Anyone else as excited as I am to see AMC's new series The Walking Dead? It starts on Halloween. Here's the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg46DWI_fCE

I really like AMC (Mad Men, Breaking Bad) so I think this show is going to be fantastic. Plus the zombies look SO creepily good! Get a load of that girl dragging herself across the grass with just a torso and ribs jutting out. Ick!!

The show is also based off of a comic which I started reading. Very good storyline and characters.

Zombies! :D

This actually looks pretty good. I'll try to remember to watch it when it airs.

Sounds good. I hope I get to catch it.

Duuuuuude.

Awesome. Man, I love Breaking Bad! I'll have to record that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa0t...feature=related Awesome.

Yea, AMC is quickly becoming a pretty premium network IMO! It sucks the shows on it can't be "grittier", ie cursing. Breaking Bad tends to lack the F bomb in a way that stands out a bit. It's not so noticeable in Mad Men as far as F bombs, but there are the the tame sex scenes, which I don't personally really mind, but you do get the impression they are holding back due to it being cable... Occasionally I would like to hear Mr. Draper say fuck, too.

So, did anyone else watch it last night? It was EPIC. I'm so looking forward to sunday.

I recorded it, but I haven't watched it yet... Speaking of Zombies, anyone see the miniseries "Dead Set" on IFC? I though it was pretty awesome (though I really wanted to slap the shit out of Pippa.)

I forgot to watch or record it but it's on again Fri.

I'm still mad about the horse. I hate it when animals get killed. It's always the animals dammit.

I haven't read the comics, but have heard there's some sick stuff in there(can anyone say zombie pr0n?). I don't know if they'll use it in the show, though.

And how about making something original for once? The whole falling into a coma and waking up in the hospital only to find everyone you knew and loved are gone, the dead are after you and your only goal is to get to that "safe place" run by the military, many miles away, which always turns out to be a shady place. 28 days later.

Also some minor annoyances like the dude's the only survivor in the hospital. Because somehow all the zombies left him alone, but were fine with raiding the rest of the hospital. And his wife didn't even recognize her own husbands' voice and neither did his partner.

Usually there's always a character you sympathize with, I didn't. Except for the horse.

I love zombie movies and that's the only reason I'm going to keep watching this show. It was promoted very heavily in my country and imo it didn't live up to the hype.

So many people are complaining about that. But, if you don't want to explain how the apocalypse started in the first episode, what else can you do? I watched 28 Days Later (and loved it), and even though TWD basically copied it, I didn't mind.

Plus, didn't Resident Evil do the whole 'waking up in a hospital' thing too? During the end of the first movie, I think. I'm not sure though.

Normally I'd agree, but I actually enjoy formulaic zombie movies the way my mom enjoys formulaic daytime TV drama.

It's dumb, but so what. Sometimes dumb things are fun.

I just came on here to see if anyone else is watching! I think we're an episode behind in the UK and I missed the first ep when it premiered and am 50 mins through it now. One of very few things to properly scare me in TV/movies is zombies so normally I wouldn't watch but I heard good things about this from a friend. I thought perhaps it might desensitise me (!) but I've already been watching bits through my fingers (when the black family's dead wife/mother was coming up to the house) so I am doubtful that it will work! Hopefully I'll make it to the end of the series without getting too creeped out and having a panic attack or something lol.

I get what you're saying about similarities to 28 Days Later, currently I'm seeing aspects present in I Am Legend (more the book version than the film), however in any genre you'll always get similarities between products that fall into it.
The comics TWD is based on were written before 28 Days Later apparently, so they couldn't have copied it.

OMG ad for new True Blood coming Jan 2011 - exciting!

I watched it on Halloween, and loved it myself, and it sounds like it's very promising series-wise. I liked how they seemed to remember and at times stress that these zombies really were once human beings, and that most of the characters recognise that. Even if in the end they will (most of the time) still kill if they have to, because that's the only way they will survive. It seems like most of the time, the zombies are just disregarded as mere monster fodder, with the exception of one or two people who someone knew who ends up zombified, simply so this or that character can angst about them for awhile before blowing their brains out. The graphic novel it's based on sounds interesting, but I want to wait until the series is over (or has gone past or deviated enough from the novel, assuming it continues running long enough) to read it, to avoid spoilers and because the book is nearly always better anyway (comic or no).

As for the similarities and the copying issue, as el-flel pointed out, sometimes certain things just end up being repeated in a genre due to the nature of the genre itself. To find out if someone really is copying someone else, just look at the dates. If The Walking Dead graphic novel came out before both 28 Days Later and I Am Ledgend, (I know that the Resident Evil sequel someone mentioned definately did) than, if any story is being ripped off, it's The Walking Dead, not the other two. Or, it could simply be honest coincidence, or an example of creative minds thinking alike.

Not sure if I liked the 2nd episode or not. I think I'll have to watch it again. But I know I wasn't crazy about it. Some of the acting felt a bit corny. And I am also not sure if I like the zombies - I mean they LOOK great but I prefer the zombies from the comics. They wouldn't wield rocks against glass to get through or be nimble enough to leap a fence. I suppose it's fine they're making them a bit more intense for the TV show, but I kind of prefer them to be more... dead and stupid.

You know that racist guy is bad news. From the preview it looks like Grimes goes back for him. -sigh- Just let him rot...

Exactly what I thought when I watched that, coltraz! They have neurons to tell them to have the thought process that goes "must get inside, smash window, get rock!"?

Pfft! Kinda spoil the whole being a dead, thoughtless ambling creature thingie.
But I'm still waiting for it to play out to make any judgement on the whole series. I have liked it so far, as attest by my new shiney avi.

It's funny, in the first episode I was a little annoyed that one of the zombies on top of the tank at the end was pounding on the hatch door with his fists. I thought, "that doesn't look right..." But I let it pass. The rock smashing was just too much, though. Also, were one of the zombies climbing up that ladder?? :\

I didn't think it made a lot of sense to humanize that zombie that they chopped up either. Not sure if anyone would actually do that. It didn't ring true to me. I mean, wouldn't it be a lot easier to chop up the zombie and smear its guts on you if you discounted the fact that it once had a job, family, friends, etc? That was suitably disgusting though, even if the gore sounds were a bit overdone. SQUIISSSSHHH!!!! SPLAAATTTSSS!!!!

Your avatar is cool by the way Ella. That was creepy when those fingers came groping out!

The book version of I Am Legend was written and released in the 1950s, and although the monsters are vampires they still have very zombie-like characteristics, which is why I'm seeing some similarities between the two. The recent film with Will Smith followed the same basic storyline but did differ quite markedly from the book. But yeah, your post was exactly what I was thinking - genres will all share common elements.

Not seen the second ep yet, it'll be on later in the week here.

The "I am Legend" book is so good. I really liked the movie too. The Will Smith one. The original film adaptation wasn't as good. I didn't get through it.

I didn't see the original film, but the book was amazing. It was so clever.

Argh. I can't stand that Will Smith ending though.

You know, they had actually planned to make the ending more like it was in the book, but changed it at the last second. Ugh.

Kind of going off topic but which ending? They filmed at least 2. *I am Legend Spoilers Ahead...* I liked the unofficial ending more than the official one, where the creature just wants his friend/lover back and Smith hands her over. Neither ending is much like the book, though. Unless there was a planned 3rd ending.

Kind of a shame they changed the ending seeing as that is where the title came from - a title which doesn't make much sense on it's own! Although the original ending wouldn't work without

I wish they had been a little more subtle with the racist dude. He was too evil to really care about. And I agree with others about zombies needing to be brain dead. No weapons, no ladder climbing.

Wasn't as good as the first episode, but still enjoyable.

And since the show has already been renewed for a second season, it'll have even more time to find its footing.




*cough* Day of the Triffids *cough*

Which both authors have said influenced them.



Better yet, shoot him in the back of the head before leaving. When you have enough enemies, best not to leave another who will hate you even more for leaving them. Especially when he knows where you live.

The guy kicked over the tool box with the hack saw in it when dropping the key so perhaps he'll just free himself eventually.

Oh my gosh I forgot about Day of the Triffids! Yup, another book/TV series from decades ago.

They were supposed to be intelligent. They even dropped hints throughout the movie that they were, (like the traps they set) but at the last minute, they're just one dimensional villains.

Didn't read the book, but I heard that they were intelligent. Guess I was wrong. Regardless, the original ending was better..

Everyone is copying everyone else, I tells ya! Even if they straight copied it- I don't really care. It's not like they copied it word for word, and the feeling of him waking up was totally different from Day of the Triffids, and fairly different from 28 Days Later.