28 Years Later Isn’t Quite the Sequel Fans Have Been Dying for, and That’s a Good Thing

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The Cinematic Schematic

The Cinematropolis

243 episodes

1 week ago

The Cinematic Schematic is a multi-segment podcast dedicated to thoughtful, analysis-driven conversations on genre, independent and classic films from thecinematropolis.com. Hosted by Caleb Masters, Laron Chapman, and a rotating cast of filmmakers, critics, and special guests, this podcast takes you through some of the most prominent themes and conversations occurring in cinema each month.

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28 Years Later Isn’t Quite the Sequel Fans Have Been Dying for, and That’s a Good Thing

The Cinematic Schematic

1 hour 37 minutes 20 seconds

4 months ago

28 Years Later Isn’t Quite the Sequel Fans Have Been Dying for, and That’s a Good Thing

The Cinematic Schematic steps into the post-apocalyptic British Isles to review 28 Years Later, the long-awaited return of director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland to the zombie franchise that launched their careers.

The original 2002 classic, 28 Days Later, is responsible for re-popularizing the zombie sub-genre. It was the first in a string of movies featuring fast zombies, a new post-9/11 political commentary, and had an indie spirit, not unlike George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. 28 Days Later was a hit, budgeted at $8 million and making $82.8 million, but there has only been one sequel. The last entry in the franchise was 2007’s 28 Weeks Later, directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. Boyle and Garland were not creatively involved in the follow-up despite receiving executive producer credits.

Finally, the duo has returned with not one, not two, but three follow-up films, starting with 28 Years Later. This story follows Spike(Alfie Williams), a young boy who lives in a self-contained community of survivors in a village on Lindisfarne. After his father Jamie(Aaron Taylor-Johnson) takes him on a first trek out of the village, Spike embarks on an emotional journey into an infected-ridden UK.

With so much anticipation from longtime fans, can the film live up to the lofty expectations?

The Skeleton Crew

Hosts Caleb Masters and Laron Chapman are joined by two first-time guests—Phil Bacharach(The Oklahoma Gazette) and Adam Courtliff(Adam Review Film, TikTok)—to take on the undead-infested British Empire.

Tune into our in-depth review discussion for our verdicts.

Left to Right: Adam Courtliff, Laron Chapman, Phil Bacharach, and Caleb Masters.

Special Guests

Phil Bacharach

The Oklahoma Gazette / Cutting to the Chase

Adam Courtliff

Adam Reviews Film (TikTok)

Ice-Breaker Question

Time Stamp: 5:06

* Icebreaker question 1: What makes a great zombie movie?

* Ice-breaker question 2: What are two of your favorite films from the horror subgenre?

Spoiler-Free Review

Time Stamp: 17:50

In our review, we cover:

* Each host’s relationship with the 28 Days Later series

* Our overall thoughts on 28 Years Later

* How the film pushes the zombie horror sub-genre forward

* Letter grade verdicts