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Here are some movies you can keep yourself entertained, while you wait for the Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic to pass. If you like this theme, any Zombie movies will also fit here as well. Some zombie films worth checking is any of George Romero’s Dead films (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, etc.), Return of the Living Dead series (not related to Romero’s Dead films), Shaun of the Dead, Night of the Living Deb, and the Italian film series Zombi.
The list below is mostly horror films, since it’s a genre that I like. Dramas like Outbreak (1995) and Contagion (2011), while fairly accurate and reflects real-world scenarios, I am just not a fan.
QUARANTINE (2008)
Sony Pictures
The 2008 found footage horror film Quarantine was based on the successful Spanish film [REC] (2007). REC was a hit in Spain, that it spawned three sequels (Rec 2, Rec 3: Genesis, and Rec 4: Apocalypse).
While Quarantine was a good remake, and closely followed the story, in Rec, its sequel Quarantine 2: Terminal (2011) was an entirely original story.
The plot of Rec and Quarantine is about a news reporter and cameraman, who was documenting a typical run-of-the-mill story about firefighters. They soon find themselves trapped in a building that was quarantined by the CDC.
In the American film, reporter Angela Vidal and cameraman Scott Percival, had to fight to survive from infected residents of the building. Thanks to its “found footage” style, special effects were kept to a minimum, and director John Erick Dowdle did a good job using darkness and audio tricks to bring us fear through our imagination.
The problem with any found-footage films, are that it’s somewhat unrealistic to expect the characters to continuously film each other’s deaths without throwing down the camera and just f-it and get out. Obviously, to tell its story, the cameraman will film the entire story, in real-time.
Its sequel, Quarantine 2: Terminal, continues the story that the mutated rabies virus escaped the building and overtook an airport. This new story follows several passengers and their fight to survive the deadly virus.
The real horror in these films is that this rabies virus could actually happen. That’s the real horror.
The list below is mostly horror films, since it’s a genre that I like. Dramas like Outbreak (1995) and Contagion (2011), while fairly accurate and reflects real-world scenarios, I am just not a fan.
QUARANTINE (2008)
Sony Pictures
The 2008 found footage horror film Quarantine was based on the successful Spanish film [REC] (2007). REC was a hit in Spain, that it spawned three sequels (Rec 2, Rec 3: Genesis, and Rec 4: Apocalypse).
While Quarantine was a good remake, and closely followed the story, in Rec, its sequel Quarantine 2: Terminal (2011) was an entirely original story.
The plot of Rec and Quarantine is about a news reporter and cameraman, who was documenting a typical run-of-the-mill story about firefighters. They soon find themselves trapped in a building that was quarantined by the CDC.
In the American film, reporter Angela Vidal and cameraman Scott Percival, had to fight to survive from infected residents of the building. Thanks to its “found footage” style, special effects were kept to a minimum, and director John Erick Dowdle did a good job using darkness and audio tricks to bring us fear through our imagination.
The problem with any found-footage films, are that it’s somewhat unrealistic to expect the characters to continuously film each other’s deaths without throwing down the camera and just f-it and get out. Obviously, to tell its story, the cameraman will film the entire story, in real-time.
Its sequel, Quarantine 2: Terminal, continues the story that the mutated rabies virus escaped the building and overtook an airport. This new story follows several passengers and their fight to survive the deadly virus.
The real horror in these films is that this rabies virus could actually happen. That’s the real horror.
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CABIN FEVER (2002)
Lionsgate Films
In his directorial debut, writer/director Eli Roth did an amazing job on his horror film Cabin Fever in 2002. This is a story about a flesh-eating virus and how a group of friends deal with it, as they are isolated in a cabin in the woods.
It’s obvious that Roth was inspired by many horror films. For example, the cabin in the woods seemed like it was ripped off from Evil Dead, and its ending was obviously from the original Night of the Living Dead. You know what Oscar Wilde said, “Talent borrows, genius steals.”
Although the film is a low-budget film, it never felt like they had to comprise in its storytelling. While the film also borrows from various elements from other films, it was still very well-done and overall a good film. You never love any of the characters (this was done intentionally), so you never felt that bad that the flesh-eating virus was destroying this group of friends.
If you enjoy cheesy or gorey films, this is one worth checking out. If you don’t like Roth’s later films, like Hostel, you should probably avoid this one.
Incidentally, this film was later re-made (shot for shot!) in 2016 by Travis Z. While it was interesting to see an updated version of the film, it ultimately failed as it didn’t bring anything new to the table. What was the point?
The other two Cabin Fever sequels, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever and Cabin Fever: Patient Zero, also failed to capture the first film’s imagination, gore and… fun. They suffered, because its creator, Eli Roth, had nothing to do with the sequels - other than producing or lending his name to help sell the film to producers.
Lionsgate Films
In his directorial debut, writer/director Eli Roth did an amazing job on his horror film Cabin Fever in 2002. This is a story about a flesh-eating virus and how a group of friends deal with it, as they are isolated in a cabin in the woods.
It’s obvious that Roth was inspired by many horror films. For example, the cabin in the woods seemed like it was ripped off from Evil Dead, and its ending was obviously from the original Night of the Living Dead. You know what Oscar Wilde said, “Talent borrows, genius steals.”
Although the film is a low-budget film, it never felt like they had to comprise in its storytelling. While the film also borrows from various elements from other films, it was still very well-done and overall a good film. You never love any of the characters (this was done intentionally), so you never felt that bad that the flesh-eating virus was destroying this group of friends.
If you enjoy cheesy or gorey films, this is one worth checking out. If you don’t like Roth’s later films, like Hostel, you should probably avoid this one.
Incidentally, this film was later re-made (shot for shot!) in 2016 by Travis Z. While it was interesting to see an updated version of the film, it ultimately failed as it didn’t bring anything new to the table. What was the point?
The other two Cabin Fever sequels, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever and Cabin Fever: Patient Zero, also failed to capture the first film’s imagination, gore and… fun. They suffered, because its creator, Eli Roth, had nothing to do with the sequels - other than producing or lending his name to help sell the film to producers.
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12 MONKEYS (1995)
Universal Pictures
The classic Science Fiction/time-travelling story of 12 Monkeys (aka Twelve Monkeys) is absolutely amazing. This is the film that made me become a Terry Gilliam fan… even though I did not love his later films. Between 12 Monkeys and the Orwellian film Brazil, I can say I like Gilliam.
Bruce Willis stars as a time traveler in 12 Monkeys. He’s from a future that is ravaged by some sort of global pandemic that wiped out nearly all humans. So the government sends Willis back in time to try to discover (and possibly stop) this world-ending virus. You know as much as Willis, as he uncovers all the clues, and ultimately uncovers the truth about virus.
The only problem you might have with the film is that it spends much of its time slow-burning through scenarios that ultimately didn’t lead anywhere… and made the film run very long. It’s deliberate, because they’re put in there to misdirect Willis… but still, it felt like a little waste of time.
PS, I didn’t find out years later, after buying the DVD, that the film was based on a short French film La Jetée, which explains some fo the surrealistic approach that Gilliam took.
Universal Pictures
The classic Science Fiction/time-travelling story of 12 Monkeys (aka Twelve Monkeys) is absolutely amazing. This is the film that made me become a Terry Gilliam fan… even though I did not love his later films. Between 12 Monkeys and the Orwellian film Brazil, I can say I like Gilliam.
Bruce Willis stars as a time traveler in 12 Monkeys. He’s from a future that is ravaged by some sort of global pandemic that wiped out nearly all humans. So the government sends Willis back in time to try to discover (and possibly stop) this world-ending virus. You know as much as Willis, as he uncovers all the clues, and ultimately uncovers the truth about virus.
The only problem you might have with the film is that it spends much of its time slow-burning through scenarios that ultimately didn’t lead anywhere… and made the film run very long. It’s deliberate, because they’re put in there to misdirect Willis… but still, it felt like a little waste of time.
PS, I didn’t find out years later, after buying the DVD, that the film was based on a short French film La Jetée, which explains some fo the surrealistic approach that Gilliam took.
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28 DAYS LATER (2002)
Fox Searchlight Pictures
The British horror film 28 Days Later came out at a time (2002) that there was a dry-spell in the Zombie movie genre. This film may have inspired the term “fast zombies” (all George Romero’s zombie films have always been slow-moving zombies)… but technically, the infected of England were not zombies. The infected was a result of some sort of maddening virus.
The film looks very low-budget and cheap, since director Danny Boyle, decided to shoot the film with consumer video recorders. At least visually - it’s possible that they shot the film on very high-end professional cameras, but in post-production, made the fidelity to a cheap cam. I say that, because it’s obvious that Boyle was trying to hide some of the special effects, by making the film grainy or quick-cuts to leave it to our imagination. The visuals mostly work, but after re-visiting the film recently, it doesn’t hold up to Bluray standards (it just looks awful).
The film spawned a sequel, 28 Weeks Later in 2007, and starring Robert Carlyle. In many ways, 28 Weeks improved over the original film - by expanding the original story. Everything in Weeks improved, from a bigger story, to upgrading the cheap home camera to widescreen… and felt like they had a point to make.
Still, no one can deny that 28 Days Later brought back a real interest in the zombie genre (even though they’re technically not zombies).
Fox Searchlight Pictures
The British horror film 28 Days Later came out at a time (2002) that there was a dry-spell in the Zombie movie genre. This film may have inspired the term “fast zombies” (all George Romero’s zombie films have always been slow-moving zombies)… but technically, the infected of England were not zombies. The infected was a result of some sort of maddening virus.
The film looks very low-budget and cheap, since director Danny Boyle, decided to shoot the film with consumer video recorders. At least visually - it’s possible that they shot the film on very high-end professional cameras, but in post-production, made the fidelity to a cheap cam. I say that, because it’s obvious that Boyle was trying to hide some of the special effects, by making the film grainy or quick-cuts to leave it to our imagination. The visuals mostly work, but after re-visiting the film recently, it doesn’t hold up to Bluray standards (it just looks awful).
The film spawned a sequel, 28 Weeks Later in 2007, and starring Robert Carlyle. In many ways, 28 Weeks improved over the original film - by expanding the original story. Everything in Weeks improved, from a bigger story, to upgrading the cheap home camera to widescreen… and felt like they had a point to make.
Still, no one can deny that 28 Days Later brought back a real interest in the zombie genre (even though they’re technically not zombies).
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THE CRAZIES (1973)
Cambist Films
This 1973 horror film, The Crazies (aka Code Name: Trixie), was written and directed by the Zombie father George A. Romero. The premise is about a small American town that got infected with some sort of military biological weapon.
It was a box office failure, but it’s become somewhat a cult film. There was enough interest in the original film that they decided to remake the Romero classic in 2010. The remake actually made profit, and did a good job in re-telling the original, but set in a modern atmosphere.
With many Romero’s films, there is an underlying message of the film. If anything, the real horror isn’t the biological thing that makes people into violent crazy murderers… but that the horror comes from our government and what we’ve created.
NOTABLY MENTIONS: If you’re into Zom-Com (Zombie Comedies), we’ve already compiled a here, check out Night of the Living Deb (2015), Cooties (2014), and Shaun of the Dead (2004) .
Cambist Films
This 1973 horror film, The Crazies (aka Code Name: Trixie), was written and directed by the Zombie father George A. Romero. The premise is about a small American town that got infected with some sort of military biological weapon.
It was a box office failure, but it’s become somewhat a cult film. There was enough interest in the original film that they decided to remake the Romero classic in 2010. The remake actually made profit, and did a good job in re-telling the original, but set in a modern atmosphere.
With many Romero’s films, there is an underlying message of the film. If anything, the real horror isn’t the biological thing that makes people into violent crazy murderers… but that the horror comes from our government and what we’ve created.
NOTABLY MENTIONS: If you’re into Zom-Com (Zombie Comedies), we’ve already compiled a here, check out Night of the Living Deb (2015), Cooties (2014), and Shaun of the Dead (2004) .
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