When your rotting flesh has even Dennis Hopper on the freak, you know that you and the legions of undead have done your job well.
“Zombies, man. They creep me out,” spits Hopper, as the craven dictator of the post-apocalypse in “Land of the Dead.” The 2005 comeback for George Romero, just available on DVD, is one of the top picks for flesh-crawling Halloween viewing this year.
All zombie puns intended, there has been a terrific resurrection of the undead genre in recent years, leading to all kinds of extras-packed DVDs to bring home Monday night. We offer a few of the best, and then dig into the horror vaults with some advice from expert pickers.
“Land of the Dead” was Romero’s return to form, after the weakest link in his zombie saga, “Day of the Dead” in 1985 and years of weak horror movies that followed. There’s a progression to Romero’s work, slightly deeper explanations and complications each time, that give the zombies their own mythology.
We join “Land of the Dead” as humans have lived with a zombie world for years. Survivors have holed up in cities; the richest among them live in gilded apartment towers like “Fiddler’s Green,” under the control of despots like Hopper. They pay for security forces that keep the zombies at bay. Meanwhile, a lower-middle-class of paid foragers and menial laborers ventures out into zombieland for dwindling supplies.
Did I forget to mention the zombies are learning? Led by a gas station attendant badly deformed by bacteria and high oil prices, the zombies are sympathetic this time and battling back against the “racist” predations of the mercenary city protectors.
Hopper, John Leguizamo and Simon Baker add some decent acting talent to the intriguing story. The “uncut” – but still very much undead – DVD release includes extras on the special effects, a commentary by Romero, and a tour of the set with Leguizamo.
“Shaun of the Dead” (2004) is for girlfriends and family members who can’t take their zombie horror straight up. It’s a hilarious British take on the shuffling dead, with our heroes hellbent on popping ’round to the pub for a pint no matter how many bleedin’ corpses stand in the way.
Word to the wise: No need for a gun. A cricket bat can dispatch a slow-moving zombie in one sporting gesture.
The 2004 remake of “Dawn of the Dead” is not the least bit funny. In fact, it’s so terrifying I haven’t brought myself to see it again since reviewing it. But if true horror is what you want for Halloween, this is the DVD rental for you. Director Zach Snyder makes his suburban nightmare so real you’ll be locking the car doors on the way to Starbucks.
Sam Raimi is best known for “Evil Dead” and “Spider-Man” bracketing his career, but in between he made some goofy corpse classics. “Army of Darkness” (1992) may be the funniest, with Bruce Campbell as a one-armed chain saw swashbuckler transported to the Middle Ages to fight evil spirits. Any movie about the undead that requires Campbell to call an enemy “Mr. Fancypants” is all right by me.
Phil Morehart, a zombie fan and catalog expert at the movie supplier Facets, recommends more laughs with Peter Jackson’s early effort in “Dead Alive” (1992). Jackson made this “low-budget, slapstick, bloodbath of a zombie film before dipping his toes in big-budget Hobbit land,” Morehart said. “The protagonist’s use of a lawnmower to plow down the zombie horde is classic.”
Finally, Brian Orndorf of FilmFodder.com wants true horror fans to seek out a “goofball splatter entry” called “The Beyond,” from 1981. Cult director Lucio Fulci tosses in “just about everything but the kitchen sink,” Orndorf said, in a movie about a possessed hotel in Louisiana. It’s gore to the max, warn Orndorf and other fans, definitely not for the squeamish.
“The Beyond” might not have much “in the way of finesse,” Orndorf said. “But it has a dark genre heart that keeps it afloat.”
Staff writer Michael Booth can be reached at 303-820-1686 or mbooth@denverpost.com.
NEW ON DVD
Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith *** 1/2 The final Star Wars chapter brims with the fast- and-furious stuff that made George Lucas a wizard: Fighter craft skim vast surfaces, sumptuous cityscapes sparkle like constellations. But this prequel earns its accolades for bringing heart back into Lucas’ art: tracing Anakin Skywalker’s trajectory from light to dark. This is what the entire prequel trilogy was supposed to do. But “Revenge” is the only episode that delivers. PG-13; 139 minutes (Lisa Kennedy)
The Perfect Man *** It’s a movie that could have bombed, and some will find it stale romance and light comedy. But a winning relationship between confused teen Hilary Duff and desperate mom Heather Locklear elevates this fairy tale. Locklear moves her family to a new city every time a man dumps her; Duff wants some stability and invents a suitor for Mom. Despite the title, it’s a good message for girls about making it on their own. PG; 90 minutes (Michael Booth)
Millions **** British director Danny Boyle, usually obsessed with the freakish, shows his remarkable range by accomplishing that rare thing: a children’s movie that may be even more fun for adults. Damian is still reeling from losing his mother when a duffel bag of money literally falls into his lap. He and his brother find out spending it and giving it away isn’t so easy. The movie never panders, and it keeps Boyle’s love of eccentric humor and language. Makes “Robots” and other “kids”‘ movies pale by comparison. PG; 90 minutes (Michael Booth)
Bewitched *** The realms of the real and the magical overlap in this buoyant homage to the ’60s TV series. Actor Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell) is hot and bothered by the non-actress he has found to play Samantha opposite his Darrin. Jack’s bullying agent (Jason Schwartzman) convinces him he can build a remake around the hapless hubby of a wonderful witch. But most of all – thanks to Nicole Kidman as the sorceress who wants to live a mortal’s life but just can’t – you’re likely to be bewitched. PG-13; 105 minutes (Lisa Kennedy)
