Norm England's Review

Hier ein weiterer "LOTD"-Vorab-Review; diesmal von keinem Geringeren als Norm England (Webmaster von "The Zombie Farm") - und der hat nur den ROHSCHNITT gesehen!!

It's great to feel vindicated.

What am I talking about? The feeling I got after a recent viewing of a rough edit of LAND OF THE DEAD—George Romero's better-late-than-never entry in his ground-breaking zombie series.

I know that commenting on an uncompleted film is not altogether cool, and if I'd thought that LAND was not up to snuff I wouldn't even bother. HOWEVER, rough cut or not, missing footage and absent insert graphics not withstanding, I was overwhelmed so much by what I saw that I feel the need to come out and proclaim LAND OF THE DEAD as being one of the best genre movies I have ever seen. It is that good. Dare I say,it is that GREAT! In more ways than one, LAND is everything (and more) than what I expected.

So, why is it that I feel vindicated? Simple enough: When stacked against last year's DAWN remake, a film I have stated often enough as being just plain crap, LAND shines through as an example of solid, imaginative filmmaking. It truly is. LAND is inventive; LAND is smart; LAND has tension; LAND is bathed in atmosphere, LAND is populated by gripping characters; LAND possesses a tale that emerges from out of these characters and their situations; in a word: LAND has soul. What's more, LAND has feeding scenes galore! Ones unlike anything seen before.

Unlike the DAWN remake, LAND was obviously not made with an eye toward outguessing and appeasing studio pencil pushers and the content they believe sell tickets. It also doesn't pander to moral watch groups who point their holier-than-thou fingers at everything but their own cultish religions that in my opinion are the TRUE sources of unrest in the world. Instead, LAND says and does what it wants and lets the chips fall where they will. It also strikes me as having been made from a filmmaker's credo, with priority set at what will make for a fulfilling movie going experience. Once again, George Romero proves to be my filmmaker hero.

In some ways, too, LAND goes beyond even all this.

I'm talking about the zombies. They are unlike anything we have seen to date. They have developed into a new order. They have advanced (and if you consider "running" an advancement, I suggest you just go back to your sensory nullifying video games NOW). While I will never root for the zombies, I couldn't help but wonder if the ones here aren't in some way more "human" than the humans in control in LOTD.

Again, I don't want to reveal anything. Just let me say that the parallel to the US and its questionable "war on terrorism" is in full play and on display for those who want to see it. (And for those who don't, like all Romero "message movies", it is easy enough to ignore with plenty more things going on for you to sink your teeth into.)

And as misguided as the DAWN remake was to have almost no gore, LAND goes out of its way to deliver the goods (though how it will be edited down remains to be seen, and even if it is and gets reinserted later, we will get real additions, unlike the false promise of the "unrated" DAWN remake DVD—what a joke that was!). And not only THAT, the majority of the zombie victims are just the members of society who need a bit of zombie induced, flesh removal humility to teach them that in the scheme of things we are all equal.

Don't get me wrong, LAND is not a perfect film. Notably, there is one performance by a "legendary" actor that I found extremely lacking and somewhat on the phoned in end of the spectrum. But I'm not looking for or expecting a perfect film (as I wasn't with the DAWN remake). Despite it not being a perfect movie (and what film is?), it makes up for its flaws by being a movie that has been made with heart and by a filmmaker who understands and adheres to the CRAFT of filmmaking. Even in the shabby state I saw the film this came through. Because of this, I was mesmerized from start to finish. Not only that, LAND has stayed with me. It's with me now. When people ask what is wrong with cinema today, this is my reply: Films are no longer made in a way that they stay with you. They evaporate the moment you walk from the theater, this being good for business as you are soon ready for another quick cinematic fix. Not so with LAND.

So, how does LAND fit in with the series as a whole? In this writer's opinion, while NOTLD is a groundbreaker, I don't find it the be-all end-all as I do with DAWN. And though I like DAY, I can admit that it has many shortcomings. For me, LAND fits in between the peerless DAWN and the classic NIGHT. It is that good.

Furthermore, although twenty-years since the last entry, it miraculously feels part of the series in the way the new Star Wars movies can only dream.

Personally, I dislike films that try to be trendy, drawing inspiration from other current films. LAND is a breath of fresh air in that it feels both retro and modern. It tells its story without trying to persuade viewers that it's hip and for you to be hip too then you'd better get with the program and dig it (as with films such as The Chronicles of Riddick and Bad Boys II). There are no "cutting edge" crane maneuvers or post production shenanigans like in unwatchable films of the S.W.A.T. variety. It is just solid, unobtrusive filmmaking from start to finish. Yet, even so, it is unmistakably Romero through and through.

That George was able to make a film of such high quality on a pathetic budget that I believe to be insulting for a director of his caliber is a testament to his talent. What he has done with fifteen million is proof enough that those obscene budgets many productions get these days are just that: obscene. I've read where people hope this film's success will bring George a budget of 50 million for his next film. Honestly, I hope it doesn't. While a bit more could have seen to it that the movie was shot in Pittsburgh, I for one don't want a hundred million dollar zombie film. That's not what they are about. Zombie films—and I'm talking about Romero helmed zombie films—are personal reflections of the world we live in made by a man who has fashioned a unique and fitting metaphor for the life into which we have all been thrust. LAND is this.

With all that said, I'm simply happy to report that LAND OF THE DEAD is a welcome and wholly satisfying entry in George Romero's zombie series. Now just go and see it!