Enter a Post-Apocalyptic World This Weekend
With the Zombieland sequel in theaters, we are celebrating the movie apocalypse
It doesn’t seem to matter the reason -- zombies, war, or disease -- audiences are just drawn to post-apocalyptic tales. These types of movies can come in all manner of tone and style: action, western, horror, comedy, horror-comedy, which leads me to Zombieland: Double Tap, out in theaters this weekend. The sequel to 2009’s extremely fun Zombieland brings back the entire cast (Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, and Abigail Breslin), plus a few extras. It looks like an all-around good time.
With Zombieland on the brain, we are in the post-apocalyptic mood (in movies, hopefully not in real life). Here’s a few (darker) post-apocalypse streaming options for your weekend.
Drew recommends…
The Book of Eli (streaming on Netflix)
It’s a testament to the greatness of Denzel Washington that The Book of Eli is so watchable. This post-apocalyptic action western has a fairly flawed script, but per usual, Denzel has enough gravity to carry almost the entire film on his broad shoulders.
It’s been 30 years since a nuclear apocalypse left the United States a hellish wasteland now filled with biker gangs and warmongers. Denzel plays Eli, a machete-wielding, Scripture-quoting badass on a mission from God (or is it just a voice in his head?). Eli possesses the last remaining Bible, and it’s his mission to carry it westward to a safe place. The villain here -- it’s always welcome to see Gary Oldman play an over-the-top bad guy -- is Carnegie, who wants to use the Bible to gain power over the people.
The critics didn’t really like The Book of Eli, and you don’t have to look too hard to see why. The plot occasionally borders on the ludicrous, Mila Kunis is horribly miscast, and the twist at the end is perhaps a little too much.
So I’ve been trying to figure out why I like this movie as much as I do. We have not been lacking for post-apocalyptic or dystopian future movies in the last couple decades, but one that emphasizes the value of faith and the written word is different from what we’ve come to expect in the genre. In a cruel world that has plunged into chaos and violence, this film believes that faith in a higher calling is not just a worthy endeavor, but may just save our humanity. I think that’s why I responded so positively to The Book of Eli, even if I recognize its flaws. The movie may not be executed as precisely as Eli slices through those malevolent marauders, but there is actual depth and meaning to it. It’s more than just a hyper-violent man-on-a-mission movie. Besides the Denzel factor, that is why The Book of Eli is worth taking seriously.
Billy recommends…
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (streaming on Amazon Prime)
George Miller, funny enough, is the director of the movie Babe, is an absolutely brilliant action movie director. He seems to make his titular character almost silent so that he can shine as the star of this movie.
Max is played by Mel Gibson and we get to see this terrifying and oddly fun post-apocalyptic wasteland through his eyes. His silence allows the emotions and circumstances to play out much more powerfully. An observation of the evil that can come out of an all too familiar desperation.
Miller brilliantly shows us how a world brought to its knees by disaster can allow us to do one of two things: Humble us to a point of change or fall back into the same mistakes again. Max is a character that has found a pretty good road to travel in this new world. Help communities that need it, but not without a little selfish angle to it. Max is a former cop who was thrust into being a warrior and I think that he wants to get back to the savior-like position he was in before.
He agrees to help an oil town fight off barbaric savages who are trying to take over so that they have the necessary resources to rule. All that brilliant setup allows Miller to show his prowess as a director. Each act leading to more nail biting sequences that make the danger to these characters seem very real. Many of you have probably seen Mad Max: Fury Road, but not the original Mad Max films. I implore you to go back through this series. The beautiful thing is that you can start with any of them and enjoy them. Or you can watch Babe. George Miller can do anything.
War of the Worlds (streaming on HBO)
Audience members need to revisit this Spielberg movie. The 1990s and 2000s were such an interesting time for Spielberg. He had his classic blockbusters like Jurassic Park, but he also showed how good he is within any genre with the heartbreaking Schindler's List. I think that War of the Worlds is a great mix of Spielberg's talents. This may not be his best work, but maybe his most underrated.
We have Tom Cruise at his Tom Cruisiest. Overacting, lots of running, and that is normally when Cruise is at his best. Cruise has a good reason to run in this one since the alien invasion is particularly cruel and the way Spielberg portrays that terror is brutal. The violence sets up a classic movie tale of a father trying to protect his family in the midst of something scary and incomprehensible.
Dakota Fanning steals the show with a wonderful child performance. Often children are portrayed too mature in these type of movies, but Spielberg went a more realistic route with the reactions of a child and I’m glad he did. All of that emotion thrust into a blockbuster is why I decided to mention his two 1993 movies before. Not before and not since has he mixed his two styles quite like this. A decision that probably led to the lukewarm reception upon release. That and Tom Cruise jumping on a couch did not help.
This why rewatching movies can be a great thing. Drew and I’s whole newsletter is built on this endeavor. Of course we love new releases and experience film for the first time, but rewatches allow us to appreciate film on a different level. As a teenager when this came out I did not understand or fully feel the horrors of this film and the seemingly anticlimactic ending. Luckily, upon rewatch I have found nuances I did not notice before. Plus, Spielberg hardly ever has a miss and while this one is not perfect it is worth a rewatch.
Streaming TV Corner
The Office Episode of the Week
Drew: “The Convict” (Season 3, Episode 9)
Somehow we had not yet done the famous Prison Mike episode, but we are righting that wrong today. After finding out that an employee from the Stamford branch is an ex-convict, Michael overreacts in typical fashion when some members of the office wonder if prison is better than their workplace. Thus, we get the extremely realistic Prison Mike, who says things like, “The worst thing about prison was the dementors.” This episode also has a very delightful B-plot where Jim pranks Pam by getting Andy to hit on her with all the things she hates.
Links to get you hyped
Get ready to never leave your house again, because Disney is launching their own streaming service on November 12th. What will be available to watch on Disney+? Basically any Disney show or movie going all the way back to Snow White in 1937. That means all the Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar movies you can handle. That also means Millennial nostalgia hits like Even Stevens, Brink!, and Lizzie McGuire. All for $7/month.
We have a new Catwoman for the upcoming Robert Pattinson Batman movie. It’s been confirmed Zoe Kravitz (Big Little Lies, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) will be filling the role previously played by Michelle Pfeiffer, Anne Hathaway, and Halle Berry. And now Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine) has been cast as the Riddler.
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