Up & Coming Weekly

28 UCW OCTOBER 21-27, 2009 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing Writer COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com I haven't needed to sit through a truly crappy movie in weeks and weeks! Zombieland (80 min- utes) is only the latest in a rather lengthy list of punk rock movies that have graced theaters since the August dead zone passed. Relatively new Director Ruben Fleischer manages to find the fun amidst the ongoing American zombie apocalypse, while screen- writers Reese and Wernick make good on their first major screen- play. But the heroes of the hour are cinematographer Michael Bonvillain and Editor Alan Baumgarten. The best thing about this movie is the dialogue based cuts that serve to set up the best punch- lines. The nifty slow motion shots are a close second. Keep an eye out for the slo-mo running zombie stripper (complete with pasties!) appear- ing in the title sequence. In fact, if they had an Oscar for best title credits, Zombieland could go head-to-head with The Watchmen…and might even have a fighting chance of winning! The worldwide zombie apoca- lypse was triggered, as we all knew it would be, by a "virulent strain of mad cow disease" originat- ing in a gas station hamburger. On a related note, I used to be responsible for making gas station hamburgers, hot dogs, and sand- wiches…do yourself a huge favor. Don't EVER eat that stuff. Anyway, after establishing the source of the social problem, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg, who is not nearly as irritating here as he usually is) begins to explain how he has survived this long. His explanation turns into a run- ning visual gag, as every "rule" for survival he narrates is included as a PowerPoint style bullet point, first freeze framed over a hilarious illustration, and then dissolved by either blood or bullets. After using his rules to survive a few deli- ciously shot zombie attacks, he hooks up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). Tallahassee has some anger management problems. Together, they become entwined with Wichita (Emma Stone, who is getting hotter all the time) and Little Rock (Lil'Abigail Breslin). They head towards the west coast on a pilgrimage to Pacific Playland. On the way, they decide to stop by Bill Murray's place, where they meet Bill Murray in a cameo that provides just the right touch of surreal. This cameo is the culmination of a series of shout- outs to other horror/comedy clas- sics, including Caddyshack, Babe, and Ghostbusters. The film then ends the only way it can, with a massive bloodbath at an amusement park. If there is one caveat with Zombieland, it is the plot holes. Some of the char- acters do stupid things only to set up the scene, without adding any independent comedic value. For example, towards the end of the movie someone turns the amusement park power on, complete with sparkling lights and carnival music in the middle of the night. How are we supposed to believe someone outlived the rest of the human race doing some- thing so stupid? Overall, this is the best hor- ror/comedy since Shaun of the Dead. For all the genuine scares, both are funnier than they are ter- rifying. Both specialize in bring- ing a new perspective to the often bloated and clichéd zombie genre, both outdo themselves with adding quirky tunes to the soundtrack, and both have hot female leads. Almost as Good as Shaun of the Dead Zombieland (Rated R) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS

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