Keanen's Film Blog

I have a background in film, and was assisting with a streaming pilot before quarantine regulations put it on hold. We joked about Coronavirus on set, but nobody thought it would be treated as a pandemic. As a result, I have more time to put much-needed work into my indie game.

What I’m trying to say is that pandemics aren’t all that bad. I know it’s a different story for someone pissing blood in the hospital (no offense to those who get off on the insertion of foreign objects; just making a point), but I’m a naturally healthy and socially isolated individual, so pandemics don’t affect me as much. But in the movies, it’s always the end of the world for everyone.

One thing the film lacks is a relevant political spin. You won’t find a character complaining about Medicaid’s catastrophic coverage, or Trump’s “repeal and replace”. (Replace with what?) Either treat the patients who need treating or be honest about wanting them dead. Why do money and medicine have to be so closely linked, and why does the movie say so little about it?

I am not a politician. I do not care about politics. However, politics is the first thing that happens when a hot new disease makes its debut. Not a lot of people die from it, relative to the size of the human population, but money and politics tend to get involved and not relent before the disease does, like we’re seeing with this Corona thing. The magic bullet is research and development, not a well-prepared speech. We know this as rational people, but not every creative mind behind a film is rational.

Especially if the film is about zombies.

I would like to take a moment to congratulate Full Moon on their production of Corona Zombies. It looks good. If Chuck and company are reading this, I want you to know that I like how you’re staying in the zeitgeist. Really. You guys are smart.

World War Z is not a smart film. That is why I started my review of the film by talking about everything but the film. There was a book. The book was smart, not the most brilliant masterpiece, but smart enough. The film is not.

I was shown the following video in film school some years ago. It’s a more comprehensive summary of the film than I feel like giving, so enjoy.

One thing the film manages to get right is offending the audience’s intelligence without directly offending the people watching. Or to put it another way, the film panders to morons, without challenging anyone to search their hearts and minds for answers, or think in any way. And guess what? It made a shitload of money.

World War Z will not be getting a sequel. Critics with integrity could not take it seriously. I consider the film an artistic failure, but every failure is a lesson. The lesson here is simple: If you have Brad Pitt money, you can leave the art at the door.