BLACK SUMMER SEASON 2

 

BLACK SUMMER SEASON 2 - Where we last left off, our single mother attempts and fails to kill a fast-running zombie. Not only that, she also has to worry about her daughter’s safety too, as they have been hiking the snowy mountain trail together. Both fight their way to the door of a house, and finding it locked, are permitted to enter after a brief delay. Welcome to your temporary new home.  Unfortunately, risking fate at the hands of their new housemates might be worse than death by zombie. What does all this mean? It means the formidable talent that is Karl Schaefer is back at it again. Black Summer season 2 is the best zombie movie of 2021 and probably the best zombie series of all time. I watched the whole thing in one sitting, start to finish. The action and fight scenes worked as well as the 1st season. But the “lulls” in-between worked even better. Both lead actors were great before, and even better now. That’s it, I could keep going. I’m not going to spoil the story. Created by Karl Schaefer, Netflix released 8 episodes in June 2021, as a follow up to the 1st season in 2019. My hunch says the show will certainly be renewed for a 3rd season and beyond. Here’s to more original post-apocalyptic series and movies! Yeah all that, and the series title is misleading. It’s ironic, I suppose.

Black Summer season 2 https://www.chadschimke.com/2021/06/black-summer-season-2.html

Black Summer season 1 https://www.chadschimke.com/2019/04/black-summer.html

THE ROAD

THE ROAD - The Road is a post-apocalyptic film (2009) based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning book (2006) written by Cormac McCarthy. Directed by John Hillcoat, the film stars Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee as a father and his son. The story flips back-and-forth between past/ present, as an unspecified cataclysm destroys almost all life on Earth, ending civilization in the process. Somehow, the father and son are optimistic, in a bleak landscape of almost unimaginable grief and loss. The narrative’s pace is lumbering and plodding, punctuated with brief glimpses of terror. Shot in real locations, mostly around Pittsburg PA, deliberate choices were made to avoid using CGI to enhance its stark realism. Featuring an eerie score heightened by loops and percussion, including violin piano and wind instruments written by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

BLACK SUMMER

BLACK SUMMER – A husband and wife are separated from their child, when she is taken from a military checkpoint, to the stadium. Her husband quickly transforms into a zombie, forcing the (now single) mother to endure the deadliest summer of the zombie apocalypse. Created by Karl Schaefer and John Hyams, Netflix released 8 episodes of Black Summer in April 2019. Early accounts make it seem more than likely the show will return for a 2^nd season. Famous horror author Stephen King showered the show with praise: “Showrunners could learn a lot from this”.  Frenetically driven by a hyper plot and breakneck pace, the story arc doles out tidbits of characterization, interspersed between grisly carnage. Highly recommended! 

BIRD BOX

Bird Box - A woman and her sister leave the hospital after a routine checkup, finding crisis amok in the city. Bird Box begins in the initial moments of the apocalypse. Her sister is overcome by an otherworldly entity, wrecks the vehicle she’s driving, and throws herself into oncoming traffic, killing herself.  The hapless pregnant woman is invited into a nearby house for safety. Years later she receives a radio transmission from survivors hiding in the forest. She decides to go to the community with her children, whose only names are Boy and Girl. Blindfolded Malorie, the children, and their pet birds in a box, make their way down the river in a small boat. She demands they not remove their blindfolds, or risk certain death. Directed by Susanne Bier, based on the 2014 book written by Josh Malerman, the film stars Sandra Bullock. Bird Box has been streaming on Netflix since December 2018. Netflix reports the largest viewership for any of the network’s original films, with over 45 million accounts watching, in a seven-day period. The film was viewed by 80 million households in the month following its release. I wonder if Netflix is the future of horror? We shall see. Although I was initially disappointed the film did not show the monster, the cast was top notch, and the film was original. A winner on all accounts.

A QUIET PLACE

A QUIET PLACE - This 2018 post-apocalyptic horror film was directed by/ stars John Krasinski, along with his wife in real life Emily Blunt. With a screenplay developed by Krasinski, Bryan Woods and Scott Beck, the film opened last weekend in the top grossing spot, along with rave reviews. A family lives in silence afraid of predators that hunt by detecting the slightest sound. The search for a quiet place under the constant threat of attack builds suspense and tension. For me, originality comes first, and this is a film that delivers. You must go watch this movie and soon.