Exactly As Advertised.

Hollywood's first zombie blockbuster World War Z has finally shambled – or more appropriately, sprinted – onto screens, so I made a beeline for the nearest Cineplex last Friday eve.

When a global zombie outbreak hits, former UN worker Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is sent out to find the source, and possibly a cure. But, is it already too late?

Last week, I happened to see a wonderfully apt review byline which read, “World War Z succeeds despite itself”. That's it exactly. Even with all of its negatives, this movie was still quite entertaining. But, I'll get to that. First, the head scratchers...

I'm afraid I can't let go of the fact that nothing was carried over from the source material. I understand that the decision was made early on to drop the anthology format of the Max Brooks' tome, but surely they could've incorporated something. I'm sorry, but the five-minute onscreen showdown in Jerusalem does not equate to the book's epic Battle of Yonkers.

I still maintain that Marc Forster is Hollywood's worst action director. As in 2008's Quantum of Solace, he's still all about that close-up, shaky-cam action style that I can't stand. Ever since the Greengrass' Bourne films, we've been plagued by this type of filmmaking. I get that you are going for an “it's like you're there!” vibe, but really all you're doing is making us fill in the blanks. It's lazy and, more importantly, annoying. Imagine if The Matrix had been shot like that???

When the camera does occasionally pull back from the fray, we are greeted by a throbbing mass of CG. It's decent – clearly there's a lot of processing power behind all those rendered undead – but it's still not, you know, real. What was more frustrating was that the practical zombie stuff was actually very well done. Why couldn't there be more of that? I also feel that the “wow” moments were dulled due to, as per usual, seeing ninety-five percent of them in the trailers.

Lastly, this is likely one of the weaker 3D transfers I've seen to date. Save for a few gimmicky moments where zombies fly at the screen, it is completely unnecessary. It really only serves to muddy things up, and considering that more than a few of the action set pieces take place in the dark, that's not a good thing.

And yet, World War Z is still a functional zombie action movie. Pitt, like so few A-listers can, carries this movie on his shoulders and powers through all the dumb action logic throughout. And it does attempt to tell a global story – even if all we get of South Korea is a rainy tarmac – which is certainly far more than they could've done. I'm sure in some filmmakers' hands, World War Z would've never left Jersey.

Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) taking care of business.

At the end of the day, if you liked what you saw in the trailer, you'll have a good time because that's what you're getting. No more, no less. I kept my expectations low, which is why World War Z didn't disappoint me. I just can't help but wish there had been more meat on this bone.

2013 Preview.

A new year is upon us, and with it brings a new crop of horror flicks to look forward to. Here’s what’s on my radar for 2013.

World War Z (Jun 20th)

All concerns and grievances aside, I can’t help but be excited for the world’s first zombie blockbuster to hit screens. The CG-laden trailer does recall I Am Legend, but I still remain optimistic. The original wonder script by J. Michael Straczynski has since been retooled to beyond recognizable, but at least it looks like the The Battle of Yonkers remained intact. Mainly, I just hope director Marc Forster has learned how to shoot an action scene since Quantum of Solace.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Jan 25)

Even after failed attempts at fractured fairy tales like Red Riding Hood, Brothers Grimm and Van Helsing, I'm still looking forward to this one. I know the odds are stacked against it, but call it a guilty pleasure. I had a smile on my face through most of this trailer and it seems everyone on board knows what kind of project they are making here. Tommy “Dead Snow” Wirkola has a great sense of humour, and I'm hoping it carries over here. At the very least, action veterans Jeremy Renner & Gemma Arterton will likely make a kick-ass team.

Nurse 3D (TBD)

I was expecting this to hit last year, so again I reiterate, look at this poster!!!

Mama (Jan 18th)

Guillermo del Toro has a good track record playing sire to new talent, but I hope this one is more The Orphanage and less Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. I’ve been deliberately avoiding the trailer on this one, but  I do know the cast is great and the byline promising.

S-VHS (TBD)

A follow-up to last year’s analog horror anthology V/H/S, this year’s roster of filmmakers includes the likes of Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), Eduardo Sanchez (Lovely Molly) and Simon Barrett (writer of You’re Next). It is premiering at Sundance in a few weeks, so I’m sure I’ll be seeing it here sometime in the fall.

Stoker (Mar 1)

Chan-wook Park, the director of the infamous Vengeance Trilogy is back with his first English language picture. As you would expect, it looks exquisite and is sure to include several deliciously grim twists and turns. Also, in my opinion, the only thing better than Nicole Kidman, is evil Nicole Kidman.

Horns (TBD)

Following in his father’s footsteps, writer Joe Hill sees his first project adapted for the big screen. Daniel Radcliffe stars in a story about a man who suddenly sprouts some pointy appendages following the death of his girlfriend. I enjoyed Piranha 3D as much as the next guy, but I am glad to see director Alex Aja return to his more sinister disposition.

There are of course no shortage of sequels in the pipeline, but based on past successes I am mildly interested in The Last Exorcism 2 and Insidious 2. And it goes without saying I am onboard for another go-round with everyone’s favourite killer doll in Curse of Chucky.

As far as remakes go, Carrie and Maniac show some promise, as does Jim Mickle’s redo of the Mexican cannibal flick We Are What We Are. More importantly though, I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and just jump into this Evil Dead movie with both stumps.

Five films that I have seen that should hopefully be enjoying theatrical releases this year are You’re Next, Byzantium, Resolution, The Lords of Salem and Here Comes The Devil. All have my seal of approval, so be sure to catch them if they hit a theatre near you.

Lastly, I hear that Richard Raaphorst's undead Nazi opus Frankenstein’s Army is near to seeing the light of day. Apparently, a finished product has been seen by a chosen few. Hopefully, the almost ten-year wait (this is the project that the online sensation Worst Case Scenario eventually became) will be worth it.

Okay, here's to horror’s best and brightest came bring it this year!

DKTM 158

This week saw an abundance of trailers for upcoming genre projects, so here's a rundown for you.

Capital Z.

Perhaps the biggest thing to hit the Web this week was the new trailer for the movie adaptation of Max Brooks' zombie tome World War Z. Feast your eyes below.

My first reaction to this trailer was how overblown it looks, but upon further reflection I realized that we have never actually had a big budget zombie blockbuster before, as the zombie genre up until this point has been the domain of the low budget and independents. I guess the biggest would be Boyle's 28 Later films and Zombieland, but even those weren't particularly costly pictures to make. So, WWZ is what a hundred-million dollar zombie movie looks like.

I like this trailer, and despite all the CGI, as I cannot deny that those shots of the 'herd' are pretty eye-catching.  At the same time, I don't want this to become another I Am Legend. The book, even though it was grand in scope, was a collection of personal experiences, so it always felt intimate. By focusing in on Brad Pitt's character (or at least appearing to) it becomes more of an action movie with zombies in it. That's what I get from my Resident Evil movies and I want WWZ to have weight, dammit! Anyway, rant over.

Crickley Hall.

Being a huge fan of British writer James Herbert, this news is especially pleasing. Starting this Sunday, the BBC is premiering the newest adaptation of one of his works called The Secret of Crickley Hall. Here is the trailer.

Regular readers will know how incessantly I have rambled on about how many of Herbert's works remain unadapted, so good on the Beebs for getting on it, if no one else will.

Maniac Runs Red.

Here now is the full Red Band trailer for Franck Khalfoun's upcoming remake of Maniac.

It seems to have the tone right and I certainly respect Elijah Wood for taking on this role, but I'm worried the movie's largely first person perspective will become a little tiresome after a while. Still, this is exactly producer Alex Aja's wheelhouse and nobody working today does it better in my opinion.