543: Zombieland

[00:00:01] Let's get to the first bonus review, which is Zombieland from 2009. It's directed by Reuben Flesher, stars Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard, Bill Murray.

[00:00:19] And the synopsis is, a shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting bruiser in search of the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park, join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America.

[00:00:38] I remember vividly when this one came out, it was a massive blowout hit. It became, I think it still is, a favorite zombie movie by a lot of people.

[00:00:51] The dialogue was something that was overly referenced in conversation, at least in my circles. I had people constantly quoting Woody Harrelson, like, nut up or shut up and all the rules of the zombie world, that kind of thing.

[00:01:06] So it was a big stamp in pop culture at the time. And I think it's had a shelf life. We'll get to the sequel, but this first one was probably one of the best zombie films since Shaun of the Dead in terms of at least a popularity success.

[00:01:28] I've seen it many, many times over the years. It's easily watchable. It's one of those films that's always on TV.

[00:01:37] But I hadn't rewatched it in its entirety for at least a handful of years now.

[00:01:43] I think it still holds up quite well. And what made it all get off to a good start is that opening credits.

[00:01:52] Those were the most epic, awesome opening credits for a movie like this that I'd ever seen.

[00:01:59] With the slow-mo, all of the crazy blood and makeup effects, the different situations of zombies chasing after people,

[00:02:09] the Metallica song, like it's an iconic opening that still rocks and I think has been in some ways influential over the years in other similar films.

[00:02:23] Some other strong notes, though. The main success of the movie, I think, comes from the characters.

[00:02:30] It does feel... I mean, there's not much plot in it at all.

[00:02:35] The four leads are all charismatic. This was a good time for Jesse Eisenberg.

[00:02:41] I think Social Network came out right around this same time, so he was king of the world then.

[00:02:48] This is definitely one of Woody Harrelson's more memorable roles, at least in a blockbuster form.

[00:02:55] Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin were both breaking out.

[00:02:59] The choice to name all the characters on different locations, like states and cities, that's very clever.

[00:03:09] It is easy to remember those names and who everyone is.

[00:03:15] It's written by the screenwriters of Deadpool, so that kind of makes sense.

[00:03:20] Same kind of style.

[00:03:22] I love everything with the rulebook of how to survive a zombie apocalypse, like cardio, beware bathrooms.

[00:03:31] It's all stuff that makes sense.

[00:03:33] It's not stuff that's so ridiculous or far-fetched that it's not easy to understand.

[00:03:41] If you followed those rules, you'd probably do okay, all considering if there was an actual zombie apocalypse.

[00:03:49] The zombie kill of the year, when they flashback to someone orchestrating a very clever zombie kill.

[00:03:58] The quest for Woody Harrelson's character to get a Twinkie.

[00:04:04] I mean, it's funny in the movie, but that was another, at least for me, very over-referenced thing.

[00:04:10] Every time someone mentioned a Twinkie, Zombieland was brought up.

[00:04:16] The opening sequence with Jesse Eisenberg and Amber Heard, there's so many great moments.

[00:04:24] Like, for one, Jesse Eisenberg wanting to be able to brush the hair out of a girl's face and behind her ear.

[00:04:32] Or when she does become a zombie, sticks her tongue, her bloody tongue, through the shower curtain in the bathroom

[00:04:39] when he's trying to push her off and she bleeds that black blood onto him.

[00:04:44] Or the breaking of the ankle.

[00:04:47] Him throwing the bathroom items like toilet paper and cotton balls at her is really good physical comedy.

[00:04:56] And all that being said, going back to Shaun of the Dead, that works very much as a comedy.

[00:05:02] Like, you could call it a comedy, and I would agree.

[00:05:04] But you could also call it a horror film, and I would agree.

[00:05:08] This movie is sort of in that same vein, maybe more comedy than horror.

[00:05:15] But it's able to fairly consistently combine and mix those genres well enough to make it feel very well-rounded.

[00:05:27] There's a character in there for everyone in one way or the other.

[00:05:30] There's a lot of easily relatable things with personalities, their personal issues.

[00:05:40] When Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson first meet the sisters and they trick them.

[00:05:48] The sequence with Bill Murray, it is funny.

[00:05:51] Maybe at this point a little tired with that kind of cameo.

[00:05:55] But the fact that they kill Bill Murray accidentally, of all people.

[00:06:00] And he says before he dies that he wanted to make himself look like a zombie to fit in.

[00:06:08] Bill Murray, unlike anyone else, is able to make that funny and feel genuine.

[00:06:14] And not eye roll as it could easily be.

[00:06:19] The final sequence when they're at the amusement park and they get stuck on the ride that shoots them up and down.

[00:06:27] And the zombies are waiting for them at the bottom.

[00:06:29] And they have to kick their legs up and shoot them as they're going down.

[00:06:33] And there's that time limit of when they may be bitten or endangered, at least.

[00:06:38] Also, in terms of the movie feeling well-rounded, the emotional beats hit.

[00:06:49] For example, the Woody Harrelson thing of his dog and then his daughter.

[00:06:53] That loss and him not wanting to reveal what actually happened.

[00:06:58] Like, that's an earnest moment in a movie that doesn't really need that, but it's effective.

[00:07:04] When they find the Hummer, the fear of clowns of Jesse Eisenberg's character.

[00:07:12] And then they see the zombie clown at the end.

[00:07:15] Like, there's really good callbacks and say what you will about all the pop culture references and the mentions of a certain brand.

[00:07:24] Like, a well-known brand.

[00:07:26] If it works, it works.

[00:07:27] And at least they present it in a way that doesn't feel inauthentic.

[00:07:31] Like, these are all things that people like and especially in the case of a zombie apocalypse would try and find.

[00:07:40] So overall, very solid movie.

[00:07:43] Would for sure be one of my favorites.

[00:07:47] Maybe top five favorite zombie movies of all time.

[00:07:54] That one is a heavy four out of five.