*Spoilers ahead*
An alliance of sorts is formed so that the group can tow their armoured vehicle from a horde of the dead drawn to the sound of its horn.
Despite a post murky filtering tinkering, episode 3 of season 4’s Fear the Walking Dead gains momentum, this is another strong episode from the underdog. The previous 3 series has debatably worked best when it’s not trying to walk like The Walking Dead notably early outbreak city setting, a boat, a villa and hotel respectively. When avoiding The Walking Dead military The Warriors gang tropes is seems to fare better. A jump in time in season 4 has helped usher in Morgan Jones but trading off that interesting earlier outbreak vibe.
The acting in this episode is particularly strong. Garret Lee Dillahunt’s John Dorie is on tracker form, along side Walking Dead’s Lennie James who portrays stick wielding Morgan. Here Jones gives some good advice to Nick and gifts him his little book of peace. We find member Maggie Grace’s Althea holds a journalist secret. Kim Dickens as Madison Clark appears in Nicks flashbacks which become poignant in retrospect. Colman Domingo is on usual problem solving form as Victor.
This is a stand out episode most notable for selfless recovered heroin addict Johnny Depp-alike Frank Dillane’s Nick Clark meeting a surprise death! After fittingly exacting revenge, his untimely demise is by the hand of child. Shot dead! Dillane is excellent durning blood curdling death scene and actor Alycia Debnam-Carey shines as Nick’s sister in his final moments.
While a strong game changing curve ball episode it’s a shame such an interesting and great character wonderfully played is shockingly killed off, that said, there’s plenty more life Fears back to basics and grounded character approach. Let just hope that Fear doesn’t become a one gang verses another gang show.
The Dead Don’t Die (2019) Review
Posted: May 30, 2019 in FILM REVIEWS/COMMENTSTags: Film, film review, Horror, movie, movies, review, science fiction, scifi, The Dead Don’t Die, The Dead Don’t Die Review, Zombie, Zombies
In the sleepy small town of Centerville, the dead return to life when the earth shifts on its axis.
The Dead Don’t Die has an unprecedented atmosphere of doom and gloom in a small town which captures an odd eerie feel
echoing The Night the Living Dead. However, it’s marred by hanking issues that prevent it becoming what could have been a cult classic.
Jim Jarmusch’s writing decision to break the fourth wall and have the characters talk about the script within the film steals all the novelty from the zany characters and their convincing emotional sentiments. Especially from Cloe Sevigny who gives her deputy believable touching grief. It simply sucks the life out from his solid directing offering.
Adam Driver’s Ronnie and Bill Murray’s Chief Robinson are wonderful as the smalltown law men along with the rest of the cast. Steve Buscemi as a small minded farmer, samurai swinging Tilda Swinton and Danny Glover’s Hank are notable, even if a little wasted. Iggy Pop’s coffee yearning zombie extended cameo is memorable.
As a side note, it’s reminiscent on places of the 2003 Australian film the Undead, including borrowing a wacky alien contact moment. Along with three teens who escape there’s another subplot involving Selena Gomez’s Zoe and her two friends. Neither story threads really pay off, aside from fleshing our Driver’s officer character with Zoe’s demise. This leaves the two separate groups fates slightly wasted and if not moot. That said, the knowing observational hobo in the woods played by Tom Waits strings the film all together.
The make-up effects, Frederick Elmes’ cinematography and location setting is great, even if some CGI is a little iffy. It’s rare for a film to seemingly go out of its way to spoil itself especially when it was so wonderfully setup. It takes away the multiple reward of rewatching value. The abruptness of the ending doesn’t help either.
When it’s being played straight the comedy wit presents itself like the joy of Lake Placid’s satire. But when it’s breaking the fourth wall and trying to be too clever, it stumbles, sadly pulling the carpet from under Driver and Murray’s stellar performances.
Overall, the haphazard script decisions rip the heart of what could have been a contemporary zom-com Return of the Living Dead type classic.
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