Desert Island Films: Zombie Movies

 

 

        Despite the widespread popularity and success of the sub-genre today, the zombie film remained on the outskirts of Hollywood horror until the 1960s, perhaps due to the fact that they were unsympathetic creatures that merely “shambled around at the will of other people” (Halliwell 246, 248). These first cinematic zombies were initially only reanimated with the control of an evil scientist, as was the case with White Zombie (1932), which is often sited as the first American zombie film.

 

Through the 1950s the zombie was created by a mad scientist, such as The Creature with the Atom Brain (1956),[1] which used a mad scientist combined with atomic radiation to return the dead to life. In this film the mad scientist is also an ex-Nazi. Many thought Dead Snow (2009) was the first Nazi zombie film, but even in classic horror films they were often symbolically connected to this particular monster, using the zombies as soldiers in their mindless army, as in Revenge of the Zombies (1943).

 

See This Film: American Jesus DVD Review

     Directors: Aram Garriga

Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC

Language: English

Region: All Regions

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Shelter Island

DVD Release Date: May 13, 2014

Run Time: 94 minutes

 

       

        With the legalization of gay marriage and marijuana constantly debated, I have been told repeatedly that we are currently in a culture war, and if I am a Christian that apparently means that I must align with the conservative views on political matters. I find this infuriating, as I don’t like being lumped in with every viewpoint of any group with which I am connected. As a Christian, I don’t think all of the same things as every other Christian across America any more than I would agree with every liberal in the United States. American Jesus may be the first piece of art I have come across that captures the unique and personal relationship each individual can have with Christ.

 

The Freshman Blu-ray Review

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Criterion Collection

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Run Time: 76 minutes

 

       

        Charlie Chaplin’s onscreen persona of the Little Tramp is one of an outsider, though not always one eager to conform and join the rest of society. He often lived with a relative amount of bliss playing by his own rules, never seeming particularly concerned with what society thought of him. Buster Keaton’s roles also had a bit of rebellion in them, leaving Harold Lloyd to stand out with characters that worked hard to fit in with society. In Safety Last! he is a hardworking store clerk trying to make it in the big city, and in The Freshman he is an eager new college student trying to become the most popular kid in school.

The Past Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa, Berenice Bejo

Director: Asghar Farhadi

Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: French

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Run Time: 130 minutes

       

        The most difficult part of watching an Asghar Farhadi film, in my opinion, is getting in the theater or putting the disc in my player. The filmmaking is undeniably captivating, and I am easily drawn into the stories once they begin, but the plot of each makes it a difficult thing to desire seeing. Once again returning to the battleground of emotions amongst lovers who have gone separate ways, The Past is a worthy follow up to Farhadi’s last success, A Separation. The melodrama unfolds in a manner that almost makes the narrative a mystery as well, which helps immensely in making the difficult story more fascinating.

 

The Truth About Emanuel Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Jessica Biel, Kaya Scodelario, Aneurin Barnard

Director: Francesca Gregorini

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen, Dolby, Subtitled, THX

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Run Time: 96 minutes

 

 

        Kaya Scodelario is making her move into the big leagues of Hollywood filmmaking after establishing herself early on as a child actor in the British television series, “Skins.” Following this film will be her big break in yet another “teenager in danger in a dystopian future society” narrative based on a young adult book franchise. Hopefully The Maze Runner provides more opportunities for Scodelario than The Truth About Emanuel, otherwise her career in Hollywood may be short-lived.

The Wrath of Vajra Blu-ray Review

     Actors: David Kurata, Shi Yanneng, Nam Hyun Joon, Steve Yoo

Director: Law Wing-Cheong

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen, Dolby, THX

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Subtitles: English, French

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: March 18, 2014

Run Time: 115 minutes

 

 

        The Wrath of Vajra is a martial arts action film similar to many others in many ways. This does not take away from enjoying the spectacle of the well-choreographed fight sequences, though there is little in the film to set it apart as anything more than 111 minutes of entertainment. It is a combination of many typical themes found in martial arts films, along with a fighting competition plot to fuel each of the one-on-one battles.

 

Machine Head DVD Review

    Actors: Alana O'Mara, Cristina Corigliano, Morissa O'Mara, Nicole Zeoli, Sharon Hinnendael

Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: ANCHOR BAY

DVD Release Date: March 25, 2014

Run Time: 82 minutes

 

       

        At first appearance, Machine Head looks to be your average under-average ‘straight-to-video’ slasher horror film, complete with the cast too attractive to ever consider taking an acting class. In a lot of ways, Machine Head fits in the category, though it does so with a lot less violence and gore than the genre has come to expect over the last few decades. Instead, it hinges everything on a twist ending better than the whole of the film.

 

Atlantis: Season 1 DVD Review

     Actors: Jack Donnelly, Mark Addy, Robert Emms, Jemima Rooper, Juliet Stevenson

Directors: Alice Troughton, Justin Molotnikov, Declan O'Dwyer, Jeremy Webb

Writers: Howard Overman, Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy

Format: Box set, Color, NTSC

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 3

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: March 18, 2014

Run Time: 585 minutes

 

        “Atlantis” reminds me of what fantasy shows once were, particularly in the 1990s, long before shows like “Game of Thrones” made the genre so popular with the mainstream audiences. This series does not take itself quite so seriously, aligning more comfortably with “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Princess Warrior” in its ability to shrug off logic and source material for the sake of each episode’s spectacle.

 

Monsters: The Complete Series DVD Review

    Actors: Tempestt Bledsoe, Lili Taylor, Steve Buscemi, Gina Gershon, Deborah Harry

Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, NTSC

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 9

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Entertainment One

DVD Release Date: February 25, 2014

Run Time: 1560 minutes

 

       

        Before “Tales From a Darkside,” executive producer Richard P. Rubinstein already had this horror anthology series under his belt. “Monsters” had three seasons starting in 1988, cashing in on the huge success the genre had seen in box office sales in the 1980s. The anthology had long been established, and many of these episodes contain stories that easily could have been a lost teleplay from “The Twilight Zone,” but what makes this show uniquely fun is apparent in the very title.