Friday, May 18, 2007

Another chick in the mall

The mall setting was probably my favorite thing about this movie. I love the conversation where someone asks why the zombies go to the mall, and the answer is "instinct." The mall where the movie was filmed was one of the first of its kind, according to the Wikipedia article, and it's interesting to see how early in the game it became an object of satire — a symbol of surburban boredom, materialism, time-wasting. The mall in American culture became not just a place to shop, but a place to hang out, to roam through zombie-like, staring at all the products that hold out so much promise of making us happy.

What were your thoughts on the mall's role in the movie?

1 comment:

cl said...

I love it when Roger says this: "It looks like a shopping center, one of those big, indoor malls." He sounds like he might be describing an alien life form or something. Which I guess it was at the time it was set.

Fran made a point of saying the mall had hypnotized them into inaction, which was an interesting point. I think it wasn't just a sanctuary, but it was a diversion from the fear and the acceptance of what had come about.

I like that moment in their pseudo apartment as they look around at their fancy clothes and dishes and spice rack and realize what they've done to themselves.