Zombieland reviews/discussion - 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day 18

[Trevor]

IMDB link for Zombieland (2009)

Selection made by the group.

These "2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day #" threads are for the discussion of the films in the 31 Films in 31 Days subset.

General discussion on the 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge goes here, your list for the Challenge goes here.

The plan is for everyone to watch this film on the October day in the thread title, and to start discussing it the morning of the following day. You may start discussion early if you want, but the preferred plan is for this to be as much of a group exercise as possible, with all of us viewing it "together" and discussing after.

Of course, you are totally encouraged to participate in these threads even if you haven't watched the movie on the designated day. Even if you haven't watched it in years, or are not participating in the Horror Challenge, please feel free to chime in.

Spoiler tags will not be needed, as it will be expected that anyone here has seen the film.

Do not read this thread if you have not seen the film, unless you don't mind the ending being spoiled for you.

[Darkgod]

Wow... I loved this. Woody Harrelson was funny as hell..... " Hey help me with the couch... we're building a fort...

[burnside986]

The Ghostbusters scene nearly made me poop myself.

[SethDLH]

Pretty much loved this movie, wish there was more zombie action but it was hysterical.

[LickTheABCs]

One of the few times in a very long while that I actually had a blast at the theater.

I still think Amber Heard is one of the hottest zombies ever.

[indiephantom]

Two Amber Heard films in one day was a very good thing to me. But I actually enjoyed The Stepfather remake more than this. Great opening titles and some good chemistry between Harrelson and Eisenberg, though. I agree that there was just too little zombie action. The final setpiece was great, but the film is pretty dead most of the way.

Guess I'm just not too impressed with zombie comedies. If it's zombies, give me Romero or Fulci or give me death.

[J. Farley]

At first I was a little hesitant to see this one as I feared it would be another Shaun of the Dead, which was a movie that I hated. I couldn't resist though and thankfully it was a blast. This was actually funny and the characters won me over from the get-go. I honestly didn't mind the lack of zombie action since I had such a good time with the characters. I had never seen her in anything else before this, but Emma Stone is flat-out gorgeous. Loved the Amber Heard cameo as well. I've been a fan ever since stumbling across her in that Hidden Palms show a few years back. Of course, there's also that other cameo. Really got a kick out of that. The finale at the theme park is lots of fun too, and if they were to make a sequel, I would definitely be there to see it.

I also got a kick out of the film starting out in Garland, TX since that's right around here. Not the kind of place you expect to get a shout out in a zombie flick.

[SomethingMore]

Loved it!

I really enjoyed all of the mid-conversation snippits in the car ("No. She's only famous when she's Hannah Montana!")

Jesse Eisenberg (sp?) plays the awkward nerdy character better than Michael Cera, IMO.

The entire "BM" mansion sequence was a little slow, but funny enough that it kept me interested.

[clckworang]

I had a lot of fun when I went to see this movie. I did the whole drive-in experience and I think it really added to the movie's atmosphere. I wouldn't say this movie was scary at all, but it was very entertaining and fun. I, too, wouldn't have minded seeing more zombie action, but I'm still pleased with what we got.

[Dick Laurent]

This movie was a lot of fun, but a little disappointing at the same time. I thought the rules that kept popping up everywhere was just gimmicky. It felt like a car commercial mixed into a horror movie, with credits from Fringe. Also, Abigail Breslin was horrible. I remember her actually having talent. I guess she forgot to bring it to this film. Over all I agree with points already listed. It was entertaining. I guess if you're going to make a "good" horror film, I expect it to at least be even. Both the girls were pretty dreadful. Maybe I'll have to see it again to make a better judgment.

[clckworang]

^ I agree that the movie didn't need to continue to use the rules so much. It got a bit played out.

[dhmac]

I thought this was a very fun movie, though definitely more a comedy than a horror movie. And the real star of the movie is Woody Harrelson because, without him, the movie wouldn't have been half as good.

The only part I didn't think worked was the whole Bill Murray segment. (There, I said it!) It wasn't nearly as funny as the filmmakers seemed to think it was and the whole segment practically stopped the movie (and the really fun stuff) dead in its tracks until it got back to the real zombie stuff again.

If Woody Harrelson is officially back on-board, I hope there's a sequel!

[KillerCannibal]

I liked this one, it had a good balance of humor and horror. My main sticking point is Jesse "I'm Michael Cera wearing someone else's skin" Eisenberg. I HATE Cera. HATE him. I loathed the fact that Eisenberg sounded/acted exactly like him. That, for me, killed a great deal of the enjoyment to be had here. But luckily Woody stole the show... well, Bill stole the show. But Woody was goddamn good. I can't remember the last film he gave a good, solid performance in. Maybe "No Country for Old Men", though that was a small role. I'd enjoy seeing a sequel, but they really need to have Jesse killed off at the start, I just wanna see "The Adventures of Tallahassee".

[cardsfan111]

Caught this today and enjoyed it. I was ready for something a little more lighthearted in the challenge. Harrelson was fantastic.

[Chad]

I really enjoyed this. It was probably the most fun I've had in a theater since Grindhouse. Usually the whole Cera-esque neurotic shtick that Eisenberg brings is borderline obnoxious and wears thin very fast, but it seemed to work here. My only complaint is that Bill Murray didn't have a bigger role.

Wonder if that Max Brooks project will come to fruition now?

[Trevor]

Finally saw this yesterday, and while I really enjoyed it, it just barely misses in a lot of areas, and will never be a favorite.

The Bill Murray scene, while enjoyable, should have been laugh out loud awesome, but it just wasn't. The rules were cute, but overused. Eisenburg was decent, but got quite annoying. Breslin was pretty horrible. The action scenes were good, but too few.

Harrelson was great though, and I probably would have hated the film if it wasn't for his performance (and the writing for it).

That all sounded pretty negative, but I really did enjoy it overall. I think I get easily critical of films that are really close to being great, but a few big problems pull it down. This is one of those films.

[Chadm]

I found the film to be a very by the numbers zombie cash in. the film should be retitled Bill Murray cameo. Those 10 minutes completly justified the 11 dollars I spent on an otherwise mediocre film.