The Walking Dead!

[NecroMorrius]

Yes, earlier in the thread the people with knowledge of the comic have said that it goes in quite a unique direction.

Most zombie films only show the initial outbreak and at most a few weeks after, with a few exceptions like land of the dead. TWD follows the characters for months and eventually years, which is how it differs.

This is what I said earlier in the thread:

The zombies are really on the periphery of the story after a while, they're just a plot device to bring together a load of characters, strip them of everything and apply constant pressure. It's really different from something like World War Z, which flits about loads and focuses heavily on the zombies themselves and how they tackle them.

It's really about the horrible shit humans do to each other when you remove the veneer of society and reduce everyone to fighting for their own survival.

[NecroMorrius]

Buzzing like flies over a pile of shit! More like.

Guess who was wrong YEAH

[Pistol]

Just watched it too, and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. Proper big-scale stuff, like only the Americans can do. Looked absolutely mega-budget, great performances, lovely sparse use of music (we can argue about the ending here, but the long periods of silence in the rest of the episode were great, and very unusual for television), and the writing was very good.

Which came first, by the way: the comic, or 28 Days Later?

This was directly addressed in a Q&A with Kirkman recently, quite interesting:

Q: I suspect a lot of people who are coming across the story of The Walking Dead for the first time would have thought that the guy-wakes-from-coma-to-discover-that-the-world-has-been-overrun-by-zombies plot was very similar to 28 Days Later. Presumably you had seen that film when you wrote the first issue of the comic?

A No. Welcome to my life seven years ago. It was complete coincidence. I saw 28 Days Later shortly before the first issue of Walking Dead was released. That first issue came out in October of 2003 and 28 Days Later was released in the States in June of 2003. So we were working on our second issue by the time I saw it. It was going to be a matter of somehow trying to restage the entire first issue, because it was a very similar coma opening. I made a decision—which I pretty much regret at this point—I said, “You know what? It’s so different [from that point on], I will probably never hear anything about this.” And I was wrong.

[Eighthours]

Coincidences happen, it's no biggie (and I do really like the "waking up from coma" stuff in both works).

Pleased that it's mainly about how mankind goes to shit in order to survive. Sounds like... er... Survivors (ha!) done properly.

[Sabreman]

The coma thing is really just the best plausible device for someone 'suddenly' finding themselves in a post zombie-apocalypse world.

"By the time I realised something was wrong, the entire city was infested with zombies!"

[lordcookie]

That first episode shows an awful lot of promise. I could never get on with the graphic novel (I have tried to read the first book four times now but can only get half way before the stock characters and bad dialogue put me off) yet despite this sticking pretty closely to the source it just seemed to work better on screen. It is nice to see that it has been given the budget such a story deserves too. They could have pretty much killed it stone dead if they didn't have the money to really realise the scale of the piece.

I was surprised to see the FX broadcast was advert free. Anybody know if that will be the case for all the episodes or was that just a one-off?

[Davros sock drawer]

That was absolutely ace. Apart from the usual Elephant in the Room type problems that Zombie films face with every new entry in the genre (i.e. that most characters, when learning of the situation would say "So like Zombies then?" and would call them Zombies every step of the way - "Walkers" indeed), it handled what is a very cliched scenario with remarkable confidence.

More importantly, it was genuinely tense and gripping. The gf had said she really didn't fancy it, but she was immediately hooked. By the time Lincoln was creeping down that stairwell it had us both in the palm of its hand.

Looked amazing as well, and as you say Lordcookie - no adverts! Bliss.

[Commander Jameson]

I was surprised to see the FX broadcast was advert free. Anybody know if that will be the case for all the episodes or was that just a one-off?

Yes. I kept waiting for the breaks but they never came (although you can see where they would have gone in the US showing).

I'm in two minds about this. I like the scale, the cinematography (the slow pull back at the end was superb), the performances, the make-up and FX, but have seen far too many "end-of-the-world-see-man's-inhumanity-to-man" stories in the last few years. I'm sticking with it to see how it pans out. Hopefully, it won't follow the "Survivor" stereotypes.

[lordcookie]

Hopefully, it won't follow the "Survivor" stereotypes.

There is no Max Beesley in it so it is already onto a winner.

[Commander Jameson]

There is no Max Beesley in it so it is already onto a winner.

He was one of the few things I did like about that.

[FishyFish]

I was surprised the zombies moved as fast as they did, I'd assumed they were meant to be classic slow type.

They were slow though. Some were faster than others, presumably due to their level of motility and what injuries they might've suffered when they originally died, but none of them moved faster than a quick stumble. Easy to out maneouvre when there's a handful; less so when they're present en-masse.

I did kinda wonder why there were so many of them down that particular street though, and where the rest of them suddenly came from when there'd only been two or three minutes before. Perhaps the sound of the helicopter drew them out of the surrounding buildings?

Excellent adaptation based on episode 1 though, and nicely tense in places. I've only ever read the first volume of the graphic novel, so I'm looking forward to where it leads after that.

[ZOK]

Yes, the first ep was great! I don't know if I can get on with watching an episode a week though, that's too much commitment for me. I'd rather watch the whole thing in a day or something.

[Pistol]

It was awesome. Better than I was expecting. I like the little changes they've made, too - it feels like it's been tuned up, rather than meddled with.

[sandman]

I was bored the whole way through. It was so slow and I kept thinking something interesting would happen, but it didn't.

The main guy had a terrible american accent (is he british or aussie?)

I'm hoping it'll improve next week (Darabont is a great director) but it seemed to be dragged out just to fill up the long running time. Maybe a movie (or two) would have been a better idea.

The comic gets better as it goes along so maybe this'll be the same. That black dude was totally wrong for the part (although he is very good in the prisoner remake) as well

[NecroMorrius]

Agree with Pistol - everything they've changed or added feels really sensible, you can understand exactly why they've done so.

That was absolutely ace. Apart from the usual Elephant in the Room type problems that Zombie films face with every new entry in the genre (i.e. that most characters, when learning of the situation would say "So like Zombies then?" and would call them Zombies every step of the way - "Walkers" indeed), it handled what is a very cliched scenario with remarkable confidence.

More importantly, it was genuinely tense and gripping. The gf had said she really didn't fancy it, but she was immediately hooked. By the time Lincoln was creeping down that stairwell it had us both in the palm of its hand.

Looked amazing as well, and as you say Lordcookie - no adverts! Bliss.

Unless you're playing for laughs or it's a sequel, the characters never know what zombies are when the outbreak occurs. It makes perfect sense, they're an invention of Romero and the first zombie film was Romero's own. So it stands to reason that the characters in NOTLD wouldn't say 'oh no zombies, like in that film that we're currently in!" and this has simply continued in all subsequent films. All zombie films, whether they like it or not, owe their central premise to Romero, and as such it would be really strange if the characters themselves were aware of zombie fiction in general, would it not?

Also, Sandman, you're ludicrously wrong. Lincolns accent was fine - generic regional American accent, perfectly believable. I know it's fashionable to say "lol I can't tell if he's American or Scottish lol" when someone attempts an accent (see Russell Crowe) but you need to pick your targets. He actually dropped his English accent entirely throughout shooting and stayed in-dialect for the full sixteen weeks. (source)

You seem to have overlooked numerous dramatic, tense and interesting sequences to arrive at your conclusion that nothing interesting happened, and despite purporting to have read the comics you think a movie would serve it better, even though the whole point of the comics originally was to expand beyond the type of story a zombie movie can tell.

'That black dude' (you mean Lennie James) is an exceptional actor, and formed the entire emotional core of the episode. His nuanced performance when talking of his wife, the family photo album etc, his interactions with his son, and finally struggling to pull the trigger when he had her in his sights, were the dramatic highlights of the hour. Closely followed by Rick's interactions with bicycle girl.

You're right about Darabont being a good director, but he's not directing the rest of the series. Next episode is Michelle MacLaren, who cut her teeth on the X Files and then directed some Breaking Bad. Episode after that is helmed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton, who previously directed episodes of Battlestar Galactica, The Shield and Sons of Anarchy. Then Johan Renck, another Breaking Bad director, then Ernest Dickerson who has had a hand in just about everything, then Guy Ferland, who has directed episodes of the Shield and House, and uh, Dirty dancing 2.

[sandman]

No, the accent was awful. I had no idea of his nationality until a few minutes ago. He sounds as american as my Gran (born and raised in Grimsby)

I'm not writing the show off yet, but it was a terrible opener and I can't see what all the fuss is about. Maybe I've been watching too much Alias and Fringe recently, but they are both well paced shows where interesting things happen.

What bits were tense? Where was the drama? I must have missed it.

[NecroMorrius]

Jesus. Stick to the throwaway stuff. You're obviously not suited well to the HBO/AMC style of drama. Alias?

Maybe Rick should have dressed up in fancy dress and cavorted in front of the camera while a nonsensical arbitrary plot happened around him and everyone stood around saying the storyline to each other between zingy one liners.

*Shrug* The thread was always bound to attract the mentals eventually.

[sandman]

Nothing wrong with a bit of Alias.

What other shows are HBO/AMC?

You might have a point about me enjoying lighter stuff, yet the comic isn't exactly War and Peace though.

*Shrug* The thread was always bound to attract the mentals eventually.

There is no need for rudeness

[NecroMorrius]

AMC is Mad Men and Breaking Bad (and that terrible prisoner remake you mentioned).

HBO is well, look it up.

Point being that this type of drama is dictated and driven by strong characterisation, whereas most television drama features a load of automatons stood around saying the plot to each other and reacting in whichever unbelievable way best drives the plot towards 'exciting' scenarios that make less and less sense the more you think about it.

[ZOK]

No, the accent was awful. I had no idea of his nationality until a few minutes ago. He sounds as american as my Gran (born and raised in Grimsby)

I'm not writing the show off yet, but it was a terrible opener and I can't see what all the fuss is about. Maybe I've been watching too much Alias and Fringe recently, but they are both well paced shows where interesting things happen.

What bits were tense? Where was the drama? I must have missed it.

You didn't find it tense when he was

coming down the stairs with the matches in the hospital?

I've read the crappy comic so I knew nothing was going to happen, but I found that almost unbearable!

Egg does a spot on accent too, I've no idea what you're talking about there.

[NecroMorrius]

They should rename this Egg: Next Life for the BBC2 audience.

No, no, I've got it: Egg: AFTER LIFE

[noob]

all i am going to say is this;

[NecroMorrius]

How old does this make you feel!

[sandman]

You didn't find it tense when he was

coming down the stairs with the matches in the hospital?

I've read the crappy comic so I knew nothing was going to happen, but I found that almost unbearable!

Egg does a spot on accent too, I've no idea what you're talking about there.

No, I didnt find it remotely tense.

[NecroMorrius]

No, I didnt find it remotely tense.

Whereas this, on the other hand...

Err spoilers I guess

Lol at the dialogue

[ZOK]

No, I didnt find it remotely tense.

Maybe you are suffering from ennui?

[NecroMorrius]

On Wii?

[James Lyon]

That was excellent. I'm surprised he only got to the city in the first episode, although perhaps because I'd read the whole of the comic at once so it seemed a lot quicker.

The only problem I had was the problem I have with a lot of this genre, which is that the zombies aren't everywhere. "Realistically" they'd most likely be wandering all over the place as soon as he got the outskirts and not just suddenly appearing when he gets into the centre. Still, I suppose it helps with dramatic tension (and budget).

Can't wait to meet Glenn. I'm wondering if they'll do that bit in the comic where they decide to

cover themselves in rotting meat to walk amongst the zombies.

I always thought that was a bit far-fetched in the fiction of the piece. Though probably not as far-fetched as

a woman surviving in the wilderness by chaining two mouthless zombies to herself.

Even if it is a nice visual.

[ZOK]

They should rename this Egg: Next Life for the BBC2 audience.

No, no, I've got it: Egg: AFTER LIFE

I think that EGG: This Life after Death is the one you're groping for!

[James Lyon]

I think that EGG: This Life after Death is the one you're groping for!

Day of the Egg