By Désirée I. Guzzetta

DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004)
Universal Pictures

So, I popped over to the local multiplex to see the Dawn of the Dead remake since, as much as I'd like to, I can't really ignore it--that's part of the curse of being a horror movie maven. Of course, this Dawn is not nearly as good as the original; in fact, it mostly misses the original's point. However, it's fun enough if you like well-made, gory zombie flicks, especially ones with them souped-up zombies what zip around like nitro-burning funny cars! Too bad it was preceded by 28 Days Later, which does the turbo-zombie thing much better, but that's life in the world of the undead.

The basic story of the original Dawn is intact: As the undead rise and then kill, several of the living wind up in the one safe haven they can think of: the mall. So far, so good. However, the plethora of characters makes it harder to care about their fates. Along with the hero (Jake Weber) and heroine (Sarah Polley), both of whom are quite good, you have the tough cop (Ving Rhames), the young couple in love (Mekhi Phifer and Inna Korobkina), the sarcastic dickhead (Ty Burrell), the seems-like-a-dickhead-but-may-have-a-heart-of-gold security guard (Michael Kelly), plus assorted others who might as well have been credited as "Zombie Fodder." Which is not to say that all of the aforementioned character types make it through the night. *Ahem!* Anyway, our motley crew attempts to survive the zombie onslaught while trying to figure out if the entire world has gone to hell in a tastefully decorated picnic basket (you can buy those at the mall, right?).

The proceedings are much more enjoyable than the usual gory horror fare--and for the squeamish, this film gets quite gory. Still, if you like icky-ass zombie movies, go see Dawn; just forget about the original when you do or you'll be a little disappointed. Lazy Critic Tip of the Day: Stick around for the credits or you'll miss the real ending of the film.

Director: Zack Snyder
Screenwriter: James Gunn; based on the screenplay by George A. Romero
Starring: Sarah Polley (Ana), Ving Rhames (Kenneth), Jake Weber (Michael), Mekhi Phifer (Andre), Inna Korobkina (Luda), Ty Burrell (Steve) and Michael Kelly (C. J.)
Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Rated: R

Official Site of the Dead

SECRET WINDOW (2004)
Columbia Pictures

The best thing about Secret Window is its star, Johnny Depp, who turns in another quirky performance as Mort Rainey, a writer going through two types of hell: divorce and writer's block.

The divorce is hard because his beautiful wife, Amy (Maria Bello), cheated on him and now is with Ted (Timothy Hutton), a guy who could turn out to be a prince or a cad (Hutton plays him both ways). The pressure of the divorce has driven Mort into a depression. He spends far more time on the couch of his cabin than he does in the chair where he writes. He can't focus on his work because of his obsession with his wife and her lover. Both his career and his life are going in the toilet.

One day, a menacing stranger, John Shooter (John Turturro, appropriately creepy), shows up on Mort's doorstep, claiming that Mort stole one of his stories. Shooter demands "satisfaction" and he won't go away until he gets it. Mort's attempts to prove Shooter wrong lead to increasingly malevolent behavior on Shooter's part and erratic behavior on Mort's. Who will wind up the victor in this dangerous game? And what, if anything, does Ted have to do with it?

Secret Window is okay fare, although I could see the "shocking twist" coming far in advance even without having read the Stephen King novella on which the film is based. The acting is uniformly good, including a nice supporting turn by Charles S. Dutton as one of Mort's tough friends. But it's Depp's turn as the wigged-out Mort that grounds the film and makes the final revelation more heart-breaking. Add another distinct personality to Depp's stable of characters. By the way, if Depp should get a Best Actor nomination for his performance (at least, I think he should), then Depp's hairdo deserves a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. I swear it had a life of its own! Anyway, for an afternoon of wicked fun, Secret Window does the trick.

Written and Directed by: David Koepp
Starring: Johnny Depp (Mort Rainey), John Turturro (John Shooter), Maria Bello (Amy Rainey), Timothy Hutton (Ted Milner), Charles S. Dutton (Ken Karsch), Len Cariou (Sheriff Dave Newsome)
Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes
Rated: PG-13

Official Secret Site

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