I've Totally Seen That Movie Before

Zombieland (2009) Director:  Ruben Fleischer  Writers:  Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick Cast:  Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Amber Heard, Bill Murray Synopsis: Columbus (Eisenberg) is a shy and awkward student attending college in Texas when the zombie apocalypse grinds the world to a halt. Despite lacking in physical gifts, he manages to survive Zombieland by following 30 simple rules. While trying to get back north to his family, Columbus joins up with Tallahassee (Harelson), a twinkie-loving zombie-killer making his way to Florida. They soon encounter two sisters, Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Breslin), who are on their way to California to visit the amusement park Pacific Playland which is rumored to be the only place left in America zombie-free. So naturally, end of the world hijinks ensue. First Impressions: This film came out at the beginning of the zombie-craze that hit during the mid-to-late-naughties, which we're just now comin...

Aliens (1986) Director: James Cameron Writers:  James Cameron (story and screenplay), David Giler (story), Walter Hill (story), Dan O'Bannon (characters), Ronald Shusset (characters) Cast:  Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henrikson, Bill Paxton, William Hope, Jenette Goldstein, Al Matthews, Mark Rolston *** This review is dedicated to my Aunt Kathryn, who helped foster my love for all things cinematic. She's not dying or anything (though she's getting up there in years), but I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge her impact on my life. Thanks, Kath, I love ya, you old harpy! *** Synopsis: After floating aimlessly in space for more than half a century, Ellen Ripley's (Weaver) escape shuttle is discovered by a deep salvage team. She awakens on a space station near Earth, traumatized by the events on the Nostromo and facing legal troubles due to her actions taken to destroy the alien threat. She learns that the once unoccupied planet...

Alien (1979) Director:  Ridley Scott Writers:  Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusset Cast:  Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto Synopsis: On their way back home from deep space, the crew of the commercial towing ship Nostromo receive an unknown distress signal emanating from a nearby planet. Under obligation by the company to investigate the source of the transmission, the crew set down on the planet and discover a derelict spacecraft of unknown design. A team consisting of Captain Dallas (Skerritt), Kane (Hurt) and Lambert (Cartwright) are sent to search the downed vessel. During the investigation, Kane comes into contact with an alien lifeform that attaches itself to his face. Against the objections of the ship's third officer, Ripley (Weaver), science officer Ash (Holm) allows the search party back aboard the ship. Ash wants to learn more about this new lifeform, but before he has the opportunity, it escapes...

Shaun of the Dead (2004) Director:  Edgar Wright Writers:  Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright Cast:  Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Penelope Wilton, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy Synopsis: Electronics store employee Shaun (Pegg) has no direction in life and spends most of his time drinking at his favorite pub, The Winchester, or playing video games with his slacker best friend, Ed (Frost). After being dumped by his long-time girlfriend Liz (Ashfield), Shaun goes on a bender with Ed and wakes up to find that London has been overrun with the living dead. Shaun and Ed ignore instructions to stay in their home and set out into the zombie-infested streets to rescue Liz, her roommates David (Moran) and Dianne (Davis), as well as his mother, Barbara (Wilton). Will the down-on-his-luck Shaun emerge as a hero, or will he end up just making things worse? Zombie hijinks ensue. First Impressions: I came to this film quite by accident. I had read about it somew...

The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) Director: Stephen Hopkins Writer:  William Goldman Cast:  Val Kilmer, Michael Douglas, Tom Wilkinson, John Kani, Bernard Hill, Brian McCardie, Emily Mortimer, Om Puri, Henry Cele Synopsis: In 1896 Lt. Col. John Patterson (Kilmer) was hired by Robert Beaumont (Wilkinson) to build a railway bridge across the River Tsavo in East Africa. Soon after he arrives, workers start to go missing from the work camp. Patterson discovers that the disappearances are being caused by a pair of man-eating lions. After several unsuccessful attempts to kill the beasts, which the workers have named "The Ghost and the Darkness," Patterson falls behind schedule on building the bridge. To get things back on track, Beaumont calls in the professional hunter, Remington (Douglas), to assist Patterson in his efforts to hunt the lions. However, the lions continue to kill and eat workers despite the hunter's presence, causing most of them to flee the camp, forcing Remin...