ZombieLand is a comedy horror film that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. It follows the story of several survivors, each with their own set of rules for staying alive. The film uses flashbacks to develop characters and explain their backstories, allowing it to get straight into action scenes. It also makes the audience care about the characters through learning their motivations and past lives. Character relationships are built up over the film, and they face sacrifices to test these new bonds. This helps drive the plot and ensures the audience remains interested in the outcome.

1. ZombieLand Brief Analysis.
This film introduces a world were zombies have taken over and the last few humans
remaining are constantly fighting for their lives. It starts with the main character narrating
as he tells the audience about his rules of survival. These rules are commonly referred to
throughout the film. As comedy is the number one genre in film business when it comes to
making money, ZombieLand has the upper hand compared to the rest of the horror movies
released in 2009. It won the Fangoria Chainsaw award, the San Diego Film Critics Society
award, the Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival, came second for the Central Ohio
Film Critics Association award, and was nominated for many others.
Music was used in a very important way in this film as every character seemed to have their
own personal sound track for when they made an entrance. This applied to the dramatic
characters most, as their entrance throughout the blood splattered battles brought hope,
and they audience could tell who was coming just by the music beginning. It also helped the
audience grasp what sort of person the characters were, as Columbus had a very weak and
quiet soundtrack compared to the zombie slaying Tallahassee.
The film used flashbacks to explain how people’s lives were before the zombie apocalypse,
which also helped to explain the type of character they were. This saved time and allowed
the film to get straight into the action instead of how most put the audience through a
boring half hour while explaining how people’s lives are about to change. Because of this
the film would have sparked the audience’s interest straight away.
Another important feature is that the film makes you care about the characters. Because if
you don’t’, where’s the excitement and fear when they go off into the face of danger? Again
flashbacks are a helpful when explain the characters past. It helps the audience understand
the characters reasons for all that they are doing, and even more, the audience will care
about how they characters are doing through these challenges. When Tallahassee goes off
to sacrifice himself as a distraction, the audience care because the film took the time to
show flashbacks of how he lost his son and what he’s really fighting for. And Columbus, a
student whose only ever wanted a family of some sorts and a girl to care for, will forever
have the support of the audience as he get’s over his phobia’s to save the girl he loves. All
because his story has been told enough for the audience to understand and care.
Following on from flashbacks and gaining the audience’s interest, the build up of
relationships and the development of characters is another big part of selling the film. If the
characters are in the same situation and the end as they were at the beginning then nothing
has been achieved and the audience will feel that the film was a waste of time. However,
through ZombieLand it shows two sisters who learnt to trust other people besides just each
other, a student who finds a new family and a girlfriend, as well as his courage, and a
cowboy who found his Twinkie (for the comedy side of the production.) Tying in with that
last point, sacrifice is also shown to test these newly built relationships. A woman sacrificing

2. her safety for the lost childhood of her younger sister; the phobia ridden student sacrificing
his rules of survival for the girl of his dreams and the rebellious hero sacrificing himself for
the survival of young love. All of this ties in with the film making the audience care, whci will
always be the biggest selling point.