I don't know when my zombie fascination started. Probably with George Romero's 1978 masterpiece, Dawn of the Dead. The nightmares didn't start until much later, though.
The first one I remember distinctly was incorporated into my screenplay Army of the Dead, though I had the dream at least 10 years before I even started writing screenplays. Of course, the screenplay I am working on now was almost entirely inspired by a zombie nightmare.
And last night, after watching the season finale of "The Walking Dead," I had a doozy, in which Uncle P's own mother was a cheek-less zombie, though she wasn't fully aware that she was a zombie. She kept asking, "I'm supposed to eat people? No, that can't be right." The dream eventually got silly, involving a castle about to be flooded to destruction, Dear D and a Katy Perry zombie that just couldn't be put down, even after her head had been bashed to bits with a chrome tire-iron...
Of course, much of that can be directly related to "TS-19," but most of it was just completely off the wall, as most of my dreams (nightmares or not) are. Occasionally, a dream or nightmare is so vivid it ends up being a full screenplay, as with Comatose Joe and my current project, though usually only certain elements make their way into my writing, as in Chimera and The Cow Says: Moo! More often than not, my dreams are so bizarre, they defy interpretation. Case in point - I recently dreamt that I was part of a theatrical production which was reproduced by another race of beings in a dimension which vibrated on a different frequency than ours. And that's all I can tell you about it without you thinking I'm completely insane (which no doubt, many of you already think, anyway).
I keep a dream journal on my nightstand, and write down the significant details of dreams I think my have potential commercial value, but save the weirdest ones to share with friends and family (none of whom are surprised those dreams' weirdness). I suggest that you do as well. You have no idea when your subconscious might come up with a brilliant idea or two...
Sadly, this is my last recap of "The Walking Dead" for a while. Lats night's airing of "TS-19" will be the last until next fall, and while I think it's horribly cruel of AMC to leave us all hanging for so long, I understand why they only ordered 6 episodes to start. They took a huge gamble, which paid off in their highest ratings ever (not to mention Entertainment Weekly's endorsement as "The Best New TV Show of the Year"). Oh - SPOILERS BELOW!
When we last left our intrepid band of survivors, they were about to enter the CDC, where Dr. Jenner has been contemplating suicide. The episode started with a flashback to when the military attacked the hospital where Shane was visiting the comatose Rick. Unsure what to do in the face of panicked soldiers and hungry zombies, and convinced his partner is dead, Shane blocks the door to Rick's room with a bed (thus unknowingly saving his life) and makes his escape. Back in the present, Jenner allows the group to enter the CDC with a simple caveat: "Once that door is closed, it doesn't open again." He also insists on testing them all for infection.
During their first real meal in days, the adults get drunk and Shane presses Jenner about what happened and why he is alone. Jenner tells them that those who didn't leave right away, eventually killed themselves, bringing everyone down. Afterward, Rick seeks out Jenner to thank him for saving them and finally admits that he is worried everyone he loves is going to die. A very drunken Shane almost rapes Laurie in the rec room and Andrea becomes increasingly convinced she has nothing to live for, after the death of Amy. At a very hungover breakfast the next morning, Dale presses Jenner about why he stayed and Jenner takes them all to the command center where he screens the file "TS-19" (Test Subject #19) for them, showing them an MRI-like image of the disease attacking the brain of a volunteer who had been bitten.
As the disease (virus, bacteria, parasite?) goes to work, the image is suddenly shattered and they realize that Jenner had shot TS-19 in the head, soon after resurrection. Dale then presses Jenner about the clock that has been counting down since they arrived and Jenner admits that it's counting down to full power loss, at which time "total facility decontamination will occur. Simply put, they're all going to die in a massive fireball. Jenner also tells them that he stayed because of a promise he made to his wife, who we come to realize was Test Subject 19.
After angry threats from Shane and Daryl and another impassioned plea from Rick, who asks Jenner to give them a choice, Jenner relents and sets the group free. Jacqui, tired of running and afraid of becoming a walker, opts to stay, as does Andrea. Just before they leave, Jenner grabs Rick and whispers something obviously important in his ear. Using the grenade Rick saved in episode 1, they make their escape through a window, taking out a few walkers on the way back to their vehicles. Meanwhile, Dale insists that if Andrea is staying, then so is he. Andrea finally relents and the two make their way out just in time to avoid the massive fireball that engulfs the CDC (and takes Jenner and Jacqui to their rewards). Devastated by what they've all been through, low on fuel and without any food, the caravan pulls away from the burning CDC and heads out into the unknown...
And so we are left hanging, not knowing where Rick; Shane; Laurie and company are headed. Not knowing what became of Merle or what Jenner whispered to Rick. Not knowing a whole lot more than we did at the beginning (except maybe the French are still looking for a cure). Like every good season finale, "TS-19" supplied both a satisfying ending (just why are giant explosions so satisfying?) and a cliffhanger or two. Now we just have to wait 10 months for it to come back and it sucks.
If it help ease the pain, here's a terrific interview with The Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman, thanks to my good buddy Sean at Just a Jeep Guy. I also wanted to address the rumor that Frank Darabont has fired the entire writing staff, which producer Gale Ann Hurd has categorically denied, calling the idea "absurd." With writing this good, why would any director be so foolish?
I've said it before and I'll say it again: "The Walking Dead" is the new "Lost;" episodic TV with characters about whom you really care, facing outrageous obstacles and situations which are totally beyond their control. Showing us the Human Condition at both its best and worst; "The Walking Dead" may well be the most human drama on the air. Brilliant stuff.
That's Ewan MacGregor and Jimmy Carrey about to lock lips in the much-delayed I Love You, Phillip Morris, finally seeing it's (limited) US release this weekend. Also in limited release is Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller set in the very competitive world of professional ballet, Black Swan, starring the always intriguing Natalie Portman and about whom much-Oscar talk has been bandied. These are just two of the movies on my list to see this holiday film season.
Of course, I imagine Black Swan is not he movie for a gracefully aging group of friends to kick off the holiday season. Next week gives us The Chronicles of Narnia (they're still making those?): The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 3D (yawn...); Johhny Depp and Angelina Jolie in The Tourist (meh...) and in limited release, Julie Taymor's latest Shakespearean adaptation, The Tempest. The Tempest is a play I happen to know a little about. I've done it three times, first as Gonzalo, then as Prospero and last as the sound-effects designer. the play has been adapted for film by John Cassavates ( 1982's Tempest), Peter Greenaway (the lavishly produced Prospero's Books) and most notoriously by Fred Wilcox in 1956 as the iconic Sci-Fi classic, Forbidden Planet (itself scheduled for the inevitable remake in 2013). Tamor's last Shakespearean epic Titus, managed to turn in a bloody, sordid potboiler into an ironic black comedy. I can't wait to see what she does with this story of magic, monsters, spirits and forgiveness. This of course, despite my schadenfreude over the eminent demise of Tamor's latest Broadway project, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. What may the single worst idea in history for a musical is experiencing technical difficulties which prompted members of last Sunday's first preview audience to stand up and openly heckle during the second act.
Any movie opening the weekend of the weekend of the 17th has no chance against the juggernaut that is Disney's Tron: Legacy. Nerds all over the world have been drooling for this movie for almost 30 years. I saw the original in a theater (a Twin - remember those?) and it gave me a headache. Of course, I saw the trailer for Yogi Bear and that gave me a headache, too.
Christmas weekend sees Gulliver's Travels (why?); Little Fockers (really?) and True Grit (hmmm...). Of the three, True Grit is the one that appeals to me most, and mostly because its a Coen Brothers movie. The John Wayne original may have one its star an Oscar, but Wayne was actually a terrible actor and the 1969 original isn't always faithful to the novel on which it was based. Of course, with cast like Jeff Bridges; Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, how you can you go wrong?
Enjoy the trailers of the movies I most want to see this season. I'll let you know which ones I actually get to:
Black Swan:
I Love You, Phillip Morris:
The Tempest:
Tron: Legacy:
True Grit:
So which ones (or one) do you think I'll actually get to see? I'm currently jonesing for cinematic satisfaction, so I certainly hope to get to as many of these as possible, though we all know that real-life interferes...
Too late to post a proper Zombie Zone post, I thought I'd do dual duty and follow up on a post from a few days ago.
With only one episode of left (boo!) in its first season, AMC's runaway hit "The Walking Dead" offered up a rather reflective episode in "Wildfire." Devastated by the walkers' attack at the end of the last episode, the survivors are left to deal withe aftermath. As Daryl drives a pickax through the heads of every dead body in the camp, Adrea refuses to leave her sister Amy's body and it's discovered that Jim was bitten in the attack.
Rick decides that in order to help Jim, they must head to the CDC for help, reasoning it's probably closer and safer than the military base 100 miles in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, the only person left at the CDC is Jenner, who just lost his last hopeof finding a cure and is plotting his own suicide when our band of weary survivors shows up.
Back at the camp, Andrea places the mermaid necklace she looted around Amy's neck and when her hungry sister resurrects, Andrea apologizes for not protecting her, before blowing her zombified brains out. Glenn has it out with Daryl over which bodies get buried and which get burned. And let's not forget Shane, his leadership and relationship usurped by Rick's return, Shane contemplates killing Rick, but is stopped when Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn of The Mist and The Green Mile) intrudes. Shane ultimately acquiesces and the group is soon headed out to the CDC, sans the Morales family, who head off in search of other surviving family members. Jim begs them leave him to die at the side of road, and after a short debate, they agree to abide by his wishes.
Our band arrives at the CDC, only to find it closed up. Rick, sure it must have been done so from the inside, insists there is help inside, while the others think it must be abandoned and want to leave. When Rick sees a security camera move, he makes an impassioned plea which goes ignored until just as they are about to leave.
I can't wait to see what happens in episode 6, though I must admit to being mightily ticked to have to wait until next fall for the next season.
And speaking of waiting, the writers at Fox's "Fringe" have finally sent the Olivias to their respective homes.
In this week's brilliant episode "Entrada," Peter gets a phone call that tips him off to what's been going on; Olivia convinces Alt-Broyles to help her get home (at the ultimate cost to him) and Walter wisely requests that he not be given a gun.
Personally, I was hoping for a show-down between Olivia and Faux-livia (which we may still get), but was glad to finally have the 'real' Olivia freed from the nightmare that the altverse had become for her. The episode benefited from some amazing performances from the entire cast, and the expert writing by J.J. Abrams and company. If you aren't watching "Fringe," you are missing out on the best TV Sci-Fi series, ever.
So while it's technically Saturday, I haven't been to bed yet, so it's still Friday to me, hence the rare Saturday post here at The Revenge.
So, the show has opened and I can kind of resume my usual Internet explorations at all my favorite sites. And among my most favorite is BoingBoing, where a young fiction sci-fi author and a couple of other science, art and crafting loons post about all things amazing; amusing; steampunk; cryptozoological; mechanical; theatrical and assorted ephemera-related. And it is where I found the video clip which I am about to share with you.
The clip is an extended promo for a Norwegian television program called "Gylne Tider (Golden Times)." I have no idea what kind of program "Gylne Tider" is, though I expect the three men who are seen flipping through the photo album are it's hosts. What astounds me is the completely random assortment of celebrities who agreed to lip-sync to "Let It Be" in front of a green-screen. I mean, did Glen Close know she was going to be in a music video with Malcolm Jamal Warner, Kelly McGillis, Peter Falk (!);* Pamela Anderson; Leslie Nielsen; Dee Snider and Tonya Harding of all people?
This is one of the most peculiar things I've seen in a long time:
I mean, it's not me, right? That was just effing weird, right? And what he hell? *Peter Falk? Mr. Falk is reportedly in the throes of late stage dementia, poor fellow. Did he even know what he was doing? And let's not even get into Leslie Nielsen showing up in something new so soon after his passing. The closest I can come to describing that clip is "Norway's Got Talent: Celebrity Zombie Green-Screen Karaoke Edition." Got anything better?
That's the amazing cast and Foley crew of It's a Wonderful Life. The show opened to a decent sized crowd who just loved it. I say 'nearly flawless,' because there was one pre-recorded music cue that didn't happen, which no one noticed, except me. The mikes all stayed on; no one dropped or kicked anything before they were supposed to and all the live sound gags worked beautifully. With an audience to feed them, the cast just took off and ran.
It's late and I'm tired, but I thought you might like to know. There are three performances left and seats are still available.
This is a real quickie tonight. The show opens tomorrow and I have 8 and half billion things to do, but I miss you. It kills me that I can't remember what site I came across the trailer I'm posting below, and feel bad that I can't properly attribute it. It might've been i09 or BoingBoing or My New Plaid Pants.
Anyway, the movie advertised is the feature debut of writers/directors The Vicious Brothers, Grave Encounters. Another "found footage" movie like The Blair Witch Project; Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity. It concerns the long-hidden last episode of a cable-TV paranormal investigation show, like "Ghost Hunters," called "Grave Encounters." When the team takes on the challenge of spending the night in a secluded, labyrinthine former madhouse with a reputation of being 'the most haunted building on the planet in North America' the fun is just beginning. Personally, I have issues with shows like "Ghost Hunters" and its ilk. It's far too easy to fake anything on these programs; shyster mediums have been doing those tricks for centuries. The only thing that changes is the technology with which they can now be done. Like aliens, until I come face-to-face with ghost, I remain a skeptic.
Still, once I watched the trailer, I knew I had to see this film and there would be no satisfaction until I do. Which may be a while. The film is currently without a distributor, but is being shown at private screenings, presumably in search of a distributor. Watch the trailer and tell me what you think.
Yikes! As much as I am skeptical, I know what the psychology of a place can do your own psychology, and I wouldn't spend so much as five minutes in the place, let alone be locked in overnight, no matter how fake I knew my show might be.
And here's another bit of viral advertising for the movie, an "unaired promo for 'Grave Encounters'":
I truly hope that Grave Encounters can be as good as it's trailer, despite the "seen-it" ghost face FX.Uncle P got fooled by the dreadful Paranormal Activity, but it was a very different kind of trailer. I'll be going with mixed-expectations and hoping that the last truly scary ghost movie wasn't made in 1963 and that we'll never see its like, again... What do you think? Does Grave Encounters look scary to you?
More, anon.
Prospero
P.S. - If you didn't click the link to "The show" at the top of the post, please know it is a link to a podcast about It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.Hear Uncle P, Dear D and a few others gabbing about the show and what the JTMF does and is about.
