Zombie treats #3
October 1, 2010Interesting zombie stuff just keeps rolling in. Here are the latest things that caught my attention:
Left 4 Dead – Sacrifice #3
The excellent webcomic continues. This really is the best zombie comic I’ve read since The Walking Dead.
Click to go to comic
Left 4 Dead – Sacrifice trailer
Speaking of Sacrifice, a lovely cinematic trailer for the new DLC has just been released. Looks mighty tasty, and has got me thinking that it might be time to fire up L4D again.
Red Dead Redemption – Undead Nightmare trailer
Red Dead Redemption, the excellent (or so I’ve been told) spaghetti western game is getting the zombie treatment. The idea of combining zombies and westerns has been around for quite a while, but apart from some comics and low budget flicks, there hasn’t really been much to speak of. The trailer below shows that this combination is potentially a really, really good idea.
Dawn of the Lead 
Zombies in Red Dead Redemption eh? It must nearly be Halloween.
Im not sure why cowboys and zombies go so well together, but they do. Like you I only have second hand info on how good RDR is, but adding zombies makes it a lot more interesting to me. Im shallow like that.
I have heard that RDR is quite “sandbox-y”. Sandbox games dont really appeal a whole lot to me: I dont have the time or patience to invest in them and the illusion of choice in my game story is usually plenty for me. Add some zombies and my interest does get piqued somewhat though.
I was waiting until all of the Sacrifice comics were released before I read them, but I might read the first three this evening when I get home after watching that trailer. For a few minor reasons I preferred playing L4D to playing L4D2, although I enjoy them both. I havent had any luck finding the right figures to represent the survivors in 28mm yet, any ideas?
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I’m with you on the sandbox thing. Or rather, I do enjoy the open environment, but can’t usually be arsed to deviate from the plot line of the game just to get a new set of clothes or something like that.
There was a thread some time ago on TMP about L4D survivors: http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=162442
Additionally:
Reaper is coming out with a few familiar types: http://www.reapermini.com/Miniatures/previews/latest/50205 and http://www.reapermini.com/Miniatures/previews/latest/50198
Bill could probably be any Vietnam US trooper in a beret, with some greenstuff beard added. The first model here http://www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/BIKERS.html might make a good Francis. As well as Mongo Smash from this pack, with a headswap: http://wargamesfoundry.com/fantasy_ranges/single_packs/futuristic/street_violence/scabies_punks_sv013/?sector_id=29 .
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I hadnt seen those new Reaper figs, they look perfect. Having a recognisable Zoey is a difficult thing to manage in 28mm seeing as pretty much every female miniature in that scale in in chainmail/a bikini/a chainmail bikini or something else ridiculous. Theer is plenty of room for the occasional bijini clad figure in my collection, but its depressing that there are so few vaguely normal female miniatures available.
Both of those Reaper figures are going straight on my shopping list, thanks.
Did you see the guy from the (wildy overrated and very disappointing) Zombieland?
http://www.reapermini.com/Miniatures/previews/latest/50199
So recognisable that the figure is worth having for any zombie game I reckon.
I actually own Mongo Smash, but it hadnt occurred to me to make a Francis out of it. Good call on that and the EM4 guy.
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Zombieland disappointing? How so? I loved it! Not a perfect zombie movie, nor worth all that hype, but it’s still lovely. As is that model, I’ve been thinking of getting him.
Anyway, you’re dead on with the comment on female miniatures. We really do need more normal people. That’s one reason why I love Hasslefree Miniatures a lot, loads of normal looking people in their ranges.
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“Zombieland disappointing? How so?”
I dont want to hijack your post with a rant about Zombieland, but you did ask 😉
I thought that it started very well but then went nowhere as its true nature as a weak romcom with a zombie veneer became apparent.
I know that I sound like Comic Store Guy here but it barely even counts as a zombie movie: none of the main characters die and the fear for the wellbeing of zombie survivors is an important feature of the genre. Main characters have to die or it isnt (in my opinion) a proper zombie film.
I found the massive amount of Bill Murray arse-kissing repellent too and I like Ghostbusters as much as the next guy.
I very much enjoyed “the rules” but they more or less completely abandoned that idea 1/3 of the way in to the show. The film was a disappointing near success (IMO. It did well at the box office) that said more about Hollywoods tendency to swallow whatever is “hot right now” and crudely mashing it into the lowest common denominator (romcoms) than it did about zombies or survivors.
Anyway, thats more than enough ranting. I definitely aim to get my hands on that miniature so I am a hypocrite anyway. Meanwhile I just rented Read Dead Redemption so I am off to give that a try 🙂
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Hey, it’s not a hijack if I ask you to 😀
I have to agree on a lot of your points, but I still do see it as a zombie film, definitely. I’ve never really thought about the fear for the main characters being essential to a pleasing zombie flick experience. For me it’s more the internal dynamics of the group, and Zombieland did ok in that category. Plus it did give me a fair few good laughs.
It’s not that great a zombie movie per se, but it’s a wonderful comedy about the zombie apocalypse. IMO, of course.
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“For me it’s more the internal dynamics of the group”
Totally fair enough 🙂 On the other hand the reason that I tend to prefer post-apocalyptic sci-fi (zombie related or otherwise and despite post-apoc rarely having a convincing budget) to “regular” sci-fi is that the characters tend to behave more like I expect them to compared to how they do in more traditional sci-fi (they look out for number one rather than form a utopian currency free culture for example).
Of course, on the *other* other hand, I may just be being precious about how the zombie is treated in pop culture, because I am a fan. Fast zombies are one thing, but after what has happened to vampires post-Twilight I dread a Weekend at Bernies type romcom with a loveable zombie walking into the sunset with the female lead at the end.
In fact, I recently saw Fido, perhaps the dilution is already in effect. I did enjoy Fidos quirky-ness, which was something that I think Zombieland was trying very hard to create but ultimately failed at.
Rant over. Again 😉
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Hey, Shaun of the Dead pulled off the romcom thing, didn’t it? 😉
When it comes to post-Twilight vampires, now that is very interesting! Even if Twilight totally missed the point, the idea of exploring the vampire’s tragedy is interesting. The struggle between being a beast and a human is lovely, from the point of view of both theatrics and ethics.
Fido was a bit of a disappointment for me. The trailer promised a laugh riot, but the movie boiled down to a few chuckles. Wasted potential there as well, I think.
The image of woman and zombie walking into the sunset is hilarious. It would also see zombie movies come full circle, wasn’t “I walked with a zombie” one of the first ones? 😀
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“Hey, Shaun of the Dead pulled off the romcom thing, didn’t it?”
I am trying not to sound like a troll here but if I am then let me know. My intention is debate about a subject that I enjoy, rather than sticking my fingers in my ears and ceaselessly spouting on about my opinion in a schoolyard manner.
Speaking of which…
In my opinion Shaun of the Dead worked because it was funny and because it stuck to some important rules of the genre as I see them (main characters were under real threat, main characters die, the viewer is unsure which of the characters will survive, that sort of thing).
In comparison, Zombieland was quite funny in many places, even if that trailed off in the second half (depressingly, around the time that Bill Murray showed up if memory serves). As already noted though the survivors were under no more threat of death or serious injury than for example Tom Cruise was in Mission Impossible.
Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) was all set up for a heroes death at the fairground at the end of Zombieland but they didnt have the balls to bump him off, presumably so that the sequel can have him plastered all over it. Not only that, none of the other three survivors came a cropper either.
This I feel is a bad thing for the genre. A homogenisation of zombie movies with every other Hollywood action movie is probably inevitable, but that doesnt mean that I have to be glad about that process.
I propose that the development of the internal dynamics of the zombie survivor group relies on a more real threat of the demise of group members than was provided by Zombieland.
I am going to leave it at that. Seriously this time 🙂 We can discuss vampiric pros and cons once one of us gets around to painting up some of the vampire figures that we have waiting in the wings.
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Oh, please don’t! 😀 This is a friendly, interesting discussion on a much-loved (and all too rarely discussed!) subject.
You are again correct on all points. I was definitely expecting Tallahassee to go down in the final showdown, and felt an odd mixture of disappointment (for the reason you mentioned) and happiness, since he was a likeable character.
This discussion raises an interesting point (and a subject for a possible blog post!) about zombie movies. If there aren’t the typical genre tropes, the movie doesn’t feel like a zombie one. But on the other hand, the typical tropes make a lot of zombie movies feel alike. You know, “heroic death?”, check, “surprising death of one of the main characters?”, check, “interpersonal conflict leading to disaster?”, check, “character bitten and turning at the worst possible moment?” check…
This conflict has me torn every now and then. When is it about paying homage to the genre, and when is it simply reusing every single plot element since Night of the Living Dead?
Maybe this is where our disagreement on Zombieland stems from? You criticize it on good grounds for not really being a zombie movie, and I agree with you on this. Even so, for me it was a bit of fresh air into the genre, as it did away with most typical genre elements.
Zombie movies have me stumped at the moment. Having watched loads, they either have to deliver some new twist or setup (such as Mutants), pull off the traditional form well enough to be enjoyable (La Horde springs to mind) or be comedies (Doghouse, Last of the Living and Zombieland). Shaun of the Dead is a truly rare, excellent combination of all three elements.
Yes, I definitely need to blog on the subject 😀
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Stubborn, inward looking conservation of a formula in the name of keeping a genre “pure” is doomed to failure, as watching any one of the very many dull, interchangeable cheap zombie films out there shows. I takes some very slick direction to make a by-the-numbers zombie film entertaining.
Opposing that, an enfant terrible director hell bent on shifting the paradigm and throwing out conventions is also likely to not only piss off fans but make a stinker of a film too.
Striking a balance is key here I think.
The remake of Dawn of the Dead (one of my favourite zombie films) got that balance right IMO: they added scary controversial fast zombies but adhered to convention for pretty much everything else and pulled it off. As you mentioned Shaun of the Dead also managed that difficult balancing act by adding some rom and some com but still keeping the rest of the movie a gory cannibal corpse strewn fight for survival.
I am quite happy for my zombie (and most other genre) movies to have post modern, deconstructivist elements, but it needs to be done very well or it seems like change for changes sake. Or even worse, it seems like change so that some cigar chomping studio exec can target a new demographic with something that is “so hot right now”.
I found the pseudo-ironic take on the genre in Zombieland lacking. While the script, performances and production values were mostly very good, it really was a soulless experience for me: I dont think that they got the balance right.
I look forward to reading your post on striking the liberal/conservative balance in zombie media 🙂
(On a side note, if I am actually gaming in a zombie-verse I definitely want as many zombie related clichés as possible. While it has some of its own issues as a game, the Last Night on Earth boardgame is a very good example of a game that can feel so true to the source material at some points that it actually feels like an entertaining low budget 80s zombie film while playing. For that, I salute it).
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I completely agree with everything you say, this time. Well, apart from Zombieland but that’s just horses for courses stuff.
Might be time indeed for a long post. Once I get that Alien review done, phew!
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Wow, some great minis and some great VG news as well. I have just lost myself in the L4D, and these are quite nice, although I really don’t get the “Zoey-vibe” from that mini, too indecisive methinks. But as mentioned above, it is always nice to see a normal female model that is not either extremely well-endowed or in some kinda leather bikini/hotpants.
And as a side-note, as a long time western lover I loved RDR. I hate GTA type games generally, but RDR is just awesome. If they chuck in Zombies? Will have to see how they do it. If they are ‘ragers’ it might be interesting, if they aren’t it will be very boring.
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Indeed, what is up with all the over-sexed female miniatures? Calls for a blogpost in the future, I think.
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Yeah the more I look at that “Not Zoe” the more I dislike that model. I might have use the head to headswap with a Hasslefree mini or something…
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