Forum Overview :: Peter Molyneux's The Movies
 
Re: Well let me be the contrarian here. by fabio 02/12/2013, 10:41am PST
Mischief Maker wrote:

I am not arguing that the Walking Dead's underlying message isn't every bit the garbage everybody's been saying it is.

But what's interesting about a zombie movie devoid of message? Zombies in and of themselves are boring. They're easy to kill, easy to outwit, sometimes easy to outrun. Really, the only way they CAN be a threat is if one of the protagonists fucks up.


It's a popular survivalist fantasy (that gun owners run through their heads daily) of society's rapid breakdown and suddenly you get to be out on your own proving yourself the hero. Zombies are predictable and dim enough so that any shlub gets to become a superhuman gladiator against them, but their numbers make them just enough of a threat that you don't lose tension and it doesn't become boring. Remember your whole appeal of Superman theory?


The thing that makes zombies scary is as a symbol of the inevitability of death.


Propaganda spread by nerds awarding themselves symbolism points. What separates this from any other horror movie? You're describing Blair Witch and even The Grey more than any zombie movie.

Zombie movies are scarey because the outcome is a fate worse than death. You're eaten alive and forced to exist as a mindless decomposing cannibal until someone blesses you with a bullet to the head. Then you have the threat of that happening to loved ones who you're then forced to kill. At least Jason and Michael Myers are done with you after the knife.

And what's so exciting about inevitability? It's uncertainty that unnerves us. Uncertainty if things are going to go back to normal and all you have to do is hold out. Compare any zombie movie that takes place right at the outbreak (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Return of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, REC) to ones that happen years after (Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead). The former is the better movie every time.

Take the fantastic first 10 minutes of 28 Weeks Later (and ignore the shitty rest of the movie). The audience already knows there's hope because the first movie told us the zombies starve after two months. All these people have to do is hold out that long, just like the first movie.

The chink ends up being the worst part of every zombie movie. The only one I can think of that handled it decently was REC, and at least the Dawn of the Dead remake was so fun up until that point that you really didn't care.
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So The Thing wasn't good by fabio 10/16/2011, 3:00pm PDT NEW
    Rewatched the original last night. by Fullofkittens 10/16/2011, 3:56pm PDT NEW
        First of all, it wasn't EVEN the original. *pushes glasses up nose* by Bodybag 10/16/2011, 6:03pm PDT NEW
        Re: Rewatched the original last night. by fabio 10/16/2011, 6:16pm PDT NEW
            *nose glasses* the 1982 score was by Ennio Morricone. (spoilers) by Fullofkittens 10/20/2011, 11:07am PDT NEW
                Re: *nose glasses* the 1982 score was by Ennio Morricone. (spoilers) by fabio 10/20/2011, 12:41pm PDT NEW
        I had a comparative lit/film class that covered "The Thing" by Roop 10/17/2011, 3:41pm PDT NEW
        Like most terrible modern movie trends, I place this blame squarely on Michael B by ay -fabio 06/02/2012, 2:18pm PDT NEW
            Blame the Brady Bunch movie instead. by Mischief Maker 06/02/2012, 8:22pm PDT NEW
                I'm going to take your word by fabio 06/03/2012, 1:53am PDT NEW
                Every superhero movie origin story refutes your post NT by Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) 06/03/2012, 6:36pm PDT NEW
            Like most terrible modern movie trends, I place this blame squarely on Michael B by Ice Cream Jonsey 01/28/2013, 8:25pm PST NEW
                (Watching The Thing 1982 because of the snow showers tonight.) by Ice Cream Jonsey 01/28/2013, 8:27pm PST NEW
                Re: Like most terrible modern movie trends, I place this blame squarely on M by fabio 01/28/2013, 10:57pm PST NEW
                    Will do. Some other thoughts: by Ice Cream Jonsey 01/29/2013, 7:42am PST NEW
                I, too, can recommend China Syndrome. NT by Eurotrash 01/28/2013, 11:43pm PST NEW
            I just started watching Falling Skies and then stopped forever by Rafiki 02/10/2013, 2:25pm PST NEW
                My parents recently got into the prime time post apocalyptic phase by fabio 02/10/2013, 5:07pm PST NEW
                I thought the 2010 remake of The Crazies was pretty good in this regard. by Jerry Whorebach 02/11/2013, 11:31pm PST NEW
                    Well let me be the contrarian here. by Mischief Maker 02/12/2013, 8:55am PST NEW
                        Re: Well let me be the contrarian here. by fabio 02/12/2013, 10:41am PST NEW
                            Re: Well let me be the contrarian here. by Fullofkittens 02/12/2013, 12:04pm PST NEW
                                Re: Well let me be the contrarian here. by fabio 02/12/2013, 3:54pm PST NEW
                            I imagine the Zombie Apocalypse will be followed by the Friendly Fire Apocalypse by laudablepuss 02/12/2013, 8:35pm PST NEW
                            Re: Well let me be the contrarian here. by Mischief Maker 02/12/2013, 9:03pm PST NEW
        This is a pristine Caltrops comment by hall of fame poster awarder 06/26/2026, 10:46pm PDT NEW
    Re: So The Thing wasn't good by motherfuckerfoodeater 10/17/2011, 12:21pm PDT NEW
        I hope this isn't sarcastic by Art 101 10/17/2011, 7:03pm PDT NEW
    Apparently they had practical effects all set to go by fabio 12/17/2011, 8:07am PST NEW
        World-class practical effects, and they're not in the movie? Seriously? NT by Eurotrash 12/18/2011, 12:00am PST NEW
        Re: Apparently they had practical effects all set to go by Mischief IP Necromancer 01/17/2012, 9:09am PST NEW
            Finally saw it. Not great, but I enjoyed it. by Eurotrash 05/21/2012, 12:15am PDT NEW
    Re: So The Thing wasn't good by Ice Cream Jonsey 12/22/2011, 8:52pm PST NEW
        green lantern is worse by jeep 12/22/2011, 9:49pm PST NEW
            An hour in and it's OK. It's bad, but better than The Thing redux by Ice Cream Jonsey 12/22/2011, 10:02pm PST NEW
                Re: An hour in and it's OK. It's bad, but better than The Thing redux by Ice Cream Jonsey 05/21/2012, 7:22am PDT NEW
    The remake that should have been made has been made. by Fullofkitttens 01/04/2012, 8:27am PST NEW
        Motherfucker, I was JUST coming here to post this. >:( NT by Last 01/11/2012, 9:45am PST NEW
    The pros' opinion by fabio 02/05/2013, 11:51pm PST NEW
 
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