• Tag Archives post-apocalyptic
  • Canister X Movie Review #121: Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

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    Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
    Written by Paul W.S. Anderson
    Directed by Russell Mulcahy
    Runtime 94 min.
    5 out of 5

    Alice (Milla Jovovich) wanders the Nevada desert alone, flying under the radar of the Umbrella Corporation.

    It’s been five years since the deadly T-virus outbreak. The world is all but in shambles. Alice believes that only Alaska is the last safe place on Earth. An old journal she found with a six-month-old radio transcription told her so.

    On her journey, Alice comes across a small caravan of survivors headed up by Claire (Ali Larter) that also happens to be carrying along some old friends: Slater (Matthew Marsden) and L.J. (Mike Epps).

    She convinces them to head north to Alaska, and so they embark, fighting off the dead at every turn, even undead crows that have been transformed from feasting on zombie flesh.

    Dr. Isaacs (Iain Glen) wants Alice back under his control as he focuses on perfecting her as a weapon against the undead. Except, once Alice catches on, she manages to disable their system of control over her and escapes with Claire and the others.

    All hope lost, and having been bitten by one of the dead himself, Dr. Isaacs uses the antivirus on himself . . . but in a different way, creating a result neither he nor Alice expected.

    It’s ultra crazy good and suspenseful action horror in this third installment in the Resident Evil series.

    Wow. I mean, man oh man, I love this movie. So, so good. I’m a sucker for roadside horror and sleepy towns. This movie has both. The zombies? Pure gruesome since most of them have been rotting for five years as they wander around devouring the rest of the living.

    The zombie crows were a nice touch. So, so many of them. Swarms. That’s the thing I always tell people about zombies. One zombie’s not so bad. Get a whole mess of them together and they’re scary as all get out. Same for zombie crows. There was enough here to turn the sky black. Freaky.

    The development of Alice’s powers was cool and though her telekinesis might seem kind of outlandish to some, it’s portrayed well here and done with the utmost seriousness and not used as a cop-out to get her out of a jam.

    I felt bad for her as well when she saw all those clones of herself rotting out in the desert sun. That’d be heartbreaking, upsetting and angering for anyone. I’m glad she gave Dr. Isaacs his due.

    The ending raises a ton of questions for the forthcoming Resident Evil: Afterlife. I’m eager to see how they deal with that army of Alices without it coming off goofy or repetitive.

    This movie’s score was also spectacular, the hard beat of the drums and dark, raunchy guitar giving it a very awesome grittiness that adds to the whole post-apocalyptic feel.

    Check this flick out. It’s hardcore, loaded with gore and just down right fantastic.

    Recommended.


  • Canister X Movie Review #112: I Am Legend (2007)

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    I Am Legend (2007)
    Written by Mark Protosevich, Akiva Goldsman
    Directed by Francis Lawrence
    Runtime 101 min.
    4 out of 5

    Based on the book by Richard Matheson, I Am Legend is the story of Robert Neville (Will Smith), sole survivor of a plague that, originally, was supposed to be a miracle cure for cancer three years before. Instead, most of the world died at the hands of the plague. Others mutated into bloodthirsty vampiric creatures; only a small percentage of humankind remained immune to the disease.

    All alone in New York, virologist Neville tries to find a cure and “fix” the problem that stole the lives of everyone he knew and everyone he loved, while also trying to survive in a city infested with the infected and ferocious monsters.

    Straight from the start you know you’re in for a ride.

    An empty city, overgrown and broken down.

    A lone guy speeding through the streets in a fancy car, weapon at his side.

    Animals prowling the streets, free of their cages.

    The lock up.

    The screams.

    The howls.

    Yeah, good stuff.

    The intense feeling of atmosphere was what drew me into this flick. Immediately isolation sets in right from the first frame as we see Neville trying to maintain a normal life in a dead city (renting movies, talking to mannequins, keeping a routine), his eyes washed with pain yet underscored with determination to keep going. This is a one-man show and I haven’t seen it done so well since Cast Away (one of my favorite movies) years and years ago.

    No complaints about Will Smith here and he’s done a good job over his career to make you forget about the loud-mouthed homeboy he played in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Plus, did you see the guy in this film? He’s ripped! Shredded. But, I guess, you’d have to be if you lived a world where vampire-zombie-human things prowled the streets and your life could be in jeopardy at the drop of a hat if you weren’t too careful.

    Which brings me to the monsters in question. Overall, well done. Creepy skin, no hair, loud growls, amazing agility and intensely vicious. Yeah, killer. Obviously they were CGI so they did look a tad rubbery and there were a few moments where it felt I was looking at a cartoon. Thankfully, those moments happened so fast and the action was so intense that I quickly forgot my quibble and moved on.

    My only thing was the ending. Now, I never read the book so I can’t compare, but it ended too abruptly and really lost its post-apocalyptic feel in the last five minutes or so. Sort of a Disney ending, which didn’t fit in with what was a gloomy story up until that point.

    Regardless, if someone asked me what I thought of this film, I’d tell them to go see it.

    It’s that good.


  • Canister X Movie Review #111: Fido (2006)

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    Fido (2006)
    Written by Robert Chomiak, Andrew Currie and Dennis Heaton
    Directed by Andrew Currie
    Runtime 93 min.
    5 out of 5

    Every so often a movie comes along in a particular genre and does things “outside the norm.”

    Fido is such a movie.

    Yes, it’s about zombies. Yes, it’s about gut-munching. Yes, it’s about survival in a post-apocalyptic world.

    But that’s where the similarities end compared to other end-of-the-world zombie flicks.

    This movie is more like a cross between Pleasantville and Night of the Living Dead, with a little bit of humor thrown in there as well.

    After a zombie epidemic took over most of the world, a lone scientist invented a collar to control the undead and, through the ventures of the company Zomcom, was able to transform these mindless and hungry monsters into humanity’s slaves, turning them into butlers, house aids and gardeners.

    Enter the Robinson family, the only family in the ’50s without a zombie. However, things change when the people-pleasing mom, Helen Robinson (Carrie-Anne Moss), gets Fido, a lovable zombie with life and warmth.

    Fido quickly becomes best friends with Timmy, Helen’s son, but one day when the collar goes on the fritz and Fido eats the neighbor, everything changes, a cover-up ensues and it’s up to the Robinson family to hide Fido from those who would want to take him away and kill him (which is something that Daddy Robinson would love to see).

    This isn’t your standard zombie movie. Far from it. It has heart, and though a comedy, it’s not slapstick or silly. Just regular funny moments. Billy Connolly as Fido is charming, lovable, fun. You genuinely care for the poor dead guy. You smile with joy when he’s happy. Your heart goes out to him when he’s sad. You even side with him when he gets mad and takes out his uncontrollable hunger on unsuspecting victims.

    The story is original. The dialogue is great. The cast couldn’t be better.

    New spins on genres are something I’ve always been into. Though classic takes on things have their place, every time something new comes along it’s like a breath of fresh air and Fido is definitely that.

    Even hardcore zombie lovers who need a dose of shambling, rotting corpses and loads of blood will enjoy this film as there are “classic zombie moments” in it as well.

    This DVD also contains director Andrew Currie’s extremely poignant short film, Night of the Living, about the cause-and-effect of alcohol in the family but with a zombie twist.

    Very recommended.


  • Redemption of the Dead (Undead World Trilogy, Book 3)

    Redemption of the Dead (Undead World Trilogy, Book 3)

    Redemption of the Dead, a zombie novel by A.P. Fuchs

    A Rising Army.

    The Devil.

    War.

    The forces of Good and Evil are gathering, each side preparing themselves for what could be their last confrontation because the commander of the armies of darkness has arrived on Earth—the devil himself.

    Overwhelmed after witnessing the manifestation of Heaven’s fallen angel, Lucifer, Billie is assigned two final tasks before the big battle. These assignments take her across the world where she meets two German brothers who prove to be tremendous allies as she goes to recruit brave men and women for humanity’s last stand, and the strange supernatural tool required to finally set all things right.

    Back in the city, Joe and Tracy have to lean on each other and learn that a world full of zombies with Hell’s army at the door isn’t a time to keep secrets and risk the lives of others to keep them safe. The two go head-to-head as they struggle to survive what they discover are the last days of the zombie invasion and the powerful supernatural forces behind it.

    This final installment in the Undead World Trilogy is a wild adventure through a post-apocalyptic world that takes the reader to the very gates of Hell for one last strike against an enemy that has destroyed a planet.

    This is Redemption of the Dead.

    Available as a paperback at:

    Amazon.com
    Amazon.ca
    Amazon.co.uk
    Barnes and Noble

    Available as an eBook at:

    Amazon Kindle
    Drivethru Fiction
    Smashwords

    Be sure to complete your Undead World Trilogy set with Blood of the Dead (Book 1) and Possession of the Dead (Book 2).


  • Possession of the Dead (Undead World Trilogy, Book 2)

    Possession of the Dead (Undead World Trilogy, Book 2)

    Possession of the Dead, a zombie book by A.P. Fuchs

    Angels.

    Demons.

    Giant Zombies.

    Things have changed.

    Ever since returning through the Storm of Skulls to the present day, Joe, Billie and August have discovered the world they now inhabit, is not the world they left behind. The zombie threat has evolved to gargantuan proportions. Now aided by giant undead—massive monsters with phenomenal strength and power, with deadly appetites just as vast—the zombie population moves to devour any and all life.

    Separated from his friends, Joe learns that not all hope is lost for humanity when he meets, Tracy, a woman who exudes a strength to rival his own. Tracy brings him to the Hub, an underground sanctuary where life continues in a dead world, but his thoughts linger on his missing friends.

    August and Billie have problems of their own, and soon learn the same plight that affected a past friend of theirs now affects many: zombies with shapeshifting capability. Now, anyone is suspect. Yet even with this newfound knowledge, more is heaped upon them when the agenda of the undead is revealed and humanity is the one caught in the crossfire.

    A war is raging, one between angels and demons, monsters and man.

    And it’s only escalating.

    Welcome to Possession of the Dead.

    Available as a paperback at:

    Amazon.com
    Amazon.ca
    Amazon.co.uk
    Barnes and Noble

    Available as an eBook at:

    Amazon Kindle
    Drivethru Fiction
    Smashwords

    Be sure to check out the other books in the Undead World Trilogy, Blood of the Dead (Book 1) and Redemption of the Dead (Book 3).


  • Blood of the Dead (Undead World Trilogy, Book 1)

    Blood of the Dead (Undead World Trilogy, Book 1)

    Blood of the Dead a zombie novel by A.P. Fuchs

    One year ago, the world came to an end.

    First came the rain.

    Then came the screams.

    Then came the undead.

    The Haven became the only place in the city free of the walking dead. A place of community. A place to be safe.

    Now, things have changed.

    The zombies are coming to the Haven, seeking out the remaining survivors of the human race.

    Joe Bailey prowls the Haven’s streets, taking them back from the undead, each kill one step closer to reclaiming a life once stolen from him. Billie Friday and Des Nottingham soon have Joe to thank for their lives.

    As the dead push into the Haven, the trio is forced into the one place where folks fear to tread: the heart of the city, a place overrun with flesh-eating zombies.

    They soon discover they are not the only humans there. After meeting an old man with a peculiar past, Joe and the others must make one last stand against the undead or unwillingly meet the same fate.

    A desperate escape leads them to a place thought impossible to exist and to a discovery that will shake the future.

    Welcome to the end of all things.

    Available as a paperback at:

    Amazon.com
    Amazon.ca
    Amazon.co.uk
    Barnes and Noble

    Available as an eBook at:

    Amazon Kindle
    Drivethru Fiction
    Smashwords

    Be sure to check out the other zombie books in this series after Blood of the Dead: Possession of the Dead and Redemption of the Dead.