28 Weeks Later's Recent Activity - Spout

Film:28 Weeks Later

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:22:58 GMT

Title: 28 Weeks Later
Year: 2007
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Plot: The devastating rage virus that annihilated the British Isles mysteriously resurfaces in Goya Award-winning director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's sequel to the Danny Boyle-directed horror hit that terrified audiences worldwide by offering a breathless new take on the familiar zombie mythos. Six months has passed since the rage virus caused British residents to indiscriminately murder and destroy everything in their paths, and now the U.S. military has declared victory in the war against the rapidly spreading infection. As the reconstruction process gets underway and the first wave of refugees return to British shores, a family separated by the devastation is happily reunited. During the initial outbreak, Don Harris (Robert Carlyle) and his wife Alice (Catherine McCormack) sat holed up with a small band of survivors in a remote farmhouse. Their kids well out of harm's way at a remote boarding school, Don and Alice's outlook for the future is decidedly bright until all hell breaks loose in the country and Don just barely manages to escape the clutches of the infected. The joy of later seeing his son Andy (Mackintosh Muggleton) and daughter Tammy (Imogen Poots) as repopulation efforts get underway in London is short-lived, however, when an innocent bid to reconnect with the past sets into motion a tragic series of events. Now, just as society struggles to sort through the rubble and rebuild London from the ground up, the virus that nearly destroyed a nation strikes back with a vengeance. Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, and Harold Perrineau, Jr. co-star in the frightful sequel, which highlights the dangers of declaring victory in the calm before the storm. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 65
Number of Lists: 51
Number of blog posts: 118
Number of discussion threads: 13
SpoutRating: 3

Spout Post: 28 WEEKS LATER a film review

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:22:58 GMT

Post By: KevynKnox
Post To: KevynKnox Blog
Post Date: 7/12/2009 12:22:58 PM
Body: (this review was first published at www.thecinematheque.com on 05/13/07) Many have queried "Why even make 28 Weeks Later?", comparing it to the original 28 Days Later, these naysayers have called the film exploitive and pandering. Well, duh?! What else is a good flesh-eating zombie flick other than exploitive and pandering? Hell, the very genre itself could be parenthetically subtitle (Exploitive & Pandering). So I don't know what they are talking about with their criticisms, because exploitive and pander, well that's what it's all about kiddies. Taking up the story line of the first film, where, while attempting to liberate a lab full of test monkeys from man's oppression, a group of animal rights activists unwittingly unleash the experimental Rage virus upon the island of Great Britain and 28 days later, a coma patient awakes in an abandoned hospital ward only to find himself running from gangs of flesh-devouring monstrosities who are really really really fucking hungry, 28 Weeks Later, opening upon the allotted time frame, gives us a newly virus free London being reinhabited by those lucky (or unlucky) enough to have survived the last 7 months or so. Meanwhile, taking over for the hyper-kinetic Danny Boyle in this hyper-kinetic sequel to the hyperkinetic original is the equally hyper-kinetic Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (best known for the cerebral yet quite hyper-kinetic itself mindfuck Intacto) and exploitive pandering withstanding, he makes a film nearly as strong-willed and terrifying as the first. Remember, this ain't your mama's flesh-eating living dead movie. This isn't the lumbering drama of George Romero's grandaddy flesh-eaters wherein the back-against-the-wall tension comes not so much from full on onslaught as from what-will-happen-next nail-biting. 28 Weeks Later (as was its predecessor, as well as Zack Snyder's own remake of Romero's Dawn of the Dead) is a new kind of zombie movie. A post 9/11, ADHD-addled, Rage-riddled full out batshitcrazy nightmare of a motion picture. In this new incarnation of the living dead (okay, not exactly living dead so much as virus-infected humans, but they still do love to eat other people), you can no longer outrun the "dead" like in the "old days" of Romero's classics, and I don't know about you, but the scares the bejesus out of me. Full of allusions to Iraq with its constant military patrols and segmentation into the safe "green zone" and the dangerous "red zone", 28 Weeks Later, as is the case with Romero's originals, shows not only its bloody flesh-filled teeth but its socio-political fangs as well. Opening with one of the most heartbreakingly I-can't-believe-it shocks in recent memory, Fresnadillo's film, as frenetic and zeitgeististic as it is, is still a loving testament to the ideas of family and survival and all that comes inbetween that Romero first set forth in 1968 with his original Night of the Living Dead. In fact Robert Carlyle's cowardly husband and father is the cinematic offspring of the little girl eating her own parents in the basement of Romero's classic. Perhaps not as intense as the original (I suppose there is some validity in critics' questions, but instead of "why?" they should be asking "why not something a bit different?") 28 Weeks Later still wallops quite a brutal punch, from its blitzkrieg beginning to its somewhat too obvious finale (which even more obviously sets the stage for the inevitable 28 Months Later) and in doing so, earns a spot in zombie movie lore - no matter how many genre-purists scoff at the idea of "fast zombies". I suppose, being what may, 28 Weeks Later is just what its critics say it is, exploitive and pandering - and one Hell of a job of it too.

Spout Post: It's all about Rose Byrne ...

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:18:12 GMT

Post By: apulrang
Post To: apulrang Blog
Post Date: 3/3/2009 7:18:12 PM
Body: Sunshine is a great film from nearly every angle, but for me, it's all about a handful of shots of Rose Byrne's character dealing with ... the stuff they're all dealing with on that spacecraft. For the record, pretty much the same is true of Rose Byrne in 28 Weeks Later.

Spout Post: Re:Disaster Most Likely to End the World

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:56:05 GMT

Post By: indieabby88
Post To: DOOMSDAY
Post Date: 1/6/2009 6:56:05 PM
Body: I've got three plausible scenarios: 1. 28 Days Later: Disease epidemics seem like they could easily wipe out the population (see: The Black Plague) and the way Danny Boyle handles the situation seems pretty much like the way it might happen in real life, 28 Weeks Later even more so (although I say it's a far inferior movie). Plus, if you want the world to end in horrible disaster, you want it to go out like a badass. Rage-infected zombies: totally badass. 2. Sunshine: I dunno...it sounds possible. 3. Wall-e: I know it's not really a "disaster" movie, but doesn't our rampant consumerism and wastefulness seem like it might cause the world to become a barren junkyard wasteland? I think it does.

Spout Post: Re:Must see zombie movies?

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 02:00:45 GMT

Post By: Macabre_FilmNut
Post To: Zombie Obsession
Post Date: 1/1/2009 9:00:45 PM
Body: No to Quarantine, not a really big fan of foreign remakes. As for the original, [Rec] yes. Very much Zombie and I enjoyed it. I see no one has mention Outpost (2007) another good zombie movie. Oh and something that looks really good. Kinda B-rated. Defitently a zombie movie. Død snø a.k.a. Dead Snow. Take a look: http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=8754 Oh and another good mention a 5 day reality zombie show that took place in and outside of the U.K. Big Brother House durnig the week of Halloween of last year. Dead Set is what it was called and you can see it here http://www.e4.com/deadset/ [quote user="divinemsjunebug"] Thanks Gor, just thought I'd see if we can throw some life in here. Has anyone seen the movie Quarantine? I think this is a remake of an older Spanish movie. I've only seen the previews of it but it looks like it might have a "zombieish" theme. If anyone has seen it, is it like that? Is it worth watching? It looks pretty cool in a Cloverfield and Blair Witch Project sort of way...or has it all been done before and they are just copying the same things over and over and over... [quote user="Dr_Gor"] [quote user="divinemsjunebug"] Hey everyone, our little zombie group has been dead for a while. Anyone want to resurrect it with a few of your MUST HAVE zombie movies that we all need to make sure we see? How about any new movies coming out. How about some really old movies that we might not know about. Just jump in with any movie you'd like to share. [/quote] There is nothing worse than a "dead" zombie group! As far as "must see" zombie movies I would have to say... ALL of them... ALL of Romero's original trilogy AND, of course, ALL of the subsequent remakes and sequels! EVERY Zombie film ranging from White Zombie to 28 Weeks Later and beyond... The Serpent and The Rainbow and Fulci's Zombie are at the top of that list followed by a host of GREAT zombie movies from the U.S. and Italy and Spain and England... I wouldn't know where to start! < GOR > [/quote] [/quote]

Spout Post: Re:Must see zombie movies?

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:51:18 GMT

Post By: divinemsjunebug
Post To: Zombie Obsession
Post Date: 11/10/2008 2:51:18 AM
Body: Thanks Gor, just thought I'd see if we can throw some life in here. Has anyone seen the movie Quarantine? I think this is a remake of an older Spanish movie. I've only seen the previews of it but it looks like it might have a "zombieish" theme. If anyone has seen it, is it like that? Is it worth watching? It looks pretty cool in a Cloverfield and Blair Witch Project sort of way...or has it all been done before and they are just copying the same things over and over and over... [quote user="Dr_Gor"] [quote user="divinemsjunebug"] Hey everyone, our little zombie group has been dead for a while. Anyone want to resurrect it with a few of your MUST HAVE zombie movies that we all need to make sure we see? How about any new movies coming out. How about some really old movies that we might not know about. Just jump in with any movie you'd like to share. [/quote] There is nothing worse than a "dead" zombie group! As far as "must see" zombie movies I would have to say... ALL of them... ALL of Romero's original trilogy AND, of course, ALL of the subsequent remakes and sequels! EVERY Zombie film ranging from White Zombie to 28 Weeks Later and beyond... The Serpent and The Rainbow and Fulci's Zombie are at the top of that list followed by a host of GREAT zombie movies from the U.S. and Italy and Spain and England... I wouldn't know where to start! < GOR > [/quote]

Spout Post: Re:Must see zombie movies?

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 01:31:37 GMT

Post By: Dr_Gor
Post To: Zombie Obsession
Post Date: 11/8/2008 8:31:37 PM
Body: [quote user="divinemsjunebug"] Hey everyone, our little zombie group has been dead for a while. Anyone want to resurrect it with a few of your MUST HAVE zombie movies that we all need to make sure we see? How about any new movies coming out. How about some really old movies that we might not know about. Just jump in with any movie you'd like to share. [/quote] There is nothing worse than a "dead" zombie group! As far as "must see" zombie movies I would have to say... ALL of them... ALL of Romero's original trilogy AND, of course, ALL of the subsequent remakes and sequels! EVERY Zombie film ranging from White Zombie to 28 Weeks Later and beyond... The Serpent and The Rainbow and Fulci's Zombie are at the top of that list followed by a host of GREAT zombie movies from the U.S. and Italy and Spain and England... I wouldn't know where to start! < GOR >

Spout Post: 28 Weeks Later (2007)

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:51:09 GMT

Post By: JJ79
Post To: JJ79 Blog
Post Date: 6/9/2008 11:51:09 AM
Body: The good news? There is one heart-stopping scare in "28 Weeks Later." The bad news? It comes within the first ten minutes of the film. A group of survivors--the requisite old couple, the minority, the basket case and the young couple--are attacked when the basket case lowers part of their home's defenses to look for her boyfriend outside. She looks out the tiny slat between the logs in the wall and, without warning, a blood-dripping hand grabs onto her. Then, all hell breaks loose for the next 90 minutes. A sequel to 2002's moderately successful "28 Days Later," this film is all style and very little substance. From the attack I mentioned previously, only half of the young couple--Robert Carlyle as Don--survives, making his way to London, where a massive rebuilding project led by the United States is in progress. He is reunited with his children (Tammy and Andy) inside the green zone, heavily fortified by the Americans. The rage virus, which is thought to be contained, finds its way into London where all hell breaks loose. Ah, kids. How many film disasters can be traced back to the little tykes? Unfortunately, they're the catalysts for this disaster, too. Despite London being under heavy guard, Tammy and Andy are able to slip out some "side exit" and make their way home, where they find a picture (a picture!) of their mother. (In full disclosure, the army does see the kids leaving the city limits, though it takes far too long for them to mobilize.) So how do the kids lead to the downfall of the American occupation? Mom found her way back to the house, too, after being left for dead in the cottage by Don. She's taken back to the green zone by the commandos, ostensibly in order to find the reason she has delayed mutation to a zombie. Dad finds her (he has insane access to every building and every room in the zone), kisses her…well, you get the rest of the idea. "28 Weeks Later" is disappointing on nearly every level, except when it comes to gore. There is enough blood dripping from mouths and eyes, dismembering limbs, bullet holes and torn apart bodies to give "Saw" a run for its money. Somehow, though, that's not what this movie really wants to be about-at least not totally. It seems as though the four screenwriters wanted to tell a thinly veiled metaphor for America's current predicament in Iraq, yet were told to incorporate a "28 Days Later" sequel into the premise by the studio. There is a long line of genre entertainment relating to real life (the original "Star Trek" series, for example, or "Friday the 13th," teaching the horrors of losing your virginity), which would back up this approach; here, though, it doesn't work. Plainly, it's too heavy handed. The minute we see the rebuilding of London for the first time and hear the first American bark orders, I couldn't help but think of typical American arrogance. He is certain the rage virus won't come back because they haven't seen any indication of it in 28 weeks. The officer conducting a brief "how to" for returning citizens on a train assure everyone they're safety is of paramount importance to the American forces. Through the film, we're witness to each checkpoint being overrun by the mutated people of London and the Americans not thinking through their actions. For instance, in the "containment" step in case of an outbreak, if the plan is to corral the uninfected in one room, wouldn't it make sense to make sure every exit is sealed and guarded? Not here, since Infected Don seeks out Andy when he's separated from Tammy and the Commanding Medical Officer for the green zone. And there's another point: we're never led to believe in the previous film any infected person thinks of anything besides chewing on a noninfected. Here, Don stalks his son and the small group of survivors through London's streets and subway tunnels. Why? Is Don trying to fight off the virus? Hell if we know, since the movie really doesn't care about that either. It doesn't care about any sort of meaningful character development, story or anything as mundane as making sense. Why would a military "rebuilding" effort give complete and total access to anyone not associated with the military? Why does Don, who apparently works on the energy systems in the green zone, have access to every single room in the military compound, including the medical ward, where his infected wife is being held? Why are people brought back to London to repopulate it when there clearly isn't anything for them to do? And why are children brought back? If there are snipers on the rooftops and security cameras monitoring everything, how do the two sneak right past every officer there is? It's all in advancement of the story. If Tammy and Andy were stopped before they reached their old house, the movie would effectively end there. If Don couldn't get into every nook and cranny, he'd never be able to kiss his wife, get infected and then stalk his kids. We're told Tammy and Andy are important since Alice, their mother, successfully fought off the virus for a period of time. They must stay alive at all costs. When they, the CMO and a small group of survivors meet up with a lone sniper (Doyle, played by Jeremy Renner) and start running through London, we know it's just a matter of time until the no-names get killed off. The script doesn't even try to mislead us by developing the characters. They're just canon fodder. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (apparently handpicked by the first film's director Danny Boyle), "28 Weeks Later" is kinetic and very aware of how lighting affects a horror film. But it is kinetic to a fault. Shot mostly on handheld cameras-or so it seems-the action scenes have none of the fluidity of "Children of Men" nor the assured hand of "Jaws." We're not supposed to feel suspense or the build up of dread over what can be coming because as soon as the brain registers what the camera is doing, it's already on the screen. It's edited in such a way I'm reminded of the less-than-stellar "Alien vs. Predator," where the audience can't make out who's doing what to whom. Who's being shot? Who's lying in a pool of their own blood? Who was that? We don't know and are never given enough time to care. (Despite all this, I was very taken by the overhead shots of flames ripping through the London streets, courtesy of firebombs. They zig-zag through alleys and main drags, all connecting to one another in the end. A chilling sight to behold, especially with the real world parallels the movie invokes.) It's hard for me to even accept the ending, in which Tammy and Andy successfully fight off Don and make their way to a rendezvous point with a military chopper. Why? We're shown early on the screening process the citizens need to go through to get back into London. I have to assume there is an equally lengthy screening process for anyone trying to leave, especially after the outbreak. But what happens? Apparently nothing, considering we see Parisians-turned-infected in front of the Eiffel Tower, setting up the inevitable sequel. What would it be called? "28 Months Later"? There won't be a world left at that point. For all its snide poking at the current world situation, "28 Weeks Later" feels like a sequel grafted onto a discarded Michael Moore documentary outline. For that reason, and the other leaps of logic mentioned above, it rates a 5 out of 10. Some scenes of technical or visual brilliance can't overcome a heinously underwritten script.

Spout Post: sub-standard

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:24:58 GMT

Post By: nigelle
Post To: nigelle Blog
Post Date: 4/10/2008 3:24:58 PM
Body: decent...but its just another movie that tries to capitalize on the first one and falls flat

Spout Post: 28 days later

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:50:22 GMT

Post By: BigA
Post To: Misc ramblings from the blog of BigA
Post Date: 3/28/2008 8:50:22 AM
Body: http://www.spout.com/films/286769/default.aspx I liked this movie. However, its not as good as the first one.

Spout Post: The new zombie standard sequel

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:49:09 GMT

Post By: danegr
Post To: danegr Blog
Post Date: 2/29/2008 1:49:09 PM
Body: Sequels usually equalls = suck. Not so here. The new director capitalized on the kick ass concept of 28 Days, and took it beyond the running thru the streets looking for a new place to hide. This movie explores what happens after the decimation. The new kind of zombie is infected with a virus that cause them to go bananas and kill everything they can find. They however do not survive on brains. In fact givin enough time they die off from starvation. This movie explores what to do after the "Zombies" have died and it is time to reinhabit the land, assuming there are no more straglers......wooo haaa haa haa! I hope this trend of reinventing the old standards catches on as it has with these two movies and 30 Days of Night. We need a little more believable horror to keep up with the terrifying reallity of modern life.

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