Zombie Tragedy

I recently had the misfortune of watching George a. Romero's 'Survival of the Dead' and what a painful experience it was. The films, put simply, was terrible with a shocking script, awful acting, lazy direction and well below par special effects (CG, incidentally, has no place in Zombie films). However, as shocking as the film was it wasn't what I was watching that upset me. It was simply that the legend that was George a. Romero, THE creator of the Dead series of films and the Zombie horror as a genuine film genre has clearly lost sight of what once made his films so challenging, thought provoking and original.

History will no doubt show that he should have ended the series after Land of the Dead which, although enjoyable, was beginning a fall from which the Dead films would not rise. Expanding on Day of the Dead's concept of having 'zombies that can learn through repetition' was always going to be difficult to swallow, but then having them actually communicate with each other was simply a step too far. However, all would have been forgiven had that been the only chink in the armour.

Bring forth Dairy of the Dead to not only remove the armour but inflict some serious flesh wounds to boot. Dairy was clearly a film made quickly in order to cash in on the success of Zack 'Watchmen, 300' Snyder's excellent Dawn of the Dead remake, which had undoubtedly brought new life into the genre. The rejuvenation was short lived as Romero released this shocking 'straight to DVD' film. Flags around the Zombie loving community drew to half mast as we crawled back into our homes and sank ourselves into The Walking Dead for respite.

Lessons clearly not learnt the once-was-and-now-isn't-a-horror-legend Romero has released this putrid sack of bile. Watching Survival was hard. It lacks everything that made the Dead films so great and it clearly doesn't have passion behind it. It was the film equivalent of a dying fire. Even the contemporary political under current was weak.

If you, like me, are a fan of the genre and Romero in particular please take my advise and steer well clear. You really don't want to go into that room and confirm the identity of this corpse. Remember Romero for the first three (four at a push) films and be happy for that.

Going Back to its Roots

Whether it be book to screen, screen to book, video game to screen, stage to screen or album to stage transitions between mediums nearly always seem to fall short. The number of failures is seemingly endless whilst the number of actual successes is so short it really does beg the question, at least from a business point of view, is it worth doing in the first place?

History is littered with failures. For every To Kill a Mocking Bird there are hundreds of English Patients.

Tomorrow I'm going to see Glengarry Glen Ross at a local theatre and I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to it or not. I'm sorry, I'll rewind for those not familiar with the play. Glengarry Glen Ross is a play by David Mamet. The story is based around a group of real estate salesmen in Chicago vie for the best "leads" at a small firm selling property in "resort" areas, such as Florida and Arizona. The story is not really too important, what is important is that the play was made into a film in the early 90's and that film, that piece of platinum plated celluloid is my favourite film of all time.

And herein lies the problem or paradox if you will. My favourite film is in fact a transition piece, going successfully from stage to screen. But will it go into reverse? By that I mean can it hold it's own going back to it's roots with smaller actors (the film has Pacino, Spacey, Lemmon, Alda, Baldwin, Pryce) and only the words to hold it up.

I'm not sure. The reviews for the play from friends and the press have been great, but I'm still nervous. One thing in the plays favour, it doesn't have Rebecca Pigeon in it.

A bit more about me...

...and I do mean a bit. Other than the information in my Profile there's a little more of note(ish). Career wise I have spent most of it Designing Games, but also included in my CV is Barman, Account Supervisor at a now defunct book-store (Borders) as well as a bit of driving and insurance sales. It's a cornucopia of employment which has given me some pride and satisfaction but has mainly nurtured my born cynicism of my fellow man.

I'm reasonably well travelled having visited many parts of Europe and Scandinavia (I know it's part of Europe but many forget about it - thankfully) as well as several trips over the Atlantic to the U.S. and Canada. I've also been lucky enough to visit both Nepal and Tibet.

I'm engaged and looking behind the sofa for cash to get married to my long term partner.

My Politics lean to the left and I'm an Atheist in its purest sense.

That's it. Done. My personal box is officially ticked only to be re-opened in emergencies.

Cue The Obligitory Welcome Message

To be honest this blog here is really intended be my virtual diary (of sorts) and soap box. Not designed nor intended per se for public consumption. However, being that it is on-line, called a blog and isn't really that personel I can't stop others from reading it and, and you'd really have to ask yourself why, comment on it. So from the kick-off I may well just assume others are here. Therefore, seeing that you are here, I'll try (granted not very hard) to make it read legibly and attempt , on the most part, to be nice.

As it's THE first post I'd best write something that'll going down in infamy as the most single most useless piece of nonsense that has ever been virtually written since the invention of the internet.  Something so completely inane that it'll be forgotten within a guaranteed time frame or your money back. Here goes:

"Welcome to this new Blog, I hope you spend more time here than you did the last time you went to the toilet, or a least reviewing this mornings post.

I shall be, for want of a better word, 'vomiting' my random thoughts from my over analytical mind into (and all over) this Blog. It will also contain such sporadic highlights as short stories, all kinds of media reviews and will be debating issues of a contemporary nature... and stuff. It is required to be completely inconsistent, lazy, self deprecating and hopefully, every now and then, witty and, to a far lesser extent, informative... just like me :-)

Welcome."