TGIF!
Okay, so before I start talking about zombies and my obsession with them, I would like to introduce you all to my new laptop. Yes, it has happened. I finally do not have the put up with the piece of shit machine that would shut down in front of my friends just to embarrass me. :’ ) This is a quick little photo of it.
I quite like Windows 8 so far and I’m a huge fan of big screens, so this laptop has a 15.6 inch screen [oh yeah, Napoleon complex FTW]. Also, can we just admire the black & whiteness of it all? Just SO classy.
Alright, so back to the topic of discussion: ZOMBIES.
I think it all started with the TV series known as The Walking Dead. I’m sure a lot of you may have seen it or heard of it, and at the very least seen ads of it on television if you don’t follow the series themselves. I was initially pretty sceptical of the entire thing. I mean come on, zombies? I thought it would be completely unrealistic and ridiculous, because the idea of a zombie-virus plague just seemed stupid. But I sat down and watched the first episode and… I was HOOKED. I literally couldn’t change the channel and kept freaking out because there is just so much suspense and you never know when one of the characters is going to die. It’s also pretty brutal and gory, and since I am someone who isn’t squeamish at all, it was quite the treat since the blood and gore is extremely realistic. There’s guts and blood and bone flying all over the place, so I really wouldn’t recommend watching this with the whole family. Grandma might start praying, dad might vomit and little kids will start crying.
The Walking Dead is based on a comic book series of the same name which follows protagonist Rick Grimes, a deputy sheriff who wakes up from a coma to find the post-apocalypytic world overrun with zombies or ‘walkers’ as they are referred to in the show. He sets out on a journey to find his wife Lori and their son Carl, and the story follows them after they reunite. They meet many survivors throughout the series, but it’s clear that the walkers have outnumbered the remaining human population, causing the remaining people to form small groups to watch out for each other and try to stay alive. It is impossible to predict who is going to die next because luck and skills with weaponry may or may not walk hand in hand. In a world where human society has completely broken down, there are no rules or laws and survivors have become as predatory as the zombies to find a way to live through the horror and ensure the survival of those they love and their own. There is backstabbing, abandoning and of course, plenty of zombie-butchering.
What’s beautiful is how they have captured the terror and panic along with such a realistic example of what the world might look like after a zombie apocalypse. I love the cinematography, the desolation of the landscape because usually cities are so bustling and crowded, but the cities shown on The Walking Dead are simply shells of what was once creations of glorious human imagination.
The characterization is simply brilliant and my [and everyone else’s] favourite character is definitel Daryl Dixon. Along with being probably the most attractive males on the cast, he is funny and quite an adept zombie-killer, a crossbow being his preferred weapon of choice because of the silence and accuracy.
It’s like a more serious, gory, grown-up version of ‘Zombieland’, which looks like a complete children’s comedy after the complexity and fear portrayed in The Walking Dead. There are times when you will laugh and cry and just hold on to your pillows tightly in fear, and maybe do all three together, but you will most definitely be completely drawn in.
It all originated from George A. Romero’s ‘Night Of the Living Dead’, the main progenitor of modern-day zombie apocalyptic stories/movies/series, and the concept has been one of the most explored and popular themes of television and pop culture.
Bollywood is also stepping into the action with their own flesh-eating desi zombies. Granted, this movie is a comedy, but hey it’s a start. The movie stars Saif Ali Khan Kunal Khemu, Vir Das & Puja Gupta.
So remember, if you ever need to learn how to survive a zombie apocalypse, watching The Walking Dead is the way to go. If you’re in India, tune in to FX at 11pm every weeknight to watch, but it’s already in season two, so I recommend getting the DVD series or watching it online. You’ll learn all about how to turn anything into a skull-bashing weapon, including toothbrushes and katanas. You can also check out survival guides on YouTube, but don’t hold your breath. It’s all guns and proud displays of how much of a man a gun makes you. : p
If you like watching The Walking Dead or any other similar TV shows or movies, do leave a comment below or email us at mangomustacheblog@gmail.com and tell us about it! : )
See you next week, lovelies.
Mango Mustache 