Reviews: Zombieland & Paranormal Activity

Land of the Lost

To be completely honest, I'm not a big fan of the zombie movie, whether that be the serious or comedic genre. I admit that George Romero's original 1968 Night of the Living Dead is a very chilling film that was effective at striking a very disturbing nerve. But aside from that, the genre has never quite hooked me because eventually, you figure out the formula and it all becomes quite predictable. To try and combat that, movies today have to turn that idea on its head in order to seem relevant. For me, Shawn of the Dead is a slightly overrated work and if you go back and look at 28 Days Later, it's not technically a zombie movie. Movies like the former are now a common method to make a current zombie movie, and it sometimes is hit or miss. That certainly sums up this film which has some good things clashing with some not so good things.

You know the set-up: humanity has been obliterated by a widespread disease that turns ordinary people into flesh-eating creatures of the night. As always, there are sparse survivors, and here all given names that describe their destinations. Jesse Eisenberg is Columbus, whose neurotic behavior and detailed checklist of survival tips has led him out of one dangerous situation after another. He meets fellow survivor Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a brass bully-type whose meant to be the foil to Columbus's meekness. They also cross paths with a clever, untrustworthy sister team, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).

The first half of this film was actually really bothersome to me. The comedy never finds a great beat to follow, and the tone radically bounces back from campy humor to wound up terror. Director Ruben Fleischer and co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have a hard time setting up a world to get invested in even with the surreal circumstances that have already been established. Then at the midpoint, a high profile star is introduced (you can go to the IMDb page if you want to know), and it introduces a deep breath of fresh comedic talent that is really effective. It is also the point where the tones transition more fluidly, and the emotional connections these characters have feel genuine. It's a shame it takes half of the film to get to that point, but once it passes, it really shows.

Eisenberg is sort of a poor man's Michael Cera, which is a label I don't like because he's insanely more talented than him. Here, he doesn't give a tremendous performance, but he possesses enough likable charm to take the lead in this role, and he is a relatable enough character for us to follow. Some of Harrelson's mannerisms seem like broad strokes, but he does deliver enough laughs. Really the best person here is Stone, who always brings charm and energy into every scene she's in, and supporting roles in Superbad and The Rocker.

Even though I didn't love Shaun of the Dead, it is without a doubt a much funnier and smarter film than this is. There are some good laughs, genuine thrills and one or two endearing emotional scenes that try their best to overcompensate for a rocky first half. Without a doubt this is not the zombie film that is going to get me invested in this genre. However, I will lament it is a noble effort. **1/2 / ****; GRADE: B-

Ghost Hunters

There's been a lot of buzz building that concerns this film. It's been an interesting process that started with the film being released in select thirteen cities. Then the word of mouth grew to such a positive strength that the studio decided to handle the release of this film a little differently. Regular people go to the film's website and "demand" it come to their cities. After a while, it finally came to Chicago, and I saw this film in a packed midnight showing, no doubt alongside many other patrons who heard the same things about this film. Like most things in life, it is the victim of some overhyping. However, that doesn't mean there are many things to admire here.

In a bare bones approach, the only leads here are Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micha (Micha Sloat). They're a seemingly normal couple who are living together but have been bothered by some unusual goings-on. Katie is convinced that it is part of a long history of disturbing, unnatural occurrences that have been following her throughout her whole life. Micha, being the skeptic, brings out the camera to try and record these events to see if something beyond the ordinary truly is going on. Needless to say, they experience something one more than one occasion.

This is meant to be a minimalist effort, and in today's world of Saw's numerous sequels that rely so heavily on blood and gore, it is really comforting to see a film rely on minor tricks in order to suggest an audience participate in its suspenseful mood. Writer-director Oren Peli does a very good job at creating tension using low rumbling sounds and moving objects, and it's always fun to participate in the collective stress of an audience. The two leads in this film are also grounded enough to seem believable, and their plights do connect.

Even with all those elements that are adding to this film, the entire project itself feels very underdeveloped. This was a film shot for $11,000 and was intended to be remade. I'd actually be in favor of a remake because, as it stands now, it feels more like an outline for a feature film. The night after night presentations, though effective, start to wear out eventually, and the character of Micha especially behaves in a way that is naive and moronic, and is incredibly unlikable. Also, the handheld digital camera look feels less like a mean to be natural to the plot and more an excuse to cover up their tiny budget. I would actually be in favor of a remake because I think it would allow these characters to become more developed and the pacing to become better stated to bring in the suspense.

This isn't a really great horror film, and in fact the amateurish look of the film gets in the way of it becoming that. The characters are only mildly developed and the premise does hold onto enough steam by the end. But it is a really special thing that has been presented here. This is a film that relies a lot on showing very little, and that is an element in horror films that is going away and it should be applauded for that effort alone. I think there's room to develop, but as it stands now, it's a good effort that does part of its job quite well. *** / ****; GRADE: B