28 weeks later

[Morning Glory]

I just saw this movie and there was some things that I didn't really understand.

granted, with the exception of the guy running through the field being chased by the infected, I missed about the first 20 minutes of the movie. that might have something to do with it.

Ok, so in the first movie it implied that all the infected people died after about a month or so from their injuries and exposure and starvation. Is that really what happened or was there some other way that they were able to stop the infected the first time?

the ending is really what didn't make sense to me. why didn't the same thing happen again? It's 28 days later again, but the infected are still there. that doesn't make sense to me.

Also, I'm an American so I don't really know European geography that well, but is there a bridge to England or something? I mean, England is an island right? So how did the infection get off the island? And the movie seemed to suggest that only england and not the rest of the world was infected during the first outbreak.. so why not? And if that is indeed the case, how would things be different now so that it does?

On a not really plot related note, what's up with England portraying the grungy activist, what we would indentify clearly as a hippie/tree hugger/ animal rights etc., person as being the cause of fucking things up? It was an animal rights group that unleashed the virus in 28 days, in Children of Men the bad guys are dread-locked anarchists. It's really pretty weird because I didn't think that these types where so indentified and stigmatized by the general populace in england, certainly less than in the US, where they are also apparently less demonized in the mainstream media (our solution to really any social activism is to not show it so that people will think it doesn't exist.)

[One Eyed Cat]

I just saw this movie and there was some things that I didn't really understand.

granted, with the exception of the guy running through the field being chased by the infected, I missed about the first 20 minutes of the movie. that might have something to do with it.

Ok, so in the first movie it implied that all the infected people died after about a month or so from their injuries and exposure and starvation. Is that really what happened or was there some other way that they were able to stop the infected the first time?

the ending is really what didn't make sense to me. why didn't the same thing happen again? It's 28 days later again, but the infected are still there. that doesn't make sense to me.

Also, I'm an American so I don't really know European geography that well, but is there a bridge to England or something? I mean, England is an island right? So how did the infection get off the island? And the movie seemed to suggest that only england and not the rest of the world was infected during the first outbreak.. so why not? And if that is indeed the case, how would things be different now so that it does?

On a not really plot related note, what's up with England portraying the grungy activist, what we would indentify clearly as a hippie/tree hugger/ animal rights etc., person as being the cause of fucking things up? It was an animal rights group that unleashed the virus in 28 days, in Children of Men the bad guys are dread-locked anarchists. It's really pretty weird because I didn't think that these types where so indentified and stigmatized by the general populace in england, certainly less than in the US, where they are also apparently less demonized in the mainstream media (our solution to really any social activism is to not show it so that people will think it doesn't exist.)

This doesn't surprise me at all (although the U.K. is a lot more progressive on this issue). ARA are demonized in the U.S. I'll post some model laws enacted in some states. They relate to vandalizing animal enterprises, but I'll show you how overbroad the laws tend to be. Some laws appear to suggest that unknowingly giving to the wrong group is almost akin to giving to the wrong mosque. I'll pm you the rest.

So no surprise here to me. In the U.K.? Surprising. They have more stringent laws relating to agriculture and factory farms. Have to go to school, check your pm and the thread later.

JT

[keiko]

In the first film, 28 days later- which i loved for its brilliant style, sound and visual effects - People could not leave the Island of England by boat, plane, chunnel, bridge or even by swimming the channel. Flights to and from were grounded, boats unable to leave the harbor, people that did make it out were shot on sight. hence containing the infection. the original ending included the plane flying over the house and bombing the people waving and asking to be rescued. Standard "Fuck You" ending to a "zombie" flick.

*SPOILER ALERT* If you haven't seen the movie and don't want to know what happens DO NOT READ THIS POST!

Okay, the little boy and the little girl that are the "main characters" in this movie that gave even me nightmares for a few days, are the children of the one guy who runs away from the house in the very beginning of the movie and gets in the little boat. (From this we cna determine that unlike the zombies of romero movies, the infected must breathe.) His Wife is left in the house with the infected. HOWEVER- it is later discovered that while she is infected, she has a rare, very very rare, enzyme or gene or whatever that can fight the infection. It fights back mind, as we are shown when the lil boy goes back to his old house for pictures of his now fractured family and finds said mother, who very nearly claws him to death in her struggle not to eat him. She and her children are returned to the "green zone" where her hubby is informed that his wife has been found, for all intents and purposes Alive. Using his security clearance he breaks into the quarantine and kisses his wife. The infection can be passed by saliva as well as blood appearantly (hence why i spent those tense minutes in the hteatre repeating "don't kiss her"). Hubby, not having the same mutated gene or enzyme to fight said infection, becomes *tada!* infected! He gets loose and infects more and more as he passes through the "green zone" eventually making his way into the place where all the ppls are being "held for their safety". Here we see an illustration of how quickly infections can spread in highly populated areas.

END OF FILM SPOILER **** In the subway tunnels the little boy is bitten by his dad. he then gets up and walks away, apparently uninfected. This is due to the same mutated gene thing his mom had. though from the very end of the film we can guess that he didn't know how ot fight it as well as she did. After the lil boy and his sister get in the helicopter to be flown as far as France -ie: to safety- it is assumed that the lil boy infects both his sister and the first black guy to ever die LAST in a horror film. they crash into France and the ppl that come to see what happened are infected by the three in the crash and it spreads. Everywhere.

[Mindgames]

Also, I'm an American so I don't really know European geography that well, but is there a bridge to England or something?

There's a tunnel, unfortunately. It's a five-hour walk, probably longer if you're undead. And no, it was never really explained what happened between 28DL and 28WL but neither was it explained why Alice is immune to T-virus, or why the Bride could take her sword on the plane. Things just 'are' when the writers are tired.

On a not really plot related note, what's up with England portraying the grungy activist..as being the cause of fucking things up?

Simple really - we can't use religious, sexual or racial groups as deeply-scary fuckers of our collective asses, so when we need a 'group' for a plot, we fall back on the only ones left that we're allowed to poke with sticks. When there's an equality law covering the "unwashed social dissident" then we'll have to resort to storylines where evil sheep take over the world...

(oh wait.. we did...)

[One Eyed Cat]

Here's the Federal Law: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_..._Terrorism_Act
http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/s...006_s_3880.htm

"Conspires or *attempts* to do so" is cute language, as is the "no economic damage or physical injury" to be prosecuted. I won't even bother with "Terrorism" States have passed laws with even more overbroad language.

JT

[Morning Glory]

good synopsis K, and interesting theory about the spread of the infection. I don't think that the movie made that clear at all, but then again, I guess that was the whole point of this topic.

I guess you pretty much hit the nail on the head there Mind Games. But that's pretty dissapointing. Although, I suppose it's what we should have expected as Danny Boyle had pretty much nill to do with this movie other than getting a fat royalty check.

And One Eyed Cat (can I still call you that?) good stuff. scary stuff. but I guess it's good to know how we are getting fucked.

[keiko]

Thanks *grins* to be honest I hated this "sequel". I'm all for blood and gore etc etc, but there was no mind fuck wiht this flick to go with the blood and gore. It was jsut unnecessary violence. The bit where the dude shoved his thumbs in his wife's eyes, was just way way too much. I was nauseated and actually had nightmares. *shakes head* I'll prolly never watch the flick again.

Now Land of the Dead, there's a good movie.

~K

[One Eyed Cat]

good synopsis K, and interesting theory about the spread of the infection. I don't think that the movie made that clear at all, but then again, I guess that was the whole point of this topic.

I guess you pretty much hit the nail on the head there Mind Games. But that's pretty dissapointing. Although, I suppose it's what we should have expected as Danny Boyle had pretty much nill to do with this movie other than getting a fat royalty check.

And One Eyed Cat (can I still call you that?) good stuff. scary stuff. but I guess it's good to know how we are getting fucked.

Yeah. It makes one a bit weary. You can call me by whatever name works for you.

JT

[Mindgames]

Now Land of the Dead, there's a good movie.

Surely you mean Shaun of the Dead!

[keiko]

Shaun of the Dead is prolly the best fucking zombie movie ever. I watch it maybe once a week.

~K

[cheshire centauri]

The first 20 minutes was the best part in my opinion.



MG: i don't understand your point about the protagonists. are you suggesting that movies need to politically correct all the time? because that would be fucking boring and besides, its way more feasible that some braindead 'greenpeacers' would cause the virus outbreak, rather than corporate scientists etc.

[Mindgames]

K, you and I both need to get out more!

cheshire centauri: not all movie plots are politically-correct, only the ones that want to sign distribution. If you show a buyer a plot which portrays a real group in a bad light, even accurately, they often scamper into trees. You can still take a shot at terrorists and insurgents but real political or religious groups are a problem, as if you misrepresent them you get reactions from their supporters, but if you show them as efficient and heroic (which many of them are to their supporters) you get flak from the other side. Animal rights is a useful group if you want a "bumbling band of fools" as they don't have much of a PR machine to throw back at you.. but most of the people actually involved in those groups know a heck of a lot about what they're dealing with - you don't get to break into a secured research lab if you find putting your shoes on a major task. The advantage to a writer is they have no subplot.

The big cleverly-evil corporations take pops too of course (Umbrella Corp. anyone?) but they're easy to make up.. it's way harder to construct a fictitious religion or political party if all you need is to fill 60 seconds of screentime. Let's say you wanted to rewrite 28DL and put in 'terrorists'.. but what are their motives? Are they Islamic, which would be the most plausible in the UK of that time, in which case you've offended 30% of the population for no reason... if they're not religious then is it financial - so now you'll need to write a subplot about blackmail... it's way simpler to say "they just wanted to free the fwuffy kittens" and get on with the story.

This isn't anything new - despite America having half the world as an official 'evil and sneaky enemy' for the last 50 years, you watch any episode of Mission Impossible, The Men From UNCLE, etc. and it's always set in a nameless sub-tropical country where everyone wears fatigues and grows mustaches as a hobby, so the writer isn't burdened with fitting his plot to reality and the viewers can imagine it's set anywhere they want to.

[Morning Glory]

I just fgiured that everyone in japan carried around samurai swords. in fact, isn't there another person on the plane with a sword in Kill Bill?

[evilstonermonkey]

im in australia and i carry around a rubber samurai sword. does that count?
(sad thing: the previous statement was 100% true)

[Mindgames]

<insert Professor Frink voice>
oh God no - what with the hacking and the splashing and the squelching and the bleeding and ....


On the plane in KB1 several people have katanas, and if you look carefully each seat has a holder for them - it's a Tarantino plot rule that in Kill Bill's version of Japan carrying swords is normal. He's always had lots of rules connecting each movie and KB1/2 have so many in-jokes it's hard to concentrate on the dialog sometimes. If you ever get the chance, watch Lady Snowblood (Shurayukihime).

I just fgiured that everyone in japan carried around samurai swords. in fact, isn't there another person on the plane with a sword in Kill Bill?