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Harry goes all light headed in love with JUAN OF THE DEAD - my fave indie horror comedy in ages!
“I will fuck your mother’s heart!”
JUAN DE LOS MUERTOS aka JUAN OF THE DEAD is a complete genre wetdream for me. It’s the sort of film that the second I left the theater I knew… this is a film I’ll probably see 100 times more before I die. At least it’s a goal. Not an idle one, but a hopeful one. I just love everything about it. From the opening scene on a triangular raft as Juan is relaxing before his best friend… …to the animated end credits – I was just hugging the screen with my eyes.
There’s just something about seeing JUAN OF THE DEAD and realizing that you’ve never in your life seen a ZOMBIE movie on the scale of this film… or that the film is consistently the funniest ZOMBIE movie I’ve seen… That everything is absolutely wonderful, from the dialogue, to the many classic scenes. There’s a “Waiting for Sunrise” sequence that may be amongst my very favorite best friends scenes in film history.
The politics of the film are just. Well, I’m not sure what CUBA is going to make of the film… personally I find it makes Cuba lovable, laughable & hard to leave. Something that I wouldn’t immediately think. The Cuban news’ take on the Zombie Apocalypse could very well be one of the funniest political satires I’ve seen in quite some time… I love how the Cubans have no knowledge of Zombies… instead they’re mainly referred to as being dissidents. I love that it is all… very suspicious… and sharp eyes will notice that Zombie #1 is in fact wearing remnants of a Guantanamo Bay Military uniform… so I’m pretty sure it is all our fault, but then proper Zombie Apocalypses have usually been the fault of the United States. And as a geek, I’m pretty proud of that fact. The zombie is of a floateresque look, a makeup job I later learned took 6 hours to apply, rendered the person blind, and was to originally be played by Alejandro. Until he realized it’d take 6 hours to apply and render him blind for his first day of shooting.
Juan is kinda like… THE MAN in Havana. He looks a bit as if Adrien Brody and Jeff Goldblum combined to have a Cuban kid. A kid that has fought in multiple wars and always survived. He’s a bit of a Don Juan it seems, using his rooftop telescope to find out if the ladies he woos are home alone or not. He drops in upon them from above. He’s a tall dark Bogart type of lovable scoundrel. He moves like a god and sometimes kills with the very deliberate emotion of Bruce Lee. The elevator in his building stops only half way upon a floor. He’s the kinda guy that would help the old lady up, while deliberately squeezing her keister – just so she’d take delight in chastising him. You just kinda of love this guy. His longtime best friend is a chronic peeper masturbator. Juan has a lovely daughter, whose mother fled to the U.S. His best friend, a handsome thieving Lothario. Juan wishes to be in his daughter’s life, she wants to follow her mother to Florida. Juan loves to complain about his homeland, but dearly loves it. At one point his friend proposes that he should go to America, but Juan simply answers, “But there, I’d have to get a job.” And everything about his life tells me… Juan has it right. He hangs with his friends, fucks beautiful women often and… He will fucking thrive in a Zombie Apocalypse. Like all great Zombie battlers – he has a signature weapon, one he wields so brilliantly that it does leave one with the impression that it could be a great one. AN OAR.
The film is so smart. So funny. So just effortlessly charming and wonderful to watch. I mean, the Zombie makeup and the kills are frankly amongst the best I’ve ever seen. There’s one Mass Zombie decapitation that clearly needs to be included in every driving Zombie video game from here on. Pure fucking EMPIRE STRIKES BACK! Wondrous.
Dialogue was applauded, actions were applauded. Zombie reveals applauded. There was one 7 minute continuous Zombie apocalypse steadicam in the street shot that was applauded. The hundreds in the water. The tens of thousands in the city streets shots… the casual mass destruction background scenes sometimes were beautiful in a Tatooine sunset level of audacity.
Around the time that Juan decides he’s going to wildly profit by becoming… literally JUAN OF THE DEAD, We will dispose of your beloved ones for you… He builds a Apocalypse survival rooftop training school – that he charges for. He has the most insanely fun Zombie street kill squads of all time. Just wondrous. There are literally 100s of perfectly subtle and fun film references, but not VERBATIM. Just in a way that smart movie fans will enjoy revisiting the film to try and document them all – and lovingly doing so.
Lines about Capitalism and The Empire are thrown about in a wonderfully hilarious love-hate manner. The character of Juan is not aggressively angry about Cuba’s government or the United States. Instead, there is a bemused acceptance of the way of things. This attitude carries over to the Apocalypse, which they fight through from a cheerful, let’s make the best of this kind of attitude, which was just so delightfully handled that some in the audience… like NORDLING… gave the film a spontaneous standing ovation when the end credits began… and then, realizing that the badass animated post film credits needed to be observed from a silent seated smiling, whispering “badass” under your breath and just shaking your head at the fucking marvelously entertaining and culturally revealing genre effort from a small country that has a very interesting presence in the world.
There is no news of the outside world during the apocalypse… and I love it that way. I want a Blu Ray of this movie IMMEDIATELY! As in. I can’t imagine not having it tomorrow. I just want to veg to this thing. It’s GREAT.
Distributors… Market this to the Spanish speaking Audience and the Indie Film audience as the 1st Independent film in the past 52 years of Cuban film history – and you’ll have a classic on your hands. Just a home run. LOVE THE FILM!
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Apt title, because this is the first film I've seen since SotD that has truly captured its spirit, without directly ripping it off. I hope this gets international distribution (and a quick import DVD release!). Congrats to all involved.
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Haven't experienced a standing ovation in a cinema for years
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That was a challenging read.
But, I am now convinced I need to see this movie. Thanks. -
www.yasbuy.com
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Only 5.2/10 on IMDB now with reviewers, which isn't good, considering only people interested in that type of movie would have sought it out at this early stage:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1838571/
Likewise, JUAN didn't hit it big at Toronto:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/juan-dead-juan-de-los-235992
http://thetfs.ca/2011/09/22/review-juan-of-the-dead-tiff-2011/
I'm sure JUAN will find an audience in the right circuits, though. -
but also , not to avoid the turth, Harry........ you are an icon among film geeks, you are, it's no myth. HOWEVER...... You love EVERYTHING so effing much that I have grown .....let us say, reticent, to you opinion.... Hey I found much to admire and love on PJ's King Kong when few others did, I even saw the lost youth pallour of the Star Wars prequels, yet I hear you sing odes of light and joy to films these days..I'm suspect. I question your position. In the same way I question Eberts now:
You both have recently overcome personal brushes with death. This opens your parameters of living, it makes you appreciate that breath, that life ... that whisper, so much more. The problem is, that you are proclamating said opinion to a world of people who dare trust it, this is dangerous. Most of us are just ...well folks... wandering around, wanting to hear whether or not a movie is worth or $$$$ When we look at your prior listings of reviews and compare them to our own we form an opinion of your trustworthyness! We say " well Harry liked 75% of the crap I liked! I will trust his judgment! (or the alternative, both are valid) yet when we notice a shift of judgement, where every piece of crap that comes down the belt is "an iconic piece of chocolate face jizzing awesome" we tend to digress.....
In other words, your life was very nearly cut short,it terrified you and made you aware of the fragility of it all, we are glad that you survived (hell I am at least yer a fucking trooper) but your life's travails , did not have one iota to do with whether a movie is any good or not. Not to the rest of us. Try and keep that in perspective sir!
Yer friend!
macheesmo3. -
He’s the kinda guy that would help the old lady up, while deliberately squeezing her keister
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That's just about every Cuban male walking around Habana.
I'm not suprised there are no real propaganda moments in this film, Cuban film makers as a whole have tended to be allowed quite a bit of artistic freedom, as long as they don't become critical of the Castros.
I'm glad this film has turned outto be good. They were shooting it around Habana last time I was there and I thought it was to be an awful Sean of The Dead rip off. Cubans tend to have a bit of a bawdy and corny humour. -
I've just found out that ICAIC had nothing to do with this film, that it is actually Cuba's first independent film.
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I still have very little faith in Harry's reviews, consider Footloose, but you are pretty much on the mark with your comment.
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..i'm kidding here
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And yes, it's good. Really good. As someone else mentioned, the crowd you see it with makes a big difference. And mine was amazing. The only problem, for me, is the title. Not sure why you'd want to invite comparisons to Sean of the Dead. You're just not gonna win that battle.
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How long till a distributer buys it?
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Don of the Dead©
Ron of the Dead©
John of the Dead©
Siobhan of the Dead©
Levon of the Dead© -
Sep 24, 2011 10:02:07 AM CDT
Brian Cox turned down the lead in this, he's reprising his role as Neo in Matrix 4
by arkhaminmate001
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Return of the Living Derezed.
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In which his forehead comes back to life even though the rest of him has died from excessive bloat.
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. . . have faith that you've made a fabulous, fun zombie comedy and come up w/ your OWN title. Just stupid . . . Rant over, I can't wait to see this.
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They smell even WORSE on the outside now . . .
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OBI-JUAN OF THE DEAD
*Let's just say we'd like to avoid any undead entanglements.* -
OBI-JUAN OF THE DEAD part II
*I felt a great disturbance, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly eaten. I fear a zombie apocalypse has happened.*
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OBI-JUAN OF THE DEAD part III
*Of course I know who Obi-Juan is. He's me! Funny, I don't remember ever owning a zombie though.* -
Zombie computers take over the internet!
Or it could refer to the pallor of zombie skin. -
Fun to be had by all!
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Sep 24, 2011 1:49:26 PM CDT
Totally off topic and probably everyone knows this already
by quicksilver80
Last night I was watching the Animatrix blu ray. There's an extra, a brief history of manga and anime. All of a sudden Mr. Harry Knowles pops up on the screen sharing his thoughts on the subject. Kudos!
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I feel a disturbance in the farce...
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...I take it you've got widescreen...
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Sure, but he filled 3/4 of the screen anyway
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...heh-heh....love it...
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Sep 24, 2011 2:46:48 PM CDT
this is a film I’ll probably see 100 times more before I die.
by mr_incredible
Or in other words, you have no fucking life. But we already knew that.
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Blompkamp meets Romero
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I'd still probably do her.
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I'd like to see Blompkamp take on the zombie apocalypse genre.
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reminds me of Bad Boys 2
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Zing!
Nice one. -
And I found a clip!
http://youtu.be/v53mGjWu0F4 -
Sep 24, 2011 6:56:52 PM CDT
Col. Trautman says: I don't think you understand. I didn't come to rescue Brian Cox from you. I came here to rescue you from Brian Cox.
by marlboroliteman
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What would Brian Cox do?
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Have to agree in regards to Harry's reviews. He has loved a lot of stuff too lately so that you can't really go on his reviews. But I don't go by anybody's, so what does that matter? Saying it's the consistently funniest zombie movie is a bold statement... one problem i have with reviews like this is if you believe them at all it sets you up for disappointment in the movie if it's not as good as the review you read. But at least it gives me something to rag on harry about when I chat with my other friend who regularly reads AICN. You have to appreciate Harry's love of movies regardless, and of course I envy his access to the behind the movie scenes world :)
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ya see what I did there?
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The Return of Bambi's Mother
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Zippedy do dah
Zippedy ay
My oh my
Thems some wonderful Brains..... -
Sep 25, 2011 12:15:56 PM CDT
Col. Trautman says: Brian Cox has been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke.
by marlboroliteman
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Sep 25, 2011 12:18:31 PM CDT
Col. Trautman says: In Vietnam Brian Cox had a job...it was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well Brian Cox was the best.
by marlboroliteman
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Um, well... after the Centipede, and then today's Jessica Lange homepage animations, I am feeling quite disturbed. How about some animations that don't make me lose my lunch? You know- Harry the pirate, Harry in a Road Runner cartoon, Harry as a baby chimp being bottle-fed by George Henderson, Harry getting slapped by Brian Cox...
Just sayin'. -
Sep 25, 2011 2:19:37 PM CDT
I guess I'll see this instead of all those other indie horror comedies I had my eye on
by jim halpert
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/briancoxmeme
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Sep 25, 2011 3:51:20 PM CDT
Sheriff Teasle says: They found Brian Cox's body. As a matter of fact, it stole an army truck. Blew up a gas station the other side of town.
by marlboroliteman
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Breakfast is back....and it's pissed
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Shaun of the Dead. Which got just as much hype from aicn upon its initial release. So Juan is better? Guess I will have to wait and see.
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Because that film was also hyped by AICN upon its initial release as the best zombie movie ever.
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Sep 26, 2011 9:13:19 AM CDT
Jan of the Dead: DeBont attempts to resuscitate his career by killing every other director in Hollywood
by melonman
But Bay sticks a grenade up his clownhole and the audience cheers
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"Mmmmm-hhnnnggghh...guacamole."
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"That's ITALIAN. you morons...! "
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We'll see but Shaun was 100% genius and truly is one of the best genre zombie movies ever made...
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Zombie Reagan eats the poor!
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He returns from the grave with a craving for Bueno Nacho...
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How can we kill something which has no brain!?!?!
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So....I'm pretty sure this guy has no credibility whatsoever.
He even liked those weird "new" cuts of Star Wars with all those idiotic changes. In fact, he defended them like a beaten housewife.
Some geek.
Props to Harry for creating the site and being a nice guy and all that, but his opinion on things doesn't hold much weight to me. -
Sep 28, 2011 9:31:50 AM CDT
My only problem is that Juan just reminds me so much of his character in ALIEN
by natalieportmansyummyafterbirth
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Sep 28, 2011 11:15:13 AM CDT
Does anyone go see movies based on Harry's reviews?
by yeah i'm a jerk!
Because I can't decide if he's ever objective enough to give a fair criticism. I gotta love and respect his devotion to being a genre fanboy, but I can never really put much stock into his reviews.
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...as deciding factors for if I'm going to see a movie I have doubts about...
I come here for the talkbacks talking shit. Let the guy has his opinion. SHEESH. -
And while, once again, Harry's doing a swan-dive into the sea of hyperbole, it's a fun little film. Will I be watching it 100 more times? No. Will I watch it two or three more times? Probably.
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Sep 30, 2011 12:53:42 PM CDT
Fatman Harry jizzed himself in delight over footloose, but despised Inception
by continentolop
Harry is a coward and a fraud.
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I wrote a zombie stoner rock opera called "Night of the Living Shred." Expect some time in late 2014
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Wrote it in early 2007. Imagine, an army of musicians fighting zombies with bayonets strapped to guitars. WINNING
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And everything else, too. That behemoth would veg through The Rapture.
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Oh nice , it seems a nice story and i love Harry .. :)
Luxury Villa Rentals in France
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Oct 06, 2011 3:53:06 PM CDT
Is the Juan character anything like the character Brian Cox played in Alien?
by marlboroliteman
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We need a Waun of the dead which takes place in communist China or north Korea
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Oct 19, 2011 6:50:04 AM CDT
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dfgd
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http://www.facebook.com/DarthBiscuits
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Apr 15, 2012 8:07:18 AM CDT
I still start laughing out loud every I think about them calling the zombies "dissidents"
by zillabeast
Seriously fantastic movie. I need to see it again!
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