Most of the original vampires of folklore (pre-Stoker et al) were reanimated corpses that shambled around, craving blood instead of brains. It's almost like zombies evolved in the popular imagination (post-Romero) to replace the original vampires in the horror ecosystem.
Dawn: Are you kidding? Dr. Keiser: I never kid about my amazing surgical skills.
'Bring On The Night'
Boxed Set, Vol. V: Just a Hint of Denial and a Dash of Retcon
A topic for the discussion of Doctor Who, Arrow, and The Flash. Beware possible invasions of iZombie, Sleepy Hollow, or pretty much any other "genre" (read: sci fi, superhero, or fantasy) show that captures our fancy. Expect adult content and discussion of the Big Gay Sex.
Marvel superheroes are discussed over at the MCU thread.
Whitefont all unaired in the U.S. ep discussion, identifying it as such, and including the show and ep title in blackfont.
Blackfont is allowed after the show has aired on the east coast.
This is NOT a general TV discussion thread.
Theodosia - Nov 08, 2010 1:24:54 pm PST #14688 of 30001
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"
§ ita § - Nov 08, 2010 2:05:43 pm PST #14689 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
Someone just informed me that TV tropes has a trope about this very thing.
No, I'm not linking.
§ ita § - Nov 08, 2010 2:10:07 pm PST #14690 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
hippocampus - Nov 08, 2010 2:22:05 pm PST #14691 of 30001
not your mom's socks.
Watching this week's Fringe... Cool to see Aaron Ashmore (Logan from VM, Jimmy from SV) and Shawn Ashmore (Bobby from Xmen) playing the twins they are.
I really liked this ep. Some scenes were really delicately written, like when the wife enters the room.
Allyson & Jilli (and Pete) there needs to be an info graphic on how to tell if your date is a zombie/vampire/Jeff Goldblum
Eta: iSpellcheck repairs
Dana - Nov 08, 2010 2:50:50 pm PST #14692 of 30001
I haven't trusted science since I saw the film "Flubber."
Wow, you guys are zombie hardliners.
le nubian - Nov 08, 2010 2:59:57 pm PST #14693 of 30001
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."
right?
Strega - Nov 08, 2010 3:32:45 pm PST #14694 of 30001
Garlic, crosses, silver, stakes through the heart, all that vampire lore is somehow dealt with in each new media representation of vampires.I don't think that's the same thing. With mummies & vampires & werewolves & ghosts, you can refer to (and cherry-pick from) centuries of actual folklore. You can bring in archeologists and gypsies and priests and doctors to offer exposition and quote obscure legends. Most of those stories are about the ancient versus the modern at some level, so referring to the history enhances that: "This happened because you scoffed at the old ways, but here is how you can lift the curse."
The (non-vodoun) zombie is about modern terrors. Part of the essence is that it's unprecedented; it's abrupt and societal and existential, and anything that allows your characters to be the least bit prepared lessens the horror. I'm sure it can be done, but referring to other zombie stories within your own is going to add another layer between the audience and the characters. And it raises a lot of "If they've seen zombie movies why are they even bothering to try that?" questions.
If your characters need to consult an expert, they're running to... a film geek? I guess you can treat your audience to a long debate about whether they're fast zombies or slow zombies or hopping zombies, and are they kind you can kill with a baseball bat or do you have to dismember the corpse, and so on. That's what I meant about the story becoming metafiction about what stories your fictional characters are familiar with. And as a viewer, that's when I'd put a gun in my own mouth.
I assume that in Cloverfield the characters don't pause to say, "Hey, this is kinda like a Godzilla movie." Because where does that take you? Someone replies, "Yup, it is. [wink] Well, let's resume fleeing in terror." When you play those games there's a good chance that all you accomplish is reminding the audience that they could be reading/watching a better version of the story you're telling. (As with that Dracula sequel last year, where every attempt to 'subvert' Stoker's novel just reminds you how stupid the book you're currently reading is.)
Polter-Cow - Nov 08, 2010 3:52:50 pm PST #14695 of 30001
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
I'm sure it can be done, but referring to other zombie stories within your own is going to add another layer between the audience and the characters. And it raises a lot of "If they've seen zombie movies why are they even bothering to try that?" questions.
In Feed, humanity is able to survive the zombie apocalypse precisely because decades of Romero movies had prepared them. That's just a small part of the worldbuilding, though, and it's not brought up every five pages as if the movies are some sort of reference material.
I can't remember whether Zombieland referenced zombie movies or not, what with all its survival rules.
§ ita § - Nov 08, 2010 4:03:27 pm PST #14696 of 30001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
I'm not sure what a non-voudoun zombie is, in comparison with, say, one of the sciencey vamps they still call vampires. They're willing to stretch one mythology very far (and toss out what they don't like--boy do I hate those speeches--I like Joss for running with most of the popular stuff) and zombies get boxed in so tight?
Strega - Nov 08, 2010 5:01:40 pm PST #14697 of 30001
I'm not following -- they who?
All I mean by non-vodoun is the Romero concept -- ravening hordes of dead people are trying to eat you, rather than "someone stole his soul and now he's a mindless automaton." I Walked With a Zombie made good use of the lore, but I wouldn't call it a zombie movie because that means something different to us now.