2012 July 08 « HORROR BOOM

OK, I’m still feeling a little fuzzy, and the heat wave isn’t going away any time soon. Still have something cool for you though (and more to cool you down; working on a Shutter gallery to post soon that’ll probably do the trick). Here’s an extra-long, extra-cool HD trailer for the ambitious Civil War-era* zombie film, Exit Humanity, written and directed by John Geddes.

I discovered this trailer (and the existence of this movie) last May. Before the trailer was even halfway through, I had it on my watch list. It was a shorter version of the trailer below, but I was in as soon as I saw the animated sequences and recognized that Brian Cox was narrating the film. I don’t recall it being red band, but THIS one sure as hell is. Here you go…

Here’s the official plot synopsis from the film’s Facebook page:

How does a man deal with the loss of everything meaningful in his life, and the loss of mankind’s humanity amongst chaos and despair? Set in 1870′s Tennessee, Exit Humanity is the legend of Edward Young’s horrific and dramatic journey through an unexplainable outbreak of the walking dead to lay to rest the most important thing in his life, his son’s ashes. The bleak post-Civil War era backdrop highlights the severe divide that the United States was facing, the disasters that arise when man tries to play God, and the true loss of hope that so many felt during this period in history.

Exit Humanity blends live action and classical animation to explore how when in situations of severe horror, we must find hope through the very fears that drive us. Starring horror icons Bill Moseley (Devil’s Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses), Dee Wallace (E.T., Cujo), Stephen McHattie (The Watchmen, 300), introducing new horror hero Mark Gibson, and Narrated by Brian Cox (Braveheart, The Bourne Identity), Exit Humanity is a zombie saga that tells the tale of the ultimate battle of good vs. evil.

The official website is packed with information; some of the concept art by Snezhan Bodorv (the key animator) is AMAZING, well-crafted. I definitely recommend checking out the video showcase below (it actually contains more than the official website in the way of animation, not to mention the official website has been having some technical difficulties the past few days).

I’ve heard mixed things so far about the movie. The main things people bitch about are: not enough gore, pacing issues (that tightening up the film and trimming 10-20 minutes off would probably fix), and that the major action sequences were replaced with animation.

I won’t be able to see this movie for a couple of weeks (by some miracle, Netflix will be releasing it in a timely manner) but I’ve heard just as many–if not more– good things as I have bitching. I say ‘bitching’ because none of the reviews who found the movie ‘a letdown’ had such terrible grammar and even basic writing skills that it was hard to take them seriously. I’ll be seeing it. Hope I don’t jinx anything, but really, how bad could a movie that gives Dee Wallace, Bill Mosely, and Brian Cox top billing be? By the way, that just reminded me that some asshole who was too much of a pussy to give any of his real information had to nerve to call Dee Wallace a ‘genre has-been’. They half-heartedly made a similar comment about Bill Mosely, but the one about Dee Wallace pissed me off the most. What bullshit! When someone has been working in the genre (and some different genres, too) consistently for over three decades, that doesn’t make them a has-been, it makes them a hard-working actor, a survivor, and a success. Do either of them look like they’re in their sixties? Look at their work schedules, they have a hell of a lot more energy then I do, that’s for sure. Even I was surprised by how steady and solid their resumes were when I looked them up on the IMDB. I have yet to see a phoned-in performance by either of them. Mention their names to nearly any horror fan who’s been around since the 80s (or 90s) and their face will light up as they rattle off several of their favorite movies featuring them in supporting appearances or lead roles.

As far as the gore, a good story and good scares are enough for me. Even the detractors have to admit it is beautifully shot.

Here’s a few ~~screen grabs~~ stills that lead me to believe the ‘slow pace’ will be worth the watch; I’m going to trust for now that the movie will have substance along with style. Click for a larger image from the gallery below.