Screen Junkies » FRANK DARABONT

Frank Darabont Changes The Name Of His TV Show So People Don’t Think ‘L.A. Noir’ Is Based On A Video Game

Penn Collins — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 18:00:14 +0000

Despite the fact that he’s Frank Darabont, and he’s above adapting video games (though not graphic novels), the popular director/producer has flinched in a game of chicken with Rockstar games, the makers of L.A. Noire, a video game that contains virtually the exact same content as the pilot Darabont’s pitching to TNT.

Cops, gangsters, smoke, 1940′s, dames. All that jazz.

So, Darabont has decided to switch things up and call his drama pilot Lost Angels, which makes it sound like a spiritual science fiction fashion. So the title is equally confusing, but not in a way that could get someone sued.

Darabont claimed that the video game makers threatened to “sue the shit out of him,” while Rockstar claims they simply had “concern over the confusion.”

Lost Angels it is, then.

Frank Darabont Is Going To Rewrite The ‘Godzilla’ Movie

Penn Collins — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 19:42:26 +0000

Now that he’s no longer showrunner of one of the most talked-about TV shows of all time, Mr. Frank Darabont has found a little bit of time on his hands. So he’s going where he’s needed, and right now, that appears to be to the script of the upcoming Godzilla remake/sequel/reboot/whatever.

While Darabont’s presence may excite fans of his work, the fact that this thing was supposed to start shooting in March (and still is) means, a) They are making a good project even better with Darabont’s help, or b) they’re completely screwed and through a half-finished script at Darabont while screaming “HELP!”

We hate to be cynical, but we also hate being wrong, and with the last iteration of Godzilla still stinking up the joint, we’re inclined to believe it’s the latter and not the former.

Frank Darabont And ‘Variety’ May Have Just Dropped A Big Spoiler For ‘The Walking Dead’

Penn Collins — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:15:15 +0000

Note: We can’t talk about how Frank Darabont may have spoiled ‘The Walking Dead‘ without discussing how he spoiled ‘The Walking Dead‘, so…spoilers ahead.

Frank – we expected this from you. You quit your own show amid criticisms over the writing and presumable conflicts with AMC execs.

But Variety? You’re better than this. I know you have an obligation to report the news, but when you have to spoil our favorite TV to do it, you should take a long look in the mirror, Bub, and see what you’ve become.

Variety has recently reported that Frank Darabont has begun wooing actor Jon Bernthal to star in his upcoming series L.A. Noir. The big issue here is that Bernthal is currently playing Shane on The Walking Dead, so either Darabont is really good at persuading people to do stuff, or Bernthal is getting killed off the show and is available for other pursuits.

It’s unlikely that Bernthal would leave voluntarily for another unproven show, given the huge success of The Walking Dead, so that sort of leads one to believe that he’s going to be killed off.

To be fair to both parties, I don’t know how this could have been kept a secret. It’s not like Darabont was advertising this news – Variety found out about it on their own. And Variety is in the business of reporting entertainment news, so I can’t really fault them for doing their jobs. I am going to say the fault here lies with Jon Bernthal for being such a top-notch actor.

Stop bein’ so amazing, Jon!

Robert Kirkman Hardly Noticed Frank Darabont Left ‘The Walking Dead’

Wookie Johnson — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:59:10 +0000

We were all shocked to hear the news that Frank Darabont left his role as showrunner of The Walking Dead. Immediate concerns were that the quality of an already uneven show would drop. The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, however, spoke out on the situation this past weekend at New York‘s Comic-Con. In truth, he says that Darabont’s absence wasn’t really felt.

Describing the departure as “a really unfortunate situation,” he said “I miss Frank on the show – it was a lot of fun working with him.”

But “the transition from him to Glen Mazzara was seemless [sic],” he added, highlighting that he and both men had plotted out the second season together early this year. “It wasn’t even really a hiccup.”

He also noted that showrunner changes happen all of the time, pointing out Dexter as an example. Ruh-roh. Dexter suffered in its fifth season when a new showrunner was brought in, and the jury’s still out on season six. Even so, we’re left with a sense of hope for the second season of The Walking Dead. The story and potential are there, if only everyone involved were able to rise to it. (THR)

AMC Orders ‘Walking Dead’ After Show ‘Talking Dead’

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:35:21 +0000

AMC is giving The Walking Dead the Jersey Shore treatment. Season two will introduce new obstacles for the survivors, but it will also offer a live after show where viewers can discuss the show’s events. Talking Dead will premiere on Oct. 16, immediately following the encore presentation of The Walking Dead. Then beginning on Friday, Nov. 4, the series will follow The Walking Dead’s encore presentation at 11 PM.

Host Chris Hardwick will talk with fans and the show’s creators. Says Hardwick, “As an ENORMOUS fan of both The Walking Dead comic and television show, I pretty much begged for this job. Dissecting the moves of Rick Grimes and the remaining survivors after every episode is something I would be doing with my friends anyway, so the fact that AMC is actually paying to do so is a bonus.”

Here’s hoping that dismissed creator Frank Darabont will call in and issue spoilers while disguising his voice to sound like a snooty, high-pitched British woman. (Deadline)

Here’s What ‘The Walking Dead’ Can Do Better In Season Two

Penn Collins — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:32:18 +0000

On October 16th, AMC resumes the second season of its breakout hit, The Walking Dead, to much fanfare. Though the ratings for the first season were the highest in AMC’s history, the show was subjected to criticisms from fans and media alike, often with the complaint that the drama behind the scenes of the show was more compelling than what was portrayed onscreen. With writing shake-ups, deviations from the source material, and contention leading to the eventual departure of beloved showrunner Frank Darabont, coupled with the fact that viewers’ first taste of the zombies vs. survivors saga was a scant six episodes, season two represents, at best, a fresh start and, at worst, a “do or die” second chance to live up to expectations.

So what can The Walking Dead do better this time around?

Considering the lion’s share of the complaints about the program have stemmed from substandard writing, let’s start there. While the show certainly tells a rich story, and the effects and production values are beyond reproach (at least in this writer’s opinion), the weakest links have been incredibly wooden dialogue, heavy-handed exposition, and comically one-dimensional characters.

Fortunately, these are easier fixes than many other aspects of the show. A show will only be as compelling as its characters, who in this case…haven’t been. We began the first season with a cast of characters that were best described as “Sheriff’s Deputy,” “Deputy’s friend,” “wife and son,” “old guy,” “sister #1,” “sister #2,” “black dude,” and “Asian kid,” “redneck brother #1,” and “redneck brother #2.” Forgive me for omitting a few, but you get the idea. Ideally, as the season progressed, we were to be treated to a backstory and go beyond the most superficial descriptions.

It didn’t happen.

By the end of season one, we were short a sister, and a redneck was short a hand, but beyond that, we had no more knowledge about any character than we did when we began. The only compelling character study we got (and then only mildly so) was the scientist in the finale, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be turning up in season two.

I understand that six episodes is a small window in which to hit the ground running, engage a fickle audience on a as-then-still-unestablished network, and provide a decent story arc, but the lack of depth given to these characters is borderline negligent, especially considering how much time those characters spent just sitting around talking.

"I told you I could fit my nose in your ear."

A longer season two and the establishment of a cohesive writing staff affords the producers the opportunity to tell us more about these characters. Sure, the masses don’t want exposition infringing on their bloody zombie warfare, but the greatest attribute of The Walking Dead is that it’s as much about the people as it is the situation. Without getting us to care about the survivors, the show is squandering its largest asset.

Then there’s the dialogue. Oh, that crappy dialogue. The solution here is more tactical than strategic. The dialogue throughout the first season was so-matter-of-fact and stereotypical that it almost feels like you’re rooting (or not) for cardboard cutouts, rather than people. Clearly, the first response here is simply “hire better writers,” but beyond that, the decision to reject Darabont’s impulse to simply farm out writing details to freelancers was a necessity to fix this problem. The same staff will become familiar with and take a sense of ownership in the characters in a way that freelance contributors never could. That said, they’ve still got a job to do, so let’s see if they’re up to the task.

The other outstanding issues with the show are largely contingent on the writing problems, so if the ship can be righted in that regard, my other complaints will largely disappear. For instance, even though the first season was only six episodes, the pacing was at times painfully slow. Sitting around camp. Sitting around the CDC. Sitting around camp again. These pauses can be used effectively to enrich the characters and give viewers a breather from the action (“Fly” in season three of Breaking Bad is a perfect example.) However, if the writers can’t get their house in order, the producers best move to a more action-oriented approach to the story, which would play to the shows gory strengths. I’m hoping it doesn’t come to this, but so far, the pauses in action have done little to progress the plot and have created neither sympathy nor empathy for the characters.

Similarly, the drama between the protagonists has fallen way short of the excitement created by “man vs. zombies.” We are all expecting Merle to come back, so let’s hope when he does, there’s a lot more to his character and conflict than we saw in the second and third episodes of season one.

Despite these criticisms, The Walking Dead is a good show that I enjoy more than I probably should. Season one proved it’s a long way from the potential created by both the source material and outstanding production design. I want The Walking Dead to be a great show, which is within reach, but this relies on some significant improvements. It’s the third-best show on AMC, and likely won’t crack the top two anytime soon, but it can do a lot better than it has with some pretty easy fixes.

AMC Threatens ‘The Walking Dead’ Cast

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:33:30 +0000

9 photosWe're Surrounded By 'Walking Dead' Season Two Pics!!

There’s been a lot of silence surrounding Frank Darabont’s exit from the top-rated The Walking Dead. Until now.

The Hollywood Reporter lived up to their name today with an in-depth article revealing that Darabont was actually fired by AMC and that the cast have been instructed to remain silent about the matter. Unless they want to be eaten by an extra.

There also have been no public comments from the cast, and a source with knowledge of the situation says AMC has been “terrorizing” them and their representatives to discourage them from speaking out on Darabont’s behalf. “They’re scared,” confirms another insider. “They’re on a zombie show. They are all really easy to kill off.”

Wow. AMC is really getting a reputation for being villainous and ruthless in their negotiations. Now it makes sense that they have to keep replacing the kid who plays Bobby on Mad Men.

Did AMC Give Frank Darabont’s Money To ‘Mad Men’?

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:23:23 +0000

The question lately is, what the hell is going on over at AMC? Frank Darabont walked from his hit series and Breaking Bad producers were so frustrated that they flirted with the notion of taking the show to another network. When Darabont left The Walking Dead, it was assumed that he wasn’t up for the rigors of a 13 episode order. But, that doesn’t seem very likely given his talent and character. He did allude to some budget problems when he sat down for THR’s Show Runner Roundtable and now the LA Times has thrown out a pretty likely theory.

Deadline reports that Glen Mazzara, the executive producer and Darabont’s former #2, has taken over showrunning duties for The Walking Dead. Before joining, he had served on The Shield and Criminal Minds, among others.

'The Walking Dead' Trailer: It's Still About Zombies
A lot can change in four days. On Friday, Frank Darabont was sitting in front of the Comic-Con masses on hand for The Walking Dead panel. On Tuesday, Deadline reports that Darabont had stepped down as showrunner for the AMC blockbuster. It isn’t known whether he’s absolving himself of the show completely or will stay on in some production or supervisory capacity, but he won’t be the guy in charge of The Walking Dead anymore.

This news is shocking, and it isn’t. The series, based on Robert Kirkman‘s graphic novels, was Darabont’s labor of love for five long years before it premiered on AMC, but despite a truncated first season of only six episodes, the show was criticized for wooden dialogue and heavyhanded exposition. So much so that Darabont had considered forgoing a writing staff and outsourcing writing duties on a freelance basis.

Eventually, AMC convinced Darabont to stick with the more traditional approach. He hired The Shield Alum Glen Mazzara as his EP and second-in-command. The show was an unmitigated ratings success for AMC, but fans of both Darabont and the graphic novel voiced hoped for more.

It is not thought that Darabont’s resignation will affect the premiere date of October 16th, however, the mystery behind his resignation should come to light shortly, as millions of rabid fans will want to know why the guy that fought so hard to get this show to be was so quick to walk away.

We’re Surrounded By ‘Walking Dead’ Season Two Pics!!

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:40:21 +0000

7 photosEmma Bell

October’s still a ways off but at least we can get a better look at what to expect from the second season of AMC‘s The Walking Dead.

It looks like the survivors’ road trip doesn’t quite go as planned. From these pics I get the sense that they run into trouble when the RV breaks down on a crowded highway. With nowhere to run when they find themselves surrounded by geeks, the survivors scatter and hide as best they can. Soon, they’re all looking on in horror as T-Dog is surrounded. But then the day is saved when Lori and Carol discover that zombies are repelled by the sound of mouth farts. Yayyy, teamwork!! Either that or T-Dog is eaten. Either way, looks tense! (The Walking Dead)

Peep This: ‘The Walking Dead’ Season Two

Wookie Johnson — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:29:48 +0000

AMC offered this sneak peek at the second season of The Walking Dead during last night’s shit-gets-real season premiere of Breaking Bad.

Here we see Rick Grimes, two zombies, and a rock. Though it wouldn’t be m weapon of choice when battling the undead, you can see that this rock is pretty effective. It’s no crossbow, but it gets the job done.

Frank Darabont Reveals ‘Walking Dead’ Season 2 Details

Fred Topel — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:53:02 +0000

7 photosEmma Bell

Frank Darabont was a double winner at the Saturn Awards. The Walking Dead won Best TV Presentation, and Darabont himself was awarded the George Pal Memorial Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror. With everyone in attendance excited about season two of The Walking Dead, Darabont had a few spoilers to share.

“I don’t think it’ll come as any surprise to anyone who reads the comic books that Hershel will be part of [the show] this year,” Darabont said. “We’ll be delving into that area of the comic book.”

Perhaps a more subtle reveal about season two is the idea that the characters are all familiar now. The stories can go beyond superficial conflicts and delve into how these people really function as a society.

“Those relationships are developing. These people are actually really getting to know each other over the course of this season. Largely they were strangers from one another in the first season except for a few of those characters, obviously. Now they’re becoming just one big dysfunctional family and that’s really fun to write. That’s really fun to concoct the stories and be in the room with the writers that I have and talk through all the possibilities.”

Darabont also revealed the plot of episode one. Luckily, I’m totally obsessed with survivors finding supplies in the wasteland, so he related to me enough to share this.

“The first episode really is about that. The first of season two is all about geez, we’ve got no gas, our clothes just blew up, we have no food. Where do we go? What do we do? Yeah, the very first episode is about finding a source of some supplies. That’s not really what drives the plot but it is definitely a major factor.”

The Walking Dead is back in production, to return with 13 new episodes this October.

First Pics From ‘The Walking Dead’ Season Two

Wookie Johnson — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 18:11:50 +0000

7 photosEmma Bell

If”The Walking Dead” season two is receiving budget cuts, you wouldn’t know it by looking at these two first look photos the production released today from the set. The undead are back and looking scarier and more worn for the wear than before and definitely not like extras hanging out on the outskirts of Atlanta.

Series head honcho Frank Darabont had this to say:

“At this moment, I’m standing on a stretch of post-apocalypse interstate in Georgia, littered with abandoned cars and blessing my good luck to be reunited with our amazing cast, and our fantastic directors and crew. Across the board, there are none better. It’s great to be shooting again. I think we’ve embarked on a great season.”

It’s hard to keep your weight up as a zombie especially after you’ve already eaten most of civilization. I like this new gaunt almost alien look for the second season Roamers. Next, show us where Merle has been hanging out.

(AMC)

‘The Walking Dead’ Budget May Take An Axe To The Head

Wookie Johnson — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:31:59 +0000

Not that it’s actually happening (yet) but Frank Darabont spoke briefly about how his show The Walking Dead“ would suffer if AMC imposes budget cuts for season two. At the The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Emmy showrunner roundtable, SJ All-Star Kurt Sutter asked Darabont whether he had any network interference, to which Darabont responded:

“Creatively I have no complaints thus far. But I believe if they do move ahead with [the budget] they’re talking about, it will affect the show creatively … in a negative way. Which just strikes me as odd. If you have an asset, why would you punish it?”

7 photosEmma Bell

It strikes me as odd too. Did AMC watch the season finale? It looked like a student project. I’ve seen more realistic explosions on”South Park.” Also, there’s a lot of pressure on this season. Many people gave season one a pass due to the shortened order, but this is where they really need to prove themselves if they want to avoid drop-off. It would only make sense to boost the budget. Plus, most of the locations are empty fields. How expensive can that be? (THR)

Stephen King Might Be Writing An Episode Of ‘The Walking Dead’

Joseph Gibson — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:01:35 +0000

Many fans of horror writer/creep Stephen King‘s work have compared it to the AMC original series”The Walking Dead.” This could be partly because the man behind that show, Frank Darabont, is famous for adapting King’s work for the small screen (The Shawshank Redemption is just one example). The news comes from actress Laurie Holden, who spilled the news that King is in talks to write an episode of the series, which will probably involve zombies.

“The Walking Dead” was a surprise hit when it premiered last fall, so it’s safe to say this isn’t some publicity stunt. King must be a fan of the show, which means this could be a pretty exciting prospect. And hey, it keeps Stephen King off the streets for a couple more weeks. That can’t be anything but worthwhile. (via CinemaBlend)

‘The Walking Dead’ Survivors Will Hide Out In A Prison

Wookie Johnson — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:05:17 +0000

Despite being based on a popular comic book series, the first season of AMC’s”The Walking Dead” managed to pull off a few surprises. It’s due to episodes like the CDC finale that we’re unsure of where the series will go.

While speaking at PaleyFest over the weekend, Frank Darabont revealed that season two will cover familiar ground from Robert Kirkman‘s comic. The Shawshank Redemption/Green Mile director revealed that he and “Priso Break” alum Sarah Wayne Callies will be headed back to the big house.

“I keep getting sent back to prison. It’s such a damn good idea though,” added Darabont. “That moment in the comic where I read it and went, ‘That’s too damn cool not to do.’ It’s such a great idea: ‘Oh look, safety! Cut to the worst possible place in the world.”

Though he did state that they won’t stick too closely to the book. They want to make a show for everyone, not just the comics fans. With that in mind, he’s invited his cast to pitch ideas for their characters. Ugh. I guess that’s what happens when you fire all the writers. (The Wrap)

‘The Walking Dead’ Is Going To Need Writers After All

Wookie Johnson — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:10:55 +0000

Anyone concerned that’The Walking Dead‘s” second season would be completely improvised can breathe a sigh of relief. No undead zip-zap-zow for you.

After cutting the entire season one staff with the intention of bringing in freelancers, Frank Darabont has switched up his game plan.

“The Shield‘s” Glen Mazzara has been swarn in as Darabont’s deputy. The show order jumped up from season one’s six episodes to thirteen. With that in mind, six additional writers will be hired to figure out awesome ways to kill zombies with a crossbow.

No word yet on what direction the new season will head in what new characters will be introduced. There have been rumblings that the camp will stumble upon Hershel’s farm. If that’s the case, let’s go ahead and advise Michael Gross to start growing a beard. (Deadline)

‘Breaking Bad’ And ‘Walking Dead’ Updates

Fred Topel — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:15:26 +0000

AMC Snr. VP of Original Programming Joel Stillerman introduced AMC’s session for the Television Critics Association winter press tour. The presentation was for the new series “The Killing,” but first he had some news about their established hits. Perhaps hinting at the writer firings on “Walking Dead,” Stillerman hinted about the changes coming to season two.

“Frank Darabont, Gale Ann Hurd, Robert Kikman, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero, and the rest of the crew [are] figuring out where to take the zombie apocalypse from here,” Stillerman said. “We lost a few along the way as sometimes happens in’The Walking Dead,’ but a few surprises in there as well. Shane, Jon Bernthal, lives for season two so we’re going to keep it fresh and it’ll be back and better than ever.”

The network’s darling “Mad Men” is on hold. They must be waiting for Jon Hamm now that he’s a movie star. “’Mad Men’ is definitively coming back for season five, although don’t ask me when because we’re not quite sure yet, but it will be and we’ll let you know as soon as we do,” Stillerman said.

“Breaking Bad” is back in full swing. “’Breaking Bad’ starts shooting on Thursday of next week, season four. Last year was so spectacular, we kind of wondered if Vince [Gilligan] had something up his sleeve to take it to the next level and he clearly does. Where Walt, Jesse and Gus the chicken man and Hank and the rest of the crew go in season four is truly phenomenal.”

Stillerman also gave some details on their next original series, “Hell on Wheels.” “’Hell on Wheels’ is AMC’s return to the original western. To date ‘Broken Trail’ is still the biggest event on AMC ever. It’s a genre that’s vital to our channel. If you look at ‘True Grit,’ it’s a genre that continues to be vital in every imaginable way and continues to be able to be reinvented and incredibly potent. We think we have a phenomenal show on ‘Hell on Wheels.’”

You know that on AMC, this won’t be some “Rawhide” remake. “It’s very much a western, a post Civil War revenge story but there’s bones of great period drama in there as well, a la There Will Be Blood, with the telling of the story of the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, which is as dramatic and compelling a story as there is in American history. David Von Ancken did a phenomenal job directing the pilot. Our studios at E1, producers at Endemol, a phenomenal cast: Dominique McElliqott, Colm Meaney, the incredible Wes Studi. As soon as the snow melts in Calgary, we’re going to start shooting season two and let you know when that will be coming back.”

6 Million Watched ‘The Walking Dead’ Season Finale

Jame Gumb — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:29:40 +0000

Good news for people who like undead ghouls wandering around eating the flesh off of men, women, and children. Six-million sitting living watched The Walking Dead” season finale last Sunday. And in what is sure to be a boon for AMC’s advertising revenue, four-million of those viewers were between the ages of 18 and 49, boosting the series average for that coveted demographic to 3.5 million an episode, the best showing in basic cable history for that age group.

Just to put it in perspective, remember that political blog you started back in college? It received six total clicks, four of which were from you at different machines around the computer lab. Multiply that times a million, and you’ve got the same numbers that AMC is putting up. But don’t take it personally, as I’m sure your pro-Howard Dean editorial was really interesting. (Coming Soon)

‘The Walking Dead’ Writers Are Dead Men Walking

Jame Gumb — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:07:52 +0000

Let’s say you’re in charge of a new television show that becomes a critically acclaimed hit. What would you do to reward the writing staff? Would you…

A. Dole out a financial bonus.

B. Take everyone on an all-expenses-paid vacation.

C. Fire the entire lot.

If you answered C, you must be Frank Darabont. According to Deadline, Darabont has liquidated the entire writing staff of “The Walking Dead” and plans on utilizing freelancers for the show’s second season. This is probably due, in no small part, to the fact that Darabont ended up writing the first two episodes by himself, and co-writing the remaining four. While there is still the possibility that Darabont could change his mind or the network could protest, I’d like to recommend that the writers involved not hold out hope. After all, hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. (Coming Soon)

‘Walking Dead’ Season 2 Won’t Arrive Until October 2011

Jame Gumb — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:18:34 +0000

Fans of”The Walking Dead” are about to get hit by a double whammy. With just three episodes left in the ridiculously short first season, viewers will now have to wait until next October to witness season two.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, AMC is looking at an October launch date for two reasons. First, their 2011 schedule is already packed, with original programing like”Mad Men,”"Breaking Bad” and “The Killing” all jockeying for position. Second, as proven by the success of season one, October is the ideal month to launch a horror-based series. Fearfest, “AMC’s annual horror movie marathon” acts as a built-in promotional tool, and Halloween adds to the mix.

On the plus side, director Frank Darabont is set to return. On the downside, a lot of us will be dead by time season two premieres. Sorry to be a buzz kill, but 11 months is a long time. You do the math. (THR via Dread Central)

‘The Walking Dead’ Lives For Season 2

Col. Longshanks — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 22:32:24 +0000

Thanks to a buttload (Nielson terminology) of people supporting zombie drama by tuning into “The Walking Dead,” AMC has picked up the show for a second season of 13 episodes. Yay, good television about the living dead can survive! Sharon Tal Yguado, AMC SVP Scripted Programming, said, “I wish all programming decisions were no brainers like this one The Walking Dead is a TV masterpiece on so many levels. We want at least 10 seasons, if not more. Kudos to AMC!”

“Decisions were no brainers?” Who’s writing this woman’s material? If I find out one of my freelancers is moonlighting as an SVP Scripted Programming quote writer he and I are going to have words. You save that pun-y gold for the site! (THR)

Everyone Watched ‘The Walking Dead’

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hordes of viewers shuffled toward the series premiere of "The Walking Dead" last night on AMC. So much so, that the new series made television history. The first series about zombies ("The Hills" doesn’t count) netted a record-breaking 5.3 million viewers and a 3.3 adults 18-49 rating.

That’s the largest premiere of any cable series this year as well as the largest in AMC history. That number would probably have been larger if football and the World Series weren’t on last night, and folks like myself weren’t out for Halloween. The writing is on the wall. Get ready for zombie over-exposure. They’re the new Betty White. (THR)

‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: Days Gone Bye S1E1

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

"The Walking Dead" premiered at long last! Everyone was so excited that the entire country dressed up in costumes and had parties and went trick-or-treating, JUST to celebrate this shows premiere! What did you think of it (post a comment, let’s discuss)? The ScreenJunkies review can be found here, and my review can be found here so I don’t need to review it again. But what we wanted to do each week was have a post where we can discuss the show and point out some of the cooler moments, so let’s do it.

More after the jump…

Quickie Synopsis:

Episode 1, in which Rick Grimes gets shot and wakes up from a coma in zombie world. He tries to goes home, meets a man and his son, learns the zombie rules, and heads to an abandoned Atlanta in search of his wife and son. Does not find: wife and son. Does find: shitload of zombies, tank.

Best Bits:

The Opening

I love that the show opened with this creepy little bit. AMC and Darabont are willing to show us right off the bat that they haven’t toned down the story or made concessions to the TV format. More about the zombie girl below.

Rick in the Hospital Stairwell

This whole scene was really cool, with the locked doors (DONT OPEN/DEAD INSIDE), but the best bit was Rick’s short journey down the stairs to the exit. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for horrible shuffling and moaning sounds in the pitch black or for Rick to light a match to reveal a zombie RIGHT behind me. Of course, he got out of there without incident, but man, tense, good stuff.

Morgan’s Wife Comes Knocking

Another creepy scene. Morgan’s undead wife walks right up to the house, and looks RIGHT at us before trying the door knob. I love there’s a horror show on the air. I hope they keep up with the scary as the show moves on.

Rick Returns to Mercy Kill his First Zombie

First of all, the make up and effects are great here. And isn’t this a really pathetic, sad zombie? Even more so than Morgan’s wife. This scene speaks volumes about Rick’s humanity and the lengths he’ll go to to preserve it. If the show is like the comics, you’re going to see Rick REALLY struggle with his morals as the series moves forward.

Morgan Can’t Pull the Trigger

Contrasted with Rick’s mercy kill is Morgan trying to do the same for his wife. Awesome acting by Lennie James as he breaks down and ultimately can’t go through with it. Not sure if the show will last long enough for this to happen, but Morgan does show up again down the line in the comic.

Rick Comes Across a Dead Family

Wow. So, so bleak for a TV show. And gory too. Not much to say about it, but again, I love that they aren’t pulling punches.

Zombie Horde in the City

Rick chases after a chopper (imagined?) and runs into a shit load of zombies. It’s a great "oh f–k" moment and it’s always fun to see a mob of zombies. The horse disagrees with me.

KILL OF THE WEEK

Our first Kill of the Week isn’t a wacky zombie death, or some crazy death like a head getting split in half with a shovel (see: Day of the Dead), but it’s a really important scene in the show, with great practical effects, decent CGI blood (better than The Expendables), and kick-ass zombie with no lower half of it’s body. For sheer impact and importance zombie Kill of the Week has to go to Rick vs the Torso Zombie.

ZOMBIE OF THE WEEK

Zombie of the Week was almost the Torso Zombie, but the little girl in the beginning JUST edged it out. For a few reasons: First, she’s wearing slippers. I don’t think a zombie would be able to keep slippers on for long, but bless her heart, that shuffling paid off. Second, she picks up her stuffed rabbit. It might be a nod to "Lost" (or maybe not) but there’s something sad about it. I think she spends her time walking around the cars, dropping and picking up her rabbit over-and-over again. And last, she looked awesome. Super creepy, great make up. A kid zombie! A couple minutes into the show! I love it.

Week 1 Zombie Kills: 13
Series Zombie Kills Total: 13

Zombies Infest Globe: End Of World Or ‘Walking Dead’ Promotion?

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

AMC is promoting the premiere of "The Walking Dead" by unleashing hordes of the undead all over the globe. Well, hundreds of actors playing the undead actually. The invasion will begin tomorrow in Taipei and Hong Kong before spreading to Chicago, London, New York, Munich, Madrid, Rome, Athens, Washington, D.C., Johannesburg, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, and Los Angeles. The herds will attack landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Big Ben, and the Lincoln Memorial.

This is a terrible idea. The show looks great and all, but this kind of promotion is the exact cover that the real zombies have been waiting for. Go ahead and laugh, but I’ll be prepared. I’m already stocked up on canned goods and when those run out, I’ll dip into the Whisker Lickins’. I’ll be on spending the next week on my roof. You all get one warning shot. (The Wrap)

Actual footage of zombies invading Taipei after the jump…

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The Walking Dead Invades Taipei
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Review: AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m endlessly fascinated by zombie apocalypse stories, or any apocalypse stories for that matter. I just love to see the survivors scour the wastelands for supplies. The more supplies they have to gather, the better. There’ve been other post-apocalyptic shows but they didn’t have the “Mad Men” street cred. AMC’s zombie apocalypse show does.

More after the jump…

“The Walking Dead” delivers immediately. Officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) driving empty streets finds a wrecked car and truck. We see wreckage, the potential for siphoning gas, (Ohhh, beautiful, beautiful supplies), empty shops, rotting corpses and our first zombie. The first zombie is probably designed to be controversial and shocking. Veteran viewers will see just another zombie but it’s great makeup and a great way to start.

After the opening credits, we flash back to meet the main characters and learn what their issues are, so they can cause internal friction after the zombie outbreak. It’s well done, definitely the kind of “Made Men”-y writing that makes dialogue and relationships feel more compelling (Frank Darabont is responsible for the pilot script).

We meet other officers at a fairly intense police blockade with a good car chase, crash and shootout. By the first commercial, we’re already into the apocalypse and Rick has to explore and piece together what’s happened. Hopefully there will be those silent moments of exploration each week. Even if “The Walking Dead” hits season five, the survivors will have to travel and explore and figure out what happened in each town, right? Please?

The wreckage is magnificent and the buildups to zombie reveals are fantastic. Darabont directed the first episode too. Great shots of stumbling zombies outside, some especially grotesque creatures and plenty of violence. There’s a truly epic zombie horde in the climax. They don’t have to do that every week, but they’ve got what it takes to make circumstances dire.

For novice viewers, the rules of zombies are explained when Rick runs into survivor Morgan Jones (Lennie James) and his son Duane (Adrian Kali Turner). That’s well done too; doesn’t totally spell it out because Morgan already assumes everyone knows how the new world works. James is only listed as a guest star so I doubt we’ll see him regularly, or permanently. It’s late in the first episode before we meet any other survivors. Shane’s with them, and Rick’s wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and son Carl (Chandler Riggs). Their group is already in-fighting, so there’s the final element of great zombie and/or apocalypse movies.

The acting is cable TV quality, which means it’s what movies used to be and certainly more believable than most zombie movies. These people are reacting to the end of the world, but more importantly the end of THEIR worlds, with personal implications for their families.

“The Walking Dead” seems like everything you’d want in a zombie movie, and we’ll get it week after week on TV. Hopefully subsequent episodes will maintain the quality. Darabont may be a tough act to follow, but he’ll still be supervising. With 13 hours of story per year, instead of just 90 minutes, we can see more zombies, more blockades, more survivor infighting and most importantly, more supplies!

Watch 17 Minutes of “Walking Dead” Goodness (Video)

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re having a hard time waiting for the premiere of "The Walking Dead, we’ve got something that might hold you over. AMC has unveiled a 17-minute behind-the-scenes featurette chronicling the making of Frank Darabont’s epic new Zombie series based on the Robert Kirkman comics.

My recommendation: starting tomorrow, watch one minute a day for the next 17 days. If my math is correct, that should get you to October 31st, the day on which the first episode will air. If my math is incorrect, I apologize. I went to public school. (First Showing)

Watch 17 minutes of "Walking Dead" goodness, after the jump…

Fan Created Title Sequence For ‘The Walking Dead’

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hey "The Walking Dead" producers, Daniel Kanemoto made an awesome title sequence for your new show. You should consider using it. Fans of the graphic novels might think the Eels song "Fresh Blood" is too upbeat for the bleak series, but at least we know this guy can put together an impressive "ripped from the pages of the comic" sequence. I say hire him to produce another one with the song of your choosing. A Korn/Mudvayne collabo would be perfect. Don’t you agree, avid "Walking Dead" fans?

Check out the title sequence after the jump…

THE WALKING DEAD "Opening Titles" from Daniel Kanemoto on Vimeo.

(/Film)

NY Comic-Con Suddenly Becomes Relevant: ‘The Walking Dead’ To Premiere Full Scenes

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

New York Comic Con always pales in comparison to the San Diego convention. Food and water are over-priced, the booth-bait is in short supply, the panels are meh, and David Hasselhoff never shows up on a party bus. Until this year.

AMC has announced that they will premiere full scenes from "The Walking Dead" at the convention on Sunday, September 10th. In addition, the series stars, producers, and creators will be in attendance to field questions from New York’s finest nerds. Hasselhoff remains unconfirmed. (Walking Dead Blog)

‘The Walking Dead’ Poster Rides In

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

AMC continues to tease us with materials from their upcoming Frank Darabont-produced series "The Walking Dead." Today we have a sweet poster for the show that captures a stunning scene from the trailer. With all that gridlock, you’d think some zombies would be shuffling in and out of lanes looking for brains. Maybe they know Frank Grimes would dismount his steed and put a bullet in their eye. It might as well be a shot of L.A.’s 405 Freeway on a Sunday afternoon.

"The Walking Dead" premieres Halloween night at 10PM on AMC. (/Film)