NJ Zombie Walk - Undead Festival - Day 1

I just got back from a great afternoon/evening at the New Jersey Zombie Walk and Undead Festival. It was a cool evening, I got to chill with Zombie King Jason while enjoying a cold PBR, work the merch table, hang out with some cool zombies including some of the stars of the classic Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and The Walking Dead, have a great chat with the director of Dark Ride and Perkins 14 Craig Singer about a book project, check out a cool bonfire on the beach, watch some new horror and catch-up with some old friends. Of course, this event would be so much better if Bren and the girls were here, but as the great poet Mick Jaggar says, "You can't always get what you want!" Here are some pictures from the evening, I am sure that there will be many more to follow after the walk tomorrow.

The Walking Dead - Episode 6 - TS-19

With Walking Dead Season 2 about to start, I figured it would be good to revisit the filale of Season 1, with episode TS-19.

Plot/ At the C.D.C., Rick and the others find Dr. Edwin Jenner, a scientist who is on the verge of suicide. But just when they think they're safe, Jenner tells them that the building is on a countdown to self-destruct.

This was one of the best season finales in a while. The acting was sound (as it has been throughout the series), the scripting solid and the direction and camerawork was top-notch. To me, the major flaw of this episode is the amount of irrational behavior that seemed to be running amuck. Having read some of the comic, some of the characterizations just seemed off. In the end, I cannot wait to see what Season 2 has in store.

The Walking Dead - Episode 5 - Wildfire

 Having traveled last month, I missed out catching the ending of The Walking Dead. However, with the snow coming down and a blizzard at hand it was nice to finally be able to get caught up on what I have missed.

Plot/ Rick tries to make contact with Morgan to tell him his location. Back at camp, after the fight with the zombies, Jim has been bitten and is slowly beginning to change; Andrea mourns over Amy's death; and Shane blames it all on Rick for leaving. Now that camp isn't safe anymore, Rick decides that it's time for them all to move out. He plans to take them to the C.D.C., a military base, to find a cure for Jim and, hopefully, more survivors.

As I am finally catching up and finishing the Walking Dead, it was nice to see the focus change up a bit in this episode, focusing on the humanity of the situation at hand. While the pacing was a bit slow for my taste, I have to admit that it allowed for some very good moments within the developing story. Unfortunately, the season is about to come to an end. To me, the six episode format is something that has hampered this series from the beginning, with such a constricted timeline allotted to develop all of this intricacies of such a vast storyline, many parts have been truncated maybe too much. Still, this is one of the best television series I have seen and I look forward to finally catching the finale.

The Walking Dead - Episode 4 - Vatos

 

As the days passed, I knew that I had to get caught up on my reviews of the Walking Dead. That was definitely one of the downfalls to this vacation, I missed out on a lot of my regular viewing schedule.

Plot/ While continuing their search for Merle, Rick and the others stumble across another group of survivors that kidnap Glenn and are willing to trade him for Rick's guns. At camp, Jim has been digging a bunch of holes and everyone else wonders why. Their question is answered, that night, when zombies attack.

As this episode progressed, I was becoming more and more impressed because they finally started to add some tension and action vice the character development that overtook the past two episodes. Plus, it was nice to see other groups of survivors, and how they exist within this realm. Like every episode, the cinematography is awesome and there really is a great depression and tension that creates a dismal atmosphere. Even better, the zombies returned with a vengeance and actually did some damage (something I was looking forward to for a while). This is a zombie catastrophe, yet, they seemed almost a sideshow in the first episodes. In an instant, zombies can sneak up and wreak havoc. That alone makes this the best episode since the pilot and a series that is a must see for all fans of the genre.

The Walking Dead - Episode 3 - Tell It To The Frogs

 As my Steelers sucked last night, I decided to turn that boring game off and enjoy some zombies. So far, the Walking Dead has been a great addition to my television viewing, I just hope that trend continues.

Plot / Rick and the gang drive out of Atlanta and to the survivor’s camp along with Glenn in his noisier than all hell sports car. Rick finally meets up with the rest of the survivors, including his wife and son, as his best friend and former partner Shane, who just happens to have been having a post zombie-apocalypse affair with Rick’s wife Lori. By the end, some survivors were heading back to Atlanta to rescue the despicable Merle Dixon, who they left on a rooftop in the last episode, and grab the bag of weapons that Rick lost in his pre-tank scuffle with the zombie horde in episode one.

This episode spends it time establishing what life is like at the survivors camp, introducing us the to key characters in the series, something that is needed. While there are some touching moments and solid character development, the overall feel of the episode was a bit plodding and dry. While the cinematography and visual effects were sound, the slow pace really detracted from what was started by the first two episodes of the series. I can only hope that things start picking up again in the next show.

The Walking Dead - Episode 2 - Guts

As I prepare for a new week, I figured it was time to finish my review of The Walking Dead. Today’s entry, Episode 2, Guts, from November 7, 2010.

Plot / Stuck in the tank, help comes to Rick in the form of a voice at the other end of two-way radio. The voice - Glen - has eyes on Rick’s position, and advises him on which direction to make a run for. They meet up and make it into a department store, where a few other survivors (a supply team from the camp outside the city) are holed up. Unable to travel by sewer to escape, the survivors take to another more dangerous method for potential escape.

While not nearly as good as the pilot, episode two Guts, continues to show that The Walking Dead is a brilliantly made show. However, it is far from perfect. The characters to this point have been very stereotypical of the genre and their development has been lacking. Yes, the acting has been solid, but the bouncing storylines and lack of characterization could become problematic. So far, this has been a great example of atmosphere and zombies, but less dialogue and more action would be a welcome sight. Do not get me wrong, I will keep coming back for more because I am a huge zombie fan, but for the passer by, it may take a lot more to keep them interested.

The Walking Dead - Episode 1 - Days Gone By

 Last week, being Halloween, I failed to talk about AMC’s new series The Walking Dead. With the second episode in the books, I figured it was a good time to create a weekly entry for this great series. First off, the pilot, Days Gone By, from October 31, 2010.

Plot / Sheriff Deputy, Rick Grimes, wakes up in the hospital, after being shot, to find his town overrun by flesh-eating zombies. After making friends with survivor Morgan Jones and his son Duane, Rick sets out to find his wife and son.

For a pilot episode, this had everything you could hope for and more. It had blood, guts, violence, gore and of course some of the best zombies that have graced a screen in a long time. More importantly, it featured some great scripting and character development that left you wanting more. This is definitely what horror on television can be. I just hope that the non-horror community does not run it off like other great horror series that die before they begin.