zoeyneo

I had pretty low expectations for this, so when it turned out to be not that bad (almost, dare i say, pretty... good?) I left the theater extremely enthusiastic. It delivers, believe it or not, a complete, if not well-rounded story. Here it is, in a sentence: Jennifer Tree is a beautiful young fashion model getting things she doesn't deserve and deciding she needs to get the hell out. Elisha Cuthbert plays the lead, and she looks phenomenal. Even while she is being held captive, her "damsel in distress" act makes great cinema. Always nice to see a girl that's been passed off as a dumb blond get up and kick some ass. I know there are people that feel otherwise about this movie but hey- I liked it! So there!

I finally saw this after many people had built it up for me, and I'm happy to report that it was all I ever hoped it could be. Shaun of the Dead is a truly original style of film. It is not a parody, though it is funny and does play with references to some well-known horror films. It is a fresh, creative, zombie story in its own right, and simultaneously a comedy. The nods to previous zombie movies are clever and come naturally, unlike how excruciatingly forced they are in lesser films like the "Scary Movie" franchise. The characters are all very honest, real, and have distinct personalities. Most of the film takes place in the day time, with the main characters handling the situation quite rationally. It is a fantastically successful new spin on things, and highly recommended.

I decided to rent this because I knew of its reputation as one of the best scary movies of all time. The famous image of a little girl mesmerized by a TV screen showing only static, is intriguing and suggestive of all kinds of supernatural fun. I suppose I should have known that this type of film rarely withstands the test of time, with key aspects like special effects and soundtrack becoming outdated as fast as they are created. But I thought, hey, it's a classic, it's probably still pretty good. Instead, I was extremely disappointed with it's inability to even offer a slight thrill, and it's very simple storyline. I can tell that it was a great achievement for it's time, even nominated for three Academy Awards, but unfortunately it does not carry over into the current generation.