Gluck-3
I have a very high tolerance for "bad" movies (a term I even have an aversion to use), with a tendency to accentuate the positive. Yet I ran out of patience with this one surprisingly soon.Maybe what did "Mimesis" in was that the idea was pretty wonderful, and the promise of fun inherent in playing with such a beloved and classic movie was tremendous. I was hooked, and was very interested in seeing how the story unfolded.Quick bright sides included the selection of an actress who sweetly resembled the blonde from "Night of the Living Dead" (of "They're coming to get you, Barbara" fame), and as I discovered now, the choice of character names following the first names of the original actors. Very nice touches, indicating a loving homage - which further serves to disappoint, given the dismal end result.Immediately, the film formed frowns. The hero, Duane (AKA, "the black guy"), for example, gives a glass of water to his fallen friend Russell, as obvious as it appears that his throat is chewed off. The reason why the filmmakers did this was to show the water spurting out of the throat, a choice of effect over sanity.Duane carries Russell out front only to be confronted by zombies who are not making any sudden and threatening moves. Duane decides to leave Russell at the mercy of the zombies, threatening one's suspension of belief in a very uncomfortable way.This was only the beginning, however. Example after example of unbelievable moves by the players followed in quick succession. I did not make a list of them, not planning on composing a review, but off the top of my head the group finally encounters a mysterious newcomer upstairs, catching on that he is not what he seems. Except for the mother and daughter, the whole group is together, and in unison there should be strength. One measly zombie appears, and what do they do, particularly with two strong men among them? They rush into a room, locking the door behind them. Absolutely ridiculous.What's more, they lock the newcomer out. How could they possibly do this, given that the newcomer was on the verge of spilling the beans as to why this madness was happening to them. Once again, the choice of plot expedience (he is shown to get killed, but there will be a twist later, during a critical moment when one of the group gets cornered) over reasonableness.Let's not be naive; horror movies in particular can be notorious for stupid plot turns, but when it's one after the other after the other, in such blatant and glaring fashion, the danger point can easily be reached in getting the viewer disconnected.Even with the minor and not overt aspects, the filmmakers constantly display their comfort with a lazy and insensible screenplay; they are only concerned with having the story roll along, no matter what.For example, the masterminds apparently hired actors to play the zombies. (Among others, the large bald man, the long-haired one with the pitchfork, and the lady who took a bite out of the mother's leg.) What actor would possibly expose him or herself to the possibility of death or serious injury, in the playing of a role? (And on the other side of the coin, why would they have consented to commit deadly violence upon others?)The undoing of the movie, in short, is a total contempt for the intelligence of the audience. The resulting disgust on the part of the viewers becomes all the more enhanced, given that the film could have been so much more.The number of glowing reviews for "Mimesis" here at the IMDb is stupefying. Hardly far-fetched to conclude at least some are the handiwork of production insiders, which is somehow a poetic fit to the dishonesty of the movie.As a final note, I was curious about the identity of the police "lieutenant" interviewed at the very end, so charmingly wooden, I suspected he was given the role for his probable connection with "Night of the Living Dead" - as perhaps another example of a loving homage. Unfortunately, this person does not appear to be among the IMDb's cast listing..
puzzle10
This film is very well titled. It positions itself using well crafted elements from NotLD, but the real homage is to our modern zombie zeitgeist.The plot is fresh and well developed. The film is never boring, as it never gets 'stuck' in the homage to NotLD. It becomes its own movie, and does so quite smoothly. By the mid-way point of the film, you are no longer waiting for NotLD to just 'play itself out' on screen.The characters are wonderful. The protagonists superficially reflect those from the original film, yet we know these people more from our current experiences with the zombie craze in popular culture. Overall, the production quality of this film is very good. There are a few questionable shots - with speedy cinematography or editing that really didn't fit the scene - but the other 99.9% of the visuals are clear and effective. The $500K production budget was put to good use. I gotta say - I really loved this film. Somebody give these folks some money to make more films, because they did a great job.
alex_ashman
I'm a huge fan of zombie films and i loved the classic 'night of the living dead' so just had to check this out. Glad i did! Watch it, it's brilliantly made and very original. Spot on acting, great effects, fab storyline, can't go wrong! Gave me some scares too!! I heard the director did some other great horrors too, i'll be checking them out soon. Didn't get why this film has such negative reviews, nowadays people are harsh with films and just want every movie to be PERFECT. News flash; there's no such thing! They are here for entertainment, and i can say that this film provides just that. I'll be first in line for mimesis 2!
steve_k48060
Just saw the premier showing of this last night at the McMorran Complex in Port Huron, Michigan. All (or most of) the actors and actresses were at the showing which made it all that much more interesting. I have to say that I enjoyed this movie very much, even if it were a little bit on the "campy" side. But perhaps that is because I am biased. I am also a big fan of the original Night of the Living Dead Romero Classic from the late 1960's. This movie was made on similar budget as that, albeit updated to the current price of movie making as compared to 40 or so years ago. The effects were good enough to grab most of the audiences attention as far as the reactions went, including myself! It was nearly a sold out movie theater, and I can tell you from the unemployment in this part of the world that is a rare thing in this town for sure! Let me say that it gave me a bit of the "Halloween Spirit" that I haven't had for a few years now. Dare I say it made me giddy? Anyways, I would definitely recommend this indie as a must see for the low(er) budget horror flick fan.
