We sat through the whole thing since it had a deceptively provocative title (a la 28 days later, etc.) Post-apocalyptic films are notoriously B quality so I was prepared for that because I love this genre anyway.
Or so I thought.
This plot offered nothing new, but instead ripped off elements of other PA films like the Stand (evil leader calls the lost to his side in an apocalyptic end-game, black spiritual leader for the good people) and Magic(Anthony Hopkins and his creepy ventriloquist dummy), and why not good old punk haircuts for the "crazies" to make it REALLY post-apocalyptic?
They even threw in a Harper Lee/Faulknerian idiot man-child or two. For example, the inexplicable use of 2 (mentally retarded?) twins as minions of an evil 50 year old disappointed bride character were nearly as confusing as a "Trashcan Man/Lenny" thug covered with purple birthmarks all over his body.
The roles the African-American actors were relegated to was less than dignified. An old black professor turned in a toothy, Ben Vereen/Mr. Bojangles performance reminiscent of Hattie McDaniels or Jack Benny's Rochester such as early Hollywood allowed of black performers. Not to mention, one of the twins mimed an absolutely ridiculous Carl Spackler lip grimace throughout the whole movie. The South sure hasn't changed much has it?
The most confusing element of the whole film is the ventriloquist dummies that just seem to have absolutely no purpose whatsoever to the plot other than to utilize the fact that those things give everybody the damned creeps, however even this cliché is not developed logically.
The only reason I even spent time on this review is to recoup the wasted time and money spent on this clunker by exacting revenge...
As the end credits rolled on this film, my 11 year old son completely unprovoked said, "I spent so much time on this thing just now. I can't believe someone spent time and money making this. I would rather have smelled shoes..."
Out of the mouths of babes. I think that says it all...
Or so I thought.
This plot offered nothing new, but instead ripped off elements of other PA films like the Stand (evil leader calls the lost to his side in an apocalyptic end-game, black spiritual leader for the good people) and Magic(Anthony Hopkins and his creepy ventriloquist dummy), and why not good old punk haircuts for the "crazies" to make it REALLY post-apocalyptic?
They even threw in a Harper Lee/Faulknerian idiot man-child or two. For example, the inexplicable use of 2 (mentally retarded?) twins as minions of an evil 50 year old disappointed bride character were nearly as confusing as a "Trashcan Man/Lenny" thug covered with purple birthmarks all over his body.
The roles the African-American actors were relegated to was less than dignified. An old black professor turned in a toothy, Ben Vereen/Mr. Bojangles performance reminiscent of Hattie McDaniels or Jack Benny's Rochester such as early Hollywood allowed of black performers. Not to mention, one of the twins mimed an absolutely ridiculous Carl Spackler lip grimace throughout the whole movie. The South sure hasn't changed much has it?
The most confusing element of the whole film is the ventriloquist dummies that just seem to have absolutely no purpose whatsoever to the plot other than to utilize the fact that those things give everybody the damned creeps, however even this cliché is not developed logically.
The only reason I even spent time on this review is to recoup the wasted time and money spent on this clunker by exacting revenge...
As the end credits rolled on this film, my 11 year old son completely unprovoked said, "I spent so much time on this thing just now. I can't believe someone spent time and money making this. I would rather have smelled shoes..."
Out of the mouths of babes. I think that says it all...