House of the Dead 2 - 2005

Sequel to the stunningly bad House of the Dead, and produced by Sci Fi Original Pictures, this film has something of a trashy movie pedigree. This is also one of those rare sequels that's much better than the original. Of course, that's a relative statement, like saying a pixie stick and potato chip fluffernutter is much healthier on whole wheat than on white. Still, it's gratifying to see the filmmakers just go for broke (because they can). It's not that easy to intentionally make a trashy movie and get the melange just right. Misguided earnestness has to be replaced with snarky self-awareness, but not with too heavy a hand.

House of the Dead 2 follows the nouveau classic "zombies pick off the SWAT team one by one" plot. There are plenty of in-jokes for the dedicated zombie flick fan, but my personal favorite scene makes fun of a romantic actioner trope. (Spoilers).

Fairly early in the film, the hero and heroine are trading bon mots, but they can't just get on with it because they're in denial and on the job; the job in this case being a zombie that needs subduing. The zombie goes splat, and they are both decorated with gore, but they never so much as pause with their verbal foreplay. Even though the zombie's blood is close to their mouths, after it's been established that they could get infected by ingesting it. Can't let anything get in the way of a good zinger.