28 heart attacks
'28 Days Later' is a zombie horror movie from a few years back which finally turned up on TV here the other night. I didn't watch it, since I already have the DVD.
It also happens to be one of my favourite movies ever.
Seeing it advertised on TV reminded me of the day the DVD fell into my lap. I had seen the movie at the cinema and loved it, and Ms B, not being the kind to enjoy scary movies, had steered clear of it. She surprised me by ordering it from overseas and it arrived at Christmas. Ms B was chuffed by her good work.
I then sat her down and proceeded to make her watch it.
If you haven't seen it, I won't give much away. It opens with scenes of a man waking in a hospital bed and finding London deserted in the aftermath of a holocaust. Zombie mayhem ensues. Shot in digital video, the whole thing is given a documentary feel which heightens the tension. It's a visceral experience and incredibly effective, which is why I loved it so much. Ms B did not share my love.
The opening scenes she took relatively well. Guy wandering around city. All is good. Then the zombies appear. The nearest pillow was snatched from the couch and hugged to her chest in a fearsome stranglehold. The pillow was raised higher and higher as the movie progressed, until it was blocking her entire face. This caused me to pause the DVD.
Bonestorm: "What are you doing? You can't see anything."
Ms B: "Yes. That's the point."
By this time the main protagonist had met up with several other survivors. I had to bargain to have the pillow moved down. First, I had to tell Ms B which characters survived at the end of the movie. This got the pillow down for several minutes, until it once again reverted to it's face-covering position. Then I had to tell her, in detail, exactly what was going to happen in the next scene. Personally I thought this was counter productive to the whole 'scare-factor' of the movie, but Ms B was still scared shitless nonetheless, even though she knew exactly what was coming. After the tunnel scene, the pillow was back in place and it didn't move for the rest of the movie.
I think it still has an imprint of her face on it two years later. And I have not received zombie movies as gifts since.
It also happens to be one of my favourite movies ever.
Seeing it advertised on TV reminded me of the day the DVD fell into my lap. I had seen the movie at the cinema and loved it, and Ms B, not being the kind to enjoy scary movies, had steered clear of it. She surprised me by ordering it from overseas and it arrived at Christmas. Ms B was chuffed by her good work.
I then sat her down and proceeded to make her watch it.
If you haven't seen it, I won't give much away. It opens with scenes of a man waking in a hospital bed and finding London deserted in the aftermath of a holocaust. Zombie mayhem ensues. Shot in digital video, the whole thing is given a documentary feel which heightens the tension. It's a visceral experience and incredibly effective, which is why I loved it so much. Ms B did not share my love.The opening scenes she took relatively well. Guy wandering around city. All is good. Then the zombies appear. The nearest pillow was snatched from the couch and hugged to her chest in a fearsome stranglehold. The pillow was raised higher and higher as the movie progressed, until it was blocking her entire face. This caused me to pause the DVD.
Bonestorm: "What are you doing? You can't see anything."
Ms B: "Yes. That's the point."
By this time the main protagonist had met up with several other survivors. I had to bargain to have the pillow moved down. First, I had to tell Ms B which characters survived at the end of the movie. This got the pillow down for several minutes, until it once again reverted to it's face-covering position. Then I had to tell her, in detail, exactly what was going to happen in the next scene. Personally I thought this was counter productive to the whole 'scare-factor' of the movie, but Ms B was still scared shitless nonetheless, even though she knew exactly what was coming. After the tunnel scene, the pillow was back in place and it didn't move for the rest of the movie.
I think it still has an imprint of her face on it two years later. And I have not received zombie movies as gifts since.
If I'd known that purchasing a present for someone had the unwritten rule that you HAD to then watch said present with that person I would never have purchased it in the first place. Hence no more zombie movies as presents.
Mrs B.
Posted by
Anonymous |
11:50 AM
Ah, wise words. But maybe you should try Shaun of the Dead. It's got zombies (for him) and it's a macarbe comedy (for her). Perfect doubles viewing!
Posted by
MadameBoffin |
1:11 PM
I think she did well. I would have brought the neighbourhood down with my screams!
Posted by
ChickyBabe |
3:58 PM
I am usually not one for the horror movies, but fury crazed zombies aren't too bad. What made it better for me is that they are all defeated in an incredibly easy way. The scariest bit for me was when the humans started attacking each other, because that is more likely to happen than zombies.
Good call madameboffin Shaun of the Dead is ace!!
Posted by
Mary Mittens |
6:49 PM
I have a lot of sympathy for you Ms B. I'm still scarred from that movie! I had to stop it, walk around the house and calm down, much to the amusement of everyone I watched it with... (it was very very good though)
Posted by
Sherd |
9:20 PM
Can't say as i blame her. I'm a wuss too and scary movies give me nightmares for days, where I'm IN the movie! Messes with my head.
Posted by
Steph |
12:21 PM
Boff and Mary: that one is probably more her speed.
Chicky, Sherd and Steph: she'll be loving all of this support. She's been telling me I'm evil for years and this gives support to her case. :)
Posted by
Bonestorm |
2:03 PM