I decided to watch them back-to-back since it's been a decade since I've last seen them (28 Days Later will have its 20th! anniversary in 2023. We'll have to wait a while longer for Weeks, as it was released in 2007).All-in-all, I feel as if 28 Days Later established itself quite well, but it was the sequel that ran with it.Things I love about 28 Days Later:The days when Tango and Lilt were still a drinkMark talking about the train station, and how you couldn't tell who was infected or not.Mark getting bit and Selena ending his life.Brendan Gleeson, a proud Irishman, doing a stellar British accentBrendan Gleeson's scene where he turns.Horses"I promised them women"The airplane in the sky scene, which was improvised as they were filming that day and Danny saw it and asked his cinematographer to quickly capture it.Jim straight-up murdering every soldier he comes across.Danny Boyle still hasn't perfected his gonzo style, but he's getting there. Speaking of style, though it has aged (it came out in 2003, but they shot it using cheap cameras for a more documentary feel), he still absolutely owns it.David Schneider is in this!Things I love about 28 Weeks Later:The beginning scene at the cottege is truly a masterclass in writing, that keeps revealing itself (a couple making dinner, turns into a dinner scene, which turns into an intruder coming to the door, which reveals it's actually daytime, the intruder saying he was being followed, the infected crashing into the cottage, people die, and then Don abandons Alice, Don now has to run for his life, then there's the boat scene, and then there's Jacob -- one of the people staying in the cottage -- trying to get onto the boat even though he's infected, then Don driving away -- all of this happens in the beginning before the film even properly starts!)Imogen Poots' first role (she was in V for Vendetta before this, but it was a non-speaking role) and honestly, for a first-timer, she is absurdly good.The cast includes Jeremy Renner (who is also in Assassination of Jesse James IN THE SAME YEAR), Rose Bryne (who I swear, is as versatile as a switch-blade), Idris Elba, and Harold Perrineau and Matt Reeves, though sadly it's not THE Matt Reeves but some actor named after him AND Robert Carlyle.Alice is alive and well.The scene where Don kills Alice (spoiler?) is still effective and downright fucking vile with the way Don, who as an infected, is so full of rage that he hits and bites her while she's still strapped to the bed.Code Red scene.Scene where Harrold, a pilot of a helicopter, slices through a group of infected.The scene where Scarlet (Rose) has to drive through the streets of London, while being chased by another helicopter, while ALSO avoiding poisonous gasThey fucking INVENTED a day-to-night process where they shot in the day, then translated that to night-time in post. Again: they INVENTED IT specifically for this film.Daddy stalking them everywhere is always a great touch, especially since it's Robert Carlyle chewing the scenery while in infected make-up."Go, Go, Go" is still by-far the best song in the soundtrack. John Murphy needs to come back (edit: apparently he's coming back to score The Suicide Squad for James Gunn. Did you know he also scored Michael Mann's Miami Vice???)What I loved about both:John Murphy's score is still, to this day, ridiculously good.Amid COVID, this film is still quite effective.Both Imogen Poots and Cillian Murphy were relatively unknown at the time (Imogen's first role, Cillian had been in a few short films and previously had been in Disco Pigs).Danny Boyle made The Beach prior to "Days" and Rowan Joffe co-wrote "Weeks"What I want from 28 Months Later:It should be directed by either: Radio Silence or maybe Panos Cosmatos (though the last time I checked, Danny is coming back to direct it).Keep it isolated. Having it now be spread across the globe will just dilute it.KEEP the FORMAT. If we get a 24 Months Later, there won't be much point in calling it the 28 Trilogy!Anyway, if you're looking for something to watch while in quarantine, they both hold up, but it amazes me that they were able to get a sequel that is just as good as the film that helped establish it. via /r/movies https://ift.tt/2C2z7rM
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