28 Days Later 2003 Fox Home Entertainment   Buy It Now

"You'll either love it or hate it."

We have all heard this a hundred times, but I believe perhaps that this phrase was invented for the horror audiences reaction to Danny Boyle's pseudo-zombie opus, 28 Days Later.

I'm sure you are all familiar by now with the basics behind 28 Days Later, but I will go over it all for those in the cheap seats.  In the film, a group of well meaning animal rights activists unwittingly free more than they bargained for when they raid a scientific testing facility performing studies on "rage".  The chimps that they liberate bring with them a virus, which quickly spreads like wildfire across not only the city, but the entire country.  Those that are infected are quickly reduced to nothing more than mindless killing machines; more savage beast than zombie, as they will run, claw, climb or crash across any obstacle to vent their rage on their chosen victim.  The country is under siege...from the inside out...

It is into this reality that Jim, once a cycle courier, awakens from his London hospital bed where he was riding out a coma; into an empty city, devoid of any signs of life.  Jim gains partial understanding of his situation through only newspaper headlines and a wall of notes left scrawled for lost loved ones during an evacuation (yes, this scene is similar to the occurrences of the 9/11 attacks and the notes left in an attempt to locate survivors, but Danny Boyle's scene was actually filmed prior to the reality); but he is made fully aware of the state of things when he encounters Selena and Mark...two survivors of the rampant infection.  Through them he learns that it took only 15 days for the city to fall to the infection, beginning with fighting in the streets and eventually leading up to a full evacuation...but the infection has spread.  Not only across the U.K., but into major countries around the world and possibly worldwide.  It seems that an infection that can conquer its human host in only 20 seconds is a bitch to stop.

 For survivors of the plague, life is now reduced to a series of survivals: surviving starving to death, surviving the packs of infected, and most of all, surviving the harsh reality that they may be the last people alive…  But when a radio broadcast is heard, it offers the possibility of other life and a place safe from the infected.  However, will Jim and his group find the sanctuary they seek, or will the source of this message merely introduce a new series of dangers.

I was lucky enough to have been treated to an advanced screening of this film (lucky because I couldn't have waited another second for the release), and the first thing that struck me about this film was a remarkable realization, to be sure.  In the last three years (the time since I moved to Oregon), I have seen a lot of films in the theatre.  I would hazard a guess at about 75 - 100 visits (2-4 films a month).  In each and every one of these visits, there has been at least one complete fu#^ing moron that insists on talking.  I don't understand why, other than the fact that Americans are becoming increasingly stupid as the years pass, but someone always feels the need to yap it up during a cinematic presentation.   But Friday, the 13th of June, 2003, not one single peep was to be heard through the entire film.  There was simply dead silence.  This is a testament ladies and gentleman; especially at a sneak preview.  Every person in that sold out auditorium sat in silence and soaked in 28 Days Later.  It was amazing.

This was perhaps due to the anticipation (a full year for some of us), but more likely in response to the fact that this was simply a great film.  Part horror, part war movie, part survival tale, but all engrossing.

The second thing that I noticed about 28 Days Later was its heavy use of its influences.  Starting like 12 Monkeys, then delving straight into the apocalyptic Omega Man, taking a sharp turn into the Dawn Of The Dead, and grasping at strands of The Stand; this film is a summation of all these and more.  But before we go and judge the film for being a copy cat, we have to take stock of the one truth.  It is not easy to take so many elements...even ones that have been created previously...and put them all together into the same story.  I think that the resemblances 28 Days Later has to these other films is a legacy to the creativity of director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting), instead of a sign indicative of a creative lacking.

I believe one of the things that I enjoyed most about this film, was its use of digital video versus standard film.  I can admit that I was skeptical when I first viewed trailers, as the scenes they were cut with were dark and grainy...I wasn't ready for another Blair Witch amateur cinematographer project; but it looks great!  Often considered a "cheaper" medium, and a tool of low budget cinema, its use here is much more intentional than that.  Film has a certain look.  Clean, crisp, clear.  In contrast, DV also has a look all its own.  Shadowy, dirty, vague.  You tell me which better suits the ideas and themes expressed in this plot.

Danny Boyle tells it best, “For me there has to be an organic reason to shoot on DV,” says Boyle. “The format felt appropriate to the post-apocalyptic landscape. This is very much an urban film, with the visit to the countryside aside, and I think DV has a grittiness about it that’s magnificent for ‘city’ movies. We’re surrounded in all major cities by CC cameras; they’re recording our every motion. This is now the way that we record our lives.” 

“Also we wanted to make the world look different. Electricity and pollution are no more, and a stillness has returned,” continues Boyle. “Digital cameras are much more responsive to low light levels and the general idea was to try and shoot as though we were survivors too.”

This attention to detail, and responsible decision making added a huge depth to 28 Days Later.  It is as much a part of this film as the actors and the gallons of spewing blood.  Spewing blood?  Oh yeah, lest I forget this IS a horror film.  Blood does flow.  There are enough fright moments to satiate even the most die hard horror fans, but these are not the sum and substance of the movie.  You are going to get some character building and some morality tale thrown in with your guts-n-chunks.  You will just have to deal.

Now this wouldn't be a complete DVD review without making mention of the "3 KILLER ALTERNATIVE ENDINGS that will haunt you for DAYS...".  Frankly, these endings are a neat-o glimpse into the creative mind of a filmmaker and the decisions that must be made in anticipation of an audiences reactions.  But Boyle made the right decisions up front and has already provided you with the best of the three endings; attached to the film to begin with.

What truly makes this DVD worth owning is the amazing commentary, that provides a wealth of trivia and inside information; and the future-filmmakers dream featurette, "Pure Rage: The Making Of 28 Days Later".  Of course there are the usual assortment of goodies ranging from photo galleries to storyboards, that alone are not so special, but all together make for a very exciting evening of zombie niceness.

Horror is a dying breed, succumbing to its own infection of hot-bodied teenies who have more boobs than talent, and MTV editing to capture the attention of kids who can tell you their 50 favourite dance songs, but can't hope to name all 50 states.  So if for no other reason than to support a horror film that is back to the basics of acting and story...get your ass to the store and buy this DVD already.

-aaron-
 

Directed By: Danny Boyle   Written by: Alex Garland    Cast: Cillian Murphy Naomie Harris Christopher Eccleston Megan Burns Brendan Gleeson

DVD Features: Widescreen Presentation Audio: English 5.1 Dolby, Spanish, French Subtitles: English, Spanish 3 Alternate Endings w/Optional Commentary Filmaker's Commentary "Pure Rage: The Making Of 28 Days Later" Music Video By Jacknife Lee Animated Storyboards Still Photo Galleries Theatrical Trailer