Reviews
[Review] Netflix’s “Kingdom” Makes for a Must-Watch Contribution to the Zombie Genre
The zombie genre has long needed some revitalization in creativity, and Netflix’s “Kingdom“ might be the answer to our undead needs. Directed by Kim Seong-hun and written by Kim Eun-hee, “Kingdom” is a South Korean zombie TV show and a fascinating horror gem. The show is an adaptation of the webcomic series, The Kingdom of the Gods (also authored by Kim Eun-hee), and it’s been streaming on Netflix as of late last month.
A historical period piece, “Kingdom” takes place in Korea’s medieval Joseon period. Taking the lead in the story is the Crown Prince Yi-Chang, who finds himself in the middle of a political conspiracy after his father is taken ill; that is until we realize there’s more going on with the father. Eventually, the Prince becomes aware of the zombie virus and works with neighboring villages to keep the outbreak from spreading.
The Prince is a character who reveals more layers of intrigue over time, making him a strong protagonist. Each conflict that comes by the Prince pushes him to become a wiser leader; as the viewer, these moments of leadership allow us to further connect and root for him. Other than the Prince, the majority of the cast does a superb job adding to the show’s dramatic, and sometimes, comedic moments. The small bits of humor that do pop up help to bring some ease throughout an otherwise grim story.
One of the show’s most interesting qualities is its setting; other than stunning set pieces, taking place in medieval Korea offers fascinating dynamics in survival. There’s a greater sense of tension due to the lack of technology and societal conveniences. When a village has to move by foot, tugging carts full of supplies, it becomes nerve-racking to watch people try and run from hordes of zombies.
The violence itself is brutally satisfying; the first episode does a great job introducing us to our main cast, ending on a terrifying note and going full throttle for the next five episodes. Over time we see the cast learn how to combat the zombies, presenting epic moments of samurai swords slashing away and decapitating the undead. There’s an interesting catch with the zombies that I will not spoil, but it is a logic that works well for the pacing of the narrative.
At the core of “Kingdom,” however, is a story of class struggle; equally as intense as the show’s horror is that of the social commentary at work. We learn that the Prince’s father has married a young woman of another clan, and upon becoming ill, that clan begins advancing their control over the country. Throughout the show, we witness multiple examples of how well the wealthy live, along with the horrific conditions the poor must endure. Whereas the wealthy have access to food such as meat, the poor have to drink water from the same place they go to the bathroom. There’s a moment where an entire village has to leave due to a zombie threat, but only has access to one boat; the noblemen take the boat for themselves, seeing their lives as more important than those they deem beneath them.
“Kingdom” does a superb job presenting a socially conscious horror story. The poor are trapped in a hierarchy of power; as the wealthy and royal prosper, the poor are left to struggle – the use of the undead represents a country desperate for survival, even if it means eating one another. In the midst of this social discourse, the Prince makes for a compelling character, being one of royalty and wanting to help those less fortunate.
“Kingdom” is by far one of the most compelling works to come out of the zombie genre. Through its style and handling of themes, the series proves there is still plenty of room for creative zombie stories. As a six-episode long season, the ending leaves viewers on an intense cliffhanger that’ll get them hungry for season two. Thanks to strong acting, gripping action and drama, gruesome visuals, and an overall powerful narrative, “Kingdom” is a must watch for horror fans.
Home Video
‘Killer Klowns from Outer Space’ 4K Review – It’s Time to Upgrade This Movie One More Time
Scream Factory has just released Killer Klowns from Outer Space in 4K to celebrate its 35th Anniversary, and what an exciting time to be a fan of the 1980s movie. With the recent surge of Klownapalooza happening in the past few years, including tons of merch made available by Spirit Halloween and the much-anticipated video game scheduled to be released next month, it seems apropos for the Klowns to finally make their 4K debut.
In 1988, the Chiodo Brothers (consisting of siblings Stephen, Charles and Edward) took their seemingly ridiculous premise of having otherworldly monsters in the form of circus clowns land on Earth to wreak havoc on a quiet little town and produced it into a full-length motion picture. Inspired by creature features and B-movies alike, their unconventional film with a deliberately hokey title would garner an initially significant following that evolved into a major cult classic close to four decades later.
In Killer Klowns, After seeing what they perceive to be a comet crash down in the woods, Mike (Grant Cramer, Hardbodies, New Year’s Evil) and Debbie (Suzanne Snyder, Weird Science, Return of the Living Dead Part 2) investigate, only to find a totally misplaced Big Top circus tent with some high-tech interior décor and loads of cotton candy. It all seems like a fun time for all, until Mike discovers that the cotton candy contains the bloody corpses of local townsfolk.
The couple seek help from the local police, who of course do not believe their whacky tale. It doesn’t help that the officers include the grumpy Curtis Mooney (played by the late John Vernon in a role almost as memorable as the Dean he portrayed in Animal House) and Debbie’s ex, Dave Hanson (John Allen Nelson, former Baywatch hunk). Hanson is more receptive to their accusations, because he still has a huge soft spot for Debbie, but also has some serious ill will towards Mike for being his replacement. This dynamic is understandably super awkward and a nice little subplot to get you to care about those characters, because who doesn’t enjoy a nice little love triangle. On the flip side, Mooney believes it is only a promotional stunt by Mike’s BFFs, the offbeat Terenzi Brothers (Michael S. Siegel and Peter Licassi), who sell ice cream out of their truck adorned with a giant clown head.
Soon the Klowns get down on the town and start their reign of terror. Will they take over the planet and turn it into one giant cotton candy cocoon? Will Dave win Debbie back or just pummel Mike to let his aggression out? Will the Terenzi Brothers score with the ladies without needing to bribe them with unlimited ice cream? Will Mooney ever crack a smile? All these questions and more are answered in the 88-minute running time.
The Chiodo Brothers created a bizarre yet beautiful carnival of creativity with the Killer Klowns universe that is a major part of the film’s appeal and hardcore fanbase. Let’s start with the Klown headliners— Jumbo, Fatso, Shorty (my boo), Rudy, Spikey, Slim, Bibbo, and Chubby. They are all great villains, vastly unique in look, personality, and weaponry. And that weaponry dreamt up by the Chiodo Brothers is as innovative as the Klowns themselves. The Klowns hunt their prey with cotton candy cocoon guns, flesh-eating popcorn, lethal shadow puppetry, super-sized mallets, animated balloon animals, and boxing gloves with some serious extra “pop.” And if you haven’t seen the film and you think those gadgets sound cool, well they are even more awesome to see in action. Even if the special effects are from the ’80s.
All this talk about extraterrestrial clowns and circus weaponry can easily overshadow our human stars. Kramer, Snyder, Nelson, and Mooney are all fantastic as the leads, playing their parts perfectly. And then there are appearances by veteran actor Royal Dano (Ghoulies 2) and Christopher Titus (Titus), well before his popularity hit its stride.
Now I am sure you are wondering how Scream Factory did with the transfer, and you will be pleased to know that they did an awesome job. The picture is absolutely gorgeous and quite a step up from the previous Blu-ray release. Considering that legacy Blu-ray looked pretty good, you can imagine how great the Dolby Vision is for this 4K presentation. Wish the audio was Dolby Atmos instead of DTS, but not a deal breaker by any means because the sound is fine.
The 4K also comes with a Blu-ray that houses the bonus features. There are not a ton of extras, but the ones they have are very interesting, even if previously released: a making-of featurette, an SFX featurette and a featurette dedicated to the film’s score. There are also deleted scenes, bloopers, audio commentary with the Chiodo Brothers, Easter Eggs, and more.
If you are ready to open your wallet and grab a copy, there are a few editions to choose from. You can either grab the standard edition, the deluxe edition that includes an exclusive slipcover, two posters and a Prism sticker, or the limited edition SteelBook—which this review is based on.
You can order one of these versions now at shoutfactory.com.
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