Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) film review

Year: 2019
Running Time: 99 minutes
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Writers: Dave Callaham, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Producer: Gavin Polone
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Zoey Deutch, Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch, Avan Jogia
Zombieland: Double Tap is now in cinemas everywhere and is distributed by Sony Pictures.

Zombieland: Double Tap is exactly the type of movie needed if you, like so many others, need the right amount of silliness and apocalyptic zombie violence to get you through the annoyance of the world in the current state it is in. Never taking itself too seriously and having a clear sense of what it is, the sequel to 2009's Zombieland is a complete riot and brainless fun. Pun intended.

The horror sub-genre of zombie films has become overly saturated in recent years, and one would be forgiven for wondering why and if we really needed a sequel to Zombieland. The truth is that we never needed Double Tap and there is really no reason at all it had to be made as it doesn't offer anything new or different to either the genre or the first film. However, in the name of ridiculous and ludicrous fun, it is definitely not a crime against humanity that it exists. Zombieland: Double Tap offers up a form of violent and often random comedy with plenty of action-packed horror sequences that makes it entertaining and enjoyable.

Taking place a decade after we first met Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), the four are still surviving the zombie apocalypse and have arrived at the home to beat all homes, the White House. Their new place of residence is an amusing choice to have as in Zombieland's alternate universe (which would be our current reality), nothing happening in the White House is comical. So using this opportunity to lighten the tension felt towards American politics and turn it to laughter through this film is a blessing. The Double Tap screenplay really does not have much to offer that is different to the first film or unpredictable. It is another tale of survival in a world that has been taken over by the undead, while trying to maintain the need for regular human needs and wants and social interaction. As expected, the two often collide with each other. Breslin's Little Rock, in particular, struggles with still being the baby of the group, although she is now an adult and wants to have experiences typical to her age.

The film completely delivers on it's promise of action with various spectacular and gory forms of zombie death at the hands of Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, Little Rock and the fiery and heroic Nevada (Rosario Dawson). Double Tap also delivers on the promised laughs, but is still not immune to several attempted jokes falling flat, including the needless and ridiculous post-credits scene. Harrelson and Eisenberg deliver many of the laughs with their wit, as does Stone with her brand of sarcasm. While Breslin, unfortunately, struggles to keep up with the comedic ability of her co-stars with her character being completely bland and uninteresting.

Yet, it is Zoey Deutch as clueless Madison who steals the show in every scene she is in. Madison is stuck in the image of the late 2000's then Hollywood It girl, Paris Hilton, but is light years more hilarious than anything that was seen on "The Simple Life". The character is one that shouldn't work and would be painful and offensive if anyone else but Deutch had played her. Instead she adds to the hilarity and fun of the film, which is a credit to Deutch as a comedy actor.

It is true, Zombieland: Double Tap doesn't need to exist. However, a film that is as mindless as this with its thrilling action and comedy is a great thing to have exist in this world whether it is needed or not.

6.5/10

SXSW Film Festival: Everybody Wants Some!! (2016) film review

 

 

 

Year: 2016

Running Time: 116 minutes

Director/Writer: Richard Linklater

Cast: Blake Jenner, Tyler Hoechlin, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Dora Madison, Wyatt Russell, Glen Powell, Jonathan Breck

 

Everybody Wants Some!! premiered March 11 at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival

 in Austin, Texas. Additional SXSW screenings will be held on March 12 and 18.

Everybody Wants Some!! will receive a theatrical release by Paramount Pictures in the USA on April 1 and by Roadshow Films in Australia on June 23.

 

Movie Critical 's guest correspondent, Anna Chu was on hand at the World Premiere of Everybody Wants Some!! at SXSW and we thank her for taking the time to share her review and thoughts on the film and the special Q&A with the cast and crew.

 

 

As soon as the first chords hit, I knew I was going to be up for a good time.

 Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! is a love letter to the 1980s in Texas. As a kid born in the 1980s I felt I was transported back to a time I didn’t really know intimately, yet it was familiar enough that it made sense to me. As soon as I saw the lead character on screen Jake (Blake Jenner) wearing the same exact tight blue t-shirt my dad wore in a photo from the early 1980s when my parents were dating, I knew Linklater was meticulous at wardrobe!

 I was lucky enough to attend a screening during the opening night of the 2016 SXSW Film Festival, and during the Q&A the cast shared that their prep to ‘being in the 1980s’ was through music. Linklater would send them a mix of music to listen to and because of the collaborative nature of the filmmaking process, the cast would often suggest tracks to add to the soundtrack. Richard Linklater AKA ‘Rickapedia’ would know that track wasn’t released until 1981. The soundtrack was excellent from the opener of ‘My Sharona’ to Devo – these were all key elements in successful time travel.

So where exactly did this time machine take us to? The year is 1980, the place is East Texas and the scene is freshman year for Jake, moving into a Frat house for the college baseball team. Jake arrives with a milk crate full of records and a bag that clearly doesn’t fit the wardrobe he actually wears, but let’s not let that detail get in the way. I’m not going to list all the characters’ names and their personalities but suffice it to say, you’re better off if I don’t because getting to know these guys is the most fun part of this movie. I can only imagine that dudes would relate to this movie if they have ever been in a clique. And I realise as I type this that dudes would never call their group a clique, which says more about me. That aside, I wish I had a bromance friendship like that, where pranks are forgiven with no grudges, and competitiveness is all part of the fun. As a girl growing up, it was a lot more political, fights became long feuds and you had to take sides. With these baseball players, it was all about getting laid, and having a good time with your bros.

Having only been to Austin once before, I couldn’t quite relate but someone in the audience did, commenting to the cast and director on stage that the film did a good job of taking us through different genres of music that were a big part of Austin, from disco to country, punk to pop. It felt a little convenient at times that they had a party every night that helped us relive these genres of music in their heyday but I didn’t mind. The singalong of ‘Rapper’s Delight’ by the Sugarhill Gang was worth it.

From a plot perspective, there wasn’t too much of one which is typical of Linklater’s films. However, a basic summary would be: Guy graduates from high school, goes to college on a baseball scholarship, and the weekend before he starts school he has an amazing weekend with his new housemates, partying, drinking, meeting chicks and in particular one he really likes. Which on paper sounds like an average weekend for some, but was made so much fun with each of the different characters. The shit-stirring, the pranks, the camaraderie which one time got them all kicked out of the club because one of your mates got a little too agro at the bartender about having a lime in his screwdriver. There wasn’t too much time to develop each of the characters, but I didn’t really notice it. Each cast member was given just enough time to shine, without overtaking each other. The camerawork had a lot of one-take panning which while typical of Linklater’s style, helped us feel like we were just there in amongst the gang. I really felt like I was one of the dudes, sitting in the Frat house lounge, laughing at a game of knuckle-flicking mercy and hoping this summer would never end.

I couldn’t help but feel that Linklater cherry picked the best parts of the summer of 1980 in this movie. It couldn’t have been great that whole weekend! Yet this film is more like a love letter from an ex-boyfriend who wants to get back together again, only remembering the best parts of your relationship as a promise of what’s to come.  That is the great thing about nostalgia, and with that Everybody Wants Some!! does its job. Let’s put some polyester on and take a trip back to the 1980s!

8/10



Rising Star: Zoey Deutch

It's official! Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters is currently in production!

For those who are not familiar with the book series written by Richelle mead, Vampire Academy is not your typical vampire story. We're not talking a typical Twilight style, young adult romance here. Think more along the lines of Harry Potter meets Underworld. Yes, there is a splash of romance here, but teenage angst is far removed from the picture. The lead character, Rose Hathaway is one tough cookie and as a Dhampir, she is a bodyguard to her best friend, Lissa who is a vampire princess. Rose, as opposed to many other female leads in YA romance these days, is the one young girls should be looking up to. She is the one who puts herself between her best friend and danger and never backs down from what she believes in.

Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters currently has a 14th February 2014 release date in place (subject to change). Mark Waters, of Mean Girls, Mr Popper's Penguins and Freaky Friday fame, is directing the film and an impressive cast has been assembled including Gabriel Byrne, Olga Kurylenko, Joely Richardson and Sarah Myland. The lucky girls who have landed the roles themselves the lead roles are Lucy Fry, who is to play Lissa, and Zoey Deutch, who is Rose Hathaway.

So in preparation for Vampire Academy, Zoey Deutch is our Rising Star for July 2013.



Deutch is no stranger to show business and acting runs in her blood, as she is the daughter of actress, Lea Thompson and director, Howard Deutch. Born in Los Angeles, California on the 10th of November 1994, she studied dancing from a young age and attended Los Angeles County High School for the Arts with a double major in Theater and Visual Arts.

Her break came when she appeared in "The Suite Life On Deck" in 2010 and became an instant Disney channel favourite as Maya Bennett. She made her film debut at age 16 when she played her real life mother's daughter in Mayor Cupcake. She also has had small roles in "NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigation Service", "Criminal Minds" and had an ongoing role as Juliet Martin in "Ringer" alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar).


Most recently, many people will remember Deutch from the 2013 film, Beautiful Creatures where she played Emily Asher, the most popular girl in school at Gaitlin. Deutch was a joy to watch in Beautiful Creatures, and over-shadowed many of her co-stars when on screen with her Christian morals conflicting her jealousy of the new girl, making her a very interesting character to watch.

Deutch is currently in the United Kingdom filming Vampire Academy, but when she is at home in the states, she is an active supporter of many charities including the Corazon De Vida Orphanage in Tijuana and The Alzheimer's Association. Her greatest love is her cat named Stinky Pete, who is outnumbered by having six dogs, as well as an African Grey parrot, several horse and a pond of fish to share his space with!


 Check out this interview with Zoey Deutch and her Beautiful Creatures co-star, Thomas Mann.

We wish Zoey the best of luck and we can't wait to see her in Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters!


References
The Internet Movie Database
Zoey Deutch Online
The Official Website Of Vampire Academy
Zoey's Official Facebook Page