I saw Dawn of the Dead last night. In the genre of Zombie movies, it was pretty good. It was not a very scary movie which was a refreshing change. I tire quickly of movies that attempt to startle you through sudden images or surprises, suhc as many of the slasher movies. Instead, the movie keeps you on the edge because of the inevitable nature of the predicament of the characters. Inside the mall is safe. Outside the mall are thousands of rabid cannibal zombies.

I also appreciated the reasonable and intelligent treatment of the characters. In many of the zombie movies one of the main characters is usually a wacked out irrational freak who does everything possible to jeopardize the group. In this movie, individuals are at times both selfish and reasonable, but always for good reasons. And never totally crazy. One example is the head security guard at the mall. At the start he appears sadistic and controlling, but once he's taken down and forced to accept the communal nature of their prediament, he transforms into a functional and useful member of the team.

There's been a relative rash of these Zombie movies recently, starting with Resident Evil. That was a surprisingly good "B" movie starring Milla Jovovich. Another excellent movie in the genre, and probably the best of the lot, was 28 Days Later. I highly recommend that movie to anyone who has an interest in Zombie or Apocalyptic movies.
posted by Tim at 6:06 AM

For those of you who noticed my absence, I am back! (For those who didn't, never mind.)

No, Wifey didn't lock me in the closet.
No, I didn't get called up in the Reserves.
No, I didn't win the Powerball.

I was traveling on business to Mexico City and Atlanta.

"But now I'm back form outerspace! I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face..."
posted by Tim at 1:25 PM