News: Walking Dead Leaks First Glance of Prison

Image Credit: Gene Page/AMC

I think this picture says more than my words ever could. The sheer awesomeness of Lauren Cohan in this photo makes me wish I had a time machine simply to bump me forward to October. Heck, I'd even give up the nearly two months of vacation I have between now and then. Anyone who has read the comics will tell you that the prison is definitely the best part of the series, and these photos only serve to reassure me that the producers are going to do it justice.

Read the entire teaser article here, and check out another awesome photo that shows even more penal, zombie shredding goodness. The article also includes a little from producer Glen Mazzara about the role of the prison in season three.

News: Xbox Gets a Little Bloodier

Left 4 Dead 2 lovers who play the using the Xbox 360 platform have been left out in the cold a little bit when compared to their PC/Mac counterparts. In March of 2011, L4D2 released a new campaign but only on the PC/Mac versions as a beta test. Well, the time has (almost) come for us Xbox users to join in on the fun.

On July 24th, a mere three weeks away, Valve will release the "Cold Stream" campaign as downloadable content for the Xbox. I'll be honest, my L4D2 game has been gathering some dust on the shelf recently, but I guess it will be time to crack it back out. I need the "stream crosser" achievement asap!

Review: Z-Day iPhone App

This weekend, a friend alerted me to a new zombie app for the iPhone and iPad platform. The app, Z-Day, is a sort of digital "choose your own adventure" with realistic scenarios and choices.

The good? This app is logical and is clearly made by lovers of the apocalyptic genre. I didn't feel like choices had unrealistic or random consequences as some choose your own adventure stories do. When I died, I felt that I probably deserved it. You also get to make almost every choice which gives you an added commitment to the game. You don't feel like a spectator; you feel like you are truly at the helm of the storytelling. Additionally, the visuals for this game are well stylized. It has a very comic book noir vibe to it. The game also provides you with a variety of different side characters, inventory items, and interesting weapon choices.

The bad? Well, first of all it isn't free and I'm always skeptical of paid apps on the iPhone. This one is $1.99, which isn't bad, but it's also not a whole lot of game play for your dime. There is really only one main route for the storyline. Your decisions can either get you killed or take you on small detours, but for the most part this doesn't hold up to hours of replaying. I'd say this is an hour of entertainment at best. The story is also short, so you could probably play from beginning to a successful end in fifteen minutes. Also, and this is just the nerd in me, but they misspell "apocalypse" on the title screen. Uncool, guys.

Overall, I think this is a good buy if you're having a particularly boring lunch break, train ride, or blind date. It'll keep you pretty darned engaged even if that only lasts for a limited amount of time. However, if you are looking for a more fulfilling choose your own experience, pay the extra dozen bucks for Max Brailler's Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? ($13.98 on amazon.com). Check out the review for that novel here.

Review: Episode 2 of Telltale's Walking Dead

Well, it's better than going out to the movies and it's half as expensive. That's right. I spent my Wednesday evening like any self-respecting geek should: sitting on my couch and taking in Episode 2 of Telltale's Walking Dead game. Almost a month late from its anticipated monthly release, this game was certainly a tease...but now that I've bedded the beast, I must say that it was worth the wait.

You can check out my review of Episode 1 right here, and I wouldn't proceed any further on this review if you haven't played the first episode yet. This episode was so packed with suspense that it will be difficult to review without giving away too much of the good stuff as it is.

Episode 2 jumps Lee, Clementine, and the group forward about three months. They're still in the motel, but they're starving and even more at each other's throats than usual. After making the difficult decision of whom to feed and whom to leave hungry, you embark on the main narrative of the episode which is sure to have you paying attention to every detail.

My favorite thing about this episode was that it built consistent and realistic tension in a variety of ways. You didn't have moments where you could let down your guard, sigh, or grab a quick trip to the bathroom. Instead, I was planted to my sofa for the two hour duration of the game play. I was fully engaged in the decision making, and I found myself really stressing the decisions--even the seemingly minor ones. Even more so than in Episode 1, Episode 2 feels like a fairly realistic scenario. Often it's difficult to know what the "right" choice is, and there often isn't a way to please everyone or look like the plucky hero. This makes the game satisfying in its honesty and commitment to truthful storytelling.

My only major complaint would be that during a couple of sequences, I felt smarter than the game was allowing me to be. I saw a few things before they came, which helped add to the suspense, but it also made me frustrated that I couldn't say or do the appropriate thing to act on my suspicions as I would have in real life. Still, it obviously only made me want to play that much more. I would also say that the character of Larry made me want to hurl my controller on more than one occasion, but a strong emotional response is the sign of a captivating game. Lastly in the "negative" department, this episode was a little light on the zombie combat, but if you've read any of my posts, you'll know that that isn't the main thing that makes zombie drama compelling to me anyway. Despite the absence of zombies, there's no shortage of life or death situations. In fact, I think I died almost twice as many times in episode 2 as I did during my first crack at episode 1.

I hope it doesn't take them two more months to come out with Episode 3. It's going to be a long summer if I can't swing some punches with my man Lee Everett until the end of August. For now, start playing Episode 2! Xbox users can download the episode starting today for 400 points ($5), but PS3 and PC/Mac users will have to wait until Friday. Or, you could just buy an Xbox like us cool kids.

News: Is Pitt's World War Z Project Decomposing?

Pitt on set...looking skeptical himself?

A few months ago I reported that the Brad Pitt-produced film version of Max Brook's awesome novel had its release date pushed back about six months to the summer of 2013. But news out this week suggests that the project has been infected with a variety of production problems. These problems include reported directorial impotence, excessive spending, re-shoots, rewrites, and production goof-ups.

Obviously the biggest problems are those that affect the final product, such as the reported rewrite and re-shoot of the film's ending, which doesn't fill me with confidence about the rest of the storyline. Apparently, the ending was rewritten to seem more feasible. Now, to be fair, most movies now days could use a little rewriting, so at least Pitt's crew is making an attempt to right wrongs. But again, this does not make me a confident movie-goer.

I was, however, skeptical from the start. Brooks's novel is genius, but it would really work best as a television show, with each person's interview lasting for a single episode. From what I've been able to piece together about the film version, it seems to be a lot like Dawn of the Dead (2004). It's borrowing the name of something well-liked and powerful in order to gain interest, but it otherwise very different from its "original". Still, just like the newest Dawn of the Dead, that's no reason this movie can't be good in its own right, but color me cautious until opening night.

Review: Tellltale's The Walking Dead

Telltale games released the first episode of The Walking Dead game to PC/Mac, Xbox, and PS3 this week. This afternoon, after 2.5 hours of supremely focused game play, I immediately headed to their website to see when I'd be able to continue to play with the next episode...only to find out they're only releasing one a month! AHHH! Patience FAIL!

So, needless to say, I enjoyed the game. The gaming style was really the kind of game play I can get into; it was primarily based on character interactions and decision making. There was some zombie killing action, but really not very much. This isn't the next Left 4 Dead, but I think it's something just as special and engaging.

The game follows the story of Lee Everett, a man on his way to prison for murder when the zombie apocalypse hits. After his cop car crashes, Lee finds a young girl, Clementine, and the two team up to face a bleak and dangerous world. From there on? I can't really tell you what happens because that will be determined by the decisions that YOU make. And, unlike in some games, the decisions are reasonable and your response choices are realistic. I didn't feel like I was forced to say anything in the game that I really wouldn't have said in real life.

In episode one, Walking Dead fans will enjoy seeing Herschel and Glenn as well as the Greene farm. The world seems to be a comic-television show hybrid. For example, Herschel only has two kids (like in the show), but his farm looks a lot like the comics. In fact, the animation was very reminiscent of Adlard's work which gave it a familiar feel.

Overall, I really enjoyed playing and I can't wait until next month! Download the game on Telltale's website or on your Xbox/PS3. I opted for the XBox version and was happy with the choice.

Review: Fear Eats the Seoul

My last review from Chicago Fear Fest this year is going to be for the last flick we saw at the festival: Fear Eats the Seoul. It's difficult to know where to start when reviewing a movie like this. Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of the film. I absolutely loved the opening sequence, and I was really excited from the first minute of movie, but after that, a lot of it let me down.

My primary struggle was with the pace of the film. The flick was about two hours in length, but you left the theater feeling as though the story really could have been cut down to about 70-80 minutes. Rarely do I find a horror or zombie film that has me checking my watch, but this one certainly did. That's not to say that there weren't some genuine moments of both tension and action--there were. Still, the gaps between these moments seemed a little languorous.

The majority of this problem might have stemmed from the fact that this film jumps back in time frequently to look at the characters before the outbreak. This could be a nice touch, and occasionally it is, but often it seems unnecessary. We don't usually learn anything important from the flashbacks, and I feel that many of the flashbacks didn't answer any questions for me or inform my understanding of the characters one bit.

Possibly, that's because I wasn't really invested in the characters. It was very difficult, as a 28 year old senior citizen, to sympathize with the characters in this story. The majority of the characters struck me as self absorbed, whiny, and without solid ideas or survival instinct. At times I found myself thinking, "Really? This is who makes it out?" As a result, I didn't care about their back story and I certainly didn't care if they made it out of Korea before it was bombed.

The main protagonist, Nadia (Amber Green), was my primary fish-to-be-fried. Her voice over was cliche, trite, and vastly lacking in maturity. She was moody and bitchy with other people, and not in a funny or relatable way, but rather in a "Dude, why haven't you people thrown her to the mutants?" sort of way. That being said, I'm absolutely sure that I would have adored both this movie and her character when I was seventeen. This flick would have been like my bible, and she would have been my idol. Thank the lords of Kobol that I'm no longer seventeen.

But the film wasn't all bad. First, you have to give the director, Nick Calder, some mad props for undertaking such an immensely challenging project and executing it completely and professionally at such a young age. I've certainly never been that dedicated to my craft. The film looks and feels more professional than you would expect, and for a very low budget, Calder has done some admirable work. In addition to being the director and writer, he's also the only mildly palatable actor in the whole movie. The effects on the infected (they're not...really...zombies. more like demons.) are really cool and original. They certainly strike a little bit of fear into the soul. And speaking of my horrible pun, I really dug the title of this flick. It was one of the main things that had me speeding up to Rosemont from C2E2 to watch it.

But aside from a few moments of "looking cool", an interesting base-level concept, and some original make up effects, this film is not destined to be a horror cult film for decades to come. The film is weighed down at many points by overly emotional writing, purposely shaky cinematography, slothful pacing, and unlikeable characters. All of these elements band together to make the audience disengaged and apathetic. Will they get out of Seoul? Will you care? Decide for yourself by watching Fear Eats the Seoul.

The trailer is below. Rewatching the trailer makes me rethink this entire review (the trailer is really good), but unfortunately the movie is not what the trailer advertizes. God, I wish it was. Maybe some very generous editing could recut the movie into a faster paced narrative. When that happens, someone call me.

Review & Event: Juan of the Dead at The Wilmette Theater

I know it's been two weeks, but I might as well get around to posting my final two reviews from Chicago Fear Fest. One of the primary reasons that I went to the festival was to see Alejandro Brugues' Juan of the Dead. This independent flick has been devouring awards like outstretched limbs at recent festivals, and I couldn't wait to see what all the hub bub was about.

The film centers around the plight of Juan (Alexis Diaz de Villegas) and his portly, degenerate friend, Lazaro (Jorge Molina). Usually heroes are likeable, white toothed super men. They get all the woman and are the envy of all the men...but not Juan and Lazaro. Their bumbling idiocy, their blatant selfishness, and their inability to employ provident thought to any situation, are all some of the main reasons that this film is both unique and enduring. These aren't unrealistic super people surviving the zombie apocalypse; these are kind of scummy, realistic people surviving the zombie apocalypse.

Juan and Lazaro are certainly the central figures of the flick, and their crude banter is one of the main reasons to watch, but the supporting cast is loveable, dynamic, and brings a lot to the table--both in terms of zombie killing and comedy. Juan's daughter, Camila (Andrea Duro), is realistic and pretty. She brings a little drama and heart to a film that is otherwise pretty saturated with dick jokes and crime. Lazaro's son, Vladi (Andros Perugorria), is the eye candy you're missing in Juan and Lazaro. Some of my favorite characters in the film, however, were La China (Jazz Villa) and El Primo (Eliecer Ramirez). This couple consists of a particularly sassy drag queen/car radio thief and her enormous blood-shy boyfriend. La China's banter with Juan and Lazaro definitely adds to the comedy here, as does El Primo's tendency to faint every time he sees blood--not a great deficiency to have during the zombie apocalypse.

My only complaint about the film at all would be that the translation seems a little off. At times it is clear that a native Spanish speaker with a better understanding of Cuban history than I possess (Merci for that, three years of high school French) would find some of the jokes funnier and clearer. Because we're not watching a story about Cuban upper crust citizens here, the jokes are very colloquial and clearly contain many idioms. Unfortunately, at times these do get, pardon the cliche, lost in translation. Other than that, I have no complaints, but the movie is quite vulgar, especially sexually, so those with a reduced tolerance for the dirty joke might want to stay away.

Overall, the film will have you laughing and it may even tug at the heartstrings for a moment or two. There are absolutely some strong zombie effects here, and the story moves at an engaging pace. In other words, there isn't a "good time" to go grab some more popcorn from the concession stand.

Wondering when you'll be able to catch this gem on the big screen again? How about NOW!? The good folks over at The Wilmette Theater, one of my past employment stomping grounds, will be showing Juan of the Dead in a one week run between April 27th and May 3rd. The theater manager is a huge horror geek, and he is really excited to be premiering the film in its first American theatrical release. For tickets, check out the website. Showtimes are listed on the left. And don't procrastinate! The film won't be there next weekend!

News: Wild Interpretations of Kirkman Spoiler

Robert Kirkman's talking that talk once again. Recently, Kirkman talked about Dale's death and suggested that someone else could die the way Dale does in the comics. Basically, he wanted to communicate that they won't always be pairing people with their actions from the comic. Sometimes a character will suffer a different character's comic book fate, for better or for worse.

Kirkman was quoted as saying "There will be cases where something memorable like that will be displaced and given to somebody else. I'll hint that that actually happens in our first episode back in Season 3—there's something memorable that happened to a character in the comic is happening in the show in our first episode back and it's not the same character." Read the entire spoiler article here.

So here comes the part where I start my speculating. Okay...so here are some thoughts. Don't proceed any further if you haven't read the comics.

• Could someone besides Rick get his hand chopped off? I'm hoping not, but this one would seem to make some sense since having Andrew Lincoln handless for the coming seasons might be a television nightmare. Still, episode one of next season would be a little early for this to happen.
• Could someone besides Dale and Allen get bitten and have to have their leg chopped off? This seems reasonable, but it's a little benign to be "something memorable that happened to a character".
• Could someone besides Herschel's two girls get decapitated by a prisoner? That'd be awesome, but who? And honestly, I always thought that was one of those story lines that wouldn't translate very well to the screen. It was interesting, but not entirely necessary.
• Could someone besides Carol walk into a zombie on purpose as a type of bizarre suicide? Possibly. Carol's character is certainly very different than her comic book counterpart, and she's lacking the relationship piece that pushes her over the edge. Still, this seems like something that would happen later on.
• Could someone besides Tyrese go into a gym full of zombies, get left for dead, and then reappear an episode later? This would be way way way cool. This was one of my favorite moments from the comics, but I don't know who is BA enough for it except Michonne (and she only just arrived) or Rick (and you can't really do that with the protagonist).
• Could someone besides Dexter get shot in the neck during a prison rebellion? Not unlikely, but I think this also falls under the heading of not big enough to be considered "something memorable that happened to a character".
• Could someone besides Michonne get tied up and abused by the governor? This would be a huge change. Like mega huge. I would be surprised, but I also would be intrigued as to whom they would select. Andrea? 
• Could someone else be locked in the prison cafeteria? Maybe Tyrese? I've been guessing this one for a while. Anyway to get Tyrese on the show would be fine with me.

Alright, enough of my speculating. What do you think?

Review: Rec 3 Genesis

Holy. Crap. I'm so glad that this film was at Chicago's Fear Fest.

Okay, so I've never seen Rec 1 or 2, but now I'll absolutely have to check them out. Apparently Quarantine was an American remake of Rec 1, and I have seen that, but it didn't come anywhere close to the awesomeness of Rec 3: Genesis.

This movie was stellar for so many reasons. The beginning was strong, and it did a good job of using cinema verite at the onset of the film, but transitioning to a more traditional camera style after about fifteen minutes when cinema verite would be annoying and unrealistic. The normalcy of the beginning was unsettling, and the filmmakers did a good job of incorporating both foreshadowing and red herrings to keep you anxious and attentive.

When the zombies do attack, the wedding of our protagonists, Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Koldo (Diego Martin), turns into a bloodbath in one swift and realistic moment. From there, it's the job of our heroes to find each other and find a way out, and it was never a dull moment watching them try.

This film is commendable for its bloody and realistic effects, its commitment to realism (aka: killing off a whole crap-load of people), its ability to seamlessly mix horror, comedy, and drama into one authentic piece of fiction, and its cultural commentary of/connection to Catholicism. But in addition to all of those strengths, this movie is absolutely excellent because of Leticia Dolera's performance. She is absolutely beautiful, even when covered in blood and running eyeliner, but she's also an immensely talented actress. I believe her, but I also want to BE her. She's the ultimate badass femme without being bitchy or unrealistic. This balance is not an easy one to manage, but both Dolera, and her director, Paco Plaza, have managed to craft a likeable and realistic female protagonist.

If you have a chance to check this flick out, I very highly recommend that you do so! Watch this preview...

Review: The Zombie Factor

The first zombie-related flick we watched at Chicago's Fear Fest this weekend was a short called The Zombie Factor directed by Matt Cantu. This flick was a pilot for a mock-reality television show in which nine unsuspecting strangers are put in a zombie infected hell hole and forced through funny and death-defying challenges. It was a funny idea, as if George Romero were to direct a Fear Factor/Real World hybrid.

Overall, it was very funny. My favorite performances were Steve Forbes (Jason) and Earl Cabo (Kareem). Cabo and Forbes had some of the funniest and best lines, but they also completely committed to their characters and seemed comfortable and natural in front of the camera.

The challenges, especially the "zombie hat day" challenge, were funny and original, but occasionally moments like these went on for a little too long. They clearly had enough funny ideas, so I thought it could have been edited to be a little tighter. My only other complaint was that there were two or three more characters than needed. It's not that the characters were poorly acted, but it became a lot to keep track of in 22 minutes. Still, I would concede that this is absolutely authentic to many reality TV shows.

Overall, Cantu has produced a funny, loveable and engaging piece with some fresh and original ideas. It was definitely worth 22 minutes of my time. Watch the trailer below...

News: Steven Yeun & Lauren Cohan Rock C2E2

Steven Yeun takes a picture of us as we all do the opposite.

Because I don't wake up at 4am on Saturday mornings, I was unable to get autograph tickets for Steven Yeun (Glenn) and Lauren Cohan (Maggie). Still, once I'd passed that little snag, I had a great time at C2E2. I sat through some great panels, got a signed copy of The Walking Dead: Covers from Tony Moore's table, and bought some nerdalicious swag.

My day was capped off with the Walking Dead panel. Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan hit the stage in the IGN Theater to talk about the show and the romantic relationship of "Glaggie". Overall, the two were both absolutely adorable and very articulate. Cohan talked about killing Shane as something that "had to happen" and condoned Rick's decision. She also addressed a question about why Tyrese, Rick's BFF in the comics, hasn't arrived yet. She explained that keeping Shane alive for season two kind of fulfilled Tyrese's role for a while, and that she hasn't heard anything about casting him or having his character appear in the show. I know. Sad face.

Steven Yeun was a laugh a minute during the panel. He talked about his script-reading habits (ie: on the toilet), and discussed how that made encountering Dale's death for the first time a little awkward. When asked about Glenn's relationship with Maggie, he jokingly referred to their relationship as "two people who love each other doing cool sh*t". He also referenced that before there would be any sex scenes, he'd have to get to the gym, but he was reassured when Cohan revealed that he was absolutely a better kisser than her Supernatural co-star. Yeun was quite the jokester, even threatening to take season three back to the farm (to which the packed theater booed and jeered), but he did reference the gloomy nature of the show by saying "any of us can go".

I guess we'll have to wait and see if that is, in fact, true when season three of The Walking Dead hits television screens in October. The cast returns to shooting in three weeks, and hopefully we'll be getting a couple of spoilers soon. Until then, I'll leave you with this highpoint of the panel. Imagine Lauren Cohan and Steven Yeun doing their best "zombie walks" across the stage. Who do you think did the best job? The answer: Lauren. Steven admitted that his just really looked like him "on a sad day".

Review: Map of the Dead is the Newest Survival Necessity

My first choice in the zombie apocalypse? To have a car full of weapons experts, doctors, survivalists, etc. But in the likely chance that that doesn't happen, and my car is, instead, packed with my husband, cats, and sarcastic friends, I'm pretty sure that this website, mapofthedead.com, will be the key to my survival.

Map of the Dead resembles a t-virus infected Google maps. Just type in your location or have the website locate you through the big brother powers of the internet, and this website will map valuable locations around you: grocery stores, hardware stores, camping goods stores, police stations, harbors, and hospitals (to only name a few). Need a gun store in rural Virginia? This website can help. Trying to avoid cemetaries of newly risen corpses in Denver? No problem.

Now, of course, this website sort of assumes that the internet wouldn't be the first victim of the zombie apocalypse. I have an iPhone, so I think I can safely assume that my phone battery would be among the first casualties of the end of the world. Still, it's a fun idea. My only other complaint is that this website is by no means comprehensive. They seem to be missing many convenience stores, and they've identified independent grocery stores but not many of the mainstream companies like Dominick's and Jewel...at least not in my area.

Still, check this website out and begin planning your survival strategy!

News: Walking Dead Finds its Woodbury?

Recently, zap2it.com reported that a large portion of seasons three and four of The Walking Dead plan to take place in Woodbury, Georgia. This is good news for comic book fans; I, personally, think that the Woodbury conflict was the real high point of the comics. In the comics, the town is home to the best darn villain of the entire series, Phillip Blake. We already heard about the casting of Phillip Blake (aka: The Governor), but now it looks like Walking Dead is courting a real life town to transform into the infamous zombie-free, crazy-abundant location.

The report is that the show is in negotiations with Senoia, Georgia for filming rights. The town has your typical small Southern town charm, but I'm guessing that what really sold Kirkman and Mazarra on Senoia was nearby Senoia Raceway. In the comics, Woodbury is infamous for its gladiatorial zombie ring which is staged in an old stadium in town. While maps seem to suggest the Senoia Raceway is not exactly in Senoia's city center, with the miracle of film, I would guess that they could make it look as though it is. Photos of the raceway have me already longing for season three...Michonne and her sword...oh yes.

Personally, I can't wait to see what they do with Woodbury. My guess is that they won't be able to do everything that goes on in the comics, at least not on screen. Don't get me wrong, AMC is pretty edgy, but this isn't HBO. Still, I think season three will be a good one and it's nice to see that they'll be staying with the comics as a structural backbone.

Events: C2E2 at McCormick Place

Okay...so after much stress and after a few new guest announcements...I guess I'm going to C2E2 as well this weekend. C2E2, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, will be at McCormick place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend. It will feature zombie-rific guests such as Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead), Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead), and Tony Moore (Walking Dead issues 1-6). Also, for those interested in running around and fighting zombies, Humans vs. Zombies will be hosting events throughout the weekend.

Check out the whole line up here, as there are many non-zombie related guests that will also likely grab your attention. The event is in the North Building at McCormick Place, and free shuttles are available from downtown to the convention center. It doesn't get much more convenient than that.

Event: Chicago Fear Fest LAST CALL

Time is running out to buy your tickets for Chicago's Fear Fest, an awesome horror film festival. I'm about to buy my tickets, and I just spent the last hour watching previews, planning my schedule and getting all around psyched! I'm even skipping C2E2 and Chris Hardwick, the zombie nerdist, to check out the flicks at Fear Fest. You should join me!

Buy your tickets here! Check out my (very overly organized) schedule below, and check out my reviews over the weekend!

News: Zombies Take Over Sons of Guns

I watch many Discovery Channel shows, but I've never seen Sons of Guns, their show about Red Jacket Firearms building and crafting original and new guns. This month, however, they have my attention. Sons of Guns is teaming up with Max Brooks for their newest build: The Ultimate Zombie Gun. Now, to be honest, I have no idea what that will entail. A gun that's really good at head shots? A gun that is silenced? A gun that carries a high number of rounds? A little bit of all of that? Whatever. It's about zombies, so I'm game.

The show airs on Discovery Channel at 9pm eastern/8pm central on Wednesday evenings, but the zombie episode will hit airwaves on April 18th. Set your DVR!

Swag: Andrew Lincoln T-Shirt Hilarity

As some of you might know, before Andrew Lincoln was the BA Rick Grimes: Zombie Killer, he was just an emo guy in love with Kiera Knightley in Love Actually. It's true. The man who now commands the respect of millions with his no-nonsense Ricktatoship, was once just a man in a mildly homosexual sweater standing outside of a house on Christmas eve and declaring his love through a series of "awwww!" inspiring signs.

As a mock of that paradox, I found this shirt on Etsy.com that mixes the two Andrew Lincoln roles into one. Once again, Etsy comes through with the absolute hilarity. I want one...oh, how I want one. What's next? We need one the mixes Boondock Saints and Daryl Dixon. This is the closest they've gotten to that one though.

News & Events: Chicago's Zombie Prom Announces 2012 Date

UPDATE! THE DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED!

I was wondering when we'd be seeing this event return in 2012, and here it is! Chicago's zombie prom, brought to you be Zombie Army Productions, will be having it's annual undead prom night on Friday, June 29th from 9pm until 4am. I was about to suggest that any party with an end time is not a party I want to attend, but at 28 years old, I'd say that 4am might as well be a question mark for me. lol.

The "prom" is really a dance party in which those zombie fans over the age of 21 dress up in zombie makeup and typical prom night clothing for a night of drinks and shambling/dancing around the dance floor. Bring your ravenous, rotting corpse of a date to Vision Nightclub on the 29th to celebrate your graduation...from the land of the living, but be careful your date doesn't try to take advantage of you afterwards. And by take advantage, I mean eat your brains.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information, visit their facebook page. For some reason, their website wasn't working at the time of this posting.

Wanna check out the fun before you make your purchase? Check out this short video from last year's prom.

News: Kirkman's Georgia Invades Your PC

Telltale Games, a PC game developer, will be bringing Kirkman's Walking Dead world to life...or...well, interactive two-dimensional cyber life...super soon. The first episode of their Walking Dead adventure game is slated to be available at the end of April. If you preorder it now, however, you'll be entered into a contest to be animated into the fourth episode of the game. Kind of exciting? A bit, yes.

I'm not really sure how this one slipped by me for so long; I feel super late to the party. I've wondered why they didn't make a video game of The Walking Dead for a while now, but it seems like they were already on it. There's so much more information to explain and I'm sure many questions to answer, but I'd suggest you watch the video below instead of just listening to me regurgitate information. The video is a bit long, but it features a very informative interview with the game designers.

And this video will give you a little preview of the graphics and narrative...pretty cool...

Rant: Stop Using Zombies to Promote Your Stupid Crap!

Okay, when the CDC used zombies to promote disaster preparedness, I was honestly okay with it. It was creative, original, and they did it before the bulk of the zombie boomnanza. But now it's out of control.

News hit the web today about California's new "zombie driver" campaign. This new ad campaign will feature zombies behind the wheels of cars, engaging in some of the distracted behaviors we've all been guilty of. For example, California will be regarding texters, eaters, talkers and groomers as "zombie" drivers. I'm not saying there's not an ounce of truth in what they're saying, and I'm not saying that their ultimate goal isn't a good one. I'll also acknowledge that clearly it's an effective marketing campaign since I'm obviously one of many people blogging about it.

But...leave my zombies alone! Zombies don't text. They don't drive. They don't party with their friends to loud club music at stop lights. They eat brains. That's it; that's all. Pop culture should never have gotten their hands on the whole zombie thing; they don't understand it at all. They want to make zombies into characters, but they aren't people anymore. Even in zomcoms, it usually isn't the zombies that provide the comedy; it's the actual characters. Why? Because zombies aren't funny. Nor are they sad, loving, regretful, disrespectful, or foolhardy. They're reanimated corpses. In fact, I even think Romero goes a little bit too far with Bub and his trademark salute. But, hey. I'm a purist.

So my plea to California tonight is...WHY?! Leave my flesh eating ghouls out of your good Samaritan antics!

Maybe I just feel guilty that my iPhone has turned me into a zombie behind the wheel one too many times. Anyway, here are the videos. Weigh in on the issue. Do you like them or no?

Swag & News: Lego Gets Bitten?

Lego's CUUSOO program, which gives people the opportunity to propose new Lego designs, has yielded a very zombie-tastic idea. Designer Yatkuu has recreated the interior and exterior of the Winchester pub from Shaun of the Dead and has also designed Lego people to look like the protaganists of the fabulous flick. Check out the awesome design and feedback about it here.

photo: yatkuu

As a kid, I was a super huge Lego fanatic, so this would be a pretty sweet item for the 2012 Christmas list. Still, don't get your credit card out yet. The way that the CUUSOO program works is that designs have to earn 10,000 votes to be entered into consideration for production. While Yatkuu's design has already earned those 10k votes, it has just begun the review process from Lego. I'm a little skeptical about Lego producing something based on a rated R film, but it would be totally awesome if they did.

Until then, we can always glut our zombie and Lego desire on their current Lego zombie products...even if they aren't as cool.

Event: Chicago's 5th Annual Zombie March Announced

We all knew it was going to happen, but now Chicago's 2012 zombie march has an official date. Mark your calendars; on June 16th, Chicago zombie fans will take to the streets in full flesh-eating regalia.

If you want to join, the plan is to meet at "The Bean" in Chicago's millennium park at 3pm. From there, the annual zombie march will begin, so come dressed and made up and ready to eat brains! Check out the zombie march Facebook group here or go directly to the event page here, and I will see you on the apocalyptic streets. Now off to think of a good costume idea...

Need inspiration? Not sure what you'd be getting in to? Just want to know why to avoid Grant Park on June 16th? lol. Check out this video of last year's event.

Review: Des Moines' Zombie Burger & Drink Lab

What did I do this week during my vacation? Drove five hours to Des Moines, Iowa of course! And why would I spend more than $100 in gas and $215 on my husband's speeding ticket to go to the center of corn country? Well, because it is the home to the one and only zombie-themed burger joint!

When you pull up outside of Des Moines' Zombie Burger and Drink Lab, it doesn't look like anything particularly special. Its innocuous reflective windows blend into the other store fronts of the capital's down town area. But once you enter, you will be immediately impressed by the amount of detail and class devoted to crafting this zombie-themed eatery.

The decor is urban and metallic, but not dirty or grungy. This isn't the type of place where you fear that they've failed their last ten health inspections. The art on the walls is new, bright, and well placed. The staff are alternative, pierced and inked...but also showered and well put together. Even though it's a zombie burger joint, someone clearly put a fair amount of time and energy into the interior decorating. The restaurant boasts two or three beautiful zombie comic murals made especially for the restaurant. The artist was, impressively, Ron J. Wagner. He is known for comics such as The Punisher, Nth Man, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Night.

When it comes to seating, you have two choices. You can either sit in the carry out area or the dine in area. We ate in the dine in area, but I'd suggest saving the money on tip and just grabbing a booth in the carry out area. There's no difference between the two menus, except that you may not be able to get alcohol in the carry out area. If that's not a deciding factor for you, be assured that there's just as much of a zombie touch in either of the dining rooms.

We were very impressed with the service. The server was very nice, and the entire tattooed staff seemed happy to be at work...genuinely happy, not TGIFridays happy. The food was served very quickly and drinks were refilled before they were even half empty. Given the greasy, fried nature of this food, a full glass was a must.

When it comes to reviewing the food, I have to admit a bias up front. My husband and I are both vegetarians, so we went with the veggie burger. Their veggie patty was vegetable based rather than soy based, and therefore it was completely inedible in my opinion. Still, their burgers involve so much fried goodness, that they were honestly good and filling even once I pulled off the patty. My guess is that these burgers would have been beyond delicious with a beef patty.

We got four burgers: The Walking Ched, They're Coming to Get You Barbara, Juan of the Dead, and Planet Terror. This was a mistake. These burgers are so big and so fried that you really shouldn't endeavor to eat more than one. We ended up never getting to the Juan of the Dead and I didn't even bite into the Planet Terror. The Walking Ched was my personal favorite. The bun is made out of deep fried patties of macaroni and cheese...yes...you read that correctly. The burger is then topped by even more mac and cheese, cheese, etc.

Once I let the food digest for a few minutes, I was up for a delicious shake for the road home. I opted for the Tallahassee, a milkshake that combines vanilla ice cream, cherry kool aid powder, and (of course) an entire twinkie. This was the best part of the meal for sure. It was a good combination of flavors, and you could definitely taste the little bits of twinkie blended in! Tallahassee would have been proud.

So should you drive all the way out to Des Moines to visit this little gem? No. That would be silly. Who the heck would do that? lol. But if you happen to be in the area, I highly recommend this as a pit stop. It would be worth a little detour. It was a little busy though, even at 5pm on a Tuesday, so I would suggest calling ahead during peak hours.

Also, if you get a chance to try the spiked milk shakes, let me know how they were! We were so full that we didn't get to try everything we wanted to! Also, we were driving. lol.

Events: Running Zombies Invade British Cities

I need to move to the UK. This week, the media has been buzzing about the zombie adventure event being held in a British mall, but here's another zombie gem from across the pond. Enter 2.8 Hours Later. What is this event? Think a little bit of Run for Your Lives, a little bit of Z-Day, and a little bit of HvZ...except that it's (seemingly) way more organized than the last two in that list. I've never played HvZ though; maybe it's way more organized than I've been led to believe. Still, it seems to be primarily played on college campuses, effectively keeping away any of us 28 year old children at heart.

Anyway...here's how the game is played. British game designers Slingshot invade a selected UK city and transform specific areas of the city into zombie infected living hells. You pay about 28 pounds (45 bucks), and in return you get to play the game throughout the nocturnal backdrop of the city for 2.8 hours. The goal of your seemingly endless running? To find the "last safe place in the city". In pursuit of that goal, you use your smart phone to navigate, and you also find and interpret clues. Of course, the primary goal is to not get your butt devoured by the living dead, but isn't that just a daily goal?

The only negative is that this isn't a "fighting" game. Unlike with HvZ, your not allowed to bring weapons (despite the picture above from their website). They specifically state that the goal is to outrun the zombies, not kill them. Obviously I understand why you can't have people beating each other out on the streets of an actual city, but it's still a little unfortunate.

I say we flood this site with requests to make the jump to an American market. Chicago 2013! Check out this video if you're wondering what this event might look like...

2.8 Hours Later from SlingShot on Vimeo.

Swag: Zombie Car Decals

You ever see those soccer moms with the little stick figure representations of their families slapped to their rear windows? Living on Chicago's north shore, I find this visual to be a regular part of my routine. In fact, there's one person that must drive the exact same route as me because I've seen their stick figure family (pets too!) for over half a decade. When is your stick figure daughter going to have a stick figure baby already? lol.

For those of you who would like to point out the silliness of this practice, or if you just want to advertise your family but not in such a traditional way, check out these stickers as an alternative. For about $10, ThinkGeek offers zombie versions of your family and pets. Be the coolest mom at soccer practice...or at least the coolest one in my opinion.

ThinkGeek has a lot of other fun zombie items for sale: candies, undead chocolate bunnies, and zombie magnetic poetry. Some of this stuff would be perfect to stuff Easter baskets for the zombie lover in your life. Check it out!

News: World War Z Makes Us Play the Waiting Game

World War Z, the long-awaited film version of the totally awesome Max Brooks novel, was slated to be the greatest Christmas present in history this year. I was expecting to be one of those obnoxious people at the movie theater on Christmas day. I worked in movie theaters for eight years, and I promised myself I'd never be one of those people, but this movie promises to be the mother of all modern zombification and certainly worthy of a little promise-breaking.

But news out recently suggests that we're going to have to hold our horses for a while longer...too much longer in my opinion. The new release date announced is June of 2013. One website reported June 21st while another website reported June 13th as the new release date. Regardless of which is correct, this pushes the flick back 6 more months and does not make me happy whatsoever. When I look at it objectively, I still kind of think the move was poorly conceived. Let's be honest, the biggest zombie market right now is Walking Dead fans. If you want to appeal to those people, advertising and then releasing during the third season would be wise. Still, maybe zombies aren't really a "holiday" thing, and since Paramount has done little in the way of advertising this film, bumping it back will give them more time to promote.

I'm a little nervous about this flick in general. It seems like an awkward format for the novel; I always thought it would make a better television show than a movie. For those who have not read the book (aka: fools), the story is written as a series of interviews. There is no central conflict (aside from the apocalypse), and there really isn't one central character. Sure, the "interviewer" is there as a unifying thread, but he really isn't a voice in the narrative...at least not in the book.

In the movie, however, Brad Pitt plays a character named Gerry Lane. I'm pretty sure that name doesn't even exist in the book. IMDB describes the plot of the film in the following way:  "A U.N. employee is racing against time and fate, as he travels the world trying to stop the outbreak of a deadly Zombie pandemic." Yeah...that's not the book...at all. Still, I'm down for anything with high production value and a zombie stamp of approval. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see...but for even longer than I previously thought.

Funny: Maybe Carl Should Just Stay in the House...

http://teamkiddieleashforcarl.tumblr.com/

During season 2 of The Walking Dead, Carl's ability to just randomly disappear and reappear somewhere else became the butt of many a joke. Comments were made about Lori's fabulous parenting; after all, if there's ever a time to keep an eye on your kid, it's during the damn apocalypse. But then again, Rick's just as much to blame. Or, I don't know...maybe Carl, a seemingly intelligent 10 year old boy, could just think logically about his behavior. I certainly don't want to see The Walking Dead kill off Carl...well...ever...but after all his foolhardy behavior, some people have been calling for his head. For example, one article I read was a list of 10 reasons The Walking Dead should kill off our dear friend, Carl. Check it out HERE.

And if that one got you laughing, check out this lovely song about Carl's wandering ways. Performed and written by a band called H2Awesome.

Events: Video Games Come Alive in the UK

How many of you, while playing Left 4 Dead or watching Dawn of the Dead, have ever wanted to walk right into the television and join the fun just like in a bad 80s video? No one? Just me? Oh...well, than maybe this post is a little irrelevant. Carry on with your normal, social Friday night.

What? You're still reading. Well then maybe I'm not alone. If you're anything like me, you'll read this article and immediately start searching the price of plane tickets into Heathrow Airport. Why? Because the UK's Zed Events have introduced their third zombie-themed fantasy event...and it sounds ridiculously awesome.

Fork over $188 in American money, and you will be transported into a scenario the likes of Romero flicks and first person shooters. "The Mall" is the haunted house every adult horror fan has ever dreamed of. For the cost of admission, you and fifteen others are plopped down in an abandoned mall for four hours. You're given airsoft guns, encouraged to locate melee weapons (think the original Dead Rising), and then you are sent into the dark, zombie-filled depths of the abandoned shopping mall. For four hours, you and a very small group fight through missions and zombie gore unlike anything ever seen in real life. And yes, you can shoot, hit, push, etc the "zombies". The only restriction seems to be that they discourage you to take the trademark head shot.

Overall, this sounds so awesome. I think I've heard of Zed Events before (they do a few other Zombie-themed adventures similar to this one), but this one sounds like a "bloody" good time. I know...that was corny. Interested? Who isn't! Check it out here.

Review: The Walking Dead Season #2 Finale at Muvico

Photo property of TWD productions

There's nothing like watching something on the big screen, and this was absolutely a finale that deserved a cinema-style presentation. My husband and I headed to Muvico at 4:30pm this evening to watch the finale of The Walking Dead with 198 other crazy, zombified fans. The free event, hosted by Chicago Horror Society, Flashback Weekend, and Zombie Army, was really a hoot. By 5pm, Bogart's restaurant in the Rosemont Muvico was flooded with the undead. As we waited to be admitted to the theater, my husband and I played The Walking Dead board game in a booth over dinner.

The theater was really comfortable and the sound and picture quality were well worth both the wait and the trip. I have a 60" TV, but it's rear projection and not HD. Even HD on a 60" LCD wouldn't have been anywhere close to this experience. With the surround sound you could hear the wheezing and oozing of a dying Dale's guts. That's right, we ended up watching not only the second to last and last episode, but even the one before that. Muvico was even nice enough to allow us to remain in the theater to watch Talking Dead. The event hosts suggested that they'll try to play the season three premiere at a similar event, and I highly suggest you go. It was a great way to enjoy a really great show, and the audience was enthusiastic without being poorly behaved.

Photo property of TWD productions

As far the episode, it was so awesome. I would have liked it no matter what, let's be honest, but they really delivered with a fast paced, no-nonsense piece of storytelling. From the jump, the story moves at a break-neck pace and people are killed off and abandoned left and right. I found the confusion and panic extremely realistic, especially when they drove off and left Andrea behind. That's exactly what would happen, and I appreciate this show's willingness to not tie everything up in an easy little bow.

Sorry to see Jimmy and Patricia go (I guess that means no prison rebellion? lol.), but they seemed like easy enough characters to kill off. To be honest, I'm glad that they didn't kill off any principal characters; after the last two episodes, they didn't need to. I found it a little convenient that everyone met up on the road, but maybe I missed them discussing that as a contingency plan earlier in the season? Did that happen or have they perfected some sort of group telepathy?

Photo property of TWD productions

My only other complaint would be that Rick went about explaining the whole Shane thing in a totally bass-ackwards way. The way he explained it, it sounded like he had a choice; he made himself sound like the bad guy. The reality was that Shane backed him into a corner and gave him no other choice, but the way he tells the story makes him sound like a tyrannical loose cannon. I have entertained the notion that maybe Rick has convinced himself that killing Shane was a choice and not a requirement because if it was a choice than Rick ultimately had control. It might be a more comfortable scenario for Rick to accept. Still, I think he could have phrased that whole story in a more diplomatic way.

But, let's talk about the most awesome parts of the episode--Michonne showing up and the appearance of the prison. Michonne's appearance was awesome, but to be fair I totally called that it would happen that way after the first or second commercial break. I don't care if it was predictable though; it was also freaking cool. I'm glad that they stuck with the iconic first image of her from the comics, and I'm just glad to see her around. She's such a valuable part of the narrative.

Photo property of TWD productions

And of course, seeing the prison was pretty cathartic for us comic fans. That's where some crazy business is going to go down. Its pan out appearance was very season three finale of Battlestar Galactica (anyone else remember? when it pans out and we see Earth?), and I remember loving that foreshadowing--a sign of things to come. There was also plenty of prison foreshadowing in Rick's speech about finding a place to "start making a life". In the comics, that place is the prison for sure. I loved the line of "we won't make that same mistake again" referring to getting a complacent sense of safety...of course, in the comic they do. Ahh, you guys.

Well, time to reenter my cryogenic freezing chamber until October. I guess I'll pop out to post reviews, events, and news...but other than that it's right back into my carbonite hibernation.