BRAIN BITES

 DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004)  USA/Canada/Japan/France 1hr 41mins Director: Zack Snyder "What are they?" - Michael "I dunno... why are they coming here?"- Anna "Memory, maybe ... instinct? Maybe they're coming for us." - Kenneth Taking on the remake of a movie that has been revered for many decades by zombie fans and classic horror fans alike is not something just anyone can pull off. George A. Romeros DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) has three main versions that fans are familiar with; the theatrical cut, the extended Cannes film festival cut and Dario Argentos cut ZOMBI. The ideas and values that Romero brought to the genre have been copied a million times over but no one directly made a remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD until 2004. Producers Eric Newman and Marc Abraham are the people responsible for "re-evisioning" DAWN for a modern audience. Between them they put together a team which included James Gunn to write the screenplay and Zack Snyder to direct. At ...

 Film Review: DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) - The Argento Cut (ZOMBI) Daniel Phillips  “When there’s no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth.” A cut specifically for the European market (apart from the UK) handled expertly – by ‘Maestro’ Dario Argento, famed for his direct but oftentimes over-complicated tracking shots, plus a plethora of fantastic Giallo, horror and thriller movies throughout the 1970’s to the present day! This cut of the movie can be described in this brief summation – near unbearable tension throughout, a work of zombie film-making genius. With its blend of horror, tension, and action DAWN OF THE DEAD stands on its own as the only true Zombie epic of all time.  “It was a beautiful relationship built on mutual respect and the final film is a classic.”  George A. Romero and Argento spent some time in Rome working together on the screenplay after an initial meeting in New York, as Argento had expressed great interest in seeing this sequel to a m...

  THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVING ‘DAWN’ Steven West “Instinct…memory…what they used to do. This was an important place in their lives…” For horror fans – or, indeed, movie fans – of a certain age and disposition, George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead has long held an important place in their lives. It doesn’t matter which version – the longest “Cannes Cut”, the more action-driven “Argento Cut” or Romero’s preferred U.S. theatrical version – because, in any form, it’s something to which we return out of instinct, (fond) memory and with (in theory) an older, wiser perspective on something we have appreciated at different life stages. It was once the subject of washed-out, censored, “Video Nasty”-era VHS tapes that were still thrilling because it’s all we had. Or late-night BBC showings that were snuck under the radar when Mary Whitehouse (of the Dead) wasn’t looking and were censored differently, possibly just for shits and giggles. It was the subject of much playground banter amongst those ...

 PONTYPOOL (2008) Canada 1hr 33mins Director: Bruce McDonald  "It's not the end of the world folks... it's just the end of the day." - Grant Mazzy "Oh God, you're gonna eat me soon aren't you?? It's ok... you be the killer. I don't wanna be the killer." - a very drunk Sydney Briar. "I've seen things today that are going to ruin the rest of my natural life!"- Ken Loney Canadian born director Bruce McDonald and author, screenplay writer and fellow Canadian Tony Burgess have teamed up to bring us PONTYPOOL. Adapted from Burgess' novel "PONTYPOOL CHANGES EVERYTHING" (1998), it is a movie creation that brings the viewer a totally new zombie concept. This quiet and eerie movie takes place almost entirely in the basement of a radio station and is an all out attack on your senses. Incorporating very little on screen violence, with a claustrophobic setting and evidence that the world is on the brink of destruction, going c...

  THE BATTERY (2012) USA 1hr 41mins Director: Jeremy Gardner "I always have to be present and aware coz you don't wanna deal with shit! You're always hiding behind headphones Mickey." - Ben "But we just go and go man ... where are we going?" - Mickey "If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck it's probably a fucking zombie!" - Ben Two former baseball players are wandering the rural back roads of New England during a zombie apocalypse. They have been surviving for months but it has not been easy and tempers are wearing thin. Mickey (Adam Cronheim) misses the way things were and really isn't equipped for the survival game (he cant even bring himself to say the "Z" word!). He spends most of his time moping about with his headphones on listening to music and using up all the batteries. Whereas, Ben (Jeremy Gardner) has taken to life on the road like a duck to water. He is practical and takes a hands on approach to coping with the und...

 SILENT NIGHT, ZOMBIE NIGHT (2009) USA 1hr 23mins Director: Sean Cain "I hate to break it to you but I don't think Santa is coming this year." - Frank Talbot "That's what we do now right? ... take care of each other" - Jeffrey Hannigan A week before Christmas the zombie apocalypse has struck Los Angeles. Frank Talbot (Jack Forcinito) and his partner Nash Jackson (Andy Hopper) have worked together on the force for years. They're like family but things have gone awry as marital issues are causing Frank strife and it doesn't help that Nash has a thing for Franks wife, Sarah (Nadine Stenovitch). Frank is aware of this but before he can do anything about it an undead uprising starts to tear the city apart. Nash is injured early on and Frank takes him back to his apartment where they find Sarah. The three of them barricade themselves in as the undead close in but supplies are running low. When he can Frank heads out amongst the hordes where he notices two...

  ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE (2017) UK 1hr 33mins Director: John McPhail "Please remember that hand sanitizer is your friend. Kissing on the mouth is not your friend" - Arthur Savage "What do I do???!!" - John "It's like the movies... destroy the brain!" - Chris "I've been calling you all zombies for years ... now fuck off!" - Arthur Savage It is nearly Christmas in the village of Little Haven but festive cheer is not high up on Anna Shepherds (Ella Hunt) agenda. After her mum died Anna is struggling to convince her dad Tony (Mark Benton), who is also the schools caretaker, to let her travel when she leaves school as he would rather keep her close and see her go to university. It's not just Anna that is having a tough time though. Her best friend John (Malcolm Cumming) is still getting bullied, Steph (Sarah Swire) is lonely, Chris (Christopher Leveaux) is failing school and his girlfriend Lisa (Marli Siu) just wants to be taken seriousl...