AMC's 'The Walking Dead' Trailer (Frank Darabont, Gale Anne Hurd)

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Locutus of Bored, Aug 25, 2010.

  1. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2005
    The zombies start to organize, exhibiting collective intelligence. I've only seen it once, but at the time I liked it. I can't emphasize how bad "Survival of the Dead" is, though. Fans tend to dump on "Diary of the Dead," but its far better than the follow-up.
     
  2. stj

    stj Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2006
    Location:
    the real world
    Mostly zombies bore me, but I'll check it out because AMC productions have been batting pretty good lately. It is striking how many zombi movies/stories have been devolving into some sort of make friends/coexist with zombies/let's all be zombies together tales. It's like zombies are characters who let the viewers act out aggressive fantasies but after a while the viewers want their fantasies validated.
     
  3. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 10, 2005
    Location:
    Confederation of Earth
    There was a book like that a few years ago. It's called Wet Work (by Philip Nutman).

    It was about a zombie outbreak caused by the earth passing through the tail of a comet. But in it, there are different 'stages' of dead; some are the standard Romero-esque shambling zombies, all the way up to those who retain their full intelligence and personality. These 'smart zombies' can put on new clothes, drive cars, organize ambushes using guns ("Body patrol, come and bag our food!"), and quickly take over the government - renaming it the United States of Hell (a government by the undead, of the undead, for the undead).
     
  4. scnj

    scnj Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2009
    I had much more fun with Survival than Diary. Yeah, it was bad, but enjoyably so. Romero continues to make his films how he wants despite the negativity, and I admire that about him.
     
  5. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 10, 2005
    Location:
    Confederation of Earth
    I wouldn't mind a film which starts out with *everyone* a zombie. Absolutely no living humans to be seen. Then some of them start to become un-undead - i.e. become living again. How would the zombies deal with an outbreak of "life"? :D
     
  6. scnj

    scnj Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2009
    Hmm. Daybreakers starts with the majority of the world's population living as vampires. Have you considered that?
     
  7. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 10, 2005
    Location:
    Confederation of Earth
    ^ Yep. Seen it, own the Blu-Ray. :techman:
     
  8. Silvercrest

    Silvercrest Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2003
    "Finally! Some fresh braaaaains! Subsisting on rat and dog brains just isn't the same!"
     
  9. Trent Roman

    Trent Roman Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2001
    Location:
    The Palace of Pernicious Pleasures
    I had 'smart zombies' in a short story currently with a publisher, the idea being that those directly affected by the original curse (the cause in this case) retained most or some of their intellect, degrading as one went down the chain of infection into the mindless hordes the original zombies could command (borrowing a bit from vampire lore). It was set in Roman times, and I call the zombie lords 'plutocrats', because I am not above a cheesy double entendre. :p

    Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
     
  10. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    Interesting. I'll have to get around to seeing that soon.

    That's too bad. Did Romero direct both of them? It's kind of funny that after such a long dry spell he's now churning out all these sequels. Maybe he'll get around to making a couple of more Creepshow films-- that's what I'd really like to see.
     
  11. FluffyUnbound

    FluffyUnbound Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2005
    Plutocrats?

    Aw, man, that hurt my eyes.

    OK, but then I laughed.
     
  12. Zachary Smith

    Zachary Smith Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2001
    Location:
    Lost somewhere in space
    The ONLY sensible explanation for "Survival of the Dead" that I can muster is that after so many years of being associated with zombie films, Romero has come to resent it so much that he contrived to make a zombie movie SO bad that NO ONE would ever want to see him make another one. Romero has had some spectacular moments and made a couple really outstanding films. While he's not an overly brilliant film-maker, it's hard to imagine he made a film as bad as "Survival" by accident. He didn't respect his own subject matter in the film and played the zombies pretty much for (VERY lame) laughs. I honestly don't WANT to see another "living dead" film by him. Let someone who respects the concept take over now.
     
  13. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2005
    Indeed, he has written and directed every dead film in his canon (Night, Dawn, Day, Land, Diary, and Survival).

    What ruined it for me were not the moments played for laughs, but the moments played straight that still elicited laughter. "I have a twin sister" is the most embarrassing twist I've seen on screen in a long time--the way it is played is straight out of a daytime soap opera (it doesn't help that most of the actors involved are the usual mediocre band of locals that appear in Romero's films).
     
  14. RJDiogenes

    RJDiogenes Idealistic Cynic and Canon Champion Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 2003
    Location:
    RJDiogenes of Boston
    I am now immensely curious about Survival Of The Dead. :rommie:
     
  15. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2005
    Well...I can't deny that as a midnight movie that may or may not have been under the influence of alcohol, it was certainly fun. It's just hard to hold in the same light as any of Romero's other zombie pictures...even The Crazies, which wasn't any fun, poorly acted, and heavy handed.