A line spoken by one of the characters in the film and also one I too had to ask. The film is intended as a sequel to the original Romero "Night of the Living Dead" but some of the zombies here can sprint and run on occasion. Just a strange creative choice on part of the filmmakers.
And while I do have some gripes with the film, there really is a lot to like here. It's filmed great, it's lit well, acted and casted well, has great make-up and effects, is never boring, moves at a near constant pace, and even the music (while not my taste) is not distracting or annoying. The Soska Sisters obviously know how to craft a professional-looking film.
However... I do have some gripes:
...Is there like a mandate nowadays to write horror movies around unlikable characters? My God. I have such a hard time believing any of these friend groups in these movies were ever actually friends with how hateful they are when they bicker.
...That added to other tired tropes like: cars crash stupidly or breakdown for no reason, no cell service, one close friend is a selfish douche who gets everyone killed, another friend acts like a crippled invalid that needs to be constantly assisted in all things she could do by herself (standing, running, hiding, shutting up), half the movie consisting of characters calling out someone's name "Kevin!", "Ash!", "Kevin!", "Ash!", "Kevin!", "Ash!", "Carl!".
...And OMG, the stupid melodrama of the main girl -- amid a zombie kill spree -- suddenly struggling to shoot the zombie version of the douchey boyfriend she just broke up with for wanting to let her little brother die. She waits forever too, til he's about close enough that the headshot she administers spatters his zombie infected blood all over her face.
And all this while a zombie infected psycho is holding her little brother hostage until she comes back. Regardless of which she is in no hurry, having zero urgency for this entire segment of the film. The only time really this whole movie where she abandons her pleasantly affirmed, formidable, and no BS-self in place of tears and wandering about.
The last thing I'll say is -- which is not a criticism but an observation (and something I actually enjoyed) -- with the colorful nature of a number of the zombies (given the music festival providing for an assortment of costumed undead) FESTIVAL just seems to be more in line with THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD than NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.
And while I do have some gripes with the film, there really is a lot to like here. It's filmed great, it's lit well, acted and casted well, has great make-up and effects, is never boring, moves at a near constant pace, and even the music (while not my taste) is not distracting or annoying. The Soska Sisters obviously know how to craft a professional-looking film.
However... I do have some gripes:
...Is there like a mandate nowadays to write horror movies around unlikable characters? My God. I have such a hard time believing any of these friend groups in these movies were ever actually friends with how hateful they are when they bicker.
...That added to other tired tropes like: cars crash stupidly or breakdown for no reason, no cell service, one close friend is a selfish douche who gets everyone killed, another friend acts like a crippled invalid that needs to be constantly assisted in all things she could do by herself (standing, running, hiding, shutting up), half the movie consisting of characters calling out someone's name "Kevin!", "Ash!", "Kevin!", "Ash!", "Kevin!", "Ash!", "Carl!".
...And OMG, the stupid melodrama of the main girl -- amid a zombie kill spree -- suddenly struggling to shoot the zombie version of the douchey boyfriend she just broke up with for wanting to let her little brother die. She waits forever too, til he's about close enough that the headshot she administers spatters his zombie infected blood all over her face.
And all this while a zombie infected psycho is holding her little brother hostage until she comes back. Regardless of which she is in no hurry, having zero urgency for this entire segment of the film. The only time really this whole movie where she abandons her pleasantly affirmed, formidable, and no BS-self in place of tears and wandering about.
The last thing I'll say is -- which is not a criticism but an observation (and something I actually enjoyed) -- with the colorful nature of a number of the zombies (given the music festival providing for an assortment of costumed undead) FESTIVAL just seems to be more in line with THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD than NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.