28 days later...

Discussed at length here. Mods will probably move or merge this, but yes, the lack of guns, and even their inefectivness in the hands of the rogue SAS/Marines/whatever team was part of it.

It's assumed it's because of the political climate in the U.K. and the anti-self defense attitude that's prevalent at least in the government and mainstream press there.

Although, in the Limey's defense, any zombie (or horror flic that does not have an overriding mystical or supernatural premise) movie that has the survivors armed with firearms and a goodly supply o ammo lacks suspense and would end rather quickly.

Female lead: Look ZOMBIES!

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

Male lead: That one's still moving!

BANG BANG BANG

Female lead: Ok, wanna find a nice abandoned house in the countryside, until this all blows over?

Male lead: Sounds good to me, let's go.

-End- Roll credits...

Sadly, it was a pretty accurate reflection of current UK attitudes. Even when confronting a ZOMBIE HORDE they're too terrified of firearms to use them.

I prefer Chuck Heston in "Omega Man."

Honestly, I didn't see much of an anti-firearm message. The military unit did seem effective in a "movie military" kind of way, and it looked as though they took a little trouble to at least make them move carefully (at first), instead of bumbling around like fools.

As for the lead characters not taking firearms when possible, perhaps it was simply a realistic showing that they (the characters) didn't know how to operate them? And with firearms increasingly rare in the UK, I find it "reasonably believable" that they couldn't scavange any earlier.

One of the alternative endings on the DVD has a very strong pro self-defense and pro-gun-as-a-survival-tool message to it. Check it out.

All in all, I highly recommend the movie, even though the occasional bursts of loudness threatened to leave me deaf.

Although, in the Limey's defense, any zombie (or horror flic that does not have an overriding mystical or supernatural premise) movie that has the survivors armed with firearms and a goodly supply o ammo lacks suspense and would end rather quickly.

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Nah. Check out George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead"

One of the more memorable sequences involve the protagonists stopping in at a sporting goods shop to pick up some more armaments.

28 Days Later

I think there was little anti-sentiment in the movie. Heck, the poor Limeys have had their guns stripped from them and left to the tender mercies of sociopaths.

The movie is the best zombie movie to come down the pike in many a moon.

Zombie movies do need the lack of guns to make them interesting, as demonstrated above.

it's a good movie!

I saw it in the theatre when it first came out here in Frisco
and was pleased,the nitwit eco freaks unleash a terrible disease
when they free the first chimp during an ALF type operation.
And the folks that know how to use guns do use them.
I also rented the DVD and the special features shows that they had developed a plot line to show the heroine learning to use a gun and loving it.
but it never made it to the big screen.
rent the DVD and see the special features!
We need more movies like this rather then the rubbish like "runaway jury"
etc

New quotes:

Guns don't kill zombies. Zombies are already dead!

Zombies have killed more people than my gun.

When guns are outlawed, zombies will eat your brain.

The remake of Dawn of the Dead is coming out this year (in March, I believe), and they've taken a few points from "28 Days Later" in that the zombies will be running around instead of just shambling. Should be pretty interesting.

And, of course, for those interested in RPG zombie goodness, there is always http://www.allflesh.com.

Heh heh heh, I love the ammo record sheets, just mark one a square off every time one of the PC's fires a shot. The ammo supply doesn't last forever...

AJ Dual
Senior Member
Although, in the Limey's defense, any zombie (or horror flic that does not have an overriding mystical or supernatural premise) movie that has the survivors armed with firearms and a goodly supply o ammo lacks suspense and would end rather quickly.

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Aliens?
Predator?

Not zombies, I know, but near enough in effect ("'orrible things out to get you").


Guns aren't necessarily much use when the things are pouncing on you from the shadows.

And/or if you change "goodly supply of ammo" to "short supply", you can have plenty of suspense.

Or if you waste it by blind firing.

Or just make the monsters very numerous and/or tough, and even a truck-load of ammo and weapons won't last.

"I am... completely out of ammo. Thats never happened before!"

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- Tremors 2

There's always Dog Soldiers for a good British horror flick with comedy and guns.

When guns are outlawed, zombies will eat your brain.

Click to expand...

I want a bumper sticker of that one!

What Cosmoline said.