A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America.
Searching for family. In the early twenty-first century, zombies have taken over America. A shy and inexperienced college student in Texas has survived by following his 30 rules: such as "look in the back seat," "double-tap," "avoid public restrooms." He decides to travel to Ohio to see if his parents are alive. He gets a ride with a boisterous zombie-hating good-old boy headed for Florida, and soon they confront a young woman whose sister has been bitten by a zombie and wants to be put out of her misery. The sisters were headed to an LA amusement park they've heard is zombie free. Can the kid from Ohio get to his family? And what about rule thirty one?Written by
<jhailey@hotmail.com>
Contrary to many contemporary zombie films (such as Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Shaun of the Dead (2004)), Zombieland is quite explicit about what caused the zombie infestation. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) mentions that the first patient ate an infected hamburger, so the source is a pathogen, like a virus. People only become zombies after contact with other zombies, so it is not airborne. In a deleted scene, Columbus mentions that to prevent infection, one should avoid contact with bodily fluids of infected people, suggesting that the infection can be transmitted through contact with blood, saliva and vomit. See more »
Goofs
The first ride that Wichita and Little Rock ride at Pacific Playland requires an attendant to be present to hold down an "operator present" button for the ride to function. If no one is at the park to operate the ride, then the girls would not be able to ride it. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Columbus:
Oh, America. I wish I could tell you that this was still America, but I've come to realize that you can't have a country without people. And there are no people here. No, my friends. This is now the United States of Zombieland.
See more »
Crazy Credits
The opening titles are knocked aside in slow motion by various elements in the scenes like the characters, gunfire, automobiles. See more »
Alternate Versions
The DVD edition features 6 hidden slow-motion outtakes of zombie attacks or random scenes. They can be found through on-screen hidden buttons on the special features (here, there are two), main menu, 'visual effects progression screens' menu, 'theatrical promos' menu and 'audio languages' menu. See more »
Salute Your Solution
Written by Brendan Benson and Jack White (as Jack White, III)
Performed by The Raconteurs
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing and Courtesy of XL Recordings Ltd. See more »
Arguably one of the finest horror comedies of all time is Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead, and since its release in '04, there have been a good number of wannabes. Based on the trailers for Zombieland, however, I thought that the film had some serious potential to match Shaun in terms of quality, possibly even usurp it. Having seen the film, I'm happy to say that Zombieland does just that.
Unlike many comedies in recent memory, in which the majority of laughs are already provided by the trailer, Zombieland is filled to the brim with laugh-out-loud moments, thanks largely to the brilliant cast. Eisenberg is awesome as the main protagonist, Columbus, portraying that sense of vulnerability and awkwardness, without becoming too Michael Cera-like. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are also terrific as the sweet, yet tough Wichita and the more-mature-than-she-seems Little Rock, respectively.
The real stand-out performance, though, is Woody Harrelson as the Twinkie-lovin', zombie-hatin' Tallahassee. Next to that of Woody Boyd on Cheers and Frasier, this is definitely the best performance of his career. There's also a painfully hilarious cameo appearance about mid-way through the film that would be a crime to spoil. Suffice it to say, this is – hands-down – the best cameo that I've ever seen in a film.
The most surprising aspect of Zombieland, to me, is how much heart there is. All of the characters feel warm and alive, and what drama there is to be found feels extremely sincere. Ultimately, you feel invested in the story and the characters, which – I think – is the most important thing any film of any genre can do.
Zombieland has instantly become a horror favorite of mine (comedic or otherwise). The – for the lack of a better word – quotable dialogue, consistently hysterical tone, and endearing characters, all come together to create a film that will undoubtedly become a cult classic.
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Arguably one of the finest horror comedies of all time is Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead, and since its release in '04, there have been a good number of wannabes. Based on the trailers for Zombieland, however, I thought that the film had some serious potential to match Shaun in terms of quality, possibly even usurp it. Having seen the film, I'm happy to say that Zombieland does just that.
Unlike many comedies in recent memory, in which the majority of laughs are already provided by the trailer, Zombieland is filled to the brim with laugh-out-loud moments, thanks largely to the brilliant cast. Eisenberg is awesome as the main protagonist, Columbus, portraying that sense of vulnerability and awkwardness, without becoming too Michael Cera-like. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are also terrific as the sweet, yet tough Wichita and the more-mature-than-she-seems Little Rock, respectively.
The real stand-out performance, though, is Woody Harrelson as the Twinkie-lovin', zombie-hatin' Tallahassee. Next to that of Woody Boyd on Cheers and Frasier, this is definitely the best performance of his career. There's also a painfully hilarious cameo appearance about mid-way through the film that would be a crime to spoil. Suffice it to say, this is – hands-down – the best cameo that I've ever seen in a film.
The most surprising aspect of Zombieland, to me, is how much heart there is. All of the characters feel warm and alive, and what drama there is to be found feels extremely sincere. Ultimately, you feel invested in the story and the characters, which – I think – is the most important thing any film of any genre can do.
Zombieland has instantly become a horror favorite of mine (comedic or otherwise). The – for the lack of a better word – quotable dialogue, consistently hysterical tone, and endearing characters, all come together to create a film that will undoubtedly become a cult classic.