Susan Granger’s review of “Land of the Dead” (Universal Pictures)
By the title and the fact that it’s writer/director George A. Romero’s picture, you know the zombies are ba-a-a-ck in another allegory. And let’s put the emphasis on the hardcore “gory.” By this time, legions of the walking dead have roamed and claimed most of the world except for Fiddler’s Green, a luxurious, locked-up-tight urban tower that’s run as refuge for the wealthy by a scheming, sadistic tycoon, Kaufman (Dennis Hopper). Meanwhile, his mercenaries, led by Riley (Simon Baker) and Cholo (John Leguizamo), scavenge for supplies from the shelves of abandoned stores – and rescue a hooker (Asia Argentino) from a gladiator cage. But then the a new zombie leader arises in the form of “Big Daddy” (Eugene Clark). And the conflict escalates. George A. Romero has been acknowledged as the godfather of the modern horror film; this is the fourth in what was originally a trilogy, beginning in 1968 with the low-budget “Night of the Living Dead.” And his sociopolitical subtext keys directly into the contemporary dilemma of terrorism. Those who dwell in Fiddler’s Green try to ignore the obvious threat of the “walkers,” as they call the zombies, and other creepy problems that fester outside of their protected enclave. Kaufman claims, “We don’t negotiate with terrorists,” right after he comments, “In a world where the dead are returning to life, ‘trouble’ loses much of its meaning.” Insofar as the decaying flesh goes, special effects makeup artists Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger excel. The stiff, skeletal “walkers” are quite hideous. Through the use of contact lenses, their red-rimmed eyes appear lifeless and, via prostheses, their teeth are rotting. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Land of the Dead” is a post-apocalyptic 7. Dread the undead!
