TIFF Dispatch: George Romero's Survival of the Dead

The first film I saw at TIFF this year was, apart from Bitch Slap, the one I was most excited about seeing. I hadn't seen Diary, but really liked Land. And, it must be said, I kinda like zombie movies in general. Survival was part of the "Midnight Madness" program, home to some of the festival's more outlandish entries. You can read the description here.

Essentially, the story follows a small band of zombie hunters caught between two long-feuding clans on an island thought to be a safe haven. One clan wants to shoot the zombies on sight. The other views them as family and prefers to keep them around, chained up in the yard. Into this generations-long feud fall a wisecracking troop leader, an unconvincingly played lipstick lesbian, a super-religious Latino commando and some geeky teenager who scoffs at vinyl records. I was hoping for him to get eaten, actually, but no such luck.


You can read the Onion AV Club review here, seeing as it's better than anything I could have written. Instead, here are my notes from the screening. I'd use writing in the dark as an excuse for the crappy handwriting, but I don't think I'd fool anyone (see previous post.)

They read, from top to bottom:

• "I think I like the Burger King gravy better."
• "That's better cheese."
• "DO YOU LIKE THE UNDEAD?"
• "Zombies don't run." The answer, according to the Midnight Madness program director (who also shouted the above), that Romero gives to the question you're not supposed to ask him; namely, "Do you like slow zombies or fast zombies."
• "She's beautiful." "She's dead." "She's my daughter. (you'll have to see the movie for this one)
• "Wow. Do people's scalps really pull back that easily?"

Next up: Harry Brown (Or, Michael Caine is still a badass)