doomsday complex
Back in 2008, producer James Harris and director Matthias Hoene were working on a horror series called Beyond the Rave The work describes how a group of Londoners fought against a large number of zombies, just to save their lives under such a violent attack. And so much of the humour here comes from the hilarious reactions of two practical, serious British gentlemen to this supernatural phenomenon - which happens to be the inspiration and inspiration for "Cockneys Versus Zombies" The root cause, Horn recalled: "These arrogant, quick-tempered and rude Londoners have a kind of heroic legend, and when they have to face such a terrorist attack that is completely detached from reality, so The fearless bravado it makes is truly incredibly entertaining and has a wide-ranging sense of humour."
Convinced that this hilarious mix of cockeys and zombies would be enough to make a feature film, James Harris decided to enlist his production partner Mark Lane, in their joint venture. With hard work, enough money was quickly prepared for the film project. For British screenwriter James Moran, he has clearly accumulated his own status in the field of horror films And a strong background, a "Severance" (Severance) also verified from all aspects that he really has unparalleled characteristics in creating a suspenseful atmosphere - now it seems that Moran has become a "Cockneys Versus". Zombies" is the most perfect candidate for the screenwriting job, and Matthias Horn has reason to believe that this movie idea, which has already formed a basic concept in his mind, is obviously no more suitable than Moran. "Morland's reverent, pure, three-dimensional and candid description of the Londoner is enough to strike an immediate and real sympathy with every family and close friend living in the city," Horn said. respond."
Several filmmakers are well aware that B-movie territory will always be the best place for horror titles like Cockneys Versus Zombies, but they're also desperately eager for it to be. Break free from the confines of a "typical" zombie movie. In developing the script, James Moran did his best to focus his attention on the characters, and he made a clear statement about their lives and the torments, trials, and tribulations they might endure. The differentiated descriptions ultimately create a story full of passion and sincerity about the importance of not just the family, but the entire community that the zombies threaten to utterly destroy, as a cohesive whole.
"Cockneys Versus Zombies" is the first feature film directed by Matthias Horn. He has a rich background in the production of commercials. The first work he produced in 2001 won the Cannes Advertising Award—— Golden Lion Award. According to James Harris, Horn's unusual experience must have given the film an uncanny dimension and imagination, culminating in a fairly broad-ranging result that they had always intended to achieve, Horn stated: "I wish I could bring the lustrous and sensual side of East London to the film, giving it a real sense of drama, and in a way that has never been seen before. The way someone has tried."
I believe this may be the most unique story element contained in "Cockneys Versus Zombies", that is, to completely separate the East End of London from the gritty and gloomy characteristics that are usually presented on the big screen, through a wide-angle shooting method, It gives the characters a more heroic and legendary color, and at the same time makes a new visual treatment of the city, which is enough to compete with the dramatic and varied horror scenes in American movies - Matthias Ho Eun even compared the adventures of the Londoners to a zombie version of Pirates of the Caribbean, as a standard for his characters to embark on a never-ending and perilous saga.
more than just a zombie movie
Matthias Horn has always had an inseparable passion for zombie movies, and now that he finally has the opportunity to try it himself, he will naturally express his long-standing admiration and respect for the classics in this genre, such as Peter Peter Jackson's Braindead was hailed as one of the bloodiest presentations in horror-comedy, followed by Evil Dead II and Alive. Dawn of the Dead was also a source of inspiration for Horn's imagination. Of course, it is impossible for several filmmakers to forget their deepest love and concern for British cinema, Shaun of the Dead and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) are the pride of their hometown.Horn is very happy to have Alan Ford on board, because Ford has such a profound influence on the crime genre. But on this basis, whether it's Horn or James Harris and Mark Lane, their real goal is to give the world of zombies a new and unique dimension and element of their own, Horn said: "I Trying hard to find an unmistakable fact, and then as far as possible to let it evolve accordingly in a novel way that has never been seen before, free from some conventional formula - and this became "Cockneys Versus Zombies" The fundamental reason why it is so different from other films of the same type, we decided to have the robber as the protagonist here, while still setting the environment in this relatively special place in East London. Even the zombies here are still hideous and slow. It's moving, but the old folks at the nursing home have brought new light to it, because their actions are more sluggish, and the resulting sense of humor will undoubtedly condense a new style of comedy."
How to create a reasonable, believable and eye-catching new look for the zombies in the film is also a focus that requires obsessive attention from Matthias Horn. In the end, he chose to use the traditional style as the The foundation, and then make some small, subtle changes, because only in this way can it be widely recognized by horror fans. In this regard, Horn decided to make famous special effects makeup artist Paul Hyett (Paul Hyett) Ask for help, and then do some extensional development of the zombie appearance, so that they have classic and obvious characteristics, but also provide some unexpected character tension. This time, what Hayter needs to do can be said to be an extremely heavy job, because the makeup team he leads needs to dress up more than 800 extras who play zombies, and complete the 4-week shooting. Pretty subtle detail - since the story of Cockneys Versus Zombies takes place over the course of a day, the flesh and bloodstains of these zombies are "fresh" and haven't been extensively decomposed. In order to make these zombies bring more visual impact, Hayt put on a very special contact lens for the actors . He undoubtedly wanted to take this opportunity to challenge the audience's bottom line and let the "zombies attack" Even more terrifying and unavoidable. Then, the burden was passed on to behavior coach Tristan Matthiea, who was in charge of teaching these extras how to move properly— Maher even made a special "Zombie Behavior Guide" CD that plays on set every morning.
According to James Harris, all zombie movies are timeless and timeless. It is always about the characters and the background, not the zombies themselves, and this "Cockneys Versus Zombies" is no exception. Indeed, what Matthias Horn wants to express in the film is not only this supernatural phenomenon that represents the end of the world, but also an unstoppable and invincible force. He has lived in the East End of London for nearly 15 years. It's been a year and I've seen everything subtly change here - for him, that's a pretty dramatic plot in itself. Horn was distraught at the overdevelopment of industry, which, in turn, was destroying the traditional neighbourhoods of London's East End. As a result, the zombies here have become a symbol and metaphor, that is, the pervasive and large-scale invasion that modernization is difficult to contend with, devouring everyone who lives here.
Matthias Horn's theme of stark contrast between the old and the new, in "Cockneys Versus Zombies", with a continuous visual imagination, highlights the unique emerging power of the East End of London. Completely shrouded old town. There are many scenes here that put the East District in the foreground, while the background is full of dizzying high-rise buildings, directly summed up as the confrontation and struggle between the new and the old, and the threat posed by this is even more overwhelming. As James Harris later summed up, he said: "Our selection of key and important locations in the East End of London is sure to give everyone an undeniable and romantic appeal, especially for For a British film, this is undoubtedly a most special story background."
In addition, the focus of the film is also placed on a group of gray-haired elderly people who are trapped in a nursing home and need to live on pensions, which also makes the characteristics of this theme more prominent and obvious, because what they represent, It is the value of traditional East London. Then, as their grandchildren, the younger generation appeared, and they gradually realized how important it is to protect these ideal and perfect traditions. The reason why these young people want to rob the bank, In fact, it was to raise enough money to keep the dying home for the elderly going—the land would soon be sold for a new, modern apartment building. When the story develops to the end, the grandparents of the McGuires join forces to destroy this massive attack of zombies, and it also indicates that traditional values will eventually overcome the rapid modernization. In fact, in "Cockneys Versus Zombies," where the zombies are just a backdrop or catalyst, what's really going on here is a moving story that revolves around a true Londoner.
As early as when "Cockneys Versus Zombies" was just a screenplay, James Moran created a group of extremely tight-knit Londoners in it, and together they staged a doomsday survival drama in the East End.before officially entering the casting stage, Moran and Matthias Horn have written down all the names of the actors they most want to work with, and used this as a reference to gather a quite ideal and perfect cast.
