Writers Strike Continues

As we head into a new year, the Writers Strike continues with no resolution in sight. My brother is now officially unemployed due to the strike. He is not a writer - so there will be no back pay for him after the strike is settled. Lucky for him, he just spent the last three weeks on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and was able to put the strike behind him since he had no outside access.

Now however, it is time to face a reality re: his future. He will be filing for unemployment soon, I have to admit that I'm a bit miffed at both sides regarding the strike. Too many peoples' livelihood is at stake to continue to bicker over money. I commend David Letterman and his company World Wide Pants for coming to a separate agreement re: writers' wages and getting his shows back on the air. If Dave can do it - I don't see why we can't have a resolution to the entire strike.

Well - that is enough for now. It is hard to feel passionate about movies (and write reviews) when the strike further intensifies the greed of the industry. The groups involved with the strike might remember where their bread is butter - with the consumer. These entities need our support in viewership. The longer the strike, the less interest we will have - we are a fickle group with short attention spans. Really - who is going to watch "24" when it finally airs (after baseball) in 2009 - no one. Everyone loses - the studios, the writers, all the other folks in the industry and us.

Quit your bickering - end the strike now and get back to work.

Writers Guild Strikes

The WGA began its strike this past week and I'm relatively irked by it. While I love entertainment, I'm not so concerned about my own movie and TV viewing. However, I am concerned about the larger ramifications of all of those non-WGA individuals employed by the industry - and suddenly - out of work.

While I appreciate the writers wanting to be compensated fairly (don't we all), this strike has ramifications for so many others. In LA alone, this strike will send over 250,000 other industry folks out of work. And at the end of the strike, some of these individuals will have not only suffered lost wages - they aren't going to get any additional raises either.

Because of that, I believe the strike should be settled ASAP. There is a fine line between being compensated fairly and being greedy. Hundreds of thousands of additional people unemployed (in my opinion) really walks that line.

28 Days Later (2003) / 28 Weeks Later (2007)

Next year, the modern zombie movie will celebrate its 40th anniversary marked by George A. Romero's 1968 flick Night of the Living Dead. Zombie movies have moved away from just providing cheesy horror to symbolizing a sign of our times.

In my continuation of the Halloween/Zombie movie review, I'd like to focus on a film called 28 Days Later that
provides a revisionist theory about zombies. This movie introduced two new twists on the classic film. First - these zombies could haul-ass. They moved with lightening speed to eat you alive. The second twist was that these zombies were not "undead" but rather still living humans infected by disease.

Cillian Murphy awakes in an empty hospital in an all but abandoned London to find that this disease has affected the most of the population - and “zombies” are wiping those not infected out with relative ease. He (along with a select few others) learns to survive in this post apocalyptic world. The story is a compassionate tale of survival while maintaining on-the-edge-of-your-seat hysteria as to what lurks behind every door.

No spoilers here - but there is another unique twist to the story regarding the fate of the zombies and their own survival. This flick is definitely worth viewing.

Which brings me to its sequel, 28 Weeks Later. Picking up, as the title suggests, a mere six months after the infectious disease has presumably wiped out entire populations, I had little hope of this film's success since the major players from the first (director & writer) were not returning. However, while professional film critic reviews were mixed, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Once again, here is a tale of compassion while providing the heart pounding fear of not being able to escape creatures that move at the speed of light. Once again, a twist prevails - regarding adaptability and survival of the fittest (zombies? humans?) - You will have to decide for yourself.

End.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

In honor of Halloween, I thought I'd dedicate October to horror films. The lucky film this week is "Shaun of the
Dead" - a great comedy/horror movie that doesn't spoof other horror flicks, but rather pays homage to them. This British film stars Simon Pegg as Shaun - a slacker who works in an appliance/electronics store who lives with his college roommate, can't quite seem to commit to his girlfriend and doesn't get along with his step-dad - but he does luv his mum.

Shaun and his pal Ed (Nick Frost) slowly begin to realize their town is overrun with zombies and their dimwitted realization is what makes this movie so funny. The scenarios they find themselves in are hilarious - particularly with how the zombies are portrayed, as slow moving, but deadly forces. In a moment of infinite wisdom, Shaun decides the safest place for him and his friends to be is at the local pub (which just so happens to be his favorite place, much to the consternation of his girlfriend) and so the journey to safety (and pints of beer) begins.

Great performances abound, including Bill Nighy as Shaun's step-dad and Lucy Davis (of the BBC's "The Office") as a friend along for the ride. Also, for "The Office" fans - a quick cameo by Martin Freeman - in a fabulously funny scene where Shaun and his troupe cross paths with his ex-girlfriend and her troupe on their way to safety.

If you love the dry wit of British humor - this film is for you. It is a great mash-up of horror and comedy and a perfect flick to watch on Halloween night.

End.