It seems odd, but for whatever reason, I haven't written at all about George Romero's newest installment in his zombie series, Survival of the Dead, here in the VoH. The Living Dead films are obsessions of mine, and I get excited every time a new one comes out--hell, I remember a time when the thought of a new one was almost beyond hope. Anyway, some very cool news tonight out of Venice, Italy...
You see, Romero screened Survival of the Dead at the world-famous Venice Film Festival yesterday. And get this--according to the Associated Press and festival artistic director Marco Mueller, it's the first time a horror movie has been entered into the Venice competition since the very first edition back in 1932, when Rouben Maumolian's classic Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde kicked off the festival.The sixth film in the legendary series that began in 1968 with Night of the Living Dead, Survival of the Dead made its official debut in Venice, and is also set to be screened on Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival. As for a regular theatrical release, it is still scheduled for some time this fall, but no specific date has yet been made public.
Here's the latest trailer, for those who haven't seen it yet:
Though it's not clearly AS strictly a horror film as Survival of the Dead, Werner Herzog's My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done is also in competition this year.
ReplyDeleteAlso, REC 2 had its world premiere last week at the Venice, but it was not in competition.
In my opinions, 'Survival' looks like the absolute most bottom of the barrel, straight to DVD film I've seen in quite some time. I am incredibly disappointed by this trailer.
ReplyDeleteI know it's unfair to judge a book by its cover, but if that footage is the best representation of what the studio/Romero thinks the film has to offer, colour me unimpressed to say the least.
Technically, it looks low rent, but the trailer has piqued my interest. The setting is interesting -- an island or cove? And my ears pricked up at the line about getting the dead to eat something other than humans. I didn't dislike DIARY, but I despised LAND. I will see it. Interesting to see so many older cast members, too.
ReplyDeleteLow rent? Thank god.
ReplyDeleteA return to 1970s counter-culture horror without the slick studio gloss would be nice.
Maybe this will do the trick for Romero.
I agree that low rent=good when it comes to these movies. And honestly, the acting here looks stronger than in just about any other Living Dead movie I can think of.
ReplyDeleteThere's a difference between low rent, and poorly filmed, acted, scripted, staged. Which this film seems to have in spades.
ReplyDeleteStill trying to find out what the satire is in this...did George forget to put one in?
ReplyDeleteI think he's not laying the social commentary on as thick this time around. Which, in my opinion, could be a good thing.
ReplyDelete