What I have always loved about the early Romero zombie films is that they were always more than mindless horror films, they were riddled with religious themes, social commentary and asked questions about human nature. And they were sufficiently gory and disgusting to boot.

Boyle's film transports that approach to the 21st century, amping up the adrenaline, touching on some tough subjects and covering it all in a, by now, recognisable Boyle sauce.

The first half of the film is a frenetic escape from an infected city and while it is never really scary, it most definitely is tense. That has a lot to do with this film's interpretation of the zombies. They are perhaps not zombies in the traditional…

It's kinda sad and troubling how quickly modern horror movie watchers have forgotten what they owe to Danny Boyle's kick-down-the-door post-apocalyptic horror movie 28 DAYS LATER (no relation to the Sandra Bullock alcoholism movie). People still get into petty (and moronic) arguments as to whether or not this film 'qualifies' as a zombie film. My response to that is to get your head out of your cavernous ass and deal with the reality: this IS the first post-modern, 21st Century, zombie film. This is the film that started the zombie movie craze of the last ten years. Almost every zombie film, game, novel and other mass media product made today is ONLY made possible because of the success of Boyle's…

With endless love, we left you sleeping. Now we're sleeping with you. Don't wake up.

I've stopped and started writing this review about 10 times now, I just don't know where to start with this film. To call it one of my favourites would be an understatement, this is top 5 for me and a film that grows in importance as I grow older. I've seen it over a dozen times, the first in 2003 when it was released. I was only 13 but I knew I'd just watched something special, something I'd never forget. My understanding of the themes increases with each viewing and I interact with it differently now than when I was 13. It feels more realistic…

If you hadn't already guessed it was a Danny Boyle night on Film4 last night, which has led to rewatches.

I can't deny the technical ability in this film and its impact on the zombie canon but for some reason it's a film I've never previously utterly engaged with for some reason or another, and this rewatch hasn't really completely changed that. Despite the fact I'm currently blitzing the TV show 'Survivors' again. I thought that'd make this more relevant for me. Again I only feel the film truly hits the ground/has something to say in that deliciously gothic, tense last act with Christopher Eccleston's rogue regiment. Boyle takes what could easily be little more than a chiller B movie…

From the very first opening sequences of a solitary man stepping out into a deserted London, it's hard not to be engaged with the film. It's impressive how it's never shot in a self-indulgent manner. Boyle never wants to advocate that they've closed off parts of London for the shoot. He really manages to centralise the gaining momentum on the already naturally haunted look of Cillian Murphy, and allows the desolate world to build around him. This is the case for the film's entirety, and also explains how there's a surprising amount of humanistic depth to the central romance. The relationship never feels like a sham in order to add another narrative dimension.
Whilst 28 Days Later gained a lot…

Started off pretty good. Interesting, eerie, lots of potential. But by half way through, I knew disappointment was in the air. The "infected" are barely involved, just showing up occasionally to keep our main characters moving on to the next place. And while the ads boast "scary as hell," I'd have to say it's anything but. Not one moment in this film was truly scary. As for the cast, they did okay. It's always good to see Brendan Gleeson in another role, and Christopher Eccleston, while his character was a bit lacking, did good with what he had to work with as well. The other newcomers weren't bad, but it won't be a breakthrough role for any of them. This…