Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: zombies

  • Movie Comments – World War Z

    Movie Comments – World War Z

    WorldWarZ-Poster
    The required US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique

    What does one do when at the beach and the temp is over 100F with feels-like temps over 110F? Well go see a movie in a nice air conditioned movie theater that’s what. We did exactly that one hot evening in Norfolk. Mike wanted to see Lone Ranger. I vetoed that very quickly the badly CGI’d rubbery looking horse on top of the train in the commercial turned me off.  Also I’m not into westerns much and prefer gritty ones or comedy – think Blazing Saddles.

    Aaron had seen WWZ and said it was good.  If a bio-chemist with epidemiology emphasis and loves actions flicks says it’s good we’re game.  Besides I adore zombies from Walking Dead (comic or TV show) to Shaun of the Dead.  I’m up for zombies.  Heck even in bad movies zombies are good.

    I wasn’t sure what to expect since I had read part of the book and liked it.  It was a cyber check out and returned itself before I had time to finish it.  That was a busy time and I’ve not put myself back on the waiting list for the kindle edition or paper one.  I went in aware that there were changes from the book.  First Brad Pitt made the movie for his son who loved the book so he wanted the hero he played to have a more family focus and in the end make it back to his family.  Understandable, I can take differing stories (The Walking Dead does that) if both are well done.

    Let me say up front WWZ did not disappoint in the action department.  Then again when it is a true World War action is a requirement.  The zombies being fast moving and traveling in insect swarms was well done and chilling.  It really dehumanized them fast and made them things instead of Uncle Billy gone wrong.  The moral issues of can we save them goes out the window very fast when they are doing things like piling up to rip helicopters out of the air.

    The special effects were good.  I’d heard that the swarms were a struggle to get a non rubbery look to them.  They were decent and shown in quick flashes so they couldn’t be over scrutinized.  Which honestly when running from zombies – that’s all you’d take in any way fast flashing looks to think “Holy shit they just tore my ride from the sky!”  and run off to find a good hole to hide in and defend.

    Over all it was a great Summer action flick with a very smart ending.  It doesn’t resolve all the issues but it’s a nice chapter closing one.  It gives room for sequels and I read that one is in the works.  Unlike the book where it’s a series of characters telling their WWZ stories and from that we get the history of the incident it appears the movies are going to follow Pitt’s character. If you like zombies, action flicks, or both this is a good movie for you.

    Now that said here are some spoilers that are issues I had with the movie.  If you don’t want spoilers then don’t go below the jump.

    (more…)

  • Comic Comments – Marvel Zombie Halloween 2012

    Comic Comments – Marvel Zombie Halloween 2012

    Halloween2012-cov

    I know I am WAY behind on my Comic Comments but I’m making effort to catch up with the list.  I am seriously considering doing by issue once I get the backlog diminished significantly.  Mostly because it would be easier to keep up with what I’ve reviewed and what I haven’t.

    Okay my mea culpa and plans revealed let’s talk zombies!  This is a one-shot that fits into the Marvel Zombie line but not into any continuity.   Just think of this as a fun story, part of the fun is figuring out who is who in this post zombie apocalypse world.  It’s an excellent Marvel superhero tale for Halloween.

    First give credit where credit is due for this one-shot: Fred Van Lente, Writer – Alessandro Vitti, Artist – Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Cover – Jon Moisan, Asst. Editor – Bill Roseman, Editor – Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief – Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer – Dan Buckley, Publisher – Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

    Next the legal disclaimer – All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    The art is perfect for the issue.  I like the ‘dirty’  line look and really suits Old Man Scratch in his appearances.  It also does well with the zombies by giving suggestion without being too explicit on the details of decay.  I thought it was excellent and made the tale even better.

    As for the story it starts out with a definite Walking Dead (tv show) vibe but quickly becomes a Marvel tale.  The premise is  that a mother and son have established a safe camp in an old Victorian mansion complete with a greenhouse for safe gardening. The boy is going over the calendar and discovers it’s Halloween.  After them mom explains what the holiday was and the boy wants to celebrate.

    Here the tale takes the Marvel turn – they find the boy a Wolverine costume in the basement.  When they head out to get candy – they encounter superhero zombies.  I’ll leave it to you to discover just who these are!  It’s fun to see them in that form, LOL!

    Then Old Man Scratch makes his appearance accompanied by the Rolling Stone song that introduces him.  The question becomes – do you want to be in debt to the devil or eaten by zombies?  I’ll leave you with that only to say that in the end a black kitten makes it all worth it.

    Just who are the mother and child?  That’s part of the twist too!  Let’s just say there is a clue in the fact Mom likes Wolverine (no he’s not the father of the boy THIS time).  In the end I enjoyed the tale of Halloween during a Zombie Apocalypse, well done Marvel, well done!  If you didn’t pick this one last Halloween get it in time for this one.

    (more…)

  • Comic Comments – When the Dead Revive

    Comic Comments – When the Dead Revive

    Revival 1 Cover

    Revival 02 CovIt seems the small consistent presses are the ones turning out awesome stuff. The big publishers can’t get their acts together to bring everything to the table at once in a single title. That’s my take. I adored Think Tank and I’m digging Revival.  Both are comics that are slam dunks of the medium – strong multi layered stories whose telling is supported by great art.  Revival is about the dead coming back to life in the middle of Wisconsin, Wausau county to be exact.  Why they came back, how they came back, and what it means for the rest of the world is what the book is about.  It successfully goes from the personal focus to the international focus and back all building and adding to the story of the quarantined area after Revival Day.   You know it’s good when you can’t wait for the next issue to see just where this is all going.

    Rev 03 Cov

    Okay let’s get the routine stuff out of the way – legal disclaimer – All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    Next a nod to the team that is bringing a great story to press. Story by Tim Seeley, Letters by Crank!, Covers by Jenny Frison, Art by Mike Norton, Colors by Mark Englert, Design by Sean Dove, Edited by 4 Star Studios.

    Rev 04 cover

    Now let’s talk story set up, May Tao a local reporter breaks the news to the world that the recently dead in central Wisconsin are coming back to life.  Her story goes international complete with a reviver jumping out of a cremation oven.  The area is put on quarantine by the CDC.  Why?  Think if this is contagious – no one dies but birth rates continue what would that do to the balance of the world resources?  That’s why.  So a perimeter is set up where no one is allowed in, no one is allowed out.  A task force is formed to study the Revivers with CDC representative and a local officer who is the main character if there is one Dana Cypress.  I’d say she’s more the linchpin character that ties all the others of the ensemble together.  Oh by the way her younger sister is a reviver – murdered and came back, doesn’t care to solve her own murder though.

    Rev 5 Cov

    This book doesn’t follow the formula of comics of an arc, an issue, an arc and so on.  Instead it’s telling a story that keeps growing and developing involving an ensemble cast.  This is a hard thing to pull off in book series, TV series, and comics – to develop each character fully while keeping the stories moving and in balance.  There are arcs for individual characters, May Tao just completed one with the odd fundamental cutting edge exorcist.  Yet the one with Justin and Jamie and their reviver father has just started.  Some are short arcs like May’s some are long and slow building like Em sister of Dana.  That’s what makes this an awesome read!  It’s well written and just because one story beat wraps up in this issue others are at their mid beats or just starting.  That’ll keep me reading for a long time.

    Rev06 Cov

    Now for the art which is awesome. Honestly I forget I’m reading in someways and feel I’m watching a movie play out. A good novel does that to me just like a good comic. The story is so well done the medium of how it is told fades away and I’m left enjoying the experience. I don’t think I can pay any higher praise to a comic book artist than that – you made the story real for me to watch unfold.

    If this isn’t on your pull list it should be. It’s not to late to go back and get reprints of the first few issues. It’s well worth catching up and if you do it as one night’s read I’ll bet my last potato chip you’ll have a great time!

    **** SPOILER ALERT********Some interior pages*********Maybe Preview/Review for some but Spoilerly to others *********

    Revival 02-04

    In some cases the death and revival are harder for the living to deal with than the dead.  In other cases, like the one they are coming from it was hard for the dead to be cheated out of the eternity of bliss with those they loved that had died before them.  Interesting to see various reactions from those involved.

    Rev 03-03

    I like how the Hmong population of Wisconsin is worked into the story.  As it goes on we see the vast difference in the generation that migrated here after Vietnam and those who were raised here come to the surface.  That also plays into the story of how they interact with the events and the mysterious white ghost/demon creature.

    Rev04 working together

    Here’s Dana and Ibrahaim from the CDC. What’s awkward is they had a romantic encounter the night before at a local bar before they knew they’d be working together. Honestly I like them and hope both sides of the partnership flourish.

    Rev 5-1

    Here’s a good example of story layering. May is coming near the dramatic conclusion of her arc with the fundamentalist stalker. Em is just learning a bit of what this white lurking thing we’ve caught glimpses of in other issues is and what it wants. So the fast developing story of May is driving to a conclusion, the slow building story of white creature is developing, and Em’s personal story moves a bit further along it’s arc while encountering the crescendo of May’s story and the building arc of white creature. Cudos!

    Rev06 p1

    Here’s a look at what the world saw to introduce it to Revival Day.

    Until next time!