I grew up during the heyday of John Carpenter, as Halloween, Escape From New York, and The Thing established Mr. Carpenter as one the true greats of the horror genre. Attack the Block, a film from Edgar Wright, director of the popular British cult favorite, Spaced, and the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost films to follow, takes its cues from early Carpenter films while also keeping the sense of humor which made Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz such popular films. The film follows five British slum youths as they mug an unsuspecting young woman. As the crime unfolds, a meteor crashes directly next to them, unleashing an alien beastie, which they subsequently SLAUGHTER.
From this point, Wright and cast submerge into the impoverished Britain, a section of society hurt by poor, prototypically American economic policies which had a similar effect here: the destabilization of the middle class and the further bashing of the lowest classes. Wright, like Carpenter and many successful horror/sci-fi directors, adds a strong undertone of social commentry, as we follow these children, fearless because of their environment, as they attempt to defend their "block" in the projects from an awkward alien invasion. The beasties are refreshingly low-budget, and the who, what, where and why of the film dissolves effectively as chaos erupts, pitting humans together against these ape-like creature, and against their territorial foes. I recommend Attack the Block for its wonderful blend of culture, creature and commentary. Also, I would add They Live, Carpenter's arguably failed attempt at blatant protest of advertising, as a companion piece, as they share some truly wondrous goofiness.
Also enjoy They Live's legendary scenes, regarding bubblegum and a 10 minute street brawl...lest I give too much away...
