Review & Event: Juan of the Dead at The Wilmette Theater

I know it's been two weeks, but I might as well get around to posting my final two reviews from Chicago Fear Fest. One of the primary reasons that I went to the festival was to see Alejandro Brugues' Juan of the Dead. This independent flick has been devouring awards like outstretched limbs at recent festivals, and I couldn't wait to see what all the hub bub was about.

The film centers around the plight of Juan (Alexis Diaz de Villegas) and his portly, degenerate friend, Lazaro (Jorge Molina). Usually heroes are likeable, white toothed super men. They get all the woman and are the envy of all the men...but not Juan and Lazaro. Their bumbling idiocy, their blatant selfishness, and their inability to employ provident thought to any situation, are all some of the main reasons that this film is both unique and enduring. These aren't unrealistic super people surviving the zombie apocalypse; these are kind of scummy, realistic people surviving the zombie apocalypse.

Juan and Lazaro are certainly the central figures of the flick, and their crude banter is one of the main reasons to watch, but the supporting cast is loveable, dynamic, and brings a lot to the table--both in terms of zombie killing and comedy. Juan's daughter, Camila (Andrea Duro), is realistic and pretty. She brings a little drama and heart to a film that is otherwise pretty saturated with dick jokes and crime. Lazaro's son, Vladi (Andros Perugorria), is the eye candy you're missing in Juan and Lazaro. Some of my favorite characters in the film, however, were La China (Jazz Villa) and El Primo (Eliecer Ramirez). This couple consists of a particularly sassy drag queen/car radio thief and her enormous blood-shy boyfriend. La China's banter with Juan and Lazaro definitely adds to the comedy here, as does El Primo's tendency to faint every time he sees blood--not a great deficiency to have during the zombie apocalypse.

My only complaint about the film at all would be that the translation seems a little off. At times it is clear that a native Spanish speaker with a better understanding of Cuban history than I possess (Merci for that, three years of high school French) would find some of the jokes funnier and clearer. Because we're not watching a story about Cuban upper crust citizens here, the jokes are very colloquial and clearly contain many idioms. Unfortunately, at times these do get, pardon the cliche, lost in translation. Other than that, I have no complaints, but the movie is quite vulgar, especially sexually, so those with a reduced tolerance for the dirty joke might want to stay away.

Overall, the film will have you laughing and it may even tug at the heartstrings for a moment or two. There are absolutely some strong zombie effects here, and the story moves at an engaging pace. In other words, there isn't a "good time" to go grab some more popcorn from the concession stand.

Wondering when you'll be able to catch this gem on the big screen again? How about NOW!? The good folks over at The Wilmette Theater, one of my past employment stomping grounds, will be showing Juan of the Dead in a one week run between April 27th and May 3rd. The theater manager is a huge horror geek, and he is really excited to be premiering the film in its first American theatrical release. For tickets, check out the website. Showtimes are listed on the left. And don't procrastinate! The film won't be there next weekend!

Review: The Walking Dead Season #2 Finale at Muvico

Photo property of TWD productions

There's nothing like watching something on the big screen, and this was absolutely a finale that deserved a cinema-style presentation. My husband and I headed to Muvico at 4:30pm this evening to watch the finale of The Walking Dead with 198 other crazy, zombified fans. The free event, hosted by Chicago Horror Society, Flashback Weekend, and Zombie Army, was really a hoot. By 5pm, Bogart's restaurant in the Rosemont Muvico was flooded with the undead. As we waited to be admitted to the theater, my husband and I played The Walking Dead board game in a booth over dinner.

The theater was really comfortable and the sound and picture quality were well worth both the wait and the trip. I have a 60" TV, but it's rear projection and not HD. Even HD on a 60" LCD wouldn't have been anywhere close to this experience. With the surround sound you could hear the wheezing and oozing of a dying Dale's guts. That's right, we ended up watching not only the second to last and last episode, but even the one before that. Muvico was even nice enough to allow us to remain in the theater to watch Talking Dead. The event hosts suggested that they'll try to play the season three premiere at a similar event, and I highly suggest you go. It was a great way to enjoy a really great show, and the audience was enthusiastic without being poorly behaved.

Photo property of TWD productions

As far the episode, it was so awesome. I would have liked it no matter what, let's be honest, but they really delivered with a fast paced, no-nonsense piece of storytelling. From the jump, the story moves at a break-neck pace and people are killed off and abandoned left and right. I found the confusion and panic extremely realistic, especially when they drove off and left Andrea behind. That's exactly what would happen, and I appreciate this show's willingness to not tie everything up in an easy little bow.

Sorry to see Jimmy and Patricia go (I guess that means no prison rebellion? lol.), but they seemed like easy enough characters to kill off. To be honest, I'm glad that they didn't kill off any principal characters; after the last two episodes, they didn't need to. I found it a little convenient that everyone met up on the road, but maybe I missed them discussing that as a contingency plan earlier in the season? Did that happen or have they perfected some sort of group telepathy?

Photo property of TWD productions

My only other complaint would be that Rick went about explaining the whole Shane thing in a totally bass-ackwards way. The way he explained it, it sounded like he had a choice; he made himself sound like the bad guy. The reality was that Shane backed him into a corner and gave him no other choice, but the way he tells the story makes him sound like a tyrannical loose cannon. I have entertained the notion that maybe Rick has convinced himself that killing Shane was a choice and not a requirement because if it was a choice than Rick ultimately had control. It might be a more comfortable scenario for Rick to accept. Still, I think he could have phrased that whole story in a more diplomatic way.

But, let's talk about the most awesome parts of the episode--Michonne showing up and the appearance of the prison. Michonne's appearance was awesome, but to be fair I totally called that it would happen that way after the first or second commercial break. I don't care if it was predictable though; it was also freaking cool. I'm glad that they stuck with the iconic first image of her from the comics, and I'm just glad to see her around. She's such a valuable part of the narrative.

Photo property of TWD productions

And of course, seeing the prison was pretty cathartic for us comic fans. That's where some crazy business is going to go down. Its pan out appearance was very season three finale of Battlestar Galactica (anyone else remember? when it pans out and we see Earth?), and I remember loving that foreshadowing--a sign of things to come. There was also plenty of prison foreshadowing in Rick's speech about finding a place to "start making a life". In the comics, that place is the prison for sure. I loved the line of "we won't make that same mistake again" referring to getting a complacent sense of safety...of course, in the comic they do. Ahh, you guys.

Well, time to reenter my cryogenic freezing chamber until October. I guess I'll pop out to post reviews, events, and news...but other than that it's right back into my carbonite hibernation.

Event: Walking Dead Finale on the Big Screen

If you're over 21 and you live in the Chicagoland area, you may want to head over to the Rosemont Muvico this Sunday night. Why? Because they will be screening the season final of The Walking Dead on the big screen! And it gets better...it's FREE! As in zero dollars and zero cents!

The event is sponsored by Chicago Fear Fest, Flashback Weekend, Zombie Army Productions, Horror Society & Sinister Visions. Look to see plenty of zombie fanatics, zombie makeup, and zombie themed treats, drinks and prizes. It should be a fun and exciting crowd of fans!

The event is first-come, first-serve however, so you'll want to show up as soon as possible. Only 200 seats are available. They will begin distributing wristbands to the first 200 people at 6pm in Bogart's restaurant on the first floor, and prize giveaways and food/drinks will be available between 6pm and 8pm.

Personally, I haven't decided whether I'll be going or not. There's something pretty nice about watching it at home and on DVR. I like the silence of my living room and the ability to pause and rewind, but then again I could always rewatch it later. Seeing it on the big screen with a bunch of fellow fans sounds like an awesome way to spend a Sunday night.

Check out the Facebook invite here.