The Walking Dead Comic book series

I have only recently come across the Walking Dead comic book series. There is a huge number of them and the franchise is still hot and still growing.

This so-called comic book series is a far cry from the comics I read as a child. I knew that these were often referred to as graphic novels and had read one series prior to this.

Maus was written by Art Spiegelman and released in 1991. I didn’t come across it until almost 15 years later because I thought graphic novel was a fanciful name for a comic book (a comic by any other name) but I was horribly mistaken. Maus has a power and reach that surpassed anything I had read as a child. For the 1st time I had a grasp on the emotional depth that could be reached in the graphic novel format.

Maus in it’s simple form is the tale of survival. It is a biography of Spiegelmans’ father who was a Jew and was sent to a concentration camp. It includes all of his exploits but what was different was the cat and mouse format Spiegelman used to tell the tale. Jews were mice and the Nazis’ were the cats.

I know you’ve likely heard stories of Jews during the Nazi period but nothing and I do mean nothing can prepare you for the emotional impact that Maus has. Go and find it somewhere and enjoy because you will.

After Maus I decided to check out a few more comic/ graphic novels. Among those were Blacksad, Blackout and others but to no avail. I thought they sucked! I could not get into them. They didn’t have the emotional depth of Maus. Nor were the characters as well drawn out. So I stopped with the comic/ graphic novel.

How does this all bring me around to The Walking Dead comic/ graphic novel? I just wanted to show my history with the media, which is limited. That limitation however did not prevent me from getting sucked into The Walking Dead comic.

I had already read Maus and know the emotional impact a comic could have. I also knew how characters could be almost as well formed as in any novel. So I was only mildly surprised when I found myself getting sucked into the Walking Dead world.

The only reason for me to read the comic/ graphic novel of The Walking Dead was because I was familiar with the world from the wonderful TV show but I wasn’t sure how this could compare. It is very easy to see why they decided to make a TV show from this kind of source material.

The comic book leaves in its wake a map for the TV show to follow. You’ll recognize the characters not only by name but by personality also. Rick is a stubborn headed mule who always tries to do the right thing or at least what he believes to be the right thing. He’s tough but tender and all that.

The TV show didn’t stray far from the map provided by the comic. Although there are some differences that I consider to be huge. The Governor does not look physically the same in the comic as in the show. You see one thing in print but see another on screen. Personally, I think the on screen character is more effective because he doesn’t look like a thug.

Other places where the stories differ is that Rick loses a hand. Well, technically he doesn’t lose it like you might lose you car keys, it gets taken from him by force. Also, the loss of a leg happens to a different person. Oh and there are more characters in Ricks’ group in the comic.

an ya here me now?

Finally, there is the story of dear, dear Lori. She lost her life because of a “C” section but not so in the comic. She does die later and so does Judith -spoiler?- but keeping Judith for the TV show gives it a bit more depth. How does a baby survive? Will the community come together to take care of a child whose mother is dead and whose father nearly loses his nut?

Given the fact I have not finished the comic series yet, although I do spend late, late nights reading, I highly recommend it to any comic fan or any fan of the show. Grab the series however you can and I’m certain you’ll spend as many late nights reading as I have.

Things I like about the comic series :

1) Incredibly well written

2) Long and continuing but certainly not boring

3) Strong characters

 

Zombieland

Zombies go big budget. Along with the big budget are big name stars. From “The Social Network” Jesse Eisenberg. From sexy young hottie department we get Emma Stone. From “Cheers” and all kinds of stuff we get Woody Harrelson. And from cute little kid department we get Abigail Breslin.

All this talent is brought together under the auspices of the movie “Zombieland”. Although big time Hollywood actors were enlisted for Zombieland the directorship landed at the knees of Rueben Fleischer. They crapped out on the director because this was Fleischer’s first big time Hollywood movie. Yup, they hired a directorial virgin for Zombieland but we must not let that dampen our fun.

So, our glittering all star line up find themselves in Zombieland USA. The zombies have taken over and there are a few humans left in small pockets around the country. We first meet Jesse Eisenberg’s character Columbus, so called because he is trying to get to Columbus to see if his family is alive.

All the characters go by the name of the city they are either from or trying to get to. They figure that way they won’t get close to anyone so if a zombie rips them apart they can just carry on with their lives. No emotional attachment.

There is something in the script about Harrelson’s character, Tallahassee, finding the last Twinkie and the girls characters, Wichita and Little Rock, are off to find the remaining amusement park in the country. With that as our plot we are off to the races. Or at least, race against the zombies.

Considering they spent a fortune on grade A talent you’d be forgiven if you wondered if they had enough left over to paint up some good looking zombies. While you’d be right to be concerned you needn’t have any fear. The zombies are on a par with the best ever produced.

Back to our movie, Columbus has rules for staying alive during a zombie invasion. These rules were developed through trial and error. Not trial and error on his part entirely but through first hand knowledge and from knowledge gained by watching others die at the hands of zombies.

Rule #1 is make certain you have good cardio. This is because this particular strain of zombies run like the devil and you need to keep ahead of them. If they are able to even catch up with you well then you’re a zombie meal.

It’s hilarious watching Columbus pull out another rule as he is in the middle of executing it. You knew it just had to be a rule for something and sure enough there was. These rules are great and make complete sense.

Should you watch Zombieland? That depends. If you like zombie movies then yes. If you like some fun with your zombie movies then yes. If you like Bill Murray then yes. In other words there is no reason to miss this movie except laziness.

Things I like about Bill Murray :
1) Stripes
2) Lost in Translation
3) Bill as a zombie

Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things

Dead is a movie replete with bad acting. Each and every performance is bad with some being worse than others. The character Alan is portrayed by a wonder name Alan Ormsby. Alan Ormsby also had a hand in writing this gem but he was also in charge of effects.

Now, I’ve read that there was a budget of $70,000 for Dead. A remarkable sum from which all of the normal movie expenses had to be paid for. This included the effects which were likely had for a couple of hundred dollars but everything that they had was used remarkably well. You’d be hard pressed to think that the film cost what it did and looks as it looks. Keep in mind this was 1973.

I don’t think they spent too much money on actors. Ormsby takes a title role so he’s doing a 2fer. A 2fer is a 2 for 1 and in this case it’s the effects guy being the lead actor too.

Nice goatee!

With regard to the other actors;  This was Valerie Mamches second movie but then she only had 2. Alan Ormsby called in his wife to play a part in Dead and her career lasted a full 4 movies. So as you can see, the cast was deep with veteran actors who know how to handle themselves in front of a camera.

So this Alan guy is some sort of casting director and he brings to a lonely island 5 actors whom he refers to as “children”. Alan is dressed like a gay escapee from an episode of the Monkees! He’s also simply a freak.

Oh, this old thing….it’s a rental

On the island is both a graveyard and a cabin. Expecting to spend a weekend on this island the group makes themselves at home within the cabin. Not only is Alan weird but just as odd is a young girl named Anya. Just as well that these 2 were married at the time.

Alan happens to have a fancy robe and a book of magical spells. At midnight he hopes to summon one of the dead from the graveyard next door.  Alan explains that the book is called a “Grimoire” which will allow him to raise the dead.

Great makeup

The group exhumes a corpse. The corpse is named Orville. Lucky for Orville that he was a freshly potted corpse because this allows him to be chosen. Lucky stiff!

The first corpse to be dug up is not a real dead dude. Alan has a huge laugh at the expense of the group who has been scared to death by not only Orville but another ghoul that was planted by Alan.

Peek-a-boo

In the end, the group secures a body and Alan begins his séance. His big book of potions and spells is perfect for this  of course. Lo and behold the spells don’t work. No one rises from the dead and Alan is broken hearted.

So at Alan’s request the crew brings back Orville to the cabin. Meanwhile back at the grave yard things are getting pretty lively. It turns out that the dead have risen after all. Whoda thunk it?

While Mr. Alan Ormsby is a wretched actor he shines when it comes to creating the zombies. These zombies are simply delectable. You’ll love them; I know I did.

arrgg… take that

Should you see this movie? I’m torn. Torn because the acting is abominable but the effects are great. So, yeah see this movie just don’t expect too much from the acting department.

Things I like about Bob Clark

1) Black Christmas

2) Murder By Decree

3) She- Man -see it if you can, it’s a gas

 

The Walking Dead

Part 2 – Part 1 is below and has all the pics

Rick knows what is right and wrong based on his family. He will put others at risk for his family and while the rest of the group realizes that it’s balance out because of how he takes care of the group. When looking after the group he thinks of them as an extension of his family and things usually turn out OK. Maybe not great but OK.

There are moments in the series wherein Rick’s humanity drove me crazy. He will do anything and everything to try to keep his family safe – regardless of the situation it puts him in. His first priority is always to his family and then to the others in his group and finally he thinks of himself last. Always last.

* Rhetorical Question #6

Would you be able to show the same kind and amount of humanity as Rick does?

I could have spent time detailing all of the episodes from each of the 3 seasons and while that would take up plenty of space on this little blog you’d be better off watching this on your own with no real spoilers. Knowing there are zombies is not a spoiler. Nor is the fact that Rick finds a band of like minded people to hang with.

* Rhetorical Question #7

Are people happy living in a communistic type commune?

Humans have always wanted to band together for warmth, security and thing like food gathering is easier. Yes, you have to share all of your treasures when you find them but humans, especially in the early days of homo sapiens, found life better living in a communal society. Yes, they were communists and so is Rick and his merry gang of followers.

* Rhetorical Question #8

Would you want to be able to show the same kind and amount of humanity as Rick?

For everything that he thinks and does, Rick is a tormented man. He is always torn about up inside about the choices he has to make. He continually seeks council from others, most notably his wife and again this is something most of us can relate to, our spouses are generally people who have ideas and opinions we respect. In the end, however, he is alone with his torment and his decisions. It’s not always a happy place for a man to be.

Is there more to The Walking Dead then just Rick Grimes? Of course there is. One of better aspects of the show is its ability to kill off lead characters with no apologies. Rick’s wife is knocked off when you would normally expect that her character would live. She was a lead character and the show’s writers did her in. Granted it was a totally believable way to have her killed off but how many shows are willing to kill off a lead character? That is another of the great things that The Walking Dead does.

If you know anything about anything or something about something ( I’m not even sure what that means) you’ll certainly know that the most diabolical and treacherous foe a human can face is not a zombie. Sure they are horrific and in this series as slow as molasses but there can be something even worse – far worse- and that is another human being.

The writers know this and as a result we get ” The Governor”. He, with the help of his minions has created a safe little world within the zombie world. This looks like a town Beaver Cleaver would live in. Wide boulevards, tree lined streets, flowers in hanging baskets and flowers in large baskets on the ground. It was almost idyllic. Well, it was paradise compared to what was outside the walls.

Oh, yes. Walls. The town had walls and barriers surrounding the town of 70 or 80 people. Atop those walls were armed men and women. But of course you need armed guards in that kind of setting and it’s true. If that was what the armed guards were only used for then there would be no problems.

Let’s just say that the Governor doesn’t play well with others. Nope. In fact it’s desire, it seems, to kill off as many outsiders as possible but these deaths are for the betterment of the town and not to benefit his own personal psychosis.

While we were all torturing the poor little fly by ripping his or her wings off the Governor has done that before the age of 2 and had moved on to killing small animals.

The Governor is a unique kind of villain. Many persons of the villainous type are prone to relaxing with a martini after work. You know, kicking back and putting their feet up (it might be something you do après work). Many of you click on the ever popular boob tube or maybe you’ll search the interwebs looking for porn. Regardless, chances are slim you’ll relax in front of a series of 15 or so fish tanks and if you did they are probably filled various exotic fish. Not so for our beloved Governor, nope, his tanks contain human heads. Well, human heads in various states of decomposition to be precise.

Not only does he have fish tanks full of zombie heads but he’s a family man. He loves his daughter dearly and has always been a hands on kind of father. So much so that now that she has been bitten and become a zombie he keeps her in a closet. She’s chained in there and every so often he shows his loving side by bringing her out and combing her rotting hair.

It’s not like daddy dearest is taking his little baby out for a happy meal. Nope, he throws her fresh human bits. What a loving guy.

If you haven’t seen any of The Walking Dead get the DVD package. If you have seen The Walking Dead buy the DVD package. You’ll enjoy it – I know I did.

Things I like about The Walking Dead:

1) Rick Grimes

2) The Zombies3) It’s a continuing series

The Walking Dead

Part 1
* Rhetorical Question # 1

Why do so many of these zombie movies and now TV shows begin with the hero awakening in a hospital after a period of time to find the world changed?

Smile for the camera

* Rhetorical Question # 2

Why the hospital?

* Rhetorical Question # 3

Have our creative folks run out of ideas?

The premiere episode of Walking Dead is where we are introduced to our hero, Rick Grimes. The problem is that Rick is not a hero is any normal sense of the word. Unlike most TV and movie heroes, Rick shows his weaknesses right up front. You see, Rick is driven by the love he has for his wife and son. This drive and love is apparent throughout the entire course of the show.

Personally, I have at times found it annoying and frustrating how much his love of family drives nearly every decision he makes. There are times when it would be expedient for him to act in another manner and put the needs of others first. Serving his family does, at the end of the day, serve the group.

When it seems he should be giving up hope of finding them alive he noticed some things around his house that only a woman would think to take in an emergency. Photographs from the walls are missing as are a few other things. Upon noticing these things Rick turned his frown upside and drew on his love for these 2 people to carry and search for them.

Most of us know what that might feel like. We can’t relate to Batman in the same way because Bruce Wayne is fabulously wealthy and he has all those cool gadgets. Love and devotion to family is something most, if not all of us understand. We have experienced it whereas most of us have not experienced the fabulous wealth of Bruce Wayne so it is much more difficult to relate to him on a human level.

We also see the depth of Rick’s humanity. He feels sorry for the “person” he saw in the park and was crawling (The Crawling Dead could be a new spin-off) toward him. After he understood what was happening in this brave new world (apologies to Mr. A. Huxley) he returned to find this crawler and apologized for having to put her out of her misery. Rick feels that this is a noble act and, by extension, so do we.

We later see the depth of his empathy when he is about to leave town to search for his wife and he hands his black friend a radio. Rick tells him he wants to know how he and his son are making out and tells him when and how to use the radio. Rick also leaves a small cache of guns and ammo for his new found friend, who had earlier saved Rick’s life. It’s amazing the kind of actions and situations required for making new friendships.

These are all traits that endear Rick to us very early in the game. We can relate to him therefore we cheer for him. We cheer for him even when it looks like he’s about to blow his brains out in a tank, until he is saved by the crackling of the tank’s radio. That forces him to shake off any suicidal thoughts and wonder who is on the other end of that radio.

Episode 1 sets up beautifully all of the reasons we should like Rick Grimes. It also foreshadows things to come when we actually do see that Rick’s wife and son are alive but his former cop partner has moved in on the wife. So we see a potential conflict setting up.

* Rhetorical Question # 4

How do the writers determine whether the zombies should reflect George Romero’s slow pokey zombies or the more modern interpretation of zombies that can run a 4 minute mile?

Prior to the first episode we really had no idea just what the zombies would look like. It’s hard to use the word beautiful for zombies but they are. The makeup and other effects are simply marvelous. They set a new standard for zombie quality which is especially incredible when you consider that The Walking Dead is just a TV show. But what a TV show.

Rick’s humanity pops up again and again. We see it in episode 2 when he decided that even after finding his family he sets out to rescue a low rent, dumb as rocks, hillbilly racist. Granted he was responsible for the hillbilly racist being in the predicament he was in but still Rick didn’t have to go rescue the scumbag but rescue the racist bastard he did. That’s just Rick Grimes.

* Rhetorical Question # 5

Can you have too much humanity?

For as much as we love the zombies and the gore, and for television there is a whole pile of gore, the show ultimately boils down to the main character Rick. Yes, the other characters are important but only to a point. We slowly see the group lose members but Rick remains the mainstay.

We see his humanity toward the living, the dead, friend and foe. Also, through Rick, and because of Rick, we see the humanity of others. Rick allows the others to reveal their humanity.
Without Rick in their midst no one knows if or how soon the group might fall into depravity. The idea of survival of the fittest never surfaces . It is because of Rick that the group as a whole never falls into a Lord of the Flies scenario. Which would have been disastrous for everyone except. The group comes close a couple of times to falling into complete chaos but Rick saves the day and saves the lives of the entire group.

There are even moments where Rick has to kill a group member or someone from the outside to save the group. It’s with a heavy heart that he does but it’s always for the greater good. Rick is continually striving to find that middle ground between cop and leader. The 2 are not necessarily compatible.The group looks to Rick for leadership not simply because he was a cop and still has the hat, no they look to Rick for leadership because they very quickly learned he will make the most moral choices. He has an innate sense of what is right and wrong, I think of it a Rick and wrong, he know how to handle each and every situation.

Wattpad.com

Reading is fundamental to life, at least for me it is. I read at least as much as I watch zombie movies. If you consider that I watch films in other genres then I definitely spend more time watching film.

Regardless, I truly love reading. I’m old fashioned in that I love paper books. I have not yet broken down and bought an e-reader ( if you should feel like giving me one as a gift drop me an email and we’ll chat).
Reading on the internet can be hit or miss. You don’t want to sign up and pay for something or a site that you may not like. Free is always good. Ok it’s not always good but in this case free is indeed good.

Wattpad is a site where writers post their wares and you get the chance to read them. Wattpad is free which only add to the goodness. At the site they claim to have more than 10 million stories and stuff is added every day. 10 million stories means that you pretty much have something for everyone and indeed there was something for me.

There are thousands of stories about zombies. Thousands. Now I can’t speak to the quality of all of them because even though most are fairly short there are just too many to read at any 1 time. Just think of it; thousands of stories, short stories, micro stories and 200 page books about zombies. The enormity of the thing is staggering.

I am quite certain that the Wattpad.com library of zombie books contains some stinkers. Perhaps even some that are downright horrid. But all we can do in this situation is check out the title and the description that comes with it and use that to determine if we want to read a particular story.

While it’s nice that Wattpad.com is free to use free is also it’s downfall. Whatever monies they might receive from backers and any adds they may or may not have it’s apparent where they spend that money. It’s all spent on the back-end.

The site does not appear to any editors. I read one piece of trash by a 16 year old girl. It was supposed to be about zombies but the piece was incoherent, it has horrible spelling – overall it was just a horrific mess. Sadly, she is likely getting ready to graduate high school and she can barely put together a coherent sentence. This does not bode well for whatever country our 16 year old happens to reside in. I won’t embarrass her by mentioning her name but I really should just to be a mean prick.

It’s also too bad for Wattpad.com. There might be some really good work on the site but if you happen to run into a couple of stories like the one authored by our 16 year old wordsmith then you’d be turned off the site forever and never return, which is the opposite of what Wattpad.com wants.

On the other end of the scale is Naomi Alderman. This Brit is a professional writer having had a couple of novels published by the likes of Penguin publishing. She turns in a spectacular effort with the oddly titled “The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home”. She claims that the story was written in part by Margaret Atwood and considering the quality of the work, I wouldn’t be surprised.

The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home is everything that that other piece of tripe isn’t. It is a literate short story that any writer would be proud of and any site would be proud to host. How much of this is attributable to the esteemed Ms. Atwood is not known to me. Ms. Atwood is one of the literary and literate of all writers living today so it’s no doubt that the Happy Zombie Sunrise Home reflects those values.

Wattpad.com offers a lot. Some of it is pure, unadulterated crap. Some of it is quite good. There are millions of stories and thousands of zombie stories in particular. When you get there use the search function for zombie and become entranced with some fine zombie fiction.
So if you are looking for a good fun zombie story I will recommend only 1 and that is The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home. Read it now and thank me later.

In the comments let me know which zombie story or book is your favorite. Maybe I can find some new reading material.

Things I like about Wattpad:

1) It’s free and free is good

2) It has some very good writers

3) The Happy Zombie Sunrise Home is available to read for free

The Zombie Survival Guide

Max Brooks, child of a couple of very famous parents in Mel Brooks and Anne Brancroft – if they aren’t famous enough to you look ’em up, came by his funny bone genetically it seems. After 2 seasons writing for Saturday Night Live he left to spend time on bigger and better things. One of those bigger and better things was his book, The Zombie Survival Guide, : Complete Protection from the Living Dead.
Yes, the book is now over a decade old but there are plenty of you who have yet to read it and I’m here to ask: ask on god’s green earth is holding you back? The Zombie Survival Guide (Guide) is a whale of a tale and a heck of a good time.

How would I know? Well, I stopped watching zombie movies long enough to read the sucker, that’s how I know. I would encourage you to set down your TV remote and read. If reading is foreign to you don’t worry. It’s a subject you’re bound to like if you like the movies and it’s a well written, fun read. You’ll enjoy it on a couple of levels.

He talks of the variety of zombies you can expect to find and surprisingly not all of them want to eat your brains. Some not only don’t want to eat you but are unsure just what they want. You’ll want to know the difference, it could save your life.

Speaking of saving your life, Brooks makes of aware of the best zombie fighting weapons. Some are not as good as you might think while others are better than first imagined.

Wanna learn how to survive a zombie attack in general? You’ll want to read this book. He tells that armor is good but then some armor is much better than others. Being dressed full knight might keep the zombies from eating it also stops you fro hightailing it outta there as fast as your little feet can carry you. You do know, that’s it’s always better to get away then to fight, don’t you? Well, you would if you read the book.

Brooks tells us that it’s  best to be in shape so that we can effect such an escape should the situation require it. Most circumstances do require an “exit stage left” as soon as possible. So do it! Exit! Don’t fight if ya don’t have to.

Many people have taken this book far too seriously. No, it’s not written in a slapstick manner ( mush like his father would have done) but he writes it very seriously. That’s why it’s so funny, because he takes the subject so seriously. Like I said, I have seen many people taking this far too seriously but they miss the point. Zombies are not real, sorry to break it to you Santa Claus fans.

Brooks concludes his wonderful piece of fiction by giving us an historical overview of zombie outbreaks. He takes us back to 60,000 BC Katanda, Central Africa and then brings us forward listing all the zombie outbreaks ever recorded. It’s amazing how his fertile mind works.

Look, I’ll be honest and tell you that I have barely covered anything in this review. The book contains so much information about Zombies and what to do if they should attack, and they will attack, that the have been few if any real spoilers. Certainly not enough to crush your enjoyment of the book.

Trust me, if you love zombies then the Zombie Survival Guide is for you.

Things I like about Max Brooks:

1) Hi dad was hilarious

2) This book is great

3) He wrote for SNL

Fido

Fido offers an entirely new take on the zombie genre. It’s really a shame more people haven’t heard of it let alone seen it. It stars that funny Scotsman, and how often can you put funny and Scotsman together in the same sentence, Billy Connolly. While this is not a knock down drag ’em out funny movie it does have its moments and its charms.

Connolly is unrecognizable in his role as the titular character. The make-up department spared no expense on transforming Connolly into Fido. It’s really a monumental achievement and they deserve to be noted on their fine work. The make-up for the rest of the zombies is top notch also. The make-up department was really on its toes for this one.

Ok, enough about the make-up, although it is damn good. Our movie takes us to a time where we can control zombies. Oh, they still eat people if given the chance but as long as they have their collars around their decomposing necks they are as docile as little puppies.

As you might imagine, there is a corporation behind the whole mess. They have designed the collars and this allows zombies to take their rightful place in society. They can help you clean your house or mow your yard or maybe help with grocery shopping. As long as their collars remain in place. Should the collars come off or develop a problem then the zombies will resort to doing what they do best; eating people.

This is at its core a story about a boy and his dog or rather a boy and his zombie. Same idea as with the dog. Little Timmy grows to love Fido and will do all in his power to save the little scamp. Even after the little scamp has eaten a neighbour.

A boy and his dog

There is a story about space radiation causing the dead to come alive and eat the living. At which point zombie wars take place and the human ultimately triumph over the hordes of the undead. That by no means suggests the end of all zombies. Nope hordes of them still live outside the major cities and are kept away from the human populace through fences and the like.

Whenever they need a new zombie to control as some sort of toy for a human family there are plenty to choose from.

This Canadian production is very funny. As you might imagine, its set in an alternative 1950’s-esque world. Dylan Baker who plays little Timmy’s father is remarkably suited for this role. He gives off a certain creepy – je ne sais quoi. Which is saying something given this movie has a few creepy characters inhabiting  the town.

Living Dead People

I mentioned it was funny and it is. But it’s not a slapstick funny but more of a dry, sly kind of humor. I found it funny as hell but there is no guarantee that you have the same sense of hee-haw that I do. If you do then buckle up for a bumpy ride.

This is a very different kind of zombie movie. There is no blood and gore. What violence there was is covered by rubbery limbs and the like so obviously fake that they must have been designed that way on purpose. Other movies tend to take themselves far too seriously and so any limb lying around are supposed to look are real as possible. Not here and that’s part of the joke.

Paying homage to Night of the Living Dead

Should you watch Fido? Absolutely! Will you enjoy it? Well, that all depends on just who and what you are. If you going in expecting horror, gore, blood and body parts up the wazoo then skip it. If however you want a zombie movie with a lighter touch then Fido is your thing.

Things I like about Canadians:

1) beavers 😛

2) Clean cities

3) They can make good movies but not often

Land of the Dead

This 2005 movie brings a fun new twist to the whole zombie genre. While I haven’t gotten bored with the living dead it was fun to see a new take on things. Oddly, this film was both written and directed by the man himself, George A. Romero. Mr. Romero, for anyone who was bitten by a zombie and doesn’t remember, is the godfather of zombie movies. He gave us the classic “The Night of the Living Dead” .

George Romero gave us a new breed of zombies. Earlier zombie move were much different that what Romero brought to the screen. He both wrote and produced it and had a hand in any number of sequels, including this. Although it would be a stretch to call Land of the Dead a sequel.

Simon Baker takes the lead in this zombie re-telling. Just so you know, I hate Simon Baker. Never liked him and I never will. There is something about the man I find truly irritating so when I stumbled across this movie I almost said no. No way am I watching a movie with Simon Baker. That was until I saw John Leguizamo had a starring role.

For as much as I dislike Baker I love John L. there is something about his ability to truly in habit a role that I like. He is at his best as a sharp tongued hustler and that he is here. Leguizamo is terrific in this film.

John L.

I was surprised to find another favorite in this movie: Dennis Hopper. I have loved Mr. Hopper  ever since my first viewing of Easy Rider. He had such a laid back attitude and he brought that element to most of the parts he played.

So it’s 2 to 1 in the acting department and 2 for 2 in the George Romero writing and directing department. That’s good enough for me. Truth be told I likely would have watched this movie even if Romero hadn’t been involved.

So on to the movie. Well, you have the living dead thing sweeping the nation. Zombie bites human and human becomes zombie and the cycle repeats its self. The survivors have walled themselves into a city where they have a military that patrols the walls and fortifications to ensure no zombie infiltration.

The Great One

Inside the city you have people from all strata of society. The rich living in luxury high rise buildings where all the amenities of a great life are at their doorstep.  The rest of the populace, the vast majority, live in the city below living hand to mouth. Doing their best to eek out an existence. Much like society today.

The zombies are an odd bunch. We see them often because the government has organized armed teams to go out into the surrounding areas to pick up food and medicine from cities and towns long abandoned to the zombies.

The teams set off in armored vehicles to search different areas for food and they have to travel further and further away the city. When we meet the zombies they are just chillin’ doing zombie things. Oh and they are the usual slow poke zombie that Romero made famous. So with guns and vehicles they are little threat to the humans.

Huh?

Until we discover they have evolved the ability to think. Yup, we have thinking zombies here folks. On first blush you might be giving your head a shake and wondering, “Gee, what’s up with thinking zombies?” That would be a good question.

Well, without giving too much away, and I may have already done that, if you can think you can organize and you can plan. Even if you are a pokey-ass zombie, if you have the ability to think you can kill.

Enough about the movies details. The performances were delicious except for the aforementioned Mr. Baker. Leguizamo has once again proven he is a master of his art. He is on his game and is wonderfully fun to watch.

Sadly, Mr. Hopper is no longer among the living but this performance shows why he has been long considered amongst Hollywood’s best. If you are unfamiliar with the work of  Mr. Hopper you owe it to yourself as a movie fan to check out his work. You won’t be disappointed.

On the move

Land of the Dead is a terrific take on an old genre. It’ll make you see zombies in a whole new light. And oh what a fun movie this was. Too bad they made the choice to go with Simon Baker.

Forget  about my dislike of Mr. Baker and watch this movie – you’ll enjoy it.

Why I love Dennis Hopper:

1) Easy Rider

2) Apocalypse Now

3) Mad Dog Morgan

Survival of the Dead

George Romero is at it yet again with the 2009 film “Survival of the Dead”. I suppose as long as he can continue to think of movie names that end with dead we can continue to expect more zombie movies by the man himself. Considering he made very little money from his infamous “Night of the Living Dead”, maybe he is entitled to make some cash by pounding out zombie after zombie movie.

Besides, who else has the credibility to bring undead movies to life? He devised the zombie standard that we all have come to know and to love. Not only that but he has had the imagination to expand on his original vision of zombies and has dreamed up a variation or 2 just to make things interesting.

Survival of the Dead (Survival) has humans vs. zombies vs. humans vs. humans. A group of soldiers has banded together to try to ensure their own safety. During their journey they rob other survivors of what they may have. Soldiers have weapons that most folks don’t have. Surprisingly I have yet to hear the zombie argument as a reason against gun control but someone is likely to make it sometime.

Full of holes

Survival was filmed in Canada and stars a couple of Canadian legends. Wayne Robson  (rip) and Kenneth Walsh are very good in their roles. Sadly, Robson’s role was ended before it should have but Welsh as terrific as Capt. O’Flynn.

The rest of the cast is Canadian as well but they are just not up to the standard set by Welsh. Overall the acting rates a C but that’s OK. Zombies are always fun.

Tasty takeout

Seeking refuge on Plum Island, off the east coast of the United States, the army buddies hope to find a land free of zombies. That’s not quite the case as the zombie disease (is it a disease?) has hit everywhere including this little island.

When the soldiers arrive they find that many of the zombies have been chained up for the entertainment of the islanders. Not only that, they also find out that there is a Hatfield and McCoy type feud going on. So bullets are flying at the zombies and at each other.

While waiting for help to arrive the islanders decide they should try to train the zombies to eat something other than humans. Unfortunately nothing catches their gastronomical interest. One poor soul is chained in a pen with a relative of Porky Pig but bacon was of no interest to him.

Sarge Nicotine Crockett is portrayed by the memorable Alan Van Sprang. I say he’s memorable but only for his over the top portrayal of a hard bitten, seen it all, tough guy sarge. You know, the typical kind of portrayal made famous by R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket. Mr. Van Sprang has not the skills necessary to pull off the job.

Human to zombie

The same holds true for the rest of the cast. They try hard but are unable to make anything believable. Ya gotta love them for trying. That’s part o what makes this movie such fun.

The military team join in for a not so rousing gun fight at the OK Corral between the Hatfields and McCoys. They join one side or other – it really doesn’t matter which one because before long it’s a melee involving the undead as well.

There are a couple of fantastic death scenes by the 2 clan leaders. Purely laughable. This, of course, brings an end to all the feudin’ and fussin’ and everyone wanders off to whatever fate they might find. The military boys get back on a ferry for the mainland while the undead on the island chow down on a horse. They have finally learned to eat something other than humans.

So does this bring us to an end of Romero undead movies? I certainly hope not.

Things I like about islands:

1) They are often very isolated

2) Zombies can’t swim

3) Islands, warm tropical breezes, laying in a hammock