Eric Staggs : Writer

I think we all understand that a zombie apocalypse is eminent, and further, that hilarity will ensue once the undead have dominated the shopping malls and golf courses of America. The film Zombie land takes us one step further, bringing that hilarity home with precise one-liners and editing gags that, while somewhat predictable elicit more than the occassional chuckle from audiences.

I’ll freely admit, every since film school, I’ve been obsessed with zombie films. I wrote a research paper on 28 Days Later (the first and perhaps the finest of what I call the Zombie Ressurection) once, focusing on the odd and strangely counter intuitive aesthetics of the film. The horror was driven home in 28 Days by concise thought, not sheer panic. This translates into a cinematic event where the usual tropes of zombiedom are no longer valid. The shambling brain eater gives way to the running ghoul not merely driven by the need to eat, but actual malice.

Anyway, Zombieland chronicles the adventures of four lone-wolves who form a pack and learn that life is better with people you care about, even if you’re surrounded by zombies. The heart-string tugging message of the film is mitigated (thankfully) by witty dialogue and brutal comedy and of course, an amusement park filled with zombies.

Woody Harrelson was born for his role as zombie executioner extraordinaire. The supporting cast, token zombie holocaust survival characters, fill their part perfectly. Not a second a celluloid is wasted on unnecessary sub-plots or half hearted character development. In all, a very right script and well played film; that is, fun.