Arthur and Quentin's Pirate Birthday Party!!!

As the boys' birthday are fairly close together (Sept. 26th and Oct. 15th), we opted for a joint birthday party. If you want to see the crafts I made up close, check them out over at the craft blog this week. For today, I'm posting mostly party pictures.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Here Come the 11 Year Olds!

Today my twin boys are turning 11 years old!  I can't believe it's been 11 years.  Granted, I'm pretty I forgot most of the bad stuff, but I still think they were fairly easy babies.  I loved their toddler years... so adorable.  And now they are little men.  I love having big conversations with them.  I love their inquisitive nature.  I love how much Alex cares and how much Nick wants to learn.  I love that they are finally excited to spend time with their little brother.  (I know, newborns don't really do anything and are kinda boring.)  I can't wait to get back to Indiana next week to spend an entire week hanging out with all three of my boys.

Happy Birthday Nick and Alex!

FF #8: Birthday Fun

If I had a couple hundred dollars and about 30 less pounds, I would rock the shit out of this outfit.  Oh yeah, and I should probably have somewhere to actually go.  Hanging at home with a 4 1/2 month old doesn't scream party outfit.  Of course I had to have a combination of black and purple (my favorite combo).  And those shoes have just enough interest make them pop.  The bag's not completely my style, but it looks nice with the outfit.

Ilary cotton shirt

yoox.com

VILA sequin blazer

$77 - vila.com

Blue skirt

bodycentral.com

Jerome C. Rousseau closed toe high heel shoes

shoescribe.com

Chanel purse

fashionphile.com

Head wrap headband

modcloth.com

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday.  I am now 32 years old.  And I have to say that my 30s is turning out to be a pretty great decade.  Here's to another year full of adventures, trials, and celebrations.

Heading Back East...

It's Spring Break in Indiana and that means drinks and parties...  Oh wait!  Wrong life!  Spring Break means time with the family and more importantly the boys.  I'm flying back to spend 12 whole days enjoying their company and trying to keep warm (April in Indiana is NOT warm).  We plan on having the boys' birthday party (late), trips to Science Central and possibly Putt Putt, and lots of family dinners...  Very exciting stuff!  Plus, I have some big news that I will be sharing with everyone.  Look for it soon!

ZaC #11: Shaun of the Dead

Title: Shaun of the Dead

Year Released/Rating: 2004 R

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield

Directed By: Edgar Wright

Written By: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright

Genre: Horror

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

• The phrase "fried gold" originated behind the scenes of Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes andEdgar Wright's sitcom Spaced and was mentioned several times on the DVD commentaries for that series. It makes several fan-pleasing appearances in the film.
• When Shaun, Liz, David, Dianne, Barbara and Ed run into the alternative 'gang' as they make their way to the Winchester, there are quite a few comedy partnerships brought together again. Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes - Tim and Daisy from Spaced. Lucy Davis and Martin Freeman - Dawn and Tim from The Office. Dylan Moran and Tamsin Greig - Bernard and Fran from Black Books. Julia Deakin and Nick Frost are, of course, in Spaced too, as Marsha and Mike respectively.
• Shaun (Simon Pegg) complains that Ed (Nick Frost) isn't his boyfriend, then says, "Thanks, babe." In season one of Spaced, a conversation begins in a similar manner between the two actors ("All right, babe?"). This was, however, a total mistake. The writers used the same joke again, forgetting they had used it in Spaced.
• When Shaun and the group are running out of Liz's flat they are all carrying weapons of some kind, but only Shaun actually hits any zombies. This was because only the cricket bat that Shaun was carrying was a padded fake, all the other items were real and would have hurt the extras playing zombies if they had been hit with them.
• According to writer-director Edgar Wright in the DVD commentary, when Ed attempts to cheer Shaun up at the Winchester with plans of binge drinking, he is actually summarizing the events of the next day (Z-day) entirely in drinking references. "Bloody Mary" - Checkout Girl, "Bite at the king's head" - Phillip, "Couple" - David and Di, "Little Princess" - Liz, "Stagger back" - impersonate zombies, "Bar For Shots" - firing rifle.
• Just when Shaun is exiting the Indian-run deli, which is tuned to a radio station playing songs from Indian movies, the song stops and a newscaster begins speaking in Hindi. The content of the news, when translated in English, is, "People are waking up from their graves."
• Shaun walks past a road sign for Weston Park which is a street in Crouch End, London, the same locale as Spaced and where Simon Pegg now lives.
• Shaun tells Liz that he's going to take her to "the place that does all the fish". When he opens the phone book you can see that the restaurant is literally called 'The Place That Does All the Fish'.
• When asked by an interviewer why they chose to have slow moving zombies instead of running zombies, Simon Pegg simply replied, "Because death is not an energy drink."

Summary: A man decides to turn his moribund life around by winning back his ex-girlfriend, reconciling his relationship with his mother, and dealing with an entire community that has returned from the dead to eat the living.

Review: 

One of my absolute favorite movies.  I love every minute of Shaun of the Dead: the great on liners, the visuals, the references to other tv show stars, the homages to other zombie movies.  It never fails.  Every time I watch, I laugh my ass off and see something that I missed before.  All of the inside jokes between Frost and Pegg make the movie even more fun.  And can I just say that Bill Nighy as a zombie is just genius.

Best Bits (so many best bits!): 

• Dianne: SHAUN!  [Dianne throws a dart and misses]  Shaun: NO!  [Dianne throws another dart and hits the zombie]  Shaun: YES, yes, in the head!  [Dianne throws a third dart and hits Shaun in the head on accident]  Shaun: AHHHHHHHHH!
• [Shaun hits the zombie pub owner with the butt of the rifle]  Ed: Why didn't you just shoot him, man?  Shaun: Ed, for the last time...  [Shaun squeezes the trigger of the gun, and it actually fires!]  Ed: [gleefully] I fucking knew it!
• Shaun: [about Ed] He's not my boyfriend!  Ed: [handing beer to Shaun] It might be a bit warm, the cooler's off.  Shaun: Thanks, babe.  [winks]
• Ed: Who died and made you fucking king of the zombies?
• Ed: We're coming to get you, Barbara!
• [Shaun tries to get out of Philip's Jaguar]  Shaun: Philip, have you still got the child-locks on?  Philip: Safety first, Shaun.
• [describing the zombies]  Dianne: Just look at the face: it's vacant, with a hint of sadness. Like a drunk who's lost a bet.
• [a jukebox begins playing Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" while the zombie pub owner attacks the group]  Shaun: Who the hell put this on?  Ed: It's on random.  Liz: For fuck's sake!
• [Shaun has just fought a zombie unassisted]  Shaun: [sarcastically] Feel free to step in any time!  Ed: You did all right.  David: I didn't want to cramp your style.
• Shaun: David, kill the Queen!  David: What?  Shaun: The jukebox!
• Shaun: As Bertrand Russell once said, "The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation." I think we can all appreciate the relevance of that now.  Liz: Was that on a beer mat?  Shaun: Yeah, it was Guinness Extra Cold.  Liz: I won't say anything.  Shaun: Thanks.
• [David discovers that the zombies have somehow made it into the bar. Shaun, Ed and Liz are still beating the barman]  Shaun: Why is Queen still playing?  David: Ah, we have a situation here.  Shaun: I KNOW!
• Ed: [Directing Shaun on where to shoot] There!  Shaun: Where?  Ed: Three o'clock!  Dianne: Oh! Over there again. Quarter to twelve.  Shaun: What?  David: Eleven forty-five! Shaun: Keep it simple!  Ed: Top left!

ZaC #10: 28 Weeks Later

Title: 28 Weeks Later

Year Released/Rating: 2007 R

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, Robert Carlyle

Directed By: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Written By: Rowan Joffe, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Enrique Lopez Lavigne, Jesus Olmo

Genre: Horror

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: I own it

Trivia:

• Most of the filming of the US Army Camp took place during the weekend of 21st/22nd October 2006 in the courtyard outside the Citypoint Building, Ropemaker Street, London EC2. A large number of tents with US flags, cast in military dress and vehicles were in place. Additionally access to the sub-floor car park area appears to have been given to shoot an underground scene.
• Robert Carlyle had turned down the Christopher Eccleston part in 28 Days Later....
• The boy who arrives at the cottage at the beginning of the film claims to be from Sandford. Sandford is the name of the 'fake' village that was used by British police to practice emergency preparedness drills. It's also the fictitious locale for the action comedy Hot Fuzz.
• Danny Boyle couldn't direct the sequel because of his commitments to Sunshine. Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris couldn't come back for the sequel either because of other commitments.
• The three survivors want to get from Regent's Park to Wembley, but their chosen route clearly takes them by Parliament Square, Whitehall and Charing Cross, which is in the opposite direction. They should be driving through St John's Wood.

Summary: Six months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes to plan.

Review: 

In some ways this is scarier than the first movie.  I love this idea that everyone believes the infection has gone, except of course it hasn't.  And i love the idea that someone could be immune from the symptoms, but be a carrier at the same time.  It makes sense.  This is a virus we're dealing with.  The movie definitely has lots of gore and lots of scary gotcha moments.  You are on the edge of your seat the entire movie.  I love it!

Best Bits: 

• Doyle: Did I hear that code red or am I losing my shit?
• Scarlet: It all makes sense. They're executing code red. Step 1: Kill the infected. Step 2: Containment. If containment fails, then Step 3: Extermination.
• Doyle: I got some strays.  Flynn: Dogs?  Doyle: No, puppies.
• Andy: I saw Dad.  Tammy: Dad? Where?  Andy: Tam, he's one of them.
• Scarlet: Who are you?  Doyle: Sergeant Doyle, Delta Rooftop Unit.  Scarlet: Why aren't you at your post?  Doyle: Why aren't you?
• [last lines]  French radio voice: We need your help.

ZaC #9: 28 Days Later

Title: 28 Days Later

Year Released/Rating: 2002 R

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston

Directed By: Danny Boyle

Written By: Alex Garland

Genre: Horror

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: I own it

Trivia:

• For the London scenes, police would close the roads at 4am, and filming would begin immediately. After 1 hour, the police would reopen the roads. The producers correctly predicted that asking drivers (including clubbers headed home) to either wait for up to an hour or find another route might make some of them angry. They got several extremely attractive young women (including Danny Boyle's daughter) to make the necessary requests, and the drivers responded quite amicably to them.
• The hospital in the film is a real day hospital, open only during the week. The trust managers of the hospital hire out the building to filmmakers for weekends, and the productions pay the hospital directly, meaning the money from filming goes directly to the hospital's trust fund.
• Christopher Eccleston and the other soldiers in the film did a three-day training program with real soldiers to help them learn how to carry themselves believably.
• Jim, Selena, Mark, Frank, and Hannah's surnames are never revealed during the film or in the end credits. Likewise, Jim's parents names are never revealed.
• The 'design' for the symptoms of Rage was based on Ebola, which is communicable in all primates (including humans), and is transmitted through the blood. Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever which leads to a rash, red eyes and both internal and external bleeding. Indeed, in 28 Days Later: The Aftermath (a graphic novel set between 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, it is explained that the Ebola virus was being used by the scientists as a carrier for the inhibitor which mutated into Rage.
• The film was shot almost entirely in sequence; only pickups and a few reshoots were shot out of sequence.

Summary: Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.

Review: 

I'm watching this pair of movies with the understanding that the infected are really zombies.  It's a bit more complicated than that, but I prefer to think of the movies as an offshoot of the zombie genre.  That being said, I really do enjoy these movies.  We have tons of gore, but some really great characters.  Jim and Selena are perfection.  And Major West is a great villan.  He appears as salvation and then things turn south.  The movie has some great gotcha moments.  But the scariest sequence is in the tunnel.  Creeps me out!  I like that we get an ambiguous but possibly happy ending.  It's a different sort of tale.  Definitely one to watch.

Best Bits: 

• [Hannah hits Jim over the head with a bottle]  Selena: Hannah, it's OK. He's not infected.  Hannah: But I thought he was biting you.  Jim: Kissing. I was kissing her. Are you stoned?  Selena: It's a long story.
• Jim: And then I wake up today in hospital. I wake up, and I'm... I'm hallucinating or I'm...  Mark: What's your name?  Jim: Jim.  Mark: I'm Mark. This is Selena. OK, Jim. I've got some bad news.
• Jim: World's worst place to get a flat, huh?  Frank: Agreed. I think we better do this quick?
• Mark: A man walks into a bar with a giraffe. They both get pissed. The giraffe falls over. The man goes to leave and the bartender says, "Oi. You can't leave that lyin' there." And the man says, "No. It's not a lion. It's a giraffe."  [Jim doesn't respond]  Mark: Completely humorless.
• Jim: Oh, great. Valium. Not only will we be able to go to sleep, if we get attacked in the middle of the night, we won't even care.
• [finding a crate of fresh apples in a pile of rotting produce]  Frank: Mmmmmm... Irradiated!

ZaC #8: Resident Evil Retribution

Title: Resident Evil: Retribution

Year Released/Rating: 2012 R

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Michelle Rodriguez

Directed By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Written By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Genre: Horror

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Redbox

Trivia:

• The first movie of the series not to feature undead dogs.
• The character Becky was not originally to be hearing-impaired, but after an outstanding audition, the role was given to Aryana Engineer.
• This is the first time in Resident Evil history that Jill and Leon have ever met.

Summary: Alice fights alongside a resistance movement in the continuing battle against the Umbrella Corporation and the undead.

Review: 

It took me awhile to get into the movie.  I was a little lost on the concept, and then I get it: they have to escape the Umbrella facility.  So, it's more like a video game, reminds me of the first movie.  We have a contained area with an objective.  I appreciated the concept, if not the execution.  It was a little weak on the characters, but we did get to see some familiar (if not dead) faces.  I think this one was an improvement on the last movie.  Although I really would have liked to see what happened to the Redfields...

Best Bits: 

• Becky: I met your sister.  Rain: What?  Becky: She's not very nice.
• Luther West: [In a Rolls Royce] Sweet ride.  Alice: Well, this is Moscow. Heard gunfire. Thought you might need some help.
• Alice: There's a child here.  Rain: Your problem, not ours.  Alice: All heart. You haven't changed a bit.  Rain: I don't know you lady.
• The Red Queen: Don't listen to the traitor Wesker. I am in control now. Project Alice, Ada Wong, stay where you are.  Alice: [to Ada] Let's move.  The Red Queen: Project Alice, you're all going to die down here.  Alice: I've heard that before.
• Becky: [looks at a track of Alice clones] Mommy, who are they? Mommy, is that you? You're my mommy, aren't you?  Alice: I am now.

ZaC #7: Resident Evil Afterlife

Title: Resident Evil: Afterlife

Year Released/Rating: 2010 R

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Wentworth Miller

Directed By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Written By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Genre: Horror

Star Rating:  3/5 stars

Where I Got It: Library Loan

Trivia:

• Claire Redfield wears a red vest, her primary outfit from her game appearances.
• Wentworth Miller jokingly admits he was nervous about his character Chris Redfield being similar to his Prison Break character Michael Scoffield: in both cases, he is in a prison and his first lines are "I know a way out of here".
• The opening scene in the movie is quite symbolic - all people are wearing umbrellas in the rain except the zombie girl. "Umbrella" is also the name of the corporation who is responsible for the creation and spread of the T-Virus, on which the main plot of the Resident Evil series is based.
• The scarab device that are strapped to the survivors and the giant zombie Axeman are lifted from the video game Resident Evil 5.
• The ship Arcadia was actually shot moored on the docks in Toronto. The docks were then all stripped out digitally.

Summary: While still out to destroy the evil Umbrella Corporation, Alice joins a group of survivors who want to relocate to the mysterious but supposedly unharmed safe haven known only as Arcadia.

Review: 

I love the first 30 minutes and the last 20 minutes of the movie.  Other than that, this movie kind of blows.  The entire middle section at the prison is not very exciting and kind of silly.  But I still love Milla as Alice.  And it's nice to re-meet Claire and meet Chris Redfield.  Plus you get the nice reveal at the end of the movie aboard Arcadia.  Not a great movie, but I'll take it.

Best Bits: 

• Alice: Hey, boys. Is that anyway to treat a lady?
• Albert Wesker: Well isn't this one big family reunion? Chris and Claire Redfield, you've really become quite an inconvenience for me.  Alice: I told you I'd be bringing a few friends.  Albert Wesker: [removes sunglasses] You should have brought more.
• Alice: Day 6, 1800 hours, Los Angeles. No signs of life, not even the undead. They must have burned with the city. But what about the rest?
• Alice: Umbrella.  Claire Redfield: Of course. I remember them coming for us.  Alice: This whole thing, Arcadia, was a lie.  Claire Redfield: No, it's worse than that. It's a trap.

ZaC #6: Resident Evil Extinction

Title: Resident Evil: Extinction

Year Released/Rating: 2007 R

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Oded Fehr

Directed By: Russell Mulcahy

Written By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Genre: Horror

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: I own it

Trivia:

• Alice's new costume was designed by Milla Jovovich's clothing line, Jovovich-Hawk.
• The film was originally intended to be filmed in the Australian Outback but was changed to Mexico.
• The accompanying music for the first theatrical trailer is The Crystal Method's "I Know It's You". Milla Jovovich provides the vocals/wailing for the song, which was released three years earlier.
• Claire Redfield's role in the movie is different than in the games. She leads a convoy of survivors across the dead desert, but in the games, she on a mission to find her lost brother Chris Redfield.
• Temperatures would often be excess of 130 degrees on the Mexican locations. Various members of the crew frequently would have to be treated for dehydration.
• A conscious decision was made early on to make this the bloodiest of the Resident Evil films.

Summary: Survivors of the Raccoon City catastrophe travel across the Nevada desert, hoping to make it to Alaska. Alice joins the caravan and their fight against the evil Umbrella Corp.

Review: 

And this marks the decline of the Resident Evil movies.  I liked this one, but it's definitely not a favorite.  The movie is a bit too much on the gore side and not enough on the scary side.  Although I do like the character of Dr. Isaacs.  He is clearly a fun baddie who definitely gets what's coming to him in the end.  And the bit with the crows is just too silly to be scary.  Undead crows?  How did the crows survive when none of the other wildlife did.  And if they did survive, how did they reproduce to last this long?  I was had a few issues here.  But in the end, I love Alice and will keep watching these movies.

Best Bits: 

• L.J.: [referring to the lack of cigarettes and marijuana] It really is the end of the world.
• White Queen: And Alice? Good Luck.
• Chase: Climb the Eiffel Tower with a high-powered rifle. A few years ago, that would've caused a stir. Well... Let the good times roll!
• [last lines]  Alice: You won't have to wait that long, boys. Because I'm coming for you. And I'm gonna be bringing a few of my friends.
• White Queen: I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you, I am the artificial intelligence which...  Alice: Yeah I know what you are, I knew your sister, she was a homicidal bitch.  White Queen: My sister computer was merely following the most logical path of preservation of human life.  Alice: Yeah kill a few save a lot.

ZaC #5: Resident Evil Apocalypse

Title: Resident Evil: Apocalypse

Year Released/Rating: 2004 R

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr

Directed By: Alexander Witt

Written By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Genre: Horror

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: I own t!

Trivia:

• According to the writer/producer commentary, Paul W.S. Anderson mentions that the character of Dr. Isaacs (Iain Glen) is a homage to actor Jason Isaacs, who made an uncredited cameo as Dr. Birkin and the film's narrator during the opening credits of the first film.
• The character of Dr. Ashford is named after the Ashford family of the Resident Evil game series. However, unlike the sympathetic film character, the Ashfords of the games were villains.
• The first sequence showing Alice waking up in the hospital through to her cocking a shotgun outside, consists entirely of footage shot for the first film.
• The weather map at the beginning clearly shows Raccoon City as being approximately where Philadelphia is in Pennsylvania. Other real-life towns such as Selinsgrove, Hazelton and Pottsville, all appear in their correct geographic locations.
• The city standing in as Racoon City at the beginning (right after the weather news) is of course Toronto. The famous CN tower is just to the left outside the frame. You can barely see its shadow. Most exterior shots were made in and around the city.
• Oded Fehr had little difficulty in playing a character so familiar with handling guns - he was trained in the Israeli army.

Summary: Alice awakes in Raccoon City, only to find it has become infested with zombies and monsters. With the help of Jill Valentine and Carlos Olivera, Alice must find a way out of the city before it is destroyed by a nuclear missile.

Review: 

Not quite as good as the first one, but I still really enjoyed this movie.  Thankfully we get the introduction of a few new characters, specifically Jill Valentine (straight out of the video games). I only wish the dogs were the in the movie more.  They were always a bitch to kill in the video games.  We should have more of those moments.  Oh well.  Still a great afternoon viewing.

Best Bits: 

• Alice: My name is Alice and I remember everything.
• Carlos Olivera: [throws a knife which hits an enemy guard getting up behind Alice] You missed one.
• [L.J. walks into a building and is surrounded by 12 S.T.A.R.S. members]   L.J.: Shit! Maybe I was safer outside. Get them guns out of my damn face.   [a S.T.A.R.S. officer hands him a shotgun]   L.J.: Motherfucker, please. Look.  [opens up his jacket revealing two gold guns] L.J.: My shit is custom.
• Major Cain: [to Alice] You're not mutation, you are evolution.
• Angie Ashford: Are you all right?   Dr. Isaacs: [a moment later] Program Alice activated.   Jill Valentine: What did they do to you?

ZaC #4: Resident Evil

Title: Resident Evil

Year Released/Rating: 2002 R

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, James Purefoy

Directed By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Written By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Genre: Horror, action

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: I own it!

Trivia:

• Like in the games, after something is switched on/off, something else happens elsewhere. When the Red Queen is deactivated for the first time, all doors elsewhere are opened.
• Milla Jovovich's character's name, Alice, is only revealed during the credits.
• When Matt's arm begins to mutate there are no digital effects until the very end.
• The pass code for opening the door in dining hall B, the one Kaplan has trouble remembering, is 04031965. Writer/Director Paul W.S. Anderson was born on 04 March 1965.
• Milla Jovovich did all of her own stunts except the pipe jump in the sewer scene. She used a stunt double in that scene, because her agent thought she would get strangled by the hanging wires.
• The crew had a hard time dealing with the dogs who kept licking the blood and meat off themselves.
• All the minor cuts and bruises on Milla Jovovich's character are real. No make-up was applied.

Summary: A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.

Review:

I know this movie is super cheesy, but I love it so much.  It's a great adventure ride with twists and turns, zombies and monsters, and even some human monsters.  The first appearance of the zombies in the "cafeteria" is very scary and jumpy.  I love it!  The movie starts to fall apart a little with the appearance of the "lickers."  I know that that zombies mutant in the video games, but these were a bit cheesy looking.  Even with that, I love this movie way too much.

Best Bits: 

• Red Queen: You're all going to die down here.
• [Alice points her gun at Rain]   Rain: I'm not dead yet.   [Rain takes the gun from Alice]  Rain: I think I'll take this back.  Alice: I could kiss you, you bitch!
• Red Queen: I've been a bad, bad girl.
• Rain: All the people that were working here are dead.   Spence: Well, that isn't stopping them from walking around.
• Red Queen: I can give you the code, but first you must do something for me.  Alice: What?  Red Queen: One of your group has been infected. I require her life for the code.

ZaC #3: Land of the Dead

Title: Land of the Dead

Year Released/Rating: 2005 R

Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento

Directed By: George A. Romero

Written By: George A. Romero

Genre: Horror

Star Rating:  3/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix instant

Trivia:

• George A. Romero was so impressed with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead that he asked them to appear in this, the fourth part of his "Dead" series, and they appear as the photo-booth zombies in the carnival/bar-room sequence. They also feature prominently in the artwork for the unrated directors' cut.
• This is the first film of George A. Romero's "Living Dead" series which uses digital effects.
• Asia Argento (Slack) is the daughter of noted Italian horror filmmaker Dario Argento, who was the co-producer and co-composer of one of the previous entries in George Romero's zombie series, Dawn of the Dead.
• George A. Romero's daughter appears in the film. She is the soldier who shoots the zombie on the electrified fence.

Summary: The living dead have taken over the world, and the last humans live in a walled city to protect themselves as they come to grips with the situation

Review:

Definitely not as cheesy as Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, but not all that great.  I am not a big fan of this movie.  I know it's Romero, but I feel like he crossed a line with the adapting zombies.  They have become too comical, not really that crazy at all.  So, I think with this movie, I am done with the Romero series.

Best Bits: 

• [from trailer]  Kaufman: Zombies, man. They creep me out.
• Riley: Make sure she doesn't hurt herself.  Slack: I can take care of myself, ok?  Riley: Fine. Charlie, make sure she doesn't hurt anyone else.
• Foxy: [Cholo is bitten by a zombie and Foxy hold a gun aimed at him] It's your call man.  Cholo: [hesitates then shakes his head no] Nah, I always wanted to see how the other half lives.

ZaC #2: Dawn of the Dead

Title: Dawn of the Dead

Year Released/Rating: 2004 R

Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer

Directed By: Zack Snyder

Written By: George A. Romero, James Gunn

Genre: Horror

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: I own it

Trivia:

• The WGON traffic copter makes an appearance. The WGON traffic copter was the main transportation for the survivor in the original Dawn of the Dead.
• The mall scenes of the film as well as the rooftop scenes were shot in the Thornhill Square Shopping Centre in Thornhill, Ontario and the rest of the scenes were shot in the Aileen-Willowbrook Neighborhood of Thornhill, and the Township of Caledon East, Ontario. The set for Ana and Louis's bedroom was constructed in a back room of the mall. The mall was defunct, which is the reason the production used it; the movie crew completely renovated the structure, and stocked it with fictitious stores after Starbucks Coffee and numerous other corporations refused to let their names be used (two exceptions to this are Roots and Panasonic). Most of the mall was demolished shortly after the film was shot.
• Shot in chronological order.
• Most of the zombie makeup was modeled after real and gruesome forensic photos.
• The two zombies with missing limbs (the jogger missing an arm and the legless zombie in the parking garage) were both played by actual amputees. The same thing was done for one of the first zombies seen in the original Dawn of the Dead.
• The production had a blood cart on set all day due to the excessive amounts of fake blood being used.
• Zack Snyder said that the reason his zombies run at full speed is because he wanted to avoid the inherent comic impression given by slow, shuffling undead.
• The group in the mall had named the two parking shuttles; the first one, holding Nicole, CJ, Michael, and Ana was named The Pinta, the one carrying Terry, Kenneth, Steve, Glen and Monica was named The Santa Maria.

Summary: 

A nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman, and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.

Review: 

This doesn't have the same slow creepiness as the original, but it does have its fair share of "gotcha" moments.  It gore filled and crude at times, but overall I really enjoy Snyder's take on the zombie apocalypse.  Plus, he added so many nods to the original trilogy that I just have to love it.  The characters are interesting.  I loved Ana and Michael.  But even the villans are sufficiently interesting to keep my attention.  My big complaint with the movie is with the colorization.  Everything is super saturated and it somehow looks off.

Best Bits: 

• Michael: Truck's not gonna make it to Fort Pastor.   Steve: No, forget the truck. That place is fucked, man. Bloodbath city.   Kenneth: How do you know?  Norma: We just came from there. Kenneth: Is everyone there dead?  Steve: Or dead-ish.  Kenneth: [more firm tone] Is everyone there dead?   Steve: Yeah, in the sense that they all, sort of, fell down, and then... got up and... started eating each other.
• CJ: [after everyone enters an elevator to escape the zombies] I like this song.
• Michael: I want you to see this.  [shows how the chainsaw goes through the truck walls]  Michael: When those things are on the side of the bus, this'll get them off. Cool, huh?  Ana: Wow. That might be the most romantic thing anyone's ever shown me. Michael: I'm trying here.
• Steve: I have an idea. While we're at it, why don't we drop by the marina, hop in my boat and take it for a pleasure cruise, you jackasses!  Ana: Wait, that's a good idea. There's islands out there. There's not many people on them.  Steve: I was kidding.
• Ana: [everyone has run to the roof to watch the BP truck racing around the mall parking lot] What are we gonna do about that truck?   CJ: We're not gonna do anything about that truck!  Ana: There's people in there!  CJ: Yeah, and how do you know they're not all fucked up like everybody else out there?  Ana: Well, for one thing, they're driving a truck. [gunshots coming from truck]  Ana: Oh, and shooting guns.
• Kenneth: You sure you wanna do this?  Michael: Yeah. I think I'll just stay here awhile. Enjoy the sunrise.
• Michael: [Everyone is sitting down to dinner] Before that I worked in a stationary store. And I drove a snowplow. Fixed copiers.  Steve: God, it's such a shame that this whole "end of the world" thing's holding you back.

ZaC #1: Night of the Living Dead

Title: Night of the Living Dead

Year Released/Rating: 1968

Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman

Directed By: George A. Romero

Written By: John A. Russo, George A. Romero

Genre: Horror

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Library loan

Trivia:

• Bosco chocolate syrup was used to simulate the blood in the film.
• When the zombies are eating the bodies in the burnt-out truck they were actually eating roast ham covered in chocolate sauce. The filmmakers joked that it was so nausea inducing that it was almost a waste of time putting the makeup on the zombies, as they ended up looking pale and sick anyway.
• In the scene where Ben is nailing wooden boards to the door, small numbers can be seen on them. These were written on the backs of the boards so they could be removed and replaced in between shots, preserving continuity. Some numbers are visible because some of the boards were nailed on backwards.
• The film's first scene, the initial cemetery attack on Barbara and Johnny, was the last filmed, in November 1967. The actors had to hold their breath to avoid visible condensation in the frosty autumn air.
• Actor/co-producer Karl Hardman (Harry Cooper, the father in the basement), also served as makeup artist, electronic sound effects engineer, and took the still photos used for the closing credits.
• The house used for this film was loaned to the filmmakers by the owner, who planned to demolish it anyway, thereby ensuring that they could do whatever they wanted to the house.
• Readers Digest tried to warn people away from watching the film in 1968 by claiming if it's ever watched, it will inspire cannibalism.

Summary: A group of people hide from bloodthirsty zombies in a farmhouse.

Review: 

I'm starting my Zombies and Candles week with the classic: Night of the Living Dead.  Of course, I hard to start at the beginning and the best.  This movie is a classic.  We jump right into the action.  I love the scene in the cemetery with Johnny taunting Barbara before being attacked.  The characters all act like I think they would during a zombie apocalypse.  I read that Romero was pressured to reshoot the ending and make it a happy one.  I'm glad that he didn't; the ending is appropriate for the storyline.  I'm going to skip Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead.  I've seen both many times and they are just too cheesy.  Plus, I don't own them and they aren't on Netflix instant.  Instead I'm going to move to the Dawn of the Dead remake.

Best Bits: 

• Johnny: They're coming to get you, Barbara, there's one of them now!
• Newscaster: It has been established that persons who have recently died have been returning to life and committing acts of murder. A widespread investigation of funeral homes, morgues, and hospitals has concluded that the unburied dead have been returning to life and seeking human victims. It's hard for us here to be reporting this to you, but it does seem to be a fact.
• [last lines]  Sheriff McClelland: Good shot! OK, he's dead; let's go get 'im. That's another one for the fire.
• [to Harry Cooper after having been locked outside]  Ben: I ought to drag you out there and FEED you to those things!
• Sheriff McClelland: All right, Vince, hit him in the head, right between the eyes.

Zombies and Candles

It's my birthday week (the big day is actually tomorrow).  And since we never really do anything for my birthday, I'm throwing myself a birthday week zombie marathon.  All week I'm going to cram in as many (good and bad) movies as I can.  Many we own, many I will find on Netflix.  Hopefully this weekend, I can convince J to watch The Walking Dead with me.  I'm sure I'll give myself nightmares, but this is going to be one fun birthday week!

Tentative watch list -- we own:

• Shaun of the Dead (some zombie comedy)
• 28 Days Later (zombie movie or no? discuss)
• 28 Weeks Later
• Resident Evil series (cheesy zombie movies)
• Night of the Living Dead (the classic original)
• Dawn of the Dead (remake)
• The Walking Dead (S1-S3, we never made it past S1)

Tentative watch list -- Netflix/redbox/Amazon:

• American Zombie
• Resident Evil: Retribution
• Land of the Dead
• Dead Snow
• Aaah! Zombies!
• American Zombie
• Autumn
• Etc...

Highlight of the Week - Boys' Birthday Extravaganza!

The boys' 8th birthday was last week, but we had their birthday festivities this week.  And boy was it a crazy time.  They each got to invite a few friends to Crazy Pinz for the ball pit, arcade games, pizza, and cupcakes.  I think it went really well.  We had 7 friends come to the party (3 no shows).  Miss B and Mr. D showed up for some extra fun and supervision (hee hee, bet they didn't think they'd be entertaining kids if they came).  I had a nice time talking to C in between activities.  (Glad to hear she's feeling sorta better.  Now to get completely better!) We didn't have any nose bleeds, cuts, fights, arguments, etc.  Everyone seemed to have a great time.  To end our party time, the boys got to ride the bumper cars for the first time.  You have to be 8 to ride, so this was their special treat.  They had fun slamming into each other and T.

Later that night, we had the family dinner.  Of course, the boys cleaned up again in the toy department.  And they got an amazing cake, made by Uncle Cory!

Today, we went shopping to use all our gift cards.  We had a bit from Target and a lot from Toys R Us.  Here's the boys with their loot.  I think they chose wisely!