Land of the Dead

***

Directed by: George A. Romero
Written by: George A. Romero

Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Asia Argento, Dennis Hopper, and Eugene Clark
 

George A. Romero is the master of American Zombie films. His first Zombie film, the classic “Night of the Living Dead” will live forever as one of the most important films of it’s type in movie history.

Its influence on filmmakers will continue for years to come. Made on a shoestring budget, it keeps on making money and starting folks out on their own movie career.

And it gave birth to a host of other films. From “Zombie” to “28 Days Later”, it is a genre much like the Zombies it features. They just won’t stop coming.

Last years Zombie influx included the humorous horror entry,  “Shaun of the Dead” and even a remake of Romero’s very own “Dawn of the Dead”.

With his biggest budget over, $15M budget Romero set out to create this fourth movie in his "Dead” series “Land of the Dead”.

Here, in a post-zombie apocalypse America Riley (Baker) and Cholo (Leguizamo), are part of a supplies retrieval team that searches around the devastated country looking for canned food, water, liquor, medicine and other supplies, which they will return to a city filled with human survivors.   

Protected on two sides by rivers and the sealed by electrical fences and a private army, the city is ruled by Mr. Kaufman (Hopper). With the creation of a very strict class system, he has developed a place where the ‘better class’ lives in a  massive high-rise called “Fiddlers Green” while the rest of the population struggles to survive on the protected streets around the building.

The general population is kept under control by drugs, liquor, gladiator type games, prostitution and by the military presence.

When Cholo attempts to buy his way into the Green, he is told that there is a ‘very long waiting list’. At which point he decides to blackmail Kaufman and the Green. If he can’t live there, he will either destroy the city or move on.

But this is not the only thing Kaufman has to worry about. Unknown to him a new type of Zombie is on the prowl. A semi-thinking, gas-jockey (Clark) is leading an army of Zombies who are just looking for a nice buffet into the city.

When I first starting hearing that Romero was finally getting around to doing this fourth installment I was so happy my wife even wanted to know what was going on. Of course when I explained it to her, she simply suggested I increase my meds.

Then I started hearing about some of the things that would be happening here. With his much larger budget and the backing of a major studio, I figured he would have to change a lot of the style that the had developed over the years.

Then I found about Hopper and Leguizamo and I just about wrote the sucker off without even seeing it. Big stars in a Romero Zombie film?

Nope, I just didn’t think it would work. I had no faith in the situation. I mean, how many big names were in any of the other films? None, that is how many. Yes, they are both very good actors, and I like them. But they tend to control any film they are in just by their presence.

I think I would have preferred if Romero had gone with other, lesser known actors. Then I finally saw the film. Whoo. Ok, I can admit when I am wrong and with both of them in the film and probably on some of the posters or DVD box it will make a lot more money.

But, here is the real kicked; both of them did a great job. Hopper was perfect as the rich, egotistical Kaufman, the almost Donald Trump character that was not only easy to admire for what he did, but easy to hate for what he kept doing to others.

Leguizamo’s Cholo was excellent as the small time criminal who keeps doing Kaufman’s dirty work and is ready to move on up to the east side. His humor and cold hearted attitude toward others is softened by the way he treats one of his friends.

Also, Romero again tosses in a good deal of social commentary into the film. While the earlier films dealt with racism, consumerism, and militaristic attitudes this one deals with what can only be called ‘classism’.

As an example, near the opening of the film, the retrieval team plans to use fireworks to keep the Zombies distracted while they clean out the town. Flashy explosions, pretty pictures, distraction from the problems going on around them.

Hollywood blockbusters every summer with lots of pretty people doing exciting things while unemployment is growing, welfare rolls are expanding, the war on drugs seem to be lasting forever and we are fighting a war where American men and women are being killed by an enemy we can’t always see and who just seems to keep on coming.

The poorer civilian class gets by with the dregs from the Green. They survive by violence, barter, and doing whatever it takes to live. To keep them distracted, events are staged with Zombies killing different types of animals. In the pivotal scene where the hero Riley (Baker) meet the heroine, the opponent is Slack (Asia Argento).

Does anyone know the origin of the phrase, “Bread and Circuses”? Look it up. 

Back to Riley for a moment. He seems almost too good as the hero here. Trying to be stolid and hard, you can see his friendship with the mentally disabled Charlie constantly trying to break through the barrier he has built. He is honest, strong and seems to have a ‘pure heart’. Well, as pure as you can get in this new world.

While the film is not the greatest horror movie of all time, it does go a long way to impress the viewer. The scenes with gore were done well, the terror of the citizens as the Zombies attack, the shock of seeing something stumble out of the dark and rip off a face is still enough to make some people jump. Not me, of course. I am too civilized and jaded to be scared by a Zombie film.

Just because I make sure all the doors are locked at night is just a precaution.

Finally, keep an eye out for Tom Savini. While his role is small, it is great.