A Technical Analysis and Post-Modern Deconstruction of:

“HEART LAND” - A Zombie Film Script from Center Mass Studios.

David Madore,¹ Robert Madore ²

1. The Necropology Institute, Email: david@necropology.com

2. The Necropology Institute, http://necropology.com

Keywords: Zombies, Film, Collins, Paolini, Heart Land

Content:

1. Introduction

2. Film Premise

3. Setting

4. Story and Character Elements

5. Technical and Scientific Accuracy

6. Dialogue

7. Conclusions

1. Introduction

We here at Necropology have been privileged with an insider’s glimpse of what we believe is going to be a truly unique and fascinating film in the zombie genre. We believe that Heart Land contains a technical accuracy and artistic vision that is generally missing in the zombie cinema universe.

It all began when Writer/Director Matt Collins and Producer Delfine Paolini read our Physics Papers on the web and commented to us that they believe our material will influence how they are shooting their zombie movement scenes. We, of course, responded with: “Heart Land? What’s it about?” and they very generously provided us with a script.

We are no strangers to zombie films. One need only reference the fact that we are two pioneering researchers who have chosen to formulate and write papers dealing with the Physics of Zombies to come to the conclusion that we might know a thing or two about zombie films. Heck, this is not even the first script we have read recently let alone over the years.

Yes, we know zombies. Yes, we know zombie films. We also know how terrible and bland many zombie films are and our hopes are rarely raised at the prospect of a new film having anything of worth to add to the spectrum. Bluntly, today’s zombie films are often simply fast-paced special FX bloodbaths, as so:

Story? Rote, the same story over and over again.

Technical accuracy? Little to ludicrous.

Hidden meanings and broader themes? Sorry, no, just what you see, folks.

Thus, with low expectations, we received the script.

THAT is where the fun began.

Plainly spoken, if this film is made the way it is written, it will not only be an epic zombie movie it will be an epic film, period.

We have made our position clear publically, and as a result, we have been peppered with questions from fans, friends and family as to what the film is about and why we are so enthused with the script. Thusly, we have written this review to satisfy those questions and, hopefully, garner interest from readers in a film that we feel is a “game changer” in the zombie field. Moreover, we believe this film has artistic merit that stretches way beyond the genre.

We now present an analysis that is, we hope, both spoiler free and properly informative. We hope the readers enjoy it as much as we enjoyed writing it – and, moreover, gain a sense of the rationale as to why we are so excited.

Before we travel too far into detailed explanations we need to comment on an odd coincidence that happened when we received the script. Bob’s 13 year old son asked him “Dad, I love zombies and all that, but, why doesn’t anyone ever talk about what happens to the kids? What would happen to me if the zombies come and you aren’t around?”

We now know the answer to that question and it scares the living hell out of us.

On with the show…

2. Film Premise

Ostensibly, this film is a zombie survival story. An outbreak hits the American Mid-West and decimates the human population. While the plague affects old and young alike, this story focuses on a handful of children ages four to fifteen who have managed to remain uninfected. They survive initially either singly or in small groups, with the plot eventually bringing the survivors together.

As with all children, some are more mature than others and a dynamic develops in which adolescent and pre-adolescent urges and imperatives drive the group action. What is never far from the core of the script is that they are surviving in a harsh environment and must act quickly to attack, defend and live. They must also “grow up” – regardless of the fact that the group has conflicting notions of what adulthood means. Clearly, some of these children had lousy role models and therefore mayhem ensues.

The meat of the script is the power struggle between the kids. Lord of the Flies and Peter Pan are the grounds, the territory, on which this movie walks. Male leadership versus maternal guidance is at play as in Peter Pan. Older, stronger and more primitive versus young and innocent collide in dangerous ways as in Lord of the Flies.

The film is an allegory (LotF) and homage (Peter Pan). The action and characters course along akin to Lord of the Flies while the elements of Peter Pan are presented literally and manifestly. That is to say, the children in this universe, if asked, would most certainly know Peter while, seemingly, they are unaware of Lord of the Flies (and its consequences). They are swept through an old narrative of which they are unaware.

3. Setting

As crucial as zombies are to this film, the script’s stark and mostly abandoned landscapes say almost as much as the children do. Having personal experience of the Mid-West through travels, we are aware that, at times, most farm communities already look like they might have been previously over run. That is the back drop.

There is something more with setting in this script though. Each character’s childhood home tells back story without having to pelt the audience with endless exposition. No idea what we mean? Surely the reader is aware of characters that break on to the scene in a movie and simply announce “Hi, I am Joey, I come from poverty and my parents are broke, we also never learned to eat without using our hands...” This movie DOES NOT DO THAT!

Ponderous diatribes by new characters are thrown out the window and replaced with one glance at a child’s abode (both former and current). This is vitally important as there are many children in this script. Thus, this movie avoids one of the things that make zombie movies repetitive – the “introduction.” (BIG SHUDDER)

The Middle-America setting becomes crucial in their quest for survival. It plays a practical role in the types of material available to the children to defend, feed and entertain their selves. They fully exploit and explore the surroundings.

Lastly, these children are modern children of a modern American Mid-West, defined by their trappings. The children are the setting and the setting is the children.

4. Story and Character Elements

As we are attempting to be “spoiler free” we are on thin ice in our analysis and we must tread carefully. However, as the story and the characters are a major component of what sets this film apart from others, they must be addressed. We will try our best to give the reader a sense of what happens without revealing what actually happens.

Initially, the audience is dealing with the relationship of a young man and his grandfather. A coming of age moment occurs and is cut short by tragic circumstances. One might say, the whole film follows that example and the theme is repeated. The characters are dealing with the changes inside of themselves while dealing with the whole world changing outside. Sometimes the change is not complete and the children are often more afraid of each other than the danger outside of their door.

School yard bullies become “bunker bullies.” Worse, “bra snappers” (boys who prankishly snap young ladies’ brassieres) might, when presented with opportunity and lawlessness, engage in far worse manifestations of sexual power and dominance.

Lord of the Flies pulled no punches and neither does this film. If you have read Lord of the Flies, you know whereof we speak. Beatings, murder and terrifying victimization fill the pages of Lord of the Flies. While this film is homage, of sorts, to Peter Pan it takes its timeless sensibilities from Golding: society is destroyed, society is rebuilt – badly.

Oh, and, there are zombies in this movie. Loads of them!

In keeping with the Lord of the Flies model, there is a particular zombie that fills both the Piggy and Beast roles. Further, another zombie goes beyond Lord and is utilized as a foil for one of the children’s backstory and convoluted family history in an angst-filled and uncomfortable scene. Let us just say, zombies are important to this film. We need to get off thin ice and discuss the technical merits of the script. Before we do however, we need to state again that this film’s characters drive our enthusiasm as much as its technical accuracy.

5. Technical and Scientific Accuracy

Here are the facts:

We only found ONE technical or scientific inaccuracy in the entire script; a continuity error between pages nine and ten. On page nine, the author had one of the children ring a doorbell to a house. However, the next page clearly states that the house is without electricity. So, how could the doorbell ring? It can’t unless it is an ancient pull rope “clanger.”

That’s it. That is what we found – a magic doorbell.

A quick email to Matt and with a chuckle he agreed to remedy it.

So, if we found a doorbell that should not ring, one can imagine how fine tooth our comb was when we went over this script. That is just how we are.

Now, for the even better news! They have the firearms right!

This is no small feat and something we here at Necropology take very seriously. The Necropology team has over 70 years of combined firearms experience. Bob has 38 years and Dave has 37 years of experience. We both learned to shoot when we were four years old and have not stopped since.

Why do we mention this? Some children are familiar with their uses. Some are not. We were and our children are.

Bob and Dave have now seen some children in a script that have a proper firearms background and knowledge. WE grew up with firearms, WE know this happens, and FINALLY A FILM AGREES! Hoo-rah!

All firearms in the movie are proper. They belong in the setting. They belong in the abundance they should be found in, according to the setting. They are the correct gauges, calibers and capacity.

While some of the children “horse around” with the weapons and treat them like “gangsters” we, for once, are certain this does not come from Matt Collins’ ignorance of firearms (as is the case with most filmmakers). The children, in the film, who act like jackasses with pistols, are doing so, because, well, they are supposed to! It’s who they are, not who the writer is!

So as not to spoil any action sequences we will only comment on one particular weapon used in the script. One child has a .410 shotgun. He has a hunting background. It’s his. If you know anything about firearms, hunting or children’s “starter guns”, then you know they have this correct. Thus, take it on faith that they have the rest of the ordinance, civilian and military, correct.

It’s the Heart Land, the Heart Land has guns. We are in love with the honesty of this as expressed in the script.

Okay, that’s the guns and the doorbell. What about the zombies?

They are awesome. Spot on. Correct. Proper. They don’t eat brains and they don’t do un-zombie things.

They are used in the film the right ways and as both “forces of nature” and as barriers, as well as characters of and to themselves.

THAT IS ALL WE WILL SAY ABOUT THE ZOMBIES. PLEASE STOP ASKING! SAVE SOMETHING FOR THE THEATER!

6. Dialogue

A section on dialogue? WTF? Why?

Okay, here we go. We have to let the readers in on something special about this film. We had considered placing the comments about the film’s dialogue in the “technical accuracy” section because, well, that is what it is – accurate.

This movie is not “Spy Kids 13: Welcome to Zombie Island.”

Thankfully!

This movie is closer to Bully, Kids, River’s Edge, and Let the Right One In in its dialogue and/or sensibilities. (Google them and then buy them and you will understand.)

Let us focus for a moment on Larry Clark’s film Kids. Don’t know it? Let us tell you about it. The kids in Kids are brash, fearless, stupid, smart, caring, horrible, foul-mouthed little pubescent pieces of delinquency. You know, just like the adults they are mimicking and about to become. They face adult situations and speak like adults because they are without adults for most of the day (or their lives). So, that is a movie with kids in it that is not a kids’ movie.

What about The Exorcist? Now there’s a movie! It focuses on a child beset by the devil (in case you have not seen it). Rough language, rough situations and some pretty horrifying scenes.

Movies with children in them do not need to be children’s movies to be enjoyable and profitable. We are pretty sure The Exorcist did okay at the box office.

In Heart Land, the kids have very, very frank discussions about life and their supposed place in it. There is no “Diablo Cody Bullshit Teen-Speak” in sight. Perfect!

The language is real. It is exactly how we remember it to be from our real youth.

If you liked the movie Kick-Ass (which we loved) then prepare yourself for its artful, bleaker cousin: Heart Land.

Necropology endorses the dialogue in this film 100%.

Fuck yeah!

7. Conclusions

The conclusion is simple. We love this movie. If this movie does not get made, as written, we will be pissed. (Excuse us, we are on a roll with the language from the last section!)

If it does get made, as written, we will still be pissed, but in a special way. This movie is going to change the zombie world forever. It will leave its mark, change the game and spawn imitators. Those imitators will suck, but, if we have this movie to watch, we’ll learn to live with the crap that comes after. We will be pissed but we will have consolation.

That’s it folks. Tell your friends.

~Finis~