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Muttpop Bob's musings and rants for all things Muttpop, toys, videogames, hip-hop, and whatever else he's thinking of. |
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
The Walking Dead TV Series Debut
Now THAT is how you debut a television series! Unlike comic book adaptations that were faithful to a flaw (stuff like WATCHMEN, SCOTT PILGRIM and SIN CITY), Frank Darabont and his team found a nice balance between elements of the comic that work well on the television screen and bringing new elements and details to the story that allow the viewer to connect with the fascinating characters in the world of the Walking Dead. I cannot think of a better way to debut this potentially amazing series and am super excited for what there is to experience over the remaining five episodes and (hopefully!) many more seasons of this fantastic show.
As a comic, THE WALKING DEAD worked because of the ways it logically handles protagonist Rick Grimes means of survival in a world overtaken by zombies. But as the series progresses, it quickly becomes evident that the concept of survival in a lawless society is explored more fully than the idea of zombies. The zombies infestation is the impetus to bring people together intent on surviving... but because of the constant immoral decisions that characters are forced to make in order to survive and/or protect a loved one, the characters become more disturbing monsters than the zombies they are trying to avoid.
While reading the comic, there's a constant emotional distance between the reader and the story. Because the reader controls the speed of the action as their eyes go from panel-to-panel and page-to-page... it's nearly impossible to create suspense or genuine terror. The horrific elements of the story come from the natural way in which characters must commit vicious acts of violence. When seen on its own, an act of murder is rarely relatable. But when you understand the strong emotions behind the act... when you discover that the murder was a reaction to someone nearly killing a beloved family member... it can be uncomfortably relatable. The Walking Dead consistently does this in comic form. It's a nasty world whose fundamental concepts of family, friends and survival connect readers to a level of violence that is rarely justifiable.
By bringing The Walking Dead to the Television screen, director Darabont understands that he will not be able to connect on the cerebral level the comic effectively does. But as a more passive medium, television has a way more effective means of controlling pacing, conveying the disturbing world, and emotionally connecting with viewers through the strength of the actors and script.
The first episode does an amazing job of quickly bringing the viewers into the heart of the main character Rick Grimes. In the comic, Rick comes across as a traditional heroic father figure. The television show wisely brings a flawed element of connection to Rick's personality. He has a difficult time communicating with others; a man better suited for action than words. And by doing so, the viewer feels the frustration and determination he has fueling him to find his missing wife and son and prove that he cares.
The show also dramatically plays with the variety of looks for the zombies. At their most extreme, they are disgusting and vulgar. But at other times, they look completely human: vulnerable and lost. It's a great way to keep the world realistic and disturbing (and probably makes it a little easier on the make-up artists!). Thus far, the zombies are never treated as caricature. There's nobody yelling "Brains". And, unlike conventional zombie films, much of it takes place in broad daylight... which somehow reminds the viewer that the world of Walking Dead is very close to our own.
There's tons more I can say about the first episode... but more importantly: just watch it! If the rest of the show is as good as that first episode, we're all in for a helluva treat.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Dennis The Menace
Jerry's latest post on the French Muttpop Blog opened a part of my brain with tons of DENNIS THE MENACE memories. I remember immensely enjoying many episodes of the black & white live action tv series as a young child. I also remember watching the animated series years later. I had no idea that both incarnations were based on the Hank Ketcham's Dennis The Menace comic strip that debuted in 1951. I assumed that the cartoon was some Japanese animated reinterpretation of the original Black & White television series (which originally aired from 1959-1963). I remember loving the cartoon character designs. The theme song was pretty rad, too. I was shocked to find out years later that the character designs were 100% American. Looking at things now, I sense that both Ketcham's Dennis The Menace and Schultz's Peanuts had a huge influence on Japanese character design. The proportions and minimalist line Ketcham and Schultz use feels a lot like the Chibi-style that has become a staple of Japanese Pop design.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Drunk Halloween Ewoks
This is the coolest thing I've ever seen on a Halloween themed TV Show! The Today Show decided to go with the Star Wars theme on their Live Telecast. This gives us the odd fortune of seeing Al Roker dressed as Han Solo... but what really makes the segment sing is the pseudo drunk ewoks wreaking havoc on set by stealing food and alcohol from the Halloween-themed food display, punching and kicking each other, moonwalking, and humping random objects. If this doesn't make you a life long Ewok fan, nothing will. Happy Halloween!
Friday, October 09, 2009
Community TV Show Abed and Troy
Community (the newest addition to NBC's Thursday night TV line up) has all the ingredients to be a classic television series. It isn't quite there yet, but there are moments of comedy brilliance that make it worthwhile to check out. The Office has harbored in a new brand of NBC comedy: the eclectic group of characters forced to interact with each other because of some unavoidable mundane responsibility. You've got The Office (in a small branch of a paper supply company), 30 Rock (in a TV Studio), Parks & Recreation (in some small political office), and now Community (in a Community College). The sobre and universally relatable environment becomes the foundation for a rich mix of off-center characters. When done right, there are enough situations that the audience can relate to that opens them up for connection with characters that often take non-traditional approaches to interacting or solving ordinary situations.
Beyond The Office, I feel that Community has the most potential to connect with people. Everyone has had some experience with the corporate world (a world The Office captures wonderfully). As for Community, almost everyone has experienced some form of post-high school education. Thus far, you can feel the writers struggling in finding the right tone for the series. The series works best when it's just a handful of characters hanging out in a study group or cafeteria. When a plot thread is introduced, the show's magic is lost. For example, the writers' continue exploring an unsuccessful romantic tension between protaganist Jeff (played by Joe McHale) and Brita. Jeff is convincingly portrayed as a smart ass who manipulates others to get things his way. I'm open to him having a bit of a sensitive side... but uncharacteristically becomes a drooling puppy dog whenever Brita's around doesn't seem in character for Jeff. Hopefully the writers will find that right sense of balance as the show progresses.
The consistent highlights of the show are the final 30 seconds of Abed, a nerdy film fan, and Troy, a former high school football star, hanging out and distracting themselves from studying at the library. You can find some of those bits below. I have also included a wonderfully done remix of Abed and Troy's Spanish Rap (with bits of Ken Jeong as the Spanish Teacher).
Spanish Rap
Library Dialogue
Krumping
