For our final mission for 2020, I figured what better subject that the end of the world. I mean, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, so what better way than to go out fighting, right?
Now your subject matter is pretty wide open here, meaning you can go with a worldwide zombie outbreak, some sort of disease that has wiped out most of the population, or even some sort of creatures invasion that have taken out mankind, or at least a majority of it. The only key element that is required is that it would seem that humanity might be on its last leg, or has at least been seriously crippled. But besides that, it should be pretty easy to come across a couple of films that you haven’t seen yet.
Of course, that is the key element, right? So before 11:59pm on December 31st, you must find and watch two horror films that you have not seen before, that deal with a possible end of the world, then report back to this mission post and report your findings. Now with the holidays at the end of the month, maybe it might be a good idea to get them done early on, so you have time to enjoy the holidays… just a thought. Either way, Good Luck!
kitleyskrypt.com 
Love this theme!
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Just a thought….
Some of these mission would also make great Friday questions. What is your favorite post apocalyptic movie; what is your favorite “Turkey”, etc.
Every time I start looking through horror movies with the mission’s theme that I need to see I start noticing the ones I have already seen and go, oh yeah, that’s a great one! but I’ve already seen it.”
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Good point, Chris. That gives a lot of ideas to touch upon.
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Question: Do all post-apocalyptic movies in general qualify for this mission? Because a lot of those aren’t categorized within the horror genre.
Zombies, virus outbreaks or creature invasions would be the most obvious route to take, yes..
But what about films along the lines of Survivor (1987) and Neon City (1991)? Or films like This Quiet Earth (1985) and Where Have All The People Gone (1974)? I’m guessing a movie like She-Wolves of the Wasteland (1988) can qualify already based on its title alone, no? Haha. At any rate, they all fall under the ‘genre movies’ umbrella anyway…
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I would say they need to still be classified as a horror film. I know that term can be a bit wobbly, but it still should be something meant to scare the audiences. The whole reasoning behind the different themes was to get people to watch more horror films, so no matter what the theme is, it should still be in the genre. Hope that makes sense.
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Yes, that makes perfect sense. Might have to dig a little deeper then, to find a couple more horror related titles.
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#1. The Quiet Earth (1985). This would normally qualify as more science fiction than horror, but since in the world of Kitley there’s no such thing as science fiction, it falls back to horror by default. (Honestly, I don’t see it as a big stretch. “Last Man on Earth” is horror… and this is similar in many ways… call it “existential horror” — the horror of being alive!)
Anyway, this one was under my radar — as is my second pick (more on that later) — but it’s a damn fine film. It’s very much a Kiwi take on “Omega Man,” though with more space-time distortions and a little less disco. I really liked the lead actor / character, and I’m surprised he’s not familiar to me — surely I’ve seen him in other things?? Also, the opening scene has him full frontal naked, which is always a big plus for me.
The horror aspect is minimal (again, it really only works if you have an intense fear of being alone) but the characters are strong and there’s some good action with explosions and whatnot. The plot is almost non-existent, but it’s not so much about the plot. My only nitpick (and I’m sure there are many plot holes) is that one of the living characters just so happened to work on the project that allegedly caused the mess. What a coincidence! They could just as easily never had a clue why it happened at all or used some kind of “rapture” narrative. Overall, though, solid film — 7/10.
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I knew my Sci-Fi comment would come back to haunt me at some point, Gavin. And I should have known it would be you!
I saw this one when it first hit video and the only recollection I have of it was that it was boring. Granted, this is coming from a 20 year old Kitley, one that has since become more “educated and refined”…or something like that. Maybe I’ll check it out again at some point.
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Great to see you discovering This Quiet Earth, Gavin! indeed, it’s a fascinating film, quite the accomplishment and, within the scope of director Geoff Murphy’s oeuvre, I’d even consider it a masterpiece. The film’s revelatory ending, was destined to be one for the books.
Surely there’s quite some things to nitpick and quibble about (if not the plot, then the fact it touches quantum physics also doesn’t make things easier). The coincidence of one of the project’s scientists being actually one of the survivors? I’d like to chalk that up to a warped sense of cosmic karma, hah.
Jon, indeed, if you experienced this — Back when it came out? Wow! — as boring, it either must have been rubbing you the wrong way or the subject matter simply didn’t resonate with you like it should have (back then).
I myself didn’t get to watch it until post-2000 and I have to thank a (high school) friend for that, who saw it during the ’80s or ’90s on TV. When much later I stumbled upon a 2003 DVD edition of it, I instantly remembered the title and how my friend was impressed by it (also recommending it to me, after he first saw it).
Give it a revisit, Jon? See what you might get out of it now?
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Where’s your second pick, Gavin? Did I miss it?
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ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (2011)
Director: Nick Lyon
Sometimes I dive into a film just because of an actor or actress being in it. An impulse that may, in some cases, override another decision I previously made. More specifically, in this case: the decision to not watch The Asylum productions anymore (which I took already a long while ago). Enter the impulse of “Hey, let’s see what else Danny Trejo has been doing in recent years! And Ving Rhames too!” … Et voilà, next step had me entering The Asylum again (ouch!) and finding a lot of zombies (sigh!) to play with. That happened months ago.
The first film, Rise of the Zombies (starring Trejo) was so bad, it immediately made me realize this impulse had been a bad idea, so I cancelled my next appointment with Ving Rhames (in another The Asylum flick, ouch!). Oh yes, I even felt bold enough to schedule this as a The Mental Shack double bill. So, I pulled out in time, with much relief.
Only for now, months later – signing up for Kryptic Mission: End of Days – to muster up the courage once more for entering a zombie-filled post-apocalyptic battlefield. Thanks for making me enter The Nuthouse again, Jon! But lo and behold, Zombie Apocalypse is (only) slightly better than Rise of the Zombies. For the simple fact that it’s a bit more coherent and benefits from slightly better acting. All the rest? As you’d expect from a production of The Loony Bin. Including a (short-lived) climactic battle with two zombie tigers (shoddy CGI, of course). So at least, I had not seen that before. Yay.
VIRUS (1980)
Original title: DAY OF RESURRECTION
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
How I (finally) welcomed this view! It may not have been conceived as a horror movie formula, it does certainly mean to scare its (worldwide) audience. Especially watching it near the end of 2020, it sure gives a lugubrious spin on the matter….
A deadly and rapidly reproducing flu-like virus manages to wipe out virtually the entire population in less than half an hour of the movie’s running time. To make matters even worse, a delusional military official also manages – after half an hour – to activate a much dreaded ARS (Automatic Reaction System) mechanism, basically meaning: the virus decimated most of the human race already, the missiles will soon turn possible survivors into the ‘nuke & glow’ kind. And survivors – for now – there are: a variety of nationalities based in research facilities on Antarctica, as the virus couldn’t reach that part of the globe due to the below zero temperatures.
During the ’80s a few interesting ‘global disaster’ productions saw the light of day – often genre blends of sci-fi, horror, drama & adventure – that were magnificent in scope, with plots involving locations and characters from around the world. Off the bat, I’m thinking of films like Bye Bye Jupiter (1984) and Solar Crisis (1990). Virus (1980) is of the same ilk, featuring also a considerable amount of Japanese production input. What I’ve noticed, is that they have one major flaw in common, in terms of what makes any movie (in general) work better: the lack of leading characters (identifiable protagonists) that carry you through the film. Case in point: What’s one of the plot aspects that make you remember World War Z (2013)? If it’s the family story line of Brad Pitt & Mireille Enos’ characters’ struggles while getting separated throughout the worldwide chaos, then there’s your answer.
While Day of Resurrection has a stellar cast of both veterans and newcomers of diverse nationalities, the problem remains: none of them are leads, just as much as most of them have ‘leading moments’ when certain scenes call for it. The fact that I saw what’s been called the “butchered” cut – titled Virus for the American market, running around 102 minutes – didn’t help matters either. It omits many scenes, leaves out crucial information and even recuts the chronology of certain events. Nonetheless, I did get a palpable sense of how much better a film the original 155 minutes version (restored by now) might be.
It’s all about the universal fear of extinction, for nations alike, no matter what political / medical / military forces are responsible for it. And for a film that also advocates it will take all nationalities to rise above and beyond their own boundaries, if they wish to collaborate for the survival of humanity… it’s ultimately also one of the most doom-laden films to emerge from its era. And if that’s not enough horror for you, some of the more visceral scenes feature people getting shot through the eye or impaled by debri, bodies being thrown on piles and burned with flame throwers and the obligatory settings of deserted cityscapes littered with dried-up corpses.
Bonus film:
US (2019)
Director: Jordan Peele
This was actually to be an entry for this month’s mission, as I watched it for the first time without having a clue it would actually qualify! And it sure qualifies in quite an original manner… Doesn’t it, Jon? However, I decided not to go into it, because there’s no way around some spoilers for those who haven’t seen it yet.
Since this is the year’s final mission, I wish you all a good 2020 closure.
Let 2021 bring us less confined but more open fields for reconnaissance…
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I used to be like you as well, Gert, watching movies with a particular actor. But on that same note, there are some actors that I like, but if they are the main star of the movie, I would avoid it, like you mentioned with Danny Trejo. Love the guy, but he has been in some terrible films. So I think I will be avoiding Zombie Apocalypse.
But Day of Resurrection has me very interested. Just a quick browsing and I can’t find an uncut copy but the Virus cut is on Amazon Prime. Might have to watch that one for my own mission this month!
I did enjoy US, but it does have its issues.
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Those days that I could be tricked into watching a movie because of a certain actor/actress being in it are well behind me too, Jon. Didn’t take much more than a few various rentals during the video store era to make me become aware of the alluring ‘name’ tactics of how-to-market DTV releases (overseas, here). Same thing for “from the producers of” or “from the special effects team behind” blurbs on a video cover. You must’ve surely known that drill too. The best (hilarious) stinkers at the time that I managed to rent and watch, were things like: Appointment With Fear (1985, blurb: from the producers of Halloween!), Hellgate (1989, blurb: from the special effects masters of Hellraiser & Hellbound!), The Laughing Dead (1990, blurb: from the SFX team behind a whole crapload of movies!)
Anyway, I quickly got over that. Now I still do it (sometimes) but intentionally just for fun. Occasionally also with worse results now, as was the case with Danny Trejo in Rise of The Zombies: he’s not even the main star of the film, haha. Halfway through, he gets bitten, turns into a zombie, then they kill him off in a fairly blood splattering manner. That was a laugh! But you got the hint alright: both Rise and Apocalypse aren’t exactly worth watching.
Virus (1980) is a muddled affair, due to it being re-cut and shortened. Quite talkative too, at times. But you get a great look at the disastrous scope of things and a pretty good feel that the longer Day of Resurrection version must actually be a rather good film (from that era). And you’ll surely have a blast seeing all those familiar genre faces in the whole ensemble cast again. If you’d happen to watch it for this mission, then curious about how it will go down with you.
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Movie 1: Blood Quantum
The concept is an original take with zombies. Unfortunately, the pacing (I felt) was a little slow at picking up and some plot points seemed a little hazy. However when the action and violence is on; IT’S ON! The sets, costumes, and gore were phenomenal! The ending was a little too open and actually rather bleak, but all in all, I felt it was a rather enjoyable film.
Movie 2: Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula
Korean zombie films have really taken the reigns over the genre in the past few years; and in a really enjoyable way. Pacing, character development, visual style, settings, and even the speed of the creatures is a lot more palatable than the “Infected/running” zombies of just a few years ago. I really enjoyed this one and felt it was a good and strong addition to what else was going on in the same world and events as “Train to Busan.” I would definitely revisit this.
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I’ve heard a few good things about Blood Quantum but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. But now may have to. Sounds like great movie for the Christmas season!
I thought Train to Busan was good, but nothing special. But I do want to see this sequel to see how they continue it. Glad to hear you liked it.
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Movie 1: Hardware- 1990
Synopsis: In a world decayed by radiation fall-out from ongoing wars, a female artist gets a robotic head as a gift to incorporate into her art. The warrior robot begins to reassemble and locks her in her apartment and tries to kill her.
Review: A crass between Mad Max and Terminator this is an odd movie. An obvious statement against the government’s need to wage war instead of looking after its people, the robot is a war model and even gets painted with stars and stripes Personally, I would have preferred them to delve more into the backdrop of the world itself and its slow death by radiation and mutation. Still, taking the movie for what it is I did enjoy it. It took a while for me to get into it as many of the shots are so tight once we are in the apartment that I had trouble telling exactly what was going on. I know this was done to foster claustrophobia & isolation (& it worked) but sometime I couldn’t even tell where the robot and the characters were in relation to each other. Once I got past that, the movie became a fun little ride of action & suspense. The robot was a really cool design and made it feel dangerous and even creepy. I would recommend this people who like futuristic or even steampunk settings; sci-fan fans and those who like more action oriented horror.
Movie 2: Zombieland: Double Tap 2019
Synopsis: Little rock feels lonely with no one her age around, and runs of with Wichita from Tallahassee & Columbus. She later separates again with a boy her age she meets, leaving Wichita to ask for her ex-partners for help finding her.
Review: I generally avoid sequels because they are usually just “more of the same” with few new ideas. While that is still the case here, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s a high budget film with great effects, zombie action and a fun cast. Until the end, when they face a new strain of more deadly zombie, the undead here are more of a joke; a punchline in a movie that’s more comedy than horror. That being said it’s a good joke. This time around the film focuses more on the relationships between the group with the exploration of the depth of Columbus’ and Wichita’s commitment and the father-daughter dynamic of Tallahassee & Little Rock. There are some very fun moments including a mid-end credits bit with Bill Murray. I enjoyed it much more than I expected and I would recommend this to anyone who liked the first one; fans of zombie movies, or anyone who is looking for more humor than horror.
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I absolutely LOVE Hardware! I honestly couldn’t praise it enough, with Stanley giving us such a grim look at one possible future. Not sure if you have the Blu-ray of it, but I would highly recommend picking it up. It looks amazing. And that score?!?!
I believe I was one of the few people that wasn’t that impressed with Zombieland when it was in theaters. So the idea of revisiting it with the sequel still hasn’t gotten to me yet. Maybe someday.
But glad to hear you picked two films that you did enjoy. That is always a bonus!
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THE DOMESTICS (2018)
A couple takes a road trip while trying to avoid gangs.
Post-apocalyptic movies are about 1% apocalypse and 99% people just being terrible to each other. Nothing new here, it looks just like The Walking Dead.
ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE (2017)
Glee, with zombies. Has a nice song about zombie-killing. Fills the bill when you need a horror movie and a comedy and a musical and a Christmas movie.
I also waded in to The Quiet Earth (1985) and I’m not gonna gatekeep but I didn’t think it was horror, not having around and being able to do whatever you want sounds heavenly (until you end up crying in a filthy silk nightgown). Felt a lot like The World, The Flesh, and The Devil. It was a much better movie than the others I watched. I think The Midnight Sky (2020) also qualifies–slow-paced and beautiful, not sure it is very different from Solaris (2002).
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Hey Cate –
Don’t think I’ve heard of The Domestics, but don’t think I need to look further. I will say I unfortunately do agree with you that there are always those that just cause more issues for survivors than people really trying to help. The positive I can only think of is when there is a big tragedy, like 9/11, an earthquake, or even a shooting at a school, there are a lot of people that step up and do positive things. Let’s just hope they are the majority!
I have yet to get my two flicks in yet, but I do have Anna queued up for one of mine. I’ve heard it is pretty fun.
I have The Quiet Earth coming from Netlfix, but know it won’t get here in time, but no worries. I will get to it at some point.
Nice to see you back, Cate!
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For December, I decided to pull out some classics. My husband and I rewatched the “Dead” movies: Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead. What an excellent apocalyptic series, all great for different reasons.
Night of the Living Dead is so formative for the horror genre, yet it still holds up so well as its own movie. The effects are so disturbing, and I love the escalation. At first, it seems like these things can be held off, but things go wrong so quickly.
Dawn of the Dead is so great because it allows you to get so attached to a small group of characters. The mall setting lends itself to so many excellent effects and scenarios.
Day of the Dead has some of the best gnarly gore. It’s the most apocalyptic of the trilogy and watching the breakdown of a society in the miniature is so fascinating. The parts with the zombie Bud are so emotional and touching, and they add something so brilliant and new to the series.
Overall, I love these films because the characters are so interesting. They feel real in their psychology, and even though these films all came out before I was born, they’re still gripping and relevant.
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Glad to see your post, but I think you might have missed the little part about watching films that you haven’t seen before. I agree with you on 2 out of the 3 of those films (yes, I’m not a huge fan of Dawn), but the goal is to get everyone to watch films they haven’t seen yet. Kind of like making you check them off your list!
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Almost down to the wire, but I did get my two films in, although one of them could be questionable. But since it was pretty much terrible, I’m going to use it anyway.
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) – Not bad, though thought I would find it more entertaining than I did. It did seemed to have a very strong influence from Shawn of the Dead. I do give them credit for combining a Christmas / musical / zombie genre all in one.
Trucks (1997) – This might be a stretch for an apocalypse theme but there is something making trucks and other mechanical things become alive and start killing people, so it should fit… right?
Unfortunately, this was just a poorly made film. Not the greatest acting, through they were giving it their all, but just a bad script, silly set pieces, and just so many things making no sense. As much of a cheese-fest that Maximum Overdrive is, at least it is entertaining in a bat-shit crazy kind of way. Not here.
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Sorry you didn’t dig AATA as much as I did, but hey, different strokes for different folks! I really found all of the performers really likable and the songs were pretty clever and moved the story along (for the most part).
Question: Is this Trucks based on the Stephen King short story that he later turned into Maximum Overdrive, or is it just the same title and premise?
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Aaron, let me quickly provide a reply on this. Trucks indeed is a new adaptation from Stephen King’s similarly titled short story.
I actually can’t agree much with how Jon feels about it. I watched it some years after its initial rental release over here and was expecting very little from it. But it pleasantly surprised me. I don’t exactly recall it being poorly made. It might have been a straight-to-video production, but it’s not worse or better than anything else Trimark Pictures was releasing at the time.
I’ve read the short story and, as I remember it, Trucks actually sticks a little closer to it. Perhaps the problem for most viewers is that it plays it fairly serious. So it doesn’t have that cheesy crazy ’80s vibe from Maximum Overdrive (which for me is actually the one that has a questionable script, silly set pieces and makes little sense)
There’s also some familiar faces you can spot among the Trucks cast, so the acting really isn’t that terrible. Trucks is a little tamer and less graphic, maybe, as it’s from the late ’90s. And the very ending is bit different, but didn’t make it a worse film to me. I’ve always liked the short story, that might also be the reason I can’t help being amused by both adaptations.
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I will agree that the movie Trucks does follow the original short story way more than Maximum Overdrive. For the most part. But I think it is one of those things that works on paper, but not necessarily on film. I just couldn’t buy into what the characters were doing. It has been even longer since I’ve read the story but I wasn’t watching it in comparison, but just on its own merits, which is where I think it failed.
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Hey Jon. Yesterday’s convo actually sparked my interest to rewatch Trucks again. Realizing it’s been almost 20 years since I watched it, I now have to correct myself here. I can get behind your thoughts on it much more. This remake turned out as ridiculous as Maximum Overdrive. The fact that it tries to play it more serious, doesn’t change much. There’s a randomness to the script that throws in some stuff, simply to add some more (rather hilarious) death scenes. Same with adding a bunch of characters with various backgrounds that don’t matter much, simply to have them all trapped in the gas station. Like you said, the story works well on paper, but not so much both attempts of turning it into a movie. The only thing about my previous comment that still holds up, is that both films amused me. And the very ending of Trucks had me chuckling again.
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#1 Dawn of the Dead (2004) – Finally broke down and watched this shit show. Tried to go in with an open mind, ultimately it was just lacking in any kind of compelling characters to ever care who lived or died. Some good gore, but ultimately it offered nothing new to the genre and was unnecessary. If it had a different title, I may not have even bothered.
#2 Cadaver (2020) – Norwegian post apocalyptic movie, Food and a safe place to live is scarce. Until an entertainer comes along promising a warm meal and show in an old hotel. But all is too good to be true when Leo discovers the dark secrets inside and what really happens to the patrons. Not too bad of a film, worth a watch. But not shouting from the rooftops about it.
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Wow. I would have guessed you’d seen the Dawn remake before now. And I have to say, I actually enjoyed it. Sure, it does have it’s issues, but then again, I feel the same away about the original. Didn’t make the running zombies, because after all, it worked in Return of the Living Dead, so…
For a big Hollywood remake, I was impressed. Not the greatest zombie movie ever, but I feel definitely not the worst compared to a lot of the titles out there.
You got me on Cadaver…never even heard of it. I’m always interested in checking out films from different countries, so will probably give it a go at some point.
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All right, nothing like waiting until the last second….
#1 ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE (2018) d. McPhail, John (UK) (1st viewing)
In this enthusiastic mash-up of Glee and Shaun of the Dead, high school students preparing for the holiday pageant find themselves caught up in a zombie apocalypse, with people bursting into song even as the intestines fly. It shouldn’t work nearly as well as it does, with much credit going to the fantastic young cast (Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher LeVeax, Marli Siu, Ben Wiggins) who make their band of misfits just as likable as can be. Glad to see a few other Army folks caught up with it as well!
#2 STARFISH (2018) d. White, A.T. (USA) (1st viewing)
This was definitely one of those independent flicks where you just say, “Well done, everybody,” even if it’s not for everybody. Working with a very limited budget but refusing to use that as an excuse for shoddy work, writer/director White crafts an extraordinarily ambitious and intellectually stimulating vision of the end of the world. A young woman (Virginia Gardner) leaves her best friend’s funeral and proceeds to break into her friend’s apartment looking for a means by which to process her grief… and then the majority of the world’s population suddenly disappears, and literal monsters start showing up at the front door. Now, despite that description, it’s deliberately paced and hardly action-packed, more of an assault on the gray matter than on the other senses, steeped in metaphor and symbolism. But Gardner’s performance is breathtaking and deeply nuanced, literally carrying the movie since she’s pretty much the only character, and White gives her (and the viewer) plenty to chew on.
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Also, I’d like to receive extra credit for picking two independent films, both from 2018, both with female leads, and both set at Christmastime! (And yes, all of that was completely coincidental.)
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Sure…I’ll give you an extra gold star.
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I was not as impressed with Anna as you were, unfortunately. But to each their own.
But you really have me very interested in Starfish. Did we talk about this???
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We have not yet chatted about Starfish. It’s a little heady for its own good, but I gotta give them credit for doing a lot with a little.
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Movie 1: #Alive (2020)
I’m pretty stubborn about zombie movies. I love the classics, and nothing will ever change that about me. This movie wasn’t terrible for a new horror movie. It had some pretty entertaining moments and kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked how this movie touched on the survivor’s food rationing. Food and water is always number one to me over bullets. I liked the tense vibe the movie gave off, but it could’ve used some more gore. The acting and characters really held this one together. They did a great job.
Movie #2 Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula (2020)
I didn’t like this one as much as Train to Busan, but some of the reviews I read for it were just plain mean. I didn’t think it was as bad as everyone was saying. I didn’t go into it with high expectations, and I had fun watching it. It has a lot of action. (Some cringy CGI but a lot of action.) I would probaby watch this one again.
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I had seen part of #Alive (Dawn was watching it and I was popping in and out) and it didn’t look too bad. But just never got around to sitting down with it myself.
I had planned on seeing Peninsula but watched the trailer and felt like it had way too much CGI in there. I’ll still get to it but I think I’ll be going in with my expectations a little low, kind of like you.
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Strain 100 2020 / USA
A pandemic is ravaging the world. A vaccine is frantically sought to protect humanity. One is finally approved and released to the public…
Jesse’s having a great time communing with nature with her boyfriend, and another couple. That is, until her friend’s boyfriend savagely attacks and wounds her friend, and kills Jesse’s boyfriend. Jesse manages to knock him senseless, so she and the friend can escape. Thus starts an adventure where Jesse is beset at every turn by crazed bloodthirsty people, and everyone who associates with her, dies a horrible death. As Jesse learns, the vaccine has turned everyone who received it into a mindless bloodthirsty cannibal. Only the non-vaccinated are unaffected, but they are far outnumbered by those vaccinated. Along the way, we meet those who have given up and are waiting for the inevitable, and those that fight on, and die gruesomely. Only Jesse manages to continue on. Her goal is to reach her mother at the CDC in Atlanta, as she was working on the vaccine. When she arrives, she is told that her mother succumbed to the original virus, but Mom left a videotape stating that Jesse has the antibody for the vaccine (??). So the movie ends with Jesse off to DC, to save humanity.
This movie is honestly, a hot mess. Lots of blood – unfortunately most of it is CG. Nothing is phonier than CG blood spray. Some good characters, some quirky characters, too many cliché characters. The scariest part of the movie was how much the set up (the pandemic and the vaccine) mirrored today’s reality. The rest…meh! Not terrible, but far from good.
So here I thought this was at least a somewhat original idea, until I mentioned the plot to my daughter, who then informed me that the same idea was used in the Will Smith version of “I Am Legend”. Well, I had not seen that, so I thought that would make a good companion film for this month. But as fate would have it, as I looked for my copy of “I Am Legend”, I came across another movie instead…
I Am Omega 2008 / USA
Yep! The Asylum knock-off of “I Am Legend”. The Asylum movies are pretty much either a) so bad they’re good (see “Snakes On A Train”) or b) so bad they lower your IQ (see just about everything else they make). This one needed copious amounts of alcohol to even get me though it.
I wouldn’t even know where to start with this one. Just believe me when I say, do yourself a favor, and watch something, ANYTHING, else.
I want to apologize for this non-review. But there are times when it seems pointless to try and recap that which has no point. I will give you 3 examples of what you can expect in this movie:
1) The Omega (the main character) spends the first part of the movie planting bombs around the city (Los Angeles) to blow it up. Why? Who the *bleep* knows?! It’s never explained. It makes no sense. None. (And don’t get me started on the CG explosions!)
2) Omega is approached by members of a group called “Antioch” to help rescue a woman who has anti-bodies for the virus. Omega declines. Antioch guys persuade him by firing a bazooka into his living room, and blowing the crap out of his house. No, they really did this.
3) Omega, who has been shot in each shoulder and the right leg, manages to:
a) Find a stick shift car, and push start it.
b) Track the evil Antioch guys, who have had a God knows how long of a head start.
c) Find the evil Antioch guys, only to have his car stall.
d) Even though he looks like death warmed over, he manages to again push start the car.
e) Finds the evil Antioch guys again, and has an MMA style brawl with the leader. Throwing punches with bullets in his shoulders, and roundhouse kicks with a bullet in his leg. There is a word for this, and that word is not ‘believable’.
They sure don’t make zombie apocalypse films like they used to.
I want to wish Jon and his family a Happy New Year, along with all of the terrific participants of these Missions!
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Sorry Bob…I meant to reply to your mission but totally missed it!
I do agree with you 100% that CGI blood is one of the worst things in cinema! UGH!
I also remember seeing the box art for I Am Omega and quietly said to myself “Hell No!”
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