Ze Cupcake

The undead’s slow shuffle into current pop culture has been an interesting one. Zombie’s have been in horror movies since George A. Romero’s 1968 film Night of the Living Dead. Zombie’s have been a tremendous addition to the “bang bang shoot ‘em up” movies like Resident Evil and 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead has become a smash hit on the American Movie Classics network. While a zombie movie will always be gory and disgusting, recently films have been trying to break away from the traditional gouhl’s tale of bloody, gory, unadulterated violence that we all know and love. How do you tell a zombie story without relying on shock factor: with comedy and romance of course. In 2009, Zombieland, was released into theaters and achieved box office success grossing 75.6 million dollars and 88% of critics rated the film “fresh.” The film has become a zombie cult classic since. Zombieland, written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and directed by Ruben Fleisher, inspired others to branch out of the typical lifeless zombie movie. The film brought the zombie film back from the undead and breathed new life into the genre. Zombieland even inspired books like Married... with Zombies, which turned into a three book series and other films like the newly released Warm Bodies, a true zombie love story. Zombieland has enough sick scenes for any gore enthusiast. In the opening scene alone you’ll see enough blood, guts and zombie sludge to get you through the rest of the movie. These zombies are not your typical shuffling, lethargic zombies. These suckers are fast and they really do not care how badly their bodies are mangled. In Zombieland, Patient 0 took a bite of a contaminated burger at a Gas n’ Gulp. Mad cow disease became mad person and mad person became mad zombie. These zombies are diseased, hatful, violent and hungry. The opening credits scroll over scenes of zombie gore: in the country’s destroyed capital, at prisons, weddings, homeless men, drug dealers and strip clubs while Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” rocks in the back round. Columbus is the main character, played by Jesse Eisenberg. Columbus is the typical nice guy finishes last. Neurotic, anxiety prone and a loner, Columbus is an unlikely hero in Zombieland. He is a hopeless romantic who’s always wanted to brush a girls hair behind her ear. Columbus was unlucky in love before the apocalypse, and now his odds of finding a girl to bring home to the parents are about 1 in 6.... million. Slim at best. Columbus narrates the movie largely through his own internal monologue. He frequently runs through a list of rules to live by that roll across the screen for the viewer. Cardio, Wear a Seat Belt, Limber Up and my favorite, the Double Tap. These rules are very clever and many of the scenes the accompany the rules will have you rolling with laughter. After having a few close calls of his own, Columbus comes in contact with Tallahassee, played by Woody Harrelson, on the highway. Tallahassee is a bad ass, zombie slaying, Cadillac cowboy with a fondness for twinkies and puppies. Tallahassee offers viewers the violence that people have come to know and love from zombies. Tallahassee’s methods are interesting and maybe a little insane. For example, hedge clippers, you can only imagine what he does with those. You can tell from the second you see Tallahassee that he’s in the business of ass kicking and “business is good” (cue chain saws). He steps out of his black Caddy in snake skin cowboy boots, tight jeans, leather jacket, sunglasses and of course a cowboy hate (made entirely of recycled materials on Harrelson’s insistence). Tallahassee is the opposite of Columbus, this makes him a perfect partner. Columbus figures that he is probably safer with Tallahassee. Tallahassee is not only just a hard ass, he has a soft side, too. Tallahassee does not have much hope for the future but that does not mean he is not going to live his life to the fullest. He’s in search for a new place to make home, and that does not mean settle down. His plan is to live his life to the fullest, like skinny dip in the Yellowstone river or swing from a chandelier in the Playboy Mansion. After Tallahassee, does some serious zombie slaying in a grocery store looking for his favorite snack, they meet two sisters in need of help. Wichita played by the very clever Emma Stone and unnaturally mature Little Rock played by Abigail Breslin. Columbus is smitten with Wichita immediately. He’s finally found his human in the zombie pile. Eventually, Wichita and her sister Little Rock pull one over on Columbus and Tallahassee. This is one brilliant hoax and surprised me the first time I watched the movie. Wichita and Little Rock don’t want to make the mistake of trusting Columbus and Tallahassee. So they take they’re vehicle and guns and hit the road. Columbus points out the obvious. He finds irony in the fact that Wichita said he couldn’t be trusted but she’s the one who stole his ride and his double barrel. Wichita and Little Rock are headed for Pacific Playland. Little Rock is extremely convinced that there is a zombie free zone there. While delusional to others, Wichita keeps Little Rock’s hope alive, letting her keep whatever of her childhood she still has left. This will not be the last time the foursome meet. Next time however the girls will not leave the sorry suckers with nothing but their wits (which they didn’t have too much to begin with anyway.) Columbus is given the opportunity to leave Wichita to strike out to Ohio to see what’s happened to his family. While “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” by the Velvet Underground serenades the moment Columbus decides that he wants to be where ever Wichita is. Columbus makes a decision to be around people and not shut himself in. He’s beginning to open up and learn to trust others, strangers for that matter. This will begin to rub off on the others. They simply get to know each other in this part of the movie. The best interactions on the road trip are between Tallahassee and Little Rock, who teach each other about Willy Nelson and Hannah Montana. A father-daughter bond begins to form between the two. Tallahassee needs Little Rock to help him cope with the loss of his ‘puppy’ and Little Rock seems to have had a pretty shady childhood, lacking any sort of parent figure aside from her sister. While on the great tour of Zombieland USA, the viewers are treated to scenery of deserted parking lots and residential areas. They’re are no signs of any life except for when our characters enter big cities or stores. The only time there is a mention of anyone else being alive in Zombieland is when Columbus and Tallahassee discuss the Zombie Kill of the Week. This provides some fun ideas about how to kill a zombie. All unconventional methods which seem to be a theme in Zombieland. The writers really got creative when it came to the most epic way to kill a zombie. The foursome pull up on the California coast while “Kingdom of Rust” by the Doves dances  through the speakers like the Cali sun on the screen. As they cruise into to Los Angeles, you feel that warm California sun on your skin and want to stick your window out of their vehicle and ride your hand along the waves. You almost forget for a second that our beloved characters are in Zombieland. The scenes of a zombified Hollywood are awesome. You’ll see some famous landmarks that are crawling with zombies (one looks like Chaplain I swear!) The writers put in some jabs at A-list celebs, Tom Cruise and Russell Crow. Here is where the famous and awesome cameo appearance takes place. While living the A-list life in a Beverly Hills mansion, the chemistry between Columbus and Wichita begins to react. Wichita starts to let Columbus in and the two share an intimate moment by the fire place. Cut short, Wichita leaves and reminds Columbus that she is only worried about her sister. She leaves the next morning before the men wake up. Columbus decides to go against his own rules and go after the girls. Tallahassee becomes convinced to follow Columbus after Columbus reminds him that they were someone else puppies once. Columbus and Tallahassee find Wichita and Little Rock in a very precarious situation with zombies. The girls are trapped in Pacific Playland being pursued by hordes of zombies. Tallahassee’s ass kicking skills really shine in this final battle scene. Columbus has to face his greatest fears in order to save the girls. He finally realizes that it’s okay to break your own rules and be a hero. He so eloquently puts it “it’s time to nut up or shut up.” Zombieland is a movie about finding trust in others. This movie may be a zombie slaying, bloody mess at times but it does teach the viewer important lessons. Not just Columbus’ rules, although cardio and seat belts are very important. What a zombie movie like Zombieland teaches us that others may not is to appreciate family and that love can help you overcome your greatest fears. Even in a world that has gone completely to hell, humans still seek out company. Columbus reminds the viewer that if you do not have others, you might as well just be a mindless zombie.