28 Days Later: Widescreen Special Edition (US - DVD R1)
A very nice package for a surprise hit. 28 Days Later is a terrifying vision and an excellent addition to your collection.
Introduction
Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach) has teamed up with writer Alex Garland (The Beach) to bring a terrifying vision to life. A sleeper hit in the US, this UK import finally makes it way to region 1 DVD. The package, almost identical to the region 2 version, contains a crisp picture, great sound and an adequate supplements package.
Movie
Before any real review of this movie can be done, there needs to be some clarification on the genre of the picture. The film was marketed as pure horror in the United States. While this angle definitely worked to pack the theaters, it was not a completely accurate summation of the nature of the movie. The movie is first and foremost a post-apocalyptic drama. There are horror aspects, yes, but it is not a scare-a-minute zombie film by any means. This distinction is what makes the film so great.
A group of animal rights activists raid a primate research lab. In doing so, they release an infection that turns its victims into raging murderers. The infection is carried in blood and will infect a person in less than thirty seconds. A brutal opening to the movie leads into the haunting title of the movie and takes us ahead 28 days later when we meet our hero, Jim (Cillian Murphy).
Jim, a bicycle courier involved in an accident the day the infection was released, has just awoken from a comatose state. As Jim begins to discover that he is quite possibly alone in London, the audience is treated to dazzling shots of an empty, abandoned city. This sequence also highlights perfectly the amazing use of music found throughout the film.
Jim eventually finds himself under the care of two other survivors. Mark (Noah Huntley) and Selena (Naomie Harris) have been living on the run and have managed to stay alive. It is Selena who explains to Jim that the world as he knew it the day of his accident is gone. Everyone she, Mark and Jim have known and loved is dead and anyone left alive is left to run from the infected that roam free. The group makes its way to Jim’s home and there is an extremely touching series of scenes that take place.
Jim also meets a father and daughter pair. The father, Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and daughter, Hannah, have caught a signal from an army officer that proclaims an end to infection. As the group sets off to find these soldiers the movie takes its first major shift in tone as it becomes a road movie for a bit. There will be one more shift in tone after the road trip is over, but it is this tone that most will find surprising and the acceptance of the change of events in the movie is what will determine if you enjoy the movie or not.
I found this movie to be brilliant for unusual reasons. The script itself is nothing new, amazing or all the clever in itself. What makes the movie work so well is a combination of the paranoia found in the first and last sections of the movie, excellent actors that bring a scary sense of believability to the screen and the use of digital video to enhance the raw nature of the events onscreen. Danny Boyle has been, for my money, a very hit or miss director, but has always managed to bring clever and ultimately engaging images to the screen. In 28 Days Later, Boyle takes his digital images and enhances them to make almost every shot memorable. This, combined with several fine examples of how to use music to enhance emotion, makes for a film that goes above and beyond its source material to create more of an experience than a film.
28 Days Later was mainly faulted for its third act and its theatrical ending. The third act takes a turn as the group of survivors end their road trip and meet up with the soldiers claiming to have the answer to infection. While this is an unexpected direction for the movie, I don’t fault the film for it. The scenes found in this final section of the film contain the best dialogue and some quality horror elements. I may also be one of the few that actually enjoyed the ending as seen in the theaters. I do, however, understand and am frustrated by a few unanswered questions.

Video
The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is very good. The digital video and intentionally grungy look make it hard to judge just how “good” the picture here is. Based on what I saw in the theater and in comparison to several other DV films I have seen on DVD, I can honestly say this is an accurate transfer. The only major issue to be found is a few scenes that have some noticeable edge enhancement. These scenes are few and far between and due to the nature of the raw DV picture, it is less likely this edge enhancement will be noticed by casual viewers.
Audio
A very quick summation of the sound found on this disc would be: the quiets are quiet and the louds are loud. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has amazing range in sound volumes. The range serves to make the more intense, unexpected scary moments that much more terrifying. Throughout the entire movie, all channels are used to full effect. In a movie where the sound and music are so much a part of the experience, a good mix was required. Here, Fox delivered.

Extras
First on the list of extras is a feature-length commentary with director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland. The pair have an excellent rapport that lends itself to a wealth of information revealed. The two relay a good bit of information in between a few annoyingly long pauses. This is a good listen for fans and anyone else wanting to know about some of the creative choices that were made.
There are 6 deleted scenes found on this disc, each one surprisingly interesting. Most of them were understandably cut, but I can see good reason for each of the scenes (except for maybe the “Taxi/Sweden” scene) to have been left in the movie. My personal favorite was the “Abandoned Train” scene which had the potential to be a very engaging snippet of the film. Each scene has optional commentary with Danny Boyle and Alex Garland.
Following the deleted scenes is a trio of alternate endings. The first ending is a polished, fully-produced version of the “Alternative Theatrical Ending”. This is the ending that many others I have heard from have said to be the preferred ending. It is darker than the one chosen for the final cut of the film. There is also an “Alternative Ending” that is a rough but fully edited alternate ending that is a really nothing more than a combination of the final cut’s ending and the “Alternative Theatrical Ending”. These two are both offered with optional commentary. Finally, there is what is called the “Radical Alternative Ending” (it is located on the second page of the “Alternate Endings” section and is easily missed). This is a interesting alternate take on almost the entire second half of the film. This ending is shown through a series of “animated” storyboards and has director Danny Boyle acting out all the voices. Watch this to see a completely different direction that the movie could have taken.
There is a documentary included here called “Pure Rage: The Making of 28 Days Later”. The documentary starts of with a warning of the plausibility of the scenario presented in 28 Days Later. A few scientists come out to say that there is a major outbreak on the horizon and we should all prepare for the worst. While I do not question the integrity of the scientists that have chosen to speak on this documentary, I do question the integrity of a documentary maker that does not bring in any opposing viewpoints. Beyond this, there is some good information on the making of the film through interviews with the cast and the crew and some limited behind-the-scenes footage. However, based on the low detail of the information provided (not to mention the cheesy narration), this documentary may have been better placed in the “Marketing” section of the DVD.
There are two galleries of photographs, one containing production stills and the other containing Polaroids. Each is an automatically progressing slideshow with commentary from Danny Boyle. The commentary is quite interesting as it explains the pictures we are seeing and their ultimate importance in making and marketing the film.
There is an entire gallery of marketing materials. There is the theatrical teaser as well as the theatrical trailer for the film. Animated storyboards from the films original UK website are included. Finally, there is a music video from Jacknife Lee that is simply the entire movie condensed into the length of a music video.

Overall
A noteworthy film comes home to DVD in a better-than-average package. Fox has seen to it that the picture and sound quality are excellent so that viewers can enjoy the drama and the horror at home in its glory. While the extra features do contain a good bit of interesting deleted material and decent commentary track, the overall package is not overly impressive. Aside from the lack of a high quality making-of featurette, though, there is not an abundance of features left to be desired. Worth much more than just a rental, 28 Days Later will become part of many people’s collections due to its engaging presentation and its blend of genres.
Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach) has teamed up with writer Alex Garland (The Beach) to bring a terrifying vision to life. A sleeper hit in the US, this UK import finally makes it way to region 1 DVD. The package, almost identical to the region 2 version, contains a crisp picture, great sound and an adequate supplements package.

Movie
Before any real review of this movie can be done, there needs to be some clarification on the genre of the picture. The film was marketed as pure horror in the United States. While this angle definitely worked to pack the theaters, it was not a completely accurate summation of the nature of the movie. The movie is first and foremost a post-apocalyptic drama. There are horror aspects, yes, but it is not a scare-a-minute zombie film by any means. This distinction is what makes the film so great.
A group of animal rights activists raid a primate research lab. In doing so, they release an infection that turns its victims into raging murderers. The infection is carried in blood and will infect a person in less than thirty seconds. A brutal opening to the movie leads into the haunting title of the movie and takes us ahead 28 days later when we meet our hero, Jim (Cillian Murphy).
Jim, a bicycle courier involved in an accident the day the infection was released, has just awoken from a comatose state. As Jim begins to discover that he is quite possibly alone in London, the audience is treated to dazzling shots of an empty, abandoned city. This sequence also highlights perfectly the amazing use of music found throughout the film.
Jim eventually finds himself under the care of two other survivors. Mark (Noah Huntley) and Selena (Naomie Harris) have been living on the run and have managed to stay alive. It is Selena who explains to Jim that the world as he knew it the day of his accident is gone. Everyone she, Mark and Jim have known and loved is dead and anyone left alive is left to run from the infected that roam free. The group makes its way to Jim’s home and there is an extremely touching series of scenes that take place.
Jim also meets a father and daughter pair. The father, Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and daughter, Hannah, have caught a signal from an army officer that proclaims an end to infection. As the group sets off to find these soldiers the movie takes its first major shift in tone as it becomes a road movie for a bit. There will be one more shift in tone after the road trip is over, but it is this tone that most will find surprising and the acceptance of the change of events in the movie is what will determine if you enjoy the movie or not.
I found this movie to be brilliant for unusual reasons. The script itself is nothing new, amazing or all the clever in itself. What makes the movie work so well is a combination of the paranoia found in the first and last sections of the movie, excellent actors that bring a scary sense of believability to the screen and the use of digital video to enhance the raw nature of the events onscreen. Danny Boyle has been, for my money, a very hit or miss director, but has always managed to bring clever and ultimately engaging images to the screen. In 28 Days Later, Boyle takes his digital images and enhances them to make almost every shot memorable. This, combined with several fine examples of how to use music to enhance emotion, makes for a film that goes above and beyond its source material to create more of an experience than a film.
28 Days Later was mainly faulted for its third act and its theatrical ending. The third act takes a turn as the group of survivors end their road trip and meet up with the soldiers claiming to have the answer to infection. While this is an unexpected direction for the movie, I don’t fault the film for it. The scenes found in this final section of the film contain the best dialogue and some quality horror elements. I may also be one of the few that actually enjoyed the ending as seen in the theaters. I do, however, understand and am frustrated by a few unanswered questions.

Video
The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is very good. The digital video and intentionally grungy look make it hard to judge just how “good” the picture here is. Based on what I saw in the theater and in comparison to several other DV films I have seen on DVD, I can honestly say this is an accurate transfer. The only major issue to be found is a few scenes that have some noticeable edge enhancement. These scenes are few and far between and due to the nature of the raw DV picture, it is less likely this edge enhancement will be noticed by casual viewers.
Audio
A very quick summation of the sound found on this disc would be: the quiets are quiet and the louds are loud. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has amazing range in sound volumes. The range serves to make the more intense, unexpected scary moments that much more terrifying. Throughout the entire movie, all channels are used to full effect. In a movie where the sound and music are so much a part of the experience, a good mix was required. Here, Fox delivered.

Extras
First on the list of extras is a feature-length commentary with director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland. The pair have an excellent rapport that lends itself to a wealth of information revealed. The two relay a good bit of information in between a few annoyingly long pauses. This is a good listen for fans and anyone else wanting to know about some of the creative choices that were made.
There are 6 deleted scenes found on this disc, each one surprisingly interesting. Most of them were understandably cut, but I can see good reason for each of the scenes (except for maybe the “Taxi/Sweden” scene) to have been left in the movie. My personal favorite was the “Abandoned Train” scene which had the potential to be a very engaging snippet of the film. Each scene has optional commentary with Danny Boyle and Alex Garland.
Following the deleted scenes is a trio of alternate endings. The first ending is a polished, fully-produced version of the “Alternative Theatrical Ending”. This is the ending that many others I have heard from have said to be the preferred ending. It is darker than the one chosen for the final cut of the film. There is also an “Alternative Ending” that is a rough but fully edited alternate ending that is a really nothing more than a combination of the final cut’s ending and the “Alternative Theatrical Ending”. These two are both offered with optional commentary. Finally, there is what is called the “Radical Alternative Ending” (it is located on the second page of the “Alternate Endings” section and is easily missed). This is a interesting alternate take on almost the entire second half of the film. This ending is shown through a series of “animated” storyboards and has director Danny Boyle acting out all the voices. Watch this to see a completely different direction that the movie could have taken.
There is a documentary included here called “Pure Rage: The Making of 28 Days Later”. The documentary starts of with a warning of the plausibility of the scenario presented in 28 Days Later. A few scientists come out to say that there is a major outbreak on the horizon and we should all prepare for the worst. While I do not question the integrity of the scientists that have chosen to speak on this documentary, I do question the integrity of a documentary maker that does not bring in any opposing viewpoints. Beyond this, there is some good information on the making of the film through interviews with the cast and the crew and some limited behind-the-scenes footage. However, based on the low detail of the information provided (not to mention the cheesy narration), this documentary may have been better placed in the “Marketing” section of the DVD.
There are two galleries of photographs, one containing production stills and the other containing Polaroids. Each is an automatically progressing slideshow with commentary from Danny Boyle. The commentary is quite interesting as it explains the pictures we are seeing and their ultimate importance in making and marketing the film.
There is an entire gallery of marketing materials. There is the theatrical teaser as well as the theatrical trailer for the film. Animated storyboards from the films original UK website are included. Finally, there is a music video from Jacknife Lee that is simply the entire movie condensed into the length of a music video.

Overall
A noteworthy film comes home to DVD in a better-than-average package. Fox has seen to it that the picture and sound quality are excellent so that viewers can enjoy the drama and the horror at home in its glory. While the extra features do contain a good bit of interesting deleted material and decent commentary track, the overall package is not overly impressive. Aside from the lack of a high quality making-of featurette, though, there is not an abundance of features left to be desired. Worth much more than just a rental, 28 Days Later will become part of many people’s collections due to its engaging presentation and its blend of genres.
Review by Brian Kelley
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Existing Posts
just had to comment
I saw these posts and just had to comment on them. I joined this site just for this post so i hope You guys read it. First of all i agree with both Brian and Garth for different points. I think this may have been the best review of this great film ive seen yet.
Brians point that the film was advertised poorly for N.America is absolutely true. Genres dont fit good films very well. Genres are for flicks not films and this was a great FILM. Personally i always judge horror like i judge action or sci-fi i can categorize it into a genre by its lack of depth, genre degraded acting, and poor direction. For true Horror i only put films like the shining andthe exorcist, event horizon; i dont include zombie or slasher films. Slasher and zombie films are their own genre unto themselves, for me at least. I am not scared in either type because people always have to be dumb to be killed it seems(never mind acting is bad and everything is shot without purpose like 95%of directors who just put a shot into a box like a comic book artist)... so more or less in the heavy weight grudge match of Moron Character vs Zombie/Slasher i always am too annoyed at the, writers crutch, Moron to not yell out "Kill the idiot all ready"
N.American ads made it out to be in the zombie genre but rated on scare factor equal to the Exorcist when it came out. These comparisons are laughable and i know for a fact many people went into this movie with the wrong impression and thus were dissapointed that they were ready for one thing and got another. (I didnt see the ads until after i saw it opening week in theatres)
What they got was an amazingly indepth Film though which can NOT be lumped into the same genre as aformentioned flicks. The acting was terrific, the story and dialogue were very realistic (none seemed forced or reminded you that you were watching a movie). Most of all Danny Boyle and his DOP hit a big home run with the look... beyond the shutter speed adjustments and the obvious dv texture and contrast; Danny boyle used forground framing with not just convenience but with purpose. He shots off level, through bars, through distorted surfaces, used jump cuts and further enhanced the affect of unusual shutter speeds with post editting effects, along with deja vu edits, allusions to literature and real life events, claustrophobic "crushed" CloseUps and all the Hello dialogue. All of this ads to the mood and also is a window into the message the Director is translating to us through visuals.(for a while i thought they could have just called the Film "hello" until they went and made the "film" ending which was to try to wrap everything up for the audiences who need everything explained and wrapped into a nice lil package for them). I remember buying the dvd and showing it to a friend after i had raved about its depth. Boyle really was a master of setting tone and a palpable atmosphere in this movie. My friend after seeing Jim wake up for the second time after his "Hello" dream. turned to me and asked "is he still asleep?" and i said "what makes You think he was awake in the first place? What makes You think he didnt die in the accident?" (if the film parts b4 the first title and after the last title werent added this could be a rational thought) . I have done this to a few people when they first see the movie since that day and the reaction is always the same... they believe it.
A terrific Film. Some amazingly spooky and haunting shots like the crash freeze frame (anyone ever in a near death experience would have been truly spooked by that long seemingly endless freeze frame). Personally i didnt enjoy the parts shot in film. Title to title or in fact title to the upside down "hell" shot(another mindblowing moment when that shot hit the screen and you could hear some people such as myself ---maybe it was just me --- hold their breath) would have been great. I heard the shots in film were added later when fox decided to pick up the piece for Namerican distribution. Boyle went to fox, or the other way around, and got money to shoot the beginning and ending in film (including alternate chicken ending). And thus wrapped everything up as neatly as they could so the general viewer doesnt have to think too much about imagery and composition and juxtaposition in order to get closure. but if You do look for these things in the movie perhaps You will see why i think it is one of the more haunting--not scary-- films since exorcist.
Good movies to watch if You like these is "On the Beach" and "the quiet earth" in addition to the obvious dead classics... and while You are at it check out "Johnny got his gun" if you are lucky enough to find a copy since it was banned. Hello
Brians point that the film was advertised poorly for N.America is absolutely true. Genres dont fit good films very well. Genres are for flicks not films and this was a great FILM. Personally i always judge horror like i judge action or sci-fi i can categorize it into a genre by its lack of depth, genre degraded acting, and poor direction. For true Horror i only put films like the shining andthe exorcist, event horizon; i dont include zombie or slasher films. Slasher and zombie films are their own genre unto themselves, for me at least. I am not scared in either type because people always have to be dumb to be killed it seems(never mind acting is bad and everything is shot without purpose like 95%of directors who just put a shot into a box like a comic book artist)... so more or less in the heavy weight grudge match of Moron Character vs Zombie/Slasher i always am too annoyed at the, writers crutch, Moron to not yell out "Kill the idiot all ready"
N.American ads made it out to be in the zombie genre but rated on scare factor equal to the Exorcist when it came out. These comparisons are laughable and i know for a fact many people went into this movie with the wrong impression and thus were dissapointed that they were ready for one thing and got another. (I didnt see the ads until after i saw it opening week in theatres)
What they got was an amazingly indepth Film though which can NOT be lumped into the same genre as aformentioned flicks. The acting was terrific, the story and dialogue were very realistic (none seemed forced or reminded you that you were watching a movie). Most of all Danny Boyle and his DOP hit a big home run with the look... beyond the shutter speed adjustments and the obvious dv texture and contrast; Danny boyle used forground framing with not just convenience but with purpose. He shots off level, through bars, through distorted surfaces, used jump cuts and further enhanced the affect of unusual shutter speeds with post editting effects, along with deja vu edits, allusions to literature and real life events, claustrophobic "crushed" CloseUps and all the Hello dialogue. All of this ads to the mood and also is a window into the message the Director is translating to us through visuals.(for a while i thought they could have just called the Film "hello" until they went and made the "film" ending which was to try to wrap everything up for the audiences who need everything explained and wrapped into a nice lil package for them). I remember buying the dvd and showing it to a friend after i had raved about its depth. Boyle really was a master of setting tone and a palpable atmosphere in this movie. My friend after seeing Jim wake up for the second time after his "Hello" dream. turned to me and asked "is he still asleep?" and i said "what makes You think he was awake in the first place? What makes You think he didnt die in the accident?" (if the film parts b4 the first title and after the last title werent added this could be a rational thought) . I have done this to a few people when they first see the movie since that day and the reaction is always the same... they believe it.
A terrific Film. Some amazingly spooky and haunting shots like the crash freeze frame (anyone ever in a near death experience would have been truly spooked by that long seemingly endless freeze frame). Personally i didnt enjoy the parts shot in film. Title to title or in fact title to the upside down "hell" shot(another mindblowing moment when that shot hit the screen and you could hear some people such as myself ---maybe it was just me --- hold their breath) would have been great. I heard the shots in film were added later when fox decided to pick up the piece for Namerican distribution. Boyle went to fox, or the other way around, and got money to shoot the beginning and ending in film (including alternate chicken ending). And thus wrapped everything up as neatly as they could so the general viewer doesnt have to think too much about imagery and composition and juxtaposition in order to get closure. but if You do look for these things in the movie perhaps You will see why i think it is one of the more haunting--not scary-- films since exorcist.
Good movies to watch if You like these is "On the Beach" and "the quiet earth" in addition to the obvious dead classics... and while You are at it check out "Johnny got his gun" if you are lucky enough to find a copy since it was banned. Hello
Quote: Originally posted by Brian Kelley
Understood. Well, I'm glad we can basically see eye to eye now. Good discussion, too! We need more of that around here.
Seeing eye to eye? This is the internet, are we allowed to do that?
Understood. Well, I'm glad we can basically see eye to eye now. Good discussion, too! We need more of that around here.
Seeing eye to eye? This is the internet, are we allowed to do that?
Quote: Originally posted by Garth D
Fair enough. I understand what you're getting it. I just don't really see it as a drama. For instance, I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend this to someone looking for a good horror movie, but if someone asked me to reccomend a good drama, 28 Days Later is not something that would spring to mind.
Understood. Well, I'm glad we can basically see eye to eye now. Good discussion, too! We need more of that around here.
Fair enough. I understand what you're getting it. I just don't really see it as a drama. For instance, I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend this to someone looking for a good horror movie, but if someone asked me to reccomend a good drama, 28 Days Later is not something that would spring to mind.
Understood. Well, I'm glad we can basically see eye to eye now. Good discussion, too! We need more of that around here.
Fair enough. I understand what you're getting it. I just don't really see it as a drama. For instance, I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend this to someone looking for a good horror movie, but if someone asked me to reccomend a good drama, 28 Days Later is not something that would spring to mind.
Hey, I see your points. And I have seen, love and cherish the Dead trilogy. I had written a great deal on the similarities between that trilogy and this film but had decided to leave it out and review this film based soley on its own merits. I still contend, however, that I did not say that it WASN'T a horror movie. The quote you pulled was only half of the point. The first part:
"The film was marketed as pure horror in the United States. While this angle definitely worked to pack the theaters, it was not a completely accurate summation of the nature of the movie."
My main compaint was with the marketing. And many people's main compaint was that, while there were some excellent horror scenes, much of the movie isn't "pure" horror. It is horror (see my genre listing on the right hand side), I agree. But I still stand by my assertion that it is a drama as well.
"The film was marketed as pure horror in the United States. While this angle definitely worked to pack the theaters, it was not a completely accurate summation of the nature of the movie."
My main compaint was with the marketing. And many people's main compaint was that, while there were some excellent horror scenes, much of the movie isn't "pure" horror. It is horror (see my genre listing on the right hand side), I agree. But I still stand by my assertion that it is a drama as well.
Having said all that...I love the movie, and enjoyed the rest of your review.
And I would loved to have seen the "radical" alt ending...it seemed very cool.
And I would loved to have seen the "radical" alt ending...it seemed very cool.
Quote: Originally posted by Brian Kelley
I never said it wasn't horror, I said it wasn't pure horror as marketed.
The comment was in response to these lines from your review:
[quote] The movie is first and foremost a post-apocalyptic drama. There are horror aspects, yes, but it is not a scare-a-minute zombie film by any means.[quote]
As a horror fan, this just irked me because of a few things. First off, "post-apocalyptic drama"? Come on, that's like the people behind the Sixth Sense marketing it as a "supernatural drama". It's just ridiculous. A supernatural drama that has scary ghosts and jump scenes adds up to...guess what? A horror movie! THAT's what a horror movie is, a drama or action movie with scary/supernatural elements.
Secondly, "not a scare-a-minute zombie film by any means"? Once again, come ON! Have you ever seen a zombie film? For the sake of argument, let's just look at the most famous trilogy of zombie movies, the movies that arguably invented the genre of zombie movies: George Romero's "Dead" trilogy. Is any of the three movies a "scare-a-minute zombie film"? No, they're not. Does that mean they are not horror movies? No, it doesn't, becaue of COURSE they're horror. Now, I don't know how familiar you are with Romero's movies, so I won't assume you are familiar, or that you've even seen them. But the fact is, there are several scenes and ideas that are lifted almost wholesale from Romero's movies (for instance, the "shopping spree", the infected child, the whole military aspect, the infected guy that they have shackled up). Just because they have people "infected" instead of being the risen dead does not change the notion that it is a horror movie.
Now, don't think I'm just trying to be a dick to your or anything, it's just that this is the first time I've really been able to respond to the whole "it's not a horror movie" aspect that many people have talked about. Hell, even Danny Boyle doesn't like to believe it is a horror movie, but I honestly haven't heard or read a convincing argument from anyone that it ISN'T a horror movie. It has so many of the hallmarks of a horror movie. It IS a horror movie. George Carlin says "I grew up with toilet paper, now it's called 'bathroom tissue'", and I feel that way about horror. When I grew up, we had horror movies. Video stores had horror sections (in fact, one in my area had a really cool, painted up, atmospheric "vault of horror" section), but now we have "supernatural thrillers", "post-apocalyptic dramas", and (though this is sometimes an appropriate moniker) "psychological thrillers", and when I got to Blockbuster to get a horror movie, they're mixed in with the "action" section, even though much horror is nowhere close to being action movies.
Jeez, I went on for a long time, no? I need to get out more.
I never said it wasn't horror, I said it wasn't pure horror as marketed.
The comment was in response to these lines from your review:
[quote] The movie is first and foremost a post-apocalyptic drama. There are horror aspects, yes, but it is not a scare-a-minute zombie film by any means.[quote]
As a horror fan, this just irked me because of a few things. First off, "post-apocalyptic drama"? Come on, that's like the people behind the Sixth Sense marketing it as a "supernatural drama". It's just ridiculous. A supernatural drama that has scary ghosts and jump scenes adds up to...guess what? A horror movie! THAT's what a horror movie is, a drama or action movie with scary/supernatural elements.
Secondly, "not a scare-a-minute zombie film by any means"? Once again, come ON! Have you ever seen a zombie film? For the sake of argument, let's just look at the most famous trilogy of zombie movies, the movies that arguably invented the genre of zombie movies: George Romero's "Dead" trilogy. Is any of the three movies a "scare-a-minute zombie film"? No, they're not. Does that mean they are not horror movies? No, it doesn't, becaue of COURSE they're horror. Now, I don't know how familiar you are with Romero's movies, so I won't assume you are familiar, or that you've even seen them. But the fact is, there are several scenes and ideas that are lifted almost wholesale from Romero's movies (for instance, the "shopping spree", the infected child, the whole military aspect, the infected guy that they have shackled up). Just because they have people "infected" instead of being the risen dead does not change the notion that it is a horror movie.
Now, don't think I'm just trying to be a dick to your or anything, it's just that this is the first time I've really been able to respond to the whole "it's not a horror movie" aspect that many people have talked about. Hell, even Danny Boyle doesn't like to believe it is a horror movie, but I honestly haven't heard or read a convincing argument from anyone that it ISN'T a horror movie. It has so many of the hallmarks of a horror movie. It IS a horror movie. George Carlin says "I grew up with toilet paper, now it's called 'bathroom tissue'", and I feel that way about horror. When I grew up, we had horror movies. Video stores had horror sections (in fact, one in my area had a really cool, painted up, atmospheric "vault of horror" section), but now we have "supernatural thrillers", "post-apocalyptic dramas", and (though this is sometimes an appropriate moniker) "psychological thrillers", and when I got to Blockbuster to get a horror movie, they're mixed in with the "action" section, even though much horror is nowhere close to being action movies.
Jeez, I went on for a long time, no? I need to get out more.
I agree. Maybe I should have clarified as such in my review. I hope you enjoy the DVD, though. If you've got a good surround system, you will definitely be enveloped in the film!
Good review
I think this review was very helpful.Having seen the movie I wanted to know if it was worth my money to buy on DVD.I already knew what the movie was about but I wanted to know the quality of the DVD. After reading this review abd coming to the judgement that the movie is good and the transfer to DVD held up I will definately invest my money into this DVD.
I have also seen people question whether or not this is a true horror movie. I do believe this is a horror movie but not in the sense that most people would think.When most Americans think horror we think blood and gore with the occasional scare thrown in for good messure.While 28 days later does have some gore the scare aspect is not there. The true horror of this film lies actually in a question,what if?What if a disaster were to occur such in the film and how would people react? That is the main point of the movie and after seeing the movie you will realize the true 'horror' of the movie is not in the people infected with 'rage' but more of the people not infected and what people may or may not do under stressful situations.
I have also seen people question whether or not this is a true horror movie. I do believe this is a horror movie but not in the sense that most people would think.When most Americans think horror we think blood and gore with the occasional scare thrown in for good messure.While 28 days later does have some gore the scare aspect is not there. The true horror of this film lies actually in a question,what if?What if a disaster were to occur such in the film and how would people react? That is the main point of the movie and after seeing the movie you will realize the true 'horror' of the movie is not in the people infected with 'rage' but more of the people not infected and what people may or may not do under stressful situations.
Quote: Originally posted by Garth D
Someone else trying to pretend a horror movie isn't a horror movie...
Your comment intrigued me, but you have to leave more detail to back up a statement such as that.
I never said it wasn't horror, I said it wasn't pure horror as marketed.
Someone else trying to pretend a horror movie isn't a horror movie...
Your comment intrigued me, but you have to leave more detail to back up a statement such as that.
I never said it wasn't horror, I said it wasn't pure horror as marketed.
Ugh!
Someone else trying to pretend a horror movie isn't a horror movie...


Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
Disc Details
Release Date:
21st October 2003
Discs:
1
Disc Type:
Single side, dual layer
RCE:
No
Video:
NTSC
Aspect:
1.85:1
Anamorphic:
Yes
Colour:
Yes
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 (English), Dolby Surround 2.0 (Spanish, French)
Subtitles:
English, Spanish
Extras:
Audio Commentary with Director Danny Boyle and Writer Alex Garland; 3 Alternate Endings; Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary; "Pure Rage: The Making of 28 Days Later"; Jacknife Lee Music Video; Animated Storyboards; Still Photo Galleries with Commentary; Teaser; Trailer
Easter Egg:
No
Feature Details
Director:
Danny Boyle
Cast:
Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Chirstopher Eccleston, Brendan Gleeson
Genre:
Drama and Horror
Length:
113 minutes
Ratings
Amazon.com
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