REMAINS: THE MUST WATCH ZOMBIE MEETS GAMER MULTI-GENRE CROSSOVER EXPERIENCE YOU MISS AT YOUR PERIL!
How does the Zombie Genre REMAIN(S) relevant and strong? Why, with this Gem of a creation!
Remains was produced by cable network Chiller TV. The network streams horror movies 24/7 and produces some original content too. A comic book miniseries by Steve Niles and Kieron Dwyer served as an inspiration for the movie. At the beginning of the comic book, the zombie apocalypse does not happen as quickly as in the movie so the screenplay skipped a portion of the comic books.
The movie opens in a casino in Reno, Nevada. The casino workers drag their boring everyday existence, while the guests enjoy the slot machines, poker tables, and even online gaming. Movie director has perfectly captured the real life of the casino industry. Movie starts with voices of players who enjoy their luck. As the first scene evolves, we see people playing blackjack card game and behind that, gamers enjoy slot machines. A TV is on and a newscast is running in the background.
The reporter declares that a new “oven” in which the nuclear supply of the planet will be destroyed will be set off soon. The problems of the society and the threat of new world wars should be resolved this way. The countdown begins, then there is a blast the news stops reporting. Something goes wrong and we see how people who were not shielded somehow turn into zombies. The mayhem beings and zombies run in the streets. People who did not turn into Zombies start killing the zombies left inside the building and planning what to do next.
Steve Niles’ story was already more original than the zombie stories we are used to and the movie adds some more twists and unexpected moments. There are barely any quiet moments felt with heartfelt conversations in the movie. One attack follows another and the situation is getting worse every second. There is an abundance of blood and wounds in “Remains” for the fans of such horror. Camera work, and other technical qualities
Remains general review
While you can see right away that “Remains” was made for television, the overall quality is still higher than the television movies usually have. It lacks the sophistication and effects of a big-budget horror. However, the story, acting, and camera work are again better than in average TV movies. The main setting is a casino building in Reno. Why not Las Vegas we do not know, but at least it is not the city you will see in every other movie. The survivors use everything to shield and guard themselves.
Poker tables turn into big, heavy barricades, slot machines serve as hiding places. The fact that people are stuck in one place resembles a bit the idea of Dawn of the Dead, where people get stuck in the shopping mall. Still, it must be noted that the casino workers have had pretty interesting lives. This is one of the rare movies that explains and shows how the zombie apocalypse started. People turn into zombies in front of our eyes. It is rare in the movies and is very exciting to watch. Remains were shot on 35mm, which is very surprising and rare for the TV movies. Yet the Blu-ray disc quality is quite poor.
The audio could be better as well. The volume changes from scene to scene drastically and you have to adjust it to hear the silent dialogues or not lose hearing from excessive noise in some shots. Blu-ray disc offers an interview with the producer Andrew Gernhard, director Colin Theys, screenwriter John Dodlan, and makeup effects supervisor Ben Chester, where they all use a single microphone to talk to the audience. Despite all the shortcomings, Remains is interesting and worth watching.
