Zom-Com Done Wrong

Zombie flick Life After Beth should have stayed buried

Despite the glut of zombie-related entertainment these days, a clever twist on dealing with the undead is always welcome, such as 2013’s Warm Bodies. Unfortunately, the only thing interesting about the latest, Life After Beth, is its title.

The film does have promise at the start. We join the story soon after the death of Beth (Aubrey Plaza), as her boyfriend Zach (Dane DeHaan) and her parents (John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon) struggle to come to terms with her being gone.

There are a number of comedic possibilities with a story such as this, but writer/director Jeff Baena has difficulty making any of them connect.

When Beth’s parents start being distant, Zach becomes suspicious and soon discovers something impossible: Beth has come back from the dead. However, her behavior is, shall we say, a little erratic, and even though Zach loves having her back, he finds out that having a zombie for a girlfriend has more than its fair share of challenges.

There are a number of comedic possibilities with a story such as this, but writer/director Jeff Baena has difficulty making any of them connect. Beth’s confusion over why Zach and her parents are treating her differently now is more sad than anything else, and any quirks that come along with her being undead seem random and ho-hum.

Instead of being satisfied with telling the story of Beth’s rising from the dead, Baena chooses to portray it as an epidemic, with multiple dead people making reappearances. Sometimes this is good for a chuckle, but most of the time all it elicits is a shrug. Any time devoted to other undead takes away from what’s supposed to be the point of the film, which is probably the biggest reason the film doesn’t succeed.

Plaza’s usual monotone shtick would seem to work well for playing a zombie, but the deadly dull script keeps her from reaching her potential. DeHaan makes the most of his role, but he too is held back by the story.

It’s fun to see Paul Reiser and Cheryl Hines as Zach’s parents, even if their roles are not all that crucial. And why Anna Kendrick, who plays a ditzy love interest for Zach late in the movie, chose to take this dud of a supporting part is beyond me.

Zombies may still be all the rage in Hollywood, but if films like Life After Beth are the best they can offer, the undead are better left buried.

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Life After Beth opens exclusively at the Texas Theatre on September 5.

Dane DeHaan and Aubrey Plaza in Life After Beth.

Dane DeHaan and Aubrey Plaza in Life After Beth

Photo courtesy of A24

Dane DeHaan and Aubrey Plaza in Life After Beth.

Amusement Park Fun

Thrilling new roller coaster Tormenta launches at Six Flags Over Texas

Riders on Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas

Riders on Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas.

Six Flags Over Texas will officially open its anticipated new roller coaster, Tormenta Rampaging Run, on Thursday, July 9, and CultureMap and other media and VIPs were given early access to experience the ride's intense thrills before its public debut.

The new coaster boasts several records — as the tallest, fastest, longest, and first-ever giga (300+-foot-tall) dive coaster in the world, topping out at 309 feet just before it sends riders plunging into a beyond-vertical, 95-degree, 285-foot drop. We take you along for the ride in the following video:

Each car of the coaster features three rows of seats with eight seats per row, servicing 24 riders at a time. During the preview event, two cars were sent out in staggered sessions, but a third car sat close by to be used if needed.

The ride's rodeo theme is strong, with multiple posters advertising fictional rodeos and a metallic gate swinging open at the start to let the ~~bull~~ car pass through.

To paraphrase Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, the first part is a doozy, as riders are click-clacked up a steep stretch forcing them to look straight up into the sky.

The ever-so-brief pause at top affords a view of the surrounding city, the rest of Six Flags, and, in the distance, the downtown Dallas skyline. The angle feels like you're above those towering skyscrapers even though logic tells you that you aren't.

The initial plunge tests the mettle of even hardcore roller coaster fans, sending riders through the extreme drop before hurtling them into two large loops and a corkscrew before coming to another brief stop.

The 95-degree, 285-foot drop of Tormenta Rampaging Run. Photo courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas

That stop gives riders only a small reprieve before they're shot through two smaller loops and a sharp right curve before — mercifully — coming to a jolting halt as the coaster car is shuttled back into the loading station.

From start to finish, the ride lasts around 2 minutes and 45 seconds, but the first 75 seconds is spent just getting to the start of the main portion of the coaster.

All told, the drops, loops, and other elements lasts exactly one minute, which is not that long, but the time-to-thrill ratio is still high.

Misting fans and pergolas at Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas. Misting fans and pergolas will help keep riders cool while waiting in line for Tormenta.Photo by Alex Bentley

Even during the brutal heat of the Texas summer, visitors should expect lines to be long for the hot new ride. The corrals close to the ride have scattered pergolas and umbrellas for shade, as well as oscillating fans with misters. Once you reach the completely covered top platform, there are a number of ceiling fans, although they do little to stave off the high humidity.

Opinions will differ as to whether a long wait time for a short ride is worth it, but for those who get their kicks trying out the latest and greatest roller coasters, Tormenta Rampaging Run is a great new addition to the 65-year-old amusement park.

The grand opening for Tormenta is Thursday, July 9 at Six Flags Over Texas. The park is open daily through August 16.

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