Our Undead Democracy
Last Friday Vote for a Change held a protest outside the Houses of Parliament in support of a more proportional voting system. The zombie theme was supposed to signify that our voting system is dead but going on anyway and destroying our democracy in the process. If you support a referendum for proportional representation to be introduced as the UK’s voting system click here.
Film Review: Zombieland (Spoilers)
Run. Don’t walk. The zombie comedy of the decade is here and it’s sensational. It’s politically incorrect, über-violent, largely plot-free, but who cares? This is zombie madness! It’s Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee, the Ultimate Zombie Killer! It’s Jesse Eisenberg proving his performance in ‘Adventureland’ wasn’t a flash in the pan! It’s the greatest fun, and the most unapologetic geekfest you’re likely to see on celluloid this year. If you’re not laughing yourself silly when Tallahassee annihilates swarms of the undead, you have no sense of humour. If you don’t cheer when Columbus (Eisenberg) finally gets the girl you have no romance. If you’re not in awe of Bill Murray, then…wait! Bill Murray?!
A virus ravages the world’s population, which fast becomes zombiefied – although not everyone. Neurotic Columbus positively thrives in Zombieland, now social conventions are out the window and outlandish (but effective) rules keep him alive. On his travels he encounters hard man Tallahassee who kills zombies for amusement, in his never ending quest for Hostess Twinkies, running from his dark and painful past. Together they form an uneasy alliance, quickly appreciating the other’s different (but equally successful) ideas in surviving humanity’s demise. They just as quickly come unstuck by con artist sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), who aim to survive Zombieland at any price. What results is countless hilarious zombie deaths, very sharp characterisation and effortlessly strong acting, particularly by Eisenberg, who unexpectedly steals the show. He and Harrelson have built their careers on playing the socially awkward, but where Harrelson is always brash, Eisenberg has developed a more cerebral take. It’s to director Ruben Fleischer’s credit that he realises not just the potential in their pairing, but in making Eisenberg’s Columbus the bigger hero of the two. If this film doesn’t catapult him to the top of the ‘A’ list then something’s gone really wrong.
The comedy never rests, the geekdom never relents and screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese deliver everything you could hope for in a movie such as this. It’s particularly nice to see Abigail Breslin reappear, after her breakthrough role in ‘Little Miss Sunshine’. She and screen sister Stone might be overshadowed by the boys, but they are by no means lesser actors. Indeed with director, writers and cast working in such harmony you end up actually caring about what happens to this gang of misfits – another unexpected element in one of the biggest surprises of the year. Of course there’ll be a sequel, but who cares? It’s perfectly cast, amiable, exciting and hilariously funny. There should be more.
9/10
