I'm sorry....could you say that in my GOOD ear ?? Remake ???

Matt Boiselle


    

    Attention: while the news aspect of this article is fact-based, the ranting part of it is purely mine and in NO WAY reflects the opinions of anyone else working here at Zombies & Toys.....so if you get mad when reading this......hate me.

   Is there a dearth of creative ideas anymore in film land ? Has there been a glut of conceptions SO bad that they must be cast aside in order to bow to the dreaded "remake" ? Well, fasten your seat belts Romero fans.....here comes another one. The team of Lati Grobman and Christa Campbell, two of the parties responsible for the utterly abhorrent and shameful Texas Chainsaw 3D debacle, will attempt to redo Romero's 1985 staple-piece Day of the Dead. Now don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of the Dawn of Dead remake created by Zack Snyder (300, Man of Steel) - but there just needs to be a limit, and it appears as if we are at a certifiable tipping point. This Day remake already had it's place in time back in 2008.....don't remember it ? Come on, you know....the one with the otherworldly acting talents of none other than Nick Cannon....the idiot stage-stealing goon from America's Got Talent ?....still not ringing a bell ?.....okay, the guy that stands BEHIND his wife, Mariah Carey...I knew you would remember.

   Besides all that, the 2008 remake was a large floating toilet mass that should have never seen the light of day, and with ANY hope, this one will not either. Campbell and Grobman supposedly have $10-20 million to spend on production for the movie, and want to keep it "as close to Romero's classic as possible, to keep his fans happy".....wanna keep us happy ?? Then DON'T make the movie.
 A possible 2014 release date has been thrown about, and there are only early discussions about location, casting and so on, so all we as fans of the rotted flesh can do is wait......and pray...okay, ranting over - please feel free to give us your take on this remake and let us know if you will be spending your valuable time and dollars to see this...or if you just want to threaten me with bodily trauma.....drop your comments below.

"Colin" Movie Review

It is safe to assume that everyone reading this blog has seen a zombie film. We can't assume that everyone has seen a zombie film told from the perspective of one particular zombie start to finish. We can argue that some films like Return of the Living Dead come close as we witness a character's change and continue to follow their story afterward. Colin is still different, however, as the film introduces us to one main character whom we learn and care about as we join him on his journey. The big difference (and I'm not spoiling anything) is that our hero is a zombie. This fact is not what made the film Colin so popular and newsworthy, however. What really put Colin on the map is the fact that it was made for under $80. This fact is not going to play a role in the review you are about to read and though it may be mentioned, will not be centered upon. The review will be based upon the merits of Colin as a film.

To be brief, the film is about Colin and his existence in a world after the zombie apocalypse. The obvious difference between this and other movies of the same type is that the center of our attention is a zombie. The movie opens with our introduction to Colin as a living person. We discover the cause of his infection and experience with him his transition into one of the walking dead. We then find a way to roam the world of the living.

Colin is an excellent film. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to see it to do so. If you live in Europe or have the ability to play a region 2 DVD this movie should be a no-brainer (pun intended). The story and character development are great. Like any movie where you follow the events of a living person, you begin to develop feelings and curiosities for the hero. Of course you want to know what caused his infection but you are also treated to the discovery of your new existence along with him. Where are you going, why are you going there, what influences your actions? We experience this transition much like watching an infant discover the world around him for the first time. We learn about Colin as a zombie and as a person and by the end of the movie we are treated to glimpses of the life he lived and his zombie instincts to remain there. This is not to say that Colin shambles to his favorite restaurant for a cup of tea. Think of Bub from Romero's Day of the Dead when he is handed the razor. In fact, the zombies seem to follow the rules defined by Romero's films which is not a bad thing.

The effects are not without flaw but are by far greater than many larger budget films I have seen. Fight scenes between survivors and undead are perfect for what the story requires and are shockingly believable. While you may spot an off effect or two, they by no means detract from the movie's experience or remove you from its grip. I was taken in from start to finish and only found myself distracted a few times by some of the actions of non-crucial living characters. The actions and reactions of all key players are believable and enjoyable. That's not to say the movie is entirely without flaws. Some of the scenes do tend to drag on a bit and the overall feel of the movie is of one that has a small budget. My only other complaints would be the 4:3 aspect ratio and the overall picture quality. I must quickly point out, however, that neither are distracting or took away from my overall enjoyment of the film.

While I am a fan of zombies and zombie films, I would say I dislike more zombie films than I enjoy. My short list of favorites include the original Romero trilogy, Shaun of the Dead, the debate-able as zombies 28 Days/Weeks, and even the Dawn remake among a few others. I can now say that Colin is a part of that too-slowly-increasing list. I am looking forward to watching Colin a few more times and the inclusion of the director's commentary will be the next run. Speaking of, if Marc Price is this capable with an $80 budget I can't wait to see what he is capable of with some rightfully-earned funding. My only hope is that it will be another zombie film.

Regardless of the costs to make this film, Colin delivers. Colin is a great film that gives zombie fans what they long for. It is a shame that the hype surrounding Colin has been focused on the small budget that was used to film it and not the quality zombie film that it is. But if that's what it takes for such a great movie to be noticed so be it.

Dawn of the Dead Blu-ray

Just a quick follow-up to the post about the Day of the Dead blu-ray import. In case you weren't salty enough that we in the states were neglected (or happy that you live in the UK), I thought I'd share the previously released Dawn of the Dead blu-ray.

Of course, this edition is also available with several different covers, includes a poster, and is loaded with extras.

Disc One (Blu Ray)

* Theatrical cut of the feature in 1080p High Definition; DTS HD and Stereo audio options

* Audio commentary by director George A Romero, special effects artist Tom Savini and assistant director Chris Romero; audio commentary by producer Richard P. Rubinstein

* "Document of the Dead" documentary

* "Document of the Dead: The Lost Interview" and deleted scenes

* "Fan of the Dead" documentary.

Disc Two (DVD)

* Director's cut of the feature

* "The Dead Will Walk" documentary

Disc Three (DVD)

* Dario Argento's cut of the feature

* "Scream Greats" documentary

* Publicity Vault containing US and German trailers, TV and Radio spots, reviews

* Arrow Video's Giallo trailers ("Macabre", "Sleepless" and "The House by the Cemetery")

Also included: Exclusive, four artwork option packaging; double sided poster with all-new Rick Melton painting on one side and the original UK theatrical artwork on reverse; "For Every Night There is a Dawn" booklet written by Calum Waddell.

Romero's Day of the Dead Re-Mastered

Try this on for size and do your best to not drool all over your keyboard as I give you the details...

George Romero's classic, Day of the Dead, is getting re-mastered and released on Blu-ray. To celebrate the films 25th anniversary, this release will contain a mad amount of extras. It even includes a comic book that tells a new story featuring Bub! But that comic is just the beginning. Not only is the video restored, but it also features a new hi-def soundtrack of the newly-restored 'uncensored dialogue' version, a dual-sided poster, a 24 page booklet, and is available in four collectible sleeves. Here's what this two disc package has to offer:

Disc One (Blu-ray)
* Theatrical feature
* Audio commentary with special effects team of Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, Everett Burrell and Mike Deak
* Joe Of The Dead – Acting In A Romero Classic
* Travelogue Of The Dead

Disc Two (DVD)
* The Many Days Of The Dead
* Behind the Zombies footage
* Romero Zombography
* Photo Album of the Dead
* Souvenirs of the Dead
* Night Of The Living Dead trailer
* Dawn Of The Dead trailer
* TV Ads of the Dead
* The Audio Recollections of Richard Liberty
* Wampum Mine promo

This package of must-have goodness will be released on March 29th. Oh, yeah... there's one tiny detail... it's only available in the UK. D'Oh!

Pocket Zombies - A Zombies & Toys Exclusive

I mentioned in a previous post that I would be providing more information about Atomfreak Studios and their flagship product, Pocket Zombies. Not only was president of Atomfreak, Alex Rodrigue, kind enough to answer some of my questions and offer some insight, but he also provided Zombies & Toys with some exclusive images!

“The adventure started two years ago,” states Alex. “I was looking to start my own project but finding the right idea was not easy.” The “right idea” was the result of introducing Alex’s seven-year-old son to one of his favorite movies, George Romero’s Day of the Dead.

“My son told me the monster [on the cover] looks funny and scary at the same time.” Of course, the “monster” Alex’s son was referring to was everyone’s favorite zombie, Bub! Alex was asked by his son if he could draw a funny zombie that would not scare him. “And that was it, BANG!”

The next morning, Alex, began to draw some concept images. Disappointed with what he had come up with, he contacted his good friend Eric Belisle. Eric had done some illustrations for Wizards of the Coast and D&D as well as several concepts for games. “The timing was good with [Eric] and he started the process,” Alex explains. “Eric catches the essence of what I had in mind!”

We can expect to see a back-story developed and the Pocket Zombie world will resemble in many ways Charlie Brown’s world. “I really like the Charlie Brown Concept.” Alex continues, “You know, no parents, a kids’ community.” And what about man’s best friend? “The theme for the first series is ‘THE FAMILY’. So the dog was an obvious choice during our brainstorm. Dogs are a zombie’s best friend!”

These PVC characters stand around six inches tall including the base and this initial series will consist of 1,000 pieces each. They will be available directly from the Pocket Zombies site this October.

What does the future hold? “Expect some t-shirts, posters, stickers, etc. An art book is in the making but we are going to wait at least a year before we develop those other products.” We can also expect to see more pets introduced to the series. Oh, did I forget to mention that we may have more? “We already have six catalogues with a total of around 30 characters. Whether or not we inject more money into future development will depend on the success of the first series,” explains Alex. Personally, I NEED all the Pocket Zombies they can throw at me. So make sure to buy!!

Stay tuned as I will anxiously post more information as I come upon it. A big "thanks" to Alex Rodrigue for his time. Now, for the first time anywhere, have a look at a new Pocket Zombies poster as well as some concept art!