News: Walking Dead Spinoff Coming into Focus

http://undeadwalking.com/2015/01/21/companion-show-called-fear-walking-dead/

So for a while we've known that Kirkman and crew were working on a spinoff series for The Walking Dead, working titled of "Cobalt", but only in the last few months have the details become clearer. First, the announcement came just before Christmas that the spinoff would be located in Los Angeles, rather than the Atlanta area setting of the original series. As a Chicagoan, I'm always disappointed when shows and movies take the typical route and chose NYC or LA as a setting, but I'll give it a shot. I'm glad that they're shaking it up though. As much as I love TWD, it would be pretty silly to just make a carbon copy of the same show simply to get more advertising revenue. Setting it in LA presents new challenges for the characters and a new range of opportunities for the writers.

But the setting is not the only shake up we'll see in the new spinoff series. According to some unverified reports in the past couple of days, the spinoff is supposedly going to start off at the beginning of the outbreak. This will enable Kirkman to show us the month that we missed while Rick was in his coma. This is bold, in my opinion. If you look at many zombie flicks and fiction, they often jump into the future to avoid having to deal with the logistics of how the infection began. It's difficult to show the full extent of the outbreak and fall of society in a way that comes across as believable. The best example I can think of was BBC's Survivors (which wasn't a zombie show, but involved a pandemic). They executed this very well, so hopefully the spinoff will follow their lead.

We also have some news on who our new characters are. We know they're a family, but a family with a few problems that predated the dead walking the earth. So what exactly does that mean? Some sources have reported that the mom is divorced and has two teenage kids, one of whom has a drug problem, and that those three teams up with her divorced male colleague.  I'm a little worried; I'll be honest, as all of that sound a little like the plot of a SyFy original movie. Also, The Walking Dead got very lucky with their younger actors--Chandler Riggs is a solid young actor--but let's face it: sometimes having a bunch of teenagers running around on a show makes it more suited for the WB than for AMC. Of course, I'm a total hypocrite because I write YA zombie fiction that I don't find to be cheesy. I guess my real concern is in them finding the right actors who can effectively pull this off. They have some very big, very talented shoes to fill.

http://www.purebreak.com/media/photo-the-walking-dead-cliff-curtis-sera-le-362564.html

One of the people they've casted is Alycia Debnam Carey. She was one of the better things about the disappointment that was Into the Storm, so maybe that's not such a bad sign. And Frank Dillane, who I'm assuming is playing her older brother, was Tom Riddle in Harry Potter, so that's not a bad sign either. The other announced cast thus far are Kim Dickens (Gone Girl, Treme) and Cliff Curtis (Training Day, Three Kings). Cliff Curtis's character also has a teenage son (I smell love connection with the teenage girl...), but he has yet to be announced in terms of casting.

Whether or not they are able to pull this off, you have to applaud these actors for getting a great gig, and you have to applaud AMC for giving it a shot. They should be in filming now or soon, with a 2015 air date for the pilot. My guess is that they'll want to run it over the summer to fill the empty space when TWD is gone, but that's purely my speculation. Fingers crossed, this will be quality stuff.

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!

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

News: Kirkman Announces Michonne, Spoilers for Season 3?

In tonight's episode of Talking Dead, Robert Kirkman made some announcements and threw out a little information to tease us fans.

First, he revealed that Michonne, the caped crusader who made a cameo appearance in tonight's episode, will be played in season three by Danai Gurira. The American actress was in the HBO series Treme, which I've heard wonderful things about. Michonne is one of my favorite characters from the show, so I have pretty high hopes for Gurira's performance. This announcement runs somewhat in contrast to earlier spoilers which suggested that True Blood's Rutina Wesley would be playing the samurai heroine. Regardless of who plays her, I'm just glad she's decided to show up. Read further about the announcement here.

Kirkman also took his time on Talking Dead to hint at the reappearance of at least one character from seasons past. When asked if we would see Merle Dixon, Morgan or Duane in season three, he responded that he could "100% guarantee seeing 33% of those people in season three", suggesting that one of those characters is already written in to the season. I think smart money is on Merle, but Morgan and Duane do come back up in the comics although not until much later. Seems like Michael Rooker may have spoiled Kirkman's spoiler about 24 hours early though, when he announced he would appear in season three during a convention panel. Check it out here.

Can't wait until next season? I'll keep you posted with news and updates as I come across them.

News: Michonne the New Centerfold?

Image Credit: Playboy

I'm not a prude, but I'm also not an avid reader of Playboy, but now I might have to head to my local...7-11? Is that where one goes to buy such things?

Why? Why would I be picking up the infamous rag? Because the April issue of Playboy will feature an appearance by Michonne from The Walking Dead. No, I'm not talking about an appearance by the actress playing her in the TV show; I'm talking about a comic. Yes, Hugh Hefner will be putting pictures of naked, silicone-infused women next to Charlie Adlard's sketches. Why? I have no idea, but I don't question a good thing.

The issue will feature the origin story for the fan-favorite character, finally explaining who Michonne was before she became a samurai-sword wheeling BAMF. I expect to see her stealing those swords from her neighbor's house, chopping off her boyfriend's zombified arms, etc. All these details were explained in the comics but never actually seen. After reading the first Walking Dead novel which chronicled the origin story of the governor, I'm totally down for another Kirkman-created back story. So this liberated woman might be picking up a Playboy next month. But I swear, I only read it for the comics. lol.

Event: Walking Dead Finale on the Big Screen

If you're over 21 and you live in the Chicagoland area, you may want to head over to the Rosemont Muvico this Sunday night. Why? Because they will be screening the season final of The Walking Dead on the big screen! And it gets better...it's FREE! As in zero dollars and zero cents!

The event is sponsored by Chicago Fear Fest, Flashback Weekend, Zombie Army Productions, Horror Society & Sinister Visions. Look to see plenty of zombie fanatics, zombie makeup, and zombie themed treats, drinks and prizes. It should be a fun and exciting crowd of fans!

The event is first-come, first-serve however, so you'll want to show up as soon as possible. Only 200 seats are available. They will begin distributing wristbands to the first 200 people at 6pm in Bogart's restaurant on the first floor, and prize giveaways and food/drinks will be available between 6pm and 8pm.

Personally, I haven't decided whether I'll be going or not. There's something pretty nice about watching it at home and on DVR. I like the silence of my living room and the ability to pause and rewind, but then again I could always rewatch it later. Seeing it on the big screen with a bunch of fellow fans sounds like an awesome way to spend a Sunday night.

Check out the Facebook invite here.

News: Juan of the Dead hits the Windy City

Chicago's Fear Fest finally has my attention. I'd been flirting with the idea of attending the annual horror film festival in Chicago this year, but now I'll definitely be in attendance. Yesterday the fest announced a very important addition to its lineup...Juan of the Dead. I've been looking forward to this flick for months and months, and it's finally going to be in Chicago! Check out the announcement here.

Chicago's Fear Fest will also be showing a variety of other horror flicks including A Cadaver Christmas which looks like a semi-palatable holiday zomcom. They haven't announced when they'll be screening Juan of the Dead specifically, but the festival runs at Muvico in Rosemont, IL on April 13th and 14th, so it will be one of those nights at least. Check out more information here.

For those who want to see the film in a more chilled out setting, I've just received insider information that Wilmette Theater on the north shore will be taking the lead on the film's Chicago theatrical release. They will be premiering the flick on April 27th, and as a former employee of said establishment, I know that the manager is a huge, geeky horror fan and will certainly dream up something inventive for the premiere. Or at least he will now, since he reads this blog. I'll keep you posted on details.

Don't know about Juan of the Dead? Check out my original post on it here and watch a preview.

News: World War Z Tattoo Contest

World War Z is having a tattoo competition on Facebook and I'm entered! The winner of the contest will have their tattoo made into a temporary tattoo and handed out at the San Diego Comic Con. Would that be awesome or what? All the runners up get signed copies of World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. That would be pretty awesome as well.

Wanna vote for your favorite zombie girl? Click on the link here and vote. You can vote once per day!

News: The Governor Has Arrived...and maybe Michonne?

Walking Dead, now into the second half of its second season, has begun casting announcements for season three with one of my favorites from the comics--The Governor (aka: Phillip Blake). The Walking Dead website announced today that they have cast David Morrissey as the infamous villain, and even though I am not at all familiar with his work, I have ultimate faith in the producers of this show.

Fan sites and other not as trustworthy news sources have been leaking another potential casting decision that I've, personally, been looking forward to hearing about...namely, which lucky lady will get to play Michonne, the samurai sword wielding lawyer turned bad ass. Rumors are currently reporting that Michonne will be played by Rutina Wesley of True Blood fame. While she's a little young for the role as it's written in the comics, I hear that True Blood is good and she does look the part. Can't wait until an official announcement though!

News: Juan of the Dead Feasts Upon Festival-Goers

Like any self-respecting Chicago liberal, I was listening to WBEZ this week when I heard an interview with a Cuban director. The director, Alejandro Brugués, spoke at length about his new film, Juan of the Dead, in which he is using the zombie genre and the comedy genre to satirically poke fun at what he believes are the troubles with Cuban government and society. For example Brugués features the Cuban government blaming the zombie apocalypse on dissidents funded by America. Check out a print summary of the interview here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/juanofthedeadmovie/5368744306/lightbox/

Well after I heard the interview, I did some more research on this flick and now my appetite is all teased! The trailer looks amazing, and it has been really well received at many film festivals. Most recently, it won the Audience Award at the Havana Film Festival. This should be a great catalyst for its cinematic release, which begins in Spain this January.

Personally, I can't wait to see it make its way to the states. If I could see this movie AND The Dead (directed by Howard & Jonathon Ford), it would be the best Christmas present ever...Santa, make it so.  Haven't heard about The Dead? Check out that trailer below. Seems like a glut of good foreign horror films have been popping up lately.

News: Mexico Teeming with the Undead

This weekend, Mexico City became the newest record holder of a very auspicious title--World's biggest zombie walk. For those of you who don't know, zombie walks have become fairly common in major cities recently. Basically, they're like a very monotonous and brain-hungry parade in which hundreds or even thousands of people take to the streets in zombie garb. Parade participants present their best shambling and groaning as they confuse, scare and entertain the everyday city-folk.

Mexico City's record breaking walk this weekend boasted a shocking 10,000 participants! So for now, here's to you, Mexico City! 10,000 zombies is a force to be reckoned with, that's for sure, and it'll be interesting to see who rises to meet your impressive new record.

Watch the video below for a real taste of awesomeness. The final shot is pretty hilarious, as I've always imagined that's just what Starbucks looks like on your average Monday morning.

News: Damn You, Walt Disney!

A former student of mine came to visit this afternoon and told me about some auditions she's been doing recently. She was especially excited to tell me (since all my students know about my undead obsession) about one audition she had: an appearance on an upcoming Disney show called "Zombies and Cheerleaders".

Why must Disney steal everything worth being interested in? Disney, stop trying to be cool. Stick to your reasonable domain: singing bunny rabbits and catchy show tunes for the single-digit set. The Little Mermaid was brilliant. Why must you attempt to capitalize every market? Don't you have enough money? Ugh. Head. Desk.

Look, I know the zombie thing is getting crazy popular. I know that being a zombie fanatic is the new, chic thing. But then be a REAL zombie fanatic. I don't care if you just jumped on board with the rest of America, that's just fine! We're happy to have you! But then for the love of Romero, can you please be an actual zombie fan? Watch real zombie movies?

I don't usually judge a book by a cover, but I'm judging this one. When the cover has a Disney castle on the front of it, I must protest. I mean come on, Disney. Are your zombies going to sparkle and fall in love with humans? Are they going to eat Happy Meals and drink Sunny D? Looking at the show's teaser description, sadly my attempt at humor isn't far off. Seriously...check it out here.

What is the apocalyptic world coming to? At least the show won't be premiering for a while. Fingers crossed that the actual zombie apocalypse comes first.

Found out about this older comic series that is potentially the inspiration, but I highly doubt that Disney's in any position to do it real justice. After all, this was the most "appropriate" cover I could find.