Zombie Cliche Lookout: Positive Thinking
Conventional wisdom holds that there are two types of people in the world: optimists and pessimists. Pessimists generally hold that not getting their hopes up makes dealing with disappointment much easier, and makes wins that much sweeter. Optimists counter that seeing the good in the world lets them enjoy things more. Of course, people are a little too complicated to easily lump into binary conventions, but I digress.
I like to think that optimists will have a distinct advantage in the zombie apocalypse, and I’ve actually got a bit of evidence on my side. Most survival experts will tell you that the biggest factor in surviving a deadly situation is mental. If you can keep positive, you’re far more likely to get by. Of course, there’s also a part of me that says it really doesn’t matter how positive your attitude is when three dozen zombies are fighting over your lower intestine.
About this Episode:
I’m not sure why, but I’m a big fan of using little interlude/transition scenes in the comic. In this episode, it’s mainly to show everyone grabbing their weapons so they’re at least somewhat prepared for the impending zombie attack.
Discussion Question: Found Footage Films?
This episode’s question doesn’t have a thing to do with the episode or anything discussed above. What I want to know is what everyone here thinks of found footage style films. First off, let’s completely discount the fact that they’ve been completely overdone in the last few years. That’s a trend that I don’t want to hold against the films.
I’m pretty torn on this one. Most of these movies are just terrible. The “found footage” thing is generally just relegated to a stupid gimmick rather than being used to explore the story and characters from different and more intimate angles. There’s a lot of potential here, but it unfortunately seems to be completely unrealized.
Typo alert, Discussion Question, first paragraph, second sentence: things–>thinks 😀
Only one typo today! 😉
Hey, not bad!
The whole found footage thing HAS been over used. and I feel because of it’s bad rep thus far, people aren’t willing to give decent found footage films a chance. and the filmmakers who think of interesting ways to use it, just think there’s no point. I mean, I’ve run into one movie so far that FEELs like it should be a found footage film, but it isn’t and for some reason that makes me want to see it as a found footage film, that film being Chernobyl Diaries. I feel the found footage thing could be really good, if done right and in a new and interesting way.
It may have been overused but occasionally they do find footage that was genuinely believed to be lost and was sitting in a basement or attic of someone for 60 years then they find it when that person passes away.
There has definitely been a few of those these last few years.
I think found footage could often be labelled as recovered or restored though. I remember the BBC going on about old doctor who episodes that were thought ‘lost’ because the film was so badly degraded but with modern techniques they managed to restore the film and was treated as found again.
You know, I think a lot of people would like found footage stuff a lot more if it was used as part of a traditional film to provide additional info or back story or something, sort of like you describe.
Really? No matter how much it says before the movie “These films were found after(Fill in blank which is the plot).” I try to take it seriously just so I enjoy the movie. But my mom is always like “Yeah right”.
How was Chernobyl Diaries? I remember vaguely wanting to see that when it came out, and then immediately forgot about it.
Chernobyl diaries was pretty good, a nice little flick just to sit back and watch with some popcorn when you just want to relax and shut your brain off, not that it’s bad, but it’s just a good movie to watch if you want to just have stupid fun.
There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand Binary and those who don’t.
Hah! I almost made that same joke.
Favorite found footage use in a movie: Cannibal Holocaust.
There is no need to have the entire movie created on the Found footage. It gets boring and unsightly. How many times have I yelled at the “camera operator”
I can’t bring myself to watch that one. I hear it’s very rapey.
I have been meaning to ask this for a while, where/ how did you get the two colored AK?
I think I might have a Discussion Question for Monday’s episode, if Dave needs one:
We all have our material possessions we hold dear to ourselves, but does a zombie apocalypse change anything about hiding things you treasure or have need of from others who might take them?
For example: You have a truck of supplies that your group really needs, would leaving it behind bushes or covered in foliage be a priority even in a zombie apocalypse, for instance, if it breaks down, and you have to get other members of your group to fix the truck so it can get back to base?
LOL, I love the ending to this episode xD
The production team could not find any local women to play the adulteress. Head of Wardrobe Lucia Costantini ended up with the part. She was completely covered in mud to look like a native.
The second highest-grossing film in Japan in 1983, behind E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
Its one of those movies you only need to see once (for most)