Zombieland

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Release Date: 2009

With a fantastic blend of comedy and horror, this flick had me cringing and laughing at the same time.

Jesse Eisenerg (whose career I've been following since Roger Dodger) starts us off with a few rules: #1: Cardio, #2:The Double Tap, #3: Beware of the Bathroom, and so many more throughout the movie.
We never learn any of the protagonists' names other than the location they are headed to or coming from. Eisenberg plays Columbus, Woody Harrelson as the hilarious Tallahasse, Abigail Breslin as Little Rock, and my favorite, Emma Stone as the feisty Wichita.

The story's salient features are the fact that the audience doesn't encounter other folks like in The Walking Dead or 28 Days Later; the people sort of coexist in this world overtaken by zombies.

Jesse Eisenberg's performance as that guy who's nerdy but also street smart works nicely in this picture which counters Woody Harrelson's abrasive character; the pair balance each other out so well. My new favorite actress Emma Stone does the thing she does so well although her dark hair threw me off since I had fallen in love with her red hair in Easy A. Also, grown up Abigail Breslin was a pleasant addition as Wichita's sister. I much rather prefer Breslin over young Dakota Fanning any day.

Let's talk about the makeup here. Steve Prouty, head of the special effects, who had done work on such known projects as Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, The Shape of Things, and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, blew me away with his blood, guts, and gore. Since I have seen my share of horror flicks, I have to send out props to homeboy and crew to making the zombies believably disgusting and real. There were so many sections where I was petrified as if I were watching a horror movie but then something ridiculous would happen like a rule popping up (one of my favorites: The Double Tap).

I was taken with an unforgettable cameo by a well-known comedian, I loved the message, the performances, the makeup, the graphics, the rules, and of course, the zombies! Yeah the zombies are faster than realistic, but it's a movie right? This picture was tons of fun and I would suggest any casual or avid horror fun to watch it.