Thanksgiving weekend. A time for shopping, Disneyland, turkey, and movies. I was playing schedule tetris in my head, trying to figure what movie to see on Wednesday (despite my maxed out A-List for the week) to get a jump on all of it. Then I got an email from Arclight about a free screening of Anna and the Apocalypse two weeks early. Decision quickly made! They claimed to have some fun festitivies associated, but they kinda fizzled. However, I did get to take a photo with a bloody snowman.
It’s Christmas time somewhere in the UK, and Anna is filled with all the usual existential angst. She wants to break free of her little town and find love and adventure. She wants it so much, she sings about it ala High School Musical, and she’s not the only one. Her inner circle are all looking for similar things, and singing about them. A few songs in, after her friends have performed at the school Christmas show which Anna has noped out of, zomebies appear. Anna’s priorities change in an instant as she tries to find her father and get out of town. And yes, she continues singing about it.
This is easily one of, if not the most, fun movies of the year. The sense of humor that was struck is absolutely perfect. The incredible cast (who really could lead another installment of HSM) play it all completely straight, which then gives a tongue in cheek vibe to the whole thing. It really does feel like a teeny bopper musical that happens to have zombies in it, and that juxtaposition is what’s so hilarious. I’ve since acquired the soundtrack, I just haven’t gotten around to listening to it yet.
I could go on and on about what I enjoyed about the film (and possibly dive into the inevitable comparison with Shaun of the Dead) but honestly, I don’t wanna give too much away. The film was filled with one surprise after another, and they deserve to be unwrapped on their own.
Anna and the Apocalypse – \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/