Table of Contents
Welcome back to another daily horror digest! I’ve been on a zombie kick ever since I saw 28 Years Later, so I’m happy to have another zombie flick as today’s movie of the day! That, plus daily trivia and news including a trailer for Mortal Kombat II!
Movie of the Day
Last night I watched ZombieCON Vol. 1, a newly released zombie comedy about cosplayers battling a-hole zombies. Whenever a movie gets this specific with its focus on a particular group of people (like cosplayers), especially when it’s a group I’ve been a part of (like cosplayers), my defenses go up a little. Will it be pandering towards its hopeful audience, or will it feel genuine? I’m happy to say that ZombieCon Vol. 1 feels genuine, and I had a lot of fun with it.
The story follows Rocket’s Rockets, a group of cosplaying friends that includes Rocket (Manny Luke), Claire Erin (Áine), Punkie (Punkie Johnson), and Javier (Christian Casillas). As the movie begins, we see the highs and lows of committing a sizable portion of your life and personality to cosplay. Rocket and his friends deal with egos and enemies within the cosplaying community, but they’re also rewarded for their hard work. Sadly, outside of the confines of a convention, Rocket’s Rockets are mocked. Rocket takes that the hardest.
Tensions rise among the group as Rocket continues to let his anger get the best of him. That contributes to Claire’s personal troubles surfacing, which leads to her wishing that all the assholes in the world would turn into zombies so she could kill them (that’s almost a direct quote). Claire picked up a magic rock the night before, and the rock grants her accidental wish. All of the jerks in Los Angeles turn into zombies, and they start attacking everyone else. The friends realize that Rocket’s mother is alone elsewhere in the city, so they don their costumes and EVA foam armor to fight their way across LA to save her.
Overall, ZombieCON Vol. 1 is a good time. Once the zombies finally arrive, the action is quite bloody. Practical effects are used which I appreciate, and the zombies themselves look good. They’re the fast kind of zombies, so the feeling of the action is based on frenetic camerawork, lots of panicking, and lots of yelling. So, more like Dawn of the Dead (2004) rather than Dawn of the Dead (1978). There’s even a scene in ZombieCON that reminds me of the parking garage scene in Dawn of the Dead (2004) when the survivors are locked behind the metal fence. Which is to say, I enjoyed the action in ZombieCON.
I also really enjoy the chemistry among the main cast. Well, most of them. Claire, Punkie, and Javi are all very likable and fun to watch. Rocket, even as the default main character, is more difficult to like. His character is supposed to go through an arc of realization over the course of the story, and he does, but he is not a pleasant person for most of the time. When Claire’s wish came true, I half-expected Rocket to magically turn into a zombie along with all the other a-holes. But, many tight-knit groups have one person among them that sticks out for the wrong reasons, and they’re still part of the family. When you think about him that way, Rocket’s alright.
However, the decision to have Claire rather than Rocket be the person to start the zombie apocalypse does feel very strange. It would make a lot more sense for his character to react like that (i.e. wanting to kill people) than Claire. Plus, it would add another layer to his character since he would be the person putting his own mother in danger. Having his friends support him despite his repeated mistakes would add more weight to his eventual realizations.
Regardless, I still recommend ZombieCON Vol. 1. The zombie action is good, the story is fine, and most of the characters are a joy to watch. As a former cosplayer myself, I felt that twinge of nostalgia during a few of the moments in the first half of the movie, and that’s a great bonus to have in what is already a fun low-budget zombie movie. You can rent ZombieCON Vol. 1 on platforms including Amazon Prime Video.
Related Movie Recommendation
Today’s bonus recommendation is Zombie Strain. It was released earlier this year, and it’s another entertaining, low-budget zombie comedy. It’s a found-footage movie about indie filmmakers trapped inside a sound stage while a zombie apocalypse begins outside. The movie is very silly, and there aren’t as many zombies as I would ideally want, but the cast is hilarious. You can read more about Zombie Strain in my review, and you can stream it free on Tubi.
In the News
- Willem Dafoe is in talks to join Robert Eggers’ Werwulf. (Deadline)
- James DeMonaco revealed that he’s finished writing a new Purge movie, which would be the sixth in the franchise. (Bloody Disgusting)
- Neon is holding a Together contest which will pay for a Las Vegas wedding for the winning couple. (IndieWire)
- Sean Kaufman and Adam Silver joined the cast for Rob Savage’s Other Mommy.(Deadline)
- More trailers released yesterday:
Birthdays
Taylor Russell was born on July 18, 1994. Taylor’s best horror movie by far is Bones and All in which she played Maren, a young cannibal who finds love while on the run. Taylor also starred in the two Escape Room movies from 2019 and 2021.
Also born on this day, in 1940, is James Brolin. James has appeared in a few horror movies throughout his career, but his most memorable horror role was as George Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979).
Also born today, in 1994, is Lee Yoo-mi. She heartbreakingly played Player 240, Ji-yeong, in Squid Game season one. She also played Lee Na-yeon in the series All of Us Are Dead.
Other birthdays today include:
- Allen Sarven (aka Al Snow) (1963) – pro-wrestler and actor in many low-budget horror films
- Largo Woodruff (1955) – Liz in The Funhouse (1981)
- Michael Sharrett (1965) – Tom in Deadly Friend (1986)
- Kristen Bell (1980) – Pulse (2006), Scream 4 (2011)
Events on This Day
Aliens was released on July 18th, 1986. Aliens might very well be the greatest action-horror movie ever made. It’s definitely one of the most iconic. The movie was well-received upon its release, with Time Magazine calling it “The Summer’s Scariest Movie” a little over a week after it hit theaters. Stream Aliens on Hulu.
On July 18th, 1990, Arachnophobia was released in theaters. The film set a new standard for horror/thriller films about spiders, and few movies of its type have matched its combination of fun skin-crawling ickiness. Rent Arachnophobia on Prime Video.
Also released on this day, in 1980, is the slasher classic Prom Night. The movie stars Jamie Lee Curtis, and it was released in the same year she also starred in The Fog and Terror Train. Stream Prom Night on Prime Video.
On this day in 1987, A Chinese Ghost Story was released in Hong Kong. The movie is about a man who falls in love with the ghost of a beautiful woman. It’s a remarkable film that combines romance, fantasy, and horror beautifully.
Other movies released on July 18th include:
- Sssssss (1973)
- Shriek of the Mutilated (Texas premiere, 1974)
- Vamp (1986)
- A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991)
- The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
- Bonejangles (VOD, 2017)
Thank you as always for reading! Are you going to see I Know What You Did Last Summer this weekend? I’m going to try to make it to the theater, but I want to re-watch the first two movies (I’ll skip the third) before I go!
