Posted this in the movie forum but i thought i would post it here aswell.

A zombie is a re-animated corpse, which is something paranormal. This is not a zombie movie. Its a very human story with some very profound moments and themes. The power of this movie was lost on many people (generally speaking) because they went into it with certain expectations instead of an open mind and/or they went into it with misguided forethought (the most obvious being the zombie movie mentality).

Why is this movie important, and more so than the first? When i've talked to my friends about the movie and i get into this, there first response is "well i know they're not "zombie-zombies" but its basically the same thing". Well, no, its not basically the same thing its completely unrelated. These are not monsters seeking flesh. They are completely human. They're you, they're me, stipped of all reasoning, will, empathy, and compassion. They're people who have had their most primal, violent, aggressive, uncontrollable rage-filled instincts brought seething to the surface - against their will.

What you see on screen is not something unimaginable or fantastical, people have been brutaly murdering each other for a long long time in far more inhumane ways. The infected are tragic characters, not evil, for they have the benifit of not having control, unlike the armed forces in this movie. All that combined with the fact that this is still a movie about bio-terrorism and viral-outbreak (not zombie/gore) validates this movie in a very important way.

Admittadly it really could have done without the helicopter scene or the infected father showing pre-meditative thought. Though i'll say this for the helicopter scene: was it about zombies being mowed down in gorey predictable fashion? Or was it about a man with the means to save lives, unwilling to do so? And was however adamant about carrying another man, who out of desperation and fear clung to him (his helicopter), over to the infected to be slaughtered. Heh, but that is looking a little deeper then is nessecary, the scene didnt need to happen.

Out of courtesy ::warning, major spoiler ahead::

Anyways all pro's and con's considered, the main story (however short lived it may be) is so profoundly tragic that it makes the movie, and i'll explain why i feel this is true and what i took from their story.

Im speaking of Catherine McCormack and Robert Carlyle's characters, the husband and wife. This man abandon's his wife, his love, in a supreme act of cowardice. He then lies to his children about the circumstances involving her death. THEN, upon discovery that she is in fact alive, he goes to see her and in a private moment together he begs for forgivness. She does and she does so without hesitation, -that- is love, and she tells him she loves him. They kiss, a physical expression of love and given the cricumstances makes this a very impassioned moment. However, this kiss, this physical expression of love passes the virus she unknowningly carries onto him.

Almost instantly he becomes one of the infected, but for the first few seconds doesnt notice his wife as she watches in horrer as he begins to furiously smash himself on the plate glass window within the room. At this point she screams out his name and you have to keep in mind that she doesnt know whats going on. I'd imagine you would call out your lovers name to try and stop them if they began to aggressively hurt themselves, i know i would. He faces his wife (who is strapped down to where she lies) and moves to attack her. He kills her, in a particularily violent and brutal way, without hesitation or remorse. Words can not possibly describe the anguish of this scene.

To go from such a loving, empathetic moment to such a violent, enraged one.. well, i personally have never seen such a moving scene in a movie to match it, and ive seen a few movies to say the least.

If any person cant appreciate to the full extent what happened to these characters and saw it as nothing more than an unsophisticated gore-fest, then chances are your mind was made up before you entered the theatre.

Time to make some changes

If there is one thing i know about myself its thats im broken. Meaning, i am missing things in my life that would make, or lead me to being happy. In that respect most people are broken human beings, and not to many of us know how to fix it, and less still have the will to fix it should they know or find out what it would take to make them happy.

I guess im lucky in that some of the things i want, are things ive wanted since being a little kid so there is at least a (though perhaps false) sense of clarity.

Throughout this past year i've learned what will make me honestly happy, there are steps leading up to that and each step is itself a major part of it. As much as i can tell there are 5 things i need to do or accomplish in order to be complete and i completed one of these things one week ago.

I got a job, that pays 35,000 annually, or to be less precise but more exact, a living wage (even if just barely). Im earning enough now where I can successfully move out on my own and providing i keep my job for the long term, have the money to fuel other things. Some of those things are tangible (school), others not so tangible (freedom).

The cost is wakeing up at 5am, getting to work at 7:30ish, working until 5pm, and getting home around 7:30pm (at best) and thats just the schedule side of it. Then i go to sleep in 2 1/2 hours and do it again. Thats nothing though, an insignificant price to pay when stacked against how important having this money is. I only have 1 regret, and i can live with that for now, if only because its not permanent.

When the fuck did it suddenly become unimportant, a lesser priority, meaningless.

Maybe most guys out there simply do not understand what it means; maybe they look to the movies or books or famous other people who exemplify these traits and try to be like what they see. Quote them, mimic them, try and live up to something or someone they have never met, never heard in person, or simply isn't real. It all seems so pathetic to me.

There are different kinds of strength, different kinds of honor. However, when did it become okay to expect or want something of someone without ever having done anything to deserve the amount of sacrifice asked for or wanted. When did your wants and needs become the focal point to which anyone should revolve even one second of their thoughts around.

Have the honor to give and give without ever asking for something in return. Do something for someone that makes them happy, but don't check to see if it did; its not about them appreciating something you did, their happiness is their own and if they choose to share that with you then count yourself lucky. You should be more appreciative that they found what you gave to be something good, than they should be in receiving.

When did people, guys in particular, lose the strength to do something important, something good for someone even at the cost of their own happiness, their own wants. What is with all the gutless worthless sacks of shit out there that cant give courage and hope to the people they are supposed to care about and would rather expect others to gratify them, sacrifice for them.

Every moment is a chance to show your worth, to prove you deserve to be in the company of the people or the person you care for. Have the strength and honor to understand that you will never come to a point where you can stop trying to prove yourself and be ready, because the moments, the decisions that count the most, can come an fuckin second.

There...

Submitted something. I dont have a ton of work to show, even less worth showing. I was never one to to have a thousand loose drawings floating around but i'll submit as i create. I do love DA; no where else will you find the most professional and the most novice artwork side by side and have them both appreciated. Hopefully I can one day submit something leaning to the former and not latter.