for a film that focuses more on characters and atmosphere, you may enjoy State of Emergency. Just keep in mind that it's an independent, low budget zombie film, and don't go in expecting a masterpiece. For example, the characters inject insulin into a diabetic's vein, and the zombies mostly just strike frightening poses and growl instead of attacking. My guess is they didn't have enough money for many stunts. It's not a great film, but it's better than I was expecting, given the budget and one man crew.

I'm going to keep this very short as this is the first time I have entered my own review on a film, usually just using the reviews to help me decide whether or not to watch a film, and I don't want to spoil it by giving anything away.

I agree with some of the reviews that there wasn't much zombie action, however, I would mark it up there with the Walking Dead in terms of just the right balance of story vs zombie. For me this was the perfect type of Zombie film as you just never quite knew when those moments were going to happen. Certainly had my heart racing on occasions.

Give it a go - what have you got to lose?? An hour and a half of your time?? In my opinion, it won't be wasted!