Set about three years after the dead started coming to life, Romero's fourth DEAD movie focuses on the city of Fiddler's Green, where the rich live in glass towers and the common folk just exist. They are safe from being eaten by zombies but that's about it. And those zombies, who are now showing signs of organized intelligence, see that shining tower in the distance and want it for themselves.The movie starts with a group of mercenaries (working for the city) who are raiding a local town for food and medical supplies. Riley (Simon Baker), the leader, observes a zombie gas station attendant who seems to be acting way too smart for a zombie-and quickly believes that they are becoming smarter. No one else believes him. But this doesn't really matter to him because he's had enough of this lifestyle and is retiring. He bought a car and plans to leave the city for the seclusion of living 'Up North'. The second-in-command of the mercenaries, Cholo (John Leguizamo of SPAWN,NIGHT OWL), wants to live like the rich people and believes he can if he has enough money to pay for an apartment. In fact, he's been doing some dirty work for the boss (Dennis Hopper) in order to get the monetary bonuses. When he confronts Hopper, however, he's dismissed as just another stupid goon. Understandably upset, he steals the huge tank-like vehicle used to hunt the zombies and then plans on blowing up the city unless a ransom of twenty-million dollars is paid. The boss 'won't deal with terrorists', so he sends in Riley and a few others to track him down before he can fire the explosives.Other characters introduced are Asia Argento as Slack, a prostitute turned soldier, Charlie (Robert Joy), Riley's side-kick who looks like one of the zombies, and, of course, the leader of the zombies, this ferocious looking African American gas attendant. As with the prior three movies there is plenty of relevant social commentary, which is all fairly obvious, good script and memorable characters, and plenty of entrails pulled from torsos and heads from shoulders. In fact, I was surprised that Romero was able to get away with so much of the zombie gore without this being unrated or NC-17. LAND is not particularly creepy, because the audience is supposed to empathize with the zombies, yet it is a good continuation of the story began nearly forty years ago.
Set about three years after the dead started coming to life, Romero's fourth DEAD movie focuses on the city of Fiddler's Green, where the rich live in glass towers and the common folk just exist. They are safe from being eaten by zombies but that's about it. And those zombies, who are now showing signs of organized intelligence, see that shining tower in the distance and want it for themselves.The movie starts with a group of mercenaries (working for the city) who are raiding a local town for food and medical supplies. Riley (Simon Baker), the leader, observes a zombie gas station attendant who seems to be acting way too smart for a zombie-and quickly believes that they are becoming smarter. No one else believes him. But this doesn't really matter to him because he's had enough of this lifestyle and is retiring. He bought a car and plans to leave the city for the seclusion of living 'Up North'. The second-in-command of the mercenaries, Cholo (John Leguizamo of SPAWN,NIGHT OWL), wants to live like the rich people and believes he can if he has enough money to pay for an apartment. In fact, he's been doing some dirty work for the boss (Dennis Hopper) in order to get the monetary bonuses. When he confronts Hopper, however, he's dismissed as just another stupid goon. Understandably upset, he steals the huge tank-like vehicle used to hunt the zombies and then plans on blowing up the city unless a ransom of twenty-million dollars is paid. The boss 'won't deal with terrorists', so he sends in Riley and a few others to track him down before he can fire the explosives.Other characters introduced are Asia Argento as Slack, a prostitute turned soldier, Charlie (Robert Joy), Riley's side-kick who looks like one of the zombies, and, of course, the leader of the zombies, this ferocious looking African American gas attendant. As with the prior three movies there is plenty of relevant social commentary, which is all fairly obvious, good script and memorable characters, and plenty of entrails pulled from torsos and heads from shoulders. In fact, I was surprised that Romero was able to get away with so much of the zombie gore without this being unrated or NC-17. LAND is not particularly creepy, because the audience is supposed to empathize with the zombies, yet it is a good continuation of the story began nearly forty years ago.
