woody harrelson

Want to win some official Zombieland loot? Of course you do. Netflix has paired up with them to run an exclusive trivia contest. For you social networking butterflies, check out their Facebook page. You've got to move on this one, though. It's already begun and the deadline is 24 hours from 11:00 a.m. PST today. Yes, for 24 hours only. Fans will be entered to win a "Zombie" costume as well as the actual hat worn by "Tallahassee" in the movie just for answering a trivia question on the Netflix Facebook page. And if you're reading HorrorSquad, trivia is probably one of the more potent weapons in your arsenal. The winner will be drawn from the fans who answer the trivia question correctly. Let's make the winner an HS reader, shall we? The window is closing quickly, so get on it and add some Woody Harrelson cool to your wardrobe. Oh, and if you win, send us some pics of the new get-up, why don't you?

Can the rules of Zombieland include awesome DVD/Blu-ray extras? I think they can! Beyond the break you'll find a preview of some of the disc's special features, thanks to the good people at Dread Central.

Exclusive to the Blu-ray disc is Sony's unique movieIQ feature and a picture-in-picture commentary track, titled 'Beneath the Graveyard,' which allows for access to behind-the-scenes footage, animatics and storyboards. The disc will also contain commentary by Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg, director Ruben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. There will also be several making-of featurettes, including 'In Search of Zombieland, which is a series of visual effects progression, deleted scenes and trailers. Nifty!

In Zombieland, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) are part of a small group of zombie plague survivors that fight their way across America. Hilarity ensues. You can read my review of the film here and make sure to order the Blu-ray or DVD today.

Skip past the break for the extras preview!

Yes, you read that right. Zombieland director Reuben Fleischer chatted with Moviehole last week and confirmed that Sony is interested in a sequel to the hit zom-com about a group of plague survivors fighting their way across America. He also confirmed that the entire cast is ready for round two but there was no word on when. "Whenever we crack it," was Fleischer's only clue as to when Sony would get moving. But before anyone could feel too bummed about it, Variety confirmed that Sony has closed deals with the film's producer, Gavin Polone and Fleischer for a sequel in 3D.

Negotiations are already under way to get stars Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg to reprise their roles as the zombie killing odd couple, Tallahassee and Columbus. Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick who penned the original will return for the sequel. Polone told Variety he felt the 3D technique would be perfect for the film. "Everyone had fun watching Zombieland; making it a more visceral experience can only make it better," he said. Woody Harrelson has expressed an interest in seeing the film set in Paris or Broadway but no further details have been confirmed. There's also no word yet if Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone will make a comeback as the devious turned sweet sisters who team up with the boys for undead adventures.

I know the sequel haters are freaking out right now, but you had to know this was inevitable. Admittedly, I'm not sure if I'm sold on the 3D aspect. I hope the group can think of more clever rules to follow and deliver the gore that will make it worthwhile. Do you think the storyline warrants a 3D format or are these guys just hopping on the 3D bandwagon (which seems to be heavily laden these days)?

The world as we know it has come to an end, and that's not much more of an inconvenience for Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) than he was already used to. He's a Mountain Dew-chugging loser whose introverted ways have turned him into an ideal loner for the post-apocalyptic realm -- as paranoid, vigilante and neurotic as they come, beholden only to his own strict set of rules (cardio good, bathrooms bad, always shoot zombies twice, etc.).

And so, while he doesn't want to become attached to the scruffy likes of Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), their chance meeting provides as good an excuse as any for Columbus to try and recover whatever's left of his family in... well, Columbus. Oh, the names? Again, no one wants to get too attached once the infection hits the fan. That's just how one tends to roll as a resident of Zombieland.

Zombieland is aiming to become one of the most unapologetic movies of the year. Sure that's an obvious task when you make a horror comedy, but it's not always easy to do. Go over the top and you're Scary Movie 4, go too low brow and you're Terror at Blood Fart Lake. Fortunately during Scott Weinberg's set visit, director Ruben Fleischer made clear the balance he's trying to strike for his first major studio picture, "The movie is basically kind of the hybrid of 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead, I guess. It's a comedic look at the post apocalyptic zombie world and it's a band of survivors that kind of met along the way."

If that hybrid doesn't make much sense on the surface, take a gander at the new, decidedly Not Safe for Work Red-Band trailer. It looks like cast and crew are treating the end of the world as their unrestricted playground. Woody Harrleson luring the undead with 'Dueling Banjos'? Abigail Breslin holding a shotgun? Jesse Eisenberg's profanity laden, trailer-stealing tirade? It all looks like a end-of-the-world blast.



(Psst, enter your B-day in those tiny little boxes to get it to play)

I always seem to start these pieces the same way: "I don't normally do set visits," given my general distaste for air travel and a frequent disinterest for movie sets, but once in a while ... something fun and easy comes along, and I go for the ride. The friendly folks at Sony invited me to visit the set of a flick called (wait for it) Zombieland! Come on! If you know anything about me, then you know "Zombieland" is a place I want to visit, even if it is just a movie set! (Oh, and the flight was from Philadelphia to Atlanta, and that really helped to seal the deal.)

So I arrive in the surprisingly quiet but very charming section of Atlanta (a city I'd love to revisit soon) and am greeted by several gracious colleagues -- and ... what's this? Mr. James Rocchi, an old friend to Cinematical and one of my very best buddies? He was here for the Zombieland set visit too? Toss in a quick beer with some of my Signal pals ... and this turned out to be a smart trip.

But here's where I'll let you in on a little secret. Gather 'round, movie geeks. Ready? Here it is: movie sets are really boring! No, it's true! It's like wandering through a stunningly orchestrated construction site that also has a tiny little stage play taking place in a corner somewhere. If you're interested in the crafts of photography, fashion, carpentry, or electrical engineering, then a movie set could be pretty fascinating. (But you'd keep getting bumped into, believe me.) Luckily for us, "set visits" are just a bit more elaborate than a normal day on the set...

Just when it seemed that October might be super-serious with its horror and dramatic offerings -- Shutter Island to Sorority Row, The Stepfather to Saw VI -- we get our first look at the fun-looking Zombieland, an action-horror-comedy in which Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone (!) and Abigail Breslin all team up in the post-apocalyptic wasteland and whoop some undead ass.

The tone of at least the trailer (I could see the narration carrying over to the film) strikes me as something like Shaun of the Dead crossed with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I for one don't think that intersection's a bad place to be. The vague set visit rumblings I've heard suggest that this could be just as fun as it looks, though whether or not they'll run with an R rating remains to be determined. My hopes, of course, are that they go nuts with it. Breslin can wait and watch the finished film when she's old enough, but I wouldn't have to wait.

I like the sound of that. I could totally live with that compromise.

Anyhoo, Zombieland comes at you and me and everyone we know with a baseball bat on October 9th.