taramason | 21 Oct 2012 | 565 Views | 2 Likes | 0 Dislikes

Toronto After Dark 2012: Cockneys vs. Zombies

Cockneys vs. Zombies, 2012, Toronto After Dark, Review

Before I begin writing about this film, I would like to take a moment and talk about movie theatre etiquette. During this film, I was incredibly frustrated and it completely destroyed my experience at my second screening of the night. The Hitchcock PSA came out at the perfect time as there was a zombie girl sitting beside me texting on her phone during the whole movie. Not only is it distracting to everyone around them, it's completely rude and disrespectful to the filmmakers who are in attendance. This wasn't the only instance of the lack of movie theatre etiquette as there were two men behind me and beside me in the middle row of seats commenting loudly on every single part of the film. I found it very hard to pay attention to the story so please, if you are attending a film, respect those around you who also paid to see it. ESPECIALLY IF YOU TOOK THE TIME TO DRESS UP LIKE A GOD DAMNED ZOMBIE YOU STUPID ASS HOLES IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE PLAYING ANGRY BIRDS BECAUSE YOUR BOYFRIEND DRAGGED YOU TO DIE HARD YOU ARE AT A ZOMBIE MOVIE DRESSED UP LIKE A ZOMBIE DUMB ASS. Thank you.

Cockneys vs. Zombies, 2012, Toronto After Dark, Review

After my first screening, I zipped over to Paupers Pub, the erstwhile UofT piss-hole where Toronto After Dark is hosting their really fun Pub After Dark nights for a drink. I returned to a completely sold-out crowd waiting for the British zombie-comedy Cockneys vs. Zombies, directed by Matthias Hoene (who was in attendance to introduce this film). As I mentioned in my top picks, there was a lot of buzz online about this film and some strong reviews from the UK, so the size and anxious tenor of the crowd wasn't a surprise. The story itself follows a group of young men and one woman as they attempt to rob a bank only to discover that it was incredibly easy due to a sudden zombie outbreak caused by a couple of construction works who discover and open an underground tomb. They're not your regular cockney crooks though, the film cleverly manufactures sympathy for certain members of the gang as it reveals that their intentions were not as selfishly greedy as one would expect.

Cockneys vs. Zombies, 2012, Toronto After Dark, Review

Overall, I did enjoy this film although I would like to see it again without distractions (the pro and con of special screenings like this is that the buzz is great but they also bring out a lot of people who I guess don't actually go to the movies that often). It was a hilarious balance of comedy (featuring unexpectedly explicit grandparents) and straight-up zombie killing gore. The group of bank robbers were well-cast as each member had great comedic timing as well as showing off their twisted side. The older folks in the film were by far my favourite part because watching grandparents in a zombie apocalypse is the perfect combination for an hilarious horror film. The film also stars Honor Blackman who was actually the Bond girl, Pussy Galore, in the 1964 Goldfinger. It gets a solid recommendation from me, especially for folks who liked Shaun of the Dead and can see it without being surrounded by dill holes.

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