Morgan Avery

Last night I caught 28 Weeks Later, the sequel to 2002s Zombie genre rejuvenator 28 Days Later.

You’ll recall that the ‘zombies’ in this story, are far from slow shuffling brain craving walking lumps of rotting flesh we’re used to – no they’re screaming, running and usually newly infected.  They’ll bite you, sure…  But they’re biting you because they want you dead.  They want you dead because they’ve been infected with a body fluid borne virus that drives them (within seconds of infection) to a mindless rage against all those around them that aren’t infected.

Being a newly released movie, I’m not going to provide any spoilers – let me just say that this movie is mostly set 6 months after the initial infection was released – and is about bringing those few survivors in country, and Britons who happened to be overseas during the outbreak, back together in a safe area in London, protected and provided for by American soldiers, as part of an international force assisting with very early stages of the reconstruction of Britain.

If you think it’s a zombie movie, you’re right.  If you think it’s only a zombie movie you haven’t read a newspaper or watched TV since September 10, 2001.  This is about the occupation of Iraq, the War on "Terror", and is quite a cutting commentary on the current state of play,  (Though also perhaps a little too obvious from time to time, i.e. the safe zone in London is called the ‘green zone’.)

When the ending credits rolled, I said "Grim."  Zach said "Harrowing."   His answer was better than mine, but we were both right.

It’s a great movie – especially for a sequel – I urge you to see it.

Okay, so maybe that’s just what I call it in my head…  Clearly I’m referring to the latest iteration in the Spider-Man franchise.  I saw it last week, and it was pretty much what I expected.  Toby Maguire still can’t really act, but I guess the movie on the whole is okay – though could be cut in length by a good 30 minutes.

The bad guys were adequate.  Bad guys who are normal flawed people, but with super powers, are interesting.  Though I reckon the movie could have done without the Staypuffed Sand Man.  Without wanting to provide too much in the way of a spoiler, that thing with the pipes to get Venom sucked.

The dancing, which started off being weird and creepy, quickly progressed to weird and creepy and funny.  But the emo?  This I didn’t like.  Surely they could have expressed Peter’s personality changes some other way than with eyeliner and an emo fringe.

Gag me.