Skip to Content

Fantasia 2015: ‘Extinction’ is a clumsy melodrama

Some films just can’t stick to their strengths. There are some good jump scares inside Extinction, the post-apocalyptic zombie film from Spanish director Miguel Ángel Vivas, adapted from a novel by his countrymen Juan de Dios Garduño, but Vivas (who co-wrote the script with Alberto Marini) is too keen to turn his film into a melodrama to focus on the fright. The result is a plodding zombie drama with too much tonal inconsistency to succeed as either a character study or a terrifying gorefest.

Read More about Fantasia 2015: ‘Extinction’ is a clumsy melodrama

‘Resident Evil 2’ still stands tall as the survival-horror game to beat

When Resident Evil arrived on the scene in 1996, it changed horror gaming forever. The almost unheard of genre known as survival-horror exploded into the stratosphere as one of the industry’s greatest success stories, and one of gaming’s most well-known franchises was born. Even as the original title was a fantastically unique and incredibly frightening experience though, it also had a shortlist of readily apparent problems. From the meme-worthy cheese of the voice-acting and dialogue to the ill-advised live-action opening at the game’s outset, Resident Evil in its first iteration lacked the confidence and clarity of vision to reach the true heights it was capable of. All of that would change in 1998.

Read More about ‘Resident Evil 2’ still stands tall as the survival-horror game to beat

Physicists at CERN Produce ‘Decay’ at the Large Hadron Collider

I’m not sure you’ll find a story more tailored to geek-kind than this. Today, a group of physicists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, have released online for free, a feature length zombie movie they filmed at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva Switzerland. Decay, a micro-budget horror film set among the underground …

Read More about Physicists at CERN Produce ‘Decay’ at the Large Hadron Collider

Toronto After Dark Summer Screening: ‘Juan of the Dead’ offers a strictly superficial change from the genre norm

Juan of the Dead Directed by Alejandro Brugués Written by Alejandro Brugués Cuba, 2011 The only thing more recycled than zombie films are the zombies themselves. It takes a special talent to reinvigorate the genre of the undead, and when Edgar Wright made Shaun of the Dead, it seemed like he finally created the be …

Read More about Toronto After Dark Summer Screening: ‘Juan of the Dead’ offers a strictly superficial change from the genre norm

The Walking Dead, Ep. 2.11: “Judge, Jury and Executioner”

The Walking Dead, Season 2, Episode 11: “Judge, Jury and Executioner” Written by Angela Kang Directed by Greg Nicotero Airs Sundays at 10pm ET on AMC Parts of “Judge, Jury, and Executioner” hum along better than most Walking Deads in recent memory, but a few things are still amiss. Credit where credit’s due, though: Dale …

Read More about The Walking Dead, Ep. 2.11: “Judge, Jury and Executioner”

Zombieland

As a huge fan of Natural Born Killers and White Men Can’t Jump, I used to look forward to every Woody Harrelson movie. For awhile we were spoiled with excellent performances but in the past decade, I’ve been thoroughly disappointed with almost every role WH has signed up for. Well, believe it or not, you …

Read More about Zombieland

Frank Darabont to direct The Walking Dead

AMC, creators of Mad Men, have just confirmed a deal to adapt the hit comic book The Walking Dead to the small screen. Director Frank Darabont (The Mist, Shawshank Redemption) has signed on to write and direct the TV series with rumors of some A-list actors on board. The Walking Dead was originally a monthly …

Read More about Frank Darabont to direct The Walking Dead

George A. Romero Sans Zombies

Body Count: Volume 5 . There are certain directors whose represent absolutely pivotal moments in filmmaking. People like Griffith, Welles, Coppola and Scorcese have contributed to film in a way that has shaped the entire medium and changed the game. But there are also directors who represent pivotal moments of genre evolution: George Lucas and …

Read More about George A. Romero Sans Zombies