I was 15 when I watched Star Wars for the first time, and I knew nothing about Harrison Ford. The character Han Solo is much different then any other character he has played in other films. The closest role I can think of is Indiana Jones, but even that role had the smooth mature character that Harrison often brings to the screen. Now maybe Star Wars is more then what I think it is to me. But I seen Han Solo as Han Solo. I never thought of the man behind the character. But that is Harrison Ford, you forget about who he is when you see him in film. I saw a president that loves his family in Air Force One, I saw a Archaeologist in Indiana Jones that knew history as well as he knew how to find it and defend it. I saw a CIA agent in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. I saw a Cowboy not knowing anything about aliens in Cowboys & Aliens.
I don't care how well the movies did at the box office, I have liked every movie I have seen Harrison Ford in. It may not have been my favorite movie, but I enjoyed the production. When Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came out in 2008, I was like how is this going to work? Because it had been 19 years since Ford had cracked the whip in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. But in his first scene he answered that question.
Han Solo to me seems so much more dynamic then any other role Harrison Ford has ever played, but I am excited to see how Han is doing now. I know , I know there is this whole story thing and I am excited to see that also. But Han Solo is going to be much older now, however in the world of Star Wars they have great joint replacements and we also have CGI in the movie world. But Harrison always knows the world around him in the movie he is in. I don't see that in some actors or they don't do it as well as Harrison.
Harrison Ford as a person is more aware and confident of his abilities and honest with himself then what I see in any other actors. You don't read about him in the tabloids unless they make it up and lie about him. And while he is serious he has a sense of humor.
There is no way I am saying that he can't handle the role, because if he signs on to do a movie, that means he knows what he is getting into. However he did brake a leg when filming started, but I was not there and I don't know the whole story. My imagination is over whelmed about Han Solo 30 years later.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
TNT Should Not Cancel Dallas!, the "DALLAS TNT FAN GROUP" on Facebook Speaks out
On September 23rd 2014 I posted this on "Dallas TNT Fan Group
I just posted this on Dallas TNT and TNT Facebook page:
You know if you move Dallas to a better time slot like Friday night, it is possible it would get better ratings,Dallas is a great show, but why are you making it compete with Monday Night Football and other mainstream popular shows. TNT needs to build the audience not demand it. Come on TNT be fare!
It had a over whelming response from other Dallas Fans, they had this to say in the comments
Laure
yep that's right.they should've left it on Wednesdays instead of switching it to Mondays and I bet it would've been fine
Dianne
I agree all the way around Friday night would be a much better night
Cindy
I just posted this on Dallas TNT and TNT Facebook page:
You know if you move Dallas to a better time slot like Friday night, it is possible it would get better ratings,Dallas is a great show, but why are you making it compete with Monday Night Football and other mainstream popular shows. TNT needs to build the audience not demand it. Come on TNT be fare!
It had a over whelming response from other Dallas Fans, they had this to say in the comments
Laure
yep that's right.they should've left it on Wednesdays instead of switching it to Mondays and I bet it would've been fine
Dianne
I agree all the way around Friday night would be a much better night
Cindy
These networks either need to pay attention to the fan base they want when scheduling to make sure the fan base isn't already claimed or accept the fact there's not going to be huge numbers when up against juggernauts. Last spring season I had 4 shows that were all on at 9 on Mondays. Dallas won out for watching live but still... Wednesday nights seem to be my slow TV nights. Or even Sunday nights after 9. Still ticked they put The Librarians against Once Upon a Time. Again, same fan base.
Lola
Now don't be silly puttin it on Friday would kill it for sure . That's when everyone gets paid n is out n about. They could move the time up like to seven n it would do a lot better.
Darrin
Friday night,,,just like the old Dallas shwos....well it didn't really compete with MNF as football season just started a few weeks ago
Beth
Yeah, Friday's would be good, that way I don't have to fight my husband over the remote every Monday. He likes to watch Fast and Loud, but of coarse I always WIN! I have to have my Dallas fix.
Bryant
I remember the "Dukes of Hazzard" came on at 9:00 and "Dallas" at 10:00 until 1981 when "Falcon Crest" got the 10:00 slot and the other two shows were moved an hour earlier. "Knots Landing" was on Thursday at 10:00 and "Dynasty" was on ABC on Wednesdays at 9:00. For awhile, "The Colby's" was on at 10:00 after "Dynasty. During the 80's, there was a primetime soap on every weeknight for many years and then we were left with "knots Landing." So, #DALLAS belongs on Friday nights
Brad
Now we're stuck with a bunch of crappy reality shows while great primetime dramas continue to get cancelled
Starla
Sadly ppl are watching the reality shows. It may work on Fridays now it may not. Bluebloods and that other cbs show have a nice following that night. With the dvr I dont see the day matters much.
There are plenty more comments you can read at the Dallas TNT Fan Group, But agree or disagree with Friday night, it is clear that TNT needs to rethink what night to broadcast Dallas. TNT says it's about drama, then they need to be about Drama for people who like TV programs and less about how to compete with the other networks. TNT will have their fan base if they just stick to there audience. TNT has some great shows, and they are not afraid to stretch the imagination. For one final time I ask TNT
PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL DALLAS!
Saturday, September 20, 2014
The Walking Dead Vs Z Nation: PLEASE SHUT UP!
Well there is a new Zombie series on SyFy Cable network called Z Nation, and while it may have a few short comings it's not that bad of a show. No it's not the same as The Walking Dead. However there is a very vocal debate on the social media outlets calling it blasphemy to watch Z Nation if your a Walking Dead fan. OH PLEASE! I am a fan of TV shows and what I chose to watch is my business. If the quality of Z Nation was anything close to what The Walking has given us, people would be swearing they copied the show. It is still a free country and we are free to watch and like what we want till they cancel the show.
For those of us that have forgotten, not everyone's imagination is not the same as mine or yours. I welcome new story ideals and shows. Look how many popular detective shows are out there, and fantasy/horror is finally getting a hold on main stream TV. OK, some may be not so well written, I get that. I lose interest myself in some shows, but I don't lose interest in a detective show because I am a fan of the popular CBS franchise C.S.I
Lets not forget that the 1966 soap opera Dark Shadows on ABC is the one that started the ball rolling on Fantasy/horror TV series. Networks have been competing with networks for decades. Networks have tried and failed to copy a genre over and over again. Look at the ABC Network 2004 series LOST, how many times have other networks tried to copy that ideal of you never really know whats going on in the show?
You always knew where a network got the inspiration for a series, but really never cared. I always give a new show a chance. If I liked it I watched it, if I did not I changed the channel. But TV is not religion.I don't stop watching a cop show on NBC because they have a cop show on CBS, so I will not stop watching a Zombie show on SyFy because I like the one on AMC more. I have never heard such backlash on a TV series since 1981, when ABC premiered night time series Dynasty to compete with CBS 1978 series Dallas, and that was before the internet and social media.
What we could do with out is all this reality TV programming like Honey Boo Boo, Jersey Shore and Keeping up with the Kardashians. However they do have a audience, but I chose not to watch. But that is my choice. I just don't want that to be the only choices on TV.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Will you help Josh Henderson get Dallas Renewed on TNT
Josh Henderson just posted this on Facebook:
"Okay everyone, now is the time. We need YOU! Let's show TNT how much we want a fourth season by making the Monday September 22nd two hour season finale the biggest that we can. Like/share/and comment on all the videos and pictures, change your covers and default pictures, end all your tweets and posts with #DallasTNT, tell EVERYONE you know. And PLEASE watch live if you can! Let's show the world what we already know, that Dallas has the absolute best fans in the world! Thank you for all your support, it's up to us!"
Ok Dallas Fans, we need to make plans for Monday night, we need to Tweet, Tumble, Facebook,
We don't want to get this wrong, or we will have to deal with John Ross, and I don't want to deal with John Ross.....
make sure you use the hash Tags #DallasTNT and Tag #the TNT network @TNTDrama
WE CAN DO THIS!
Here is Facebook links to join the conversation.
Into The World of "The Walking Dead" Part 3, Shane Was Misunderstood, but Still Mean...
The first time we see Shane Walsh was in the first episode "Days Gone Bye" where in a conversation with Rick Grimes he ask how are things with Lori, Rick's wife. It is obvious that Rick and Lori's marriage is on the rocks and may be past the point of no return. Question: Was Shane and Lori having sex before Rick got shot? In a the second episode of the second season, Lorie has a flash back when she was at the school talking to other mothers and she talks about the fight she had with Rick. I am thinking she has already given up on Rick and is having sex with Shane.
Shane seems like a great leader of the group and Lori and him are at that point of being a family with Carl, but in the episode "Tell it to the Frogs" Shane's world is shattered when Rick is reunited with Lorie and Carl. When you see his reaction it's heartbreaking as it is bitter. Shane fights his demons but over time he becomes even more bitter as Rick slowly becomes a leader of the group. Shane fights with Rick on every decision he makes. However, was Shane always wrong to challenge Rick? I don't think that in the first season that any of the group had come to reality of the new world they where now living in except Shane.
I often wonder if Rick and Shane could have come to a understanding and Shane was the leader what shape would the group be in? Maybe they would have taken Woodbury and over powered the Governor and fortified the prison and held their ground and maybe even got the tank and maybe more weapons.
While I like Rick, Shane had no problem being tough when he needed to be. Rick seemed to want to make everyone happy because of Carl. He wanted his son to see him as a true leader.
To Shane's defense, he was being ignored and Lori just dumped him as if they nothing happen and moved back to Rick's arms. Or so it seemed. I mean face it how would you feel if you was in Shane's place? The world has just ended, you find happiness and move on, but the old world including your best friend that you thought was dead comes back from the dead as if you have done nothing right and takes over. That my friend is a big pill to swallow.
Shane felt that Rick could not keep the Lori and Carl and the group safe. What was he calling safe? was he wrong? In the episode "Pretty Much Dead Already" Shane was right in killing the Walkers in Hershel's Barn. Hershel had some how convinced Rick to help him retreat two lost walkers from the creek down below his farm. Shane was pissed off and mad. In the world of the Zombie Apocalypse what is the correct way of communicating or educating people about the world around you?
But like greed, Shane had already lost control of his anger when he killed Otis in the episode "Save the Last One". But even I wonder if Carl would have survived if Shane had not of killed Otis. In war there is a term called collateral damage. Innocent had to die to save others. If they could have put Shane on trail, would collateral damage been a strong enough defense for a not guilty verdict? I think it was Shane's guilt of killing Otis that made him just not care and want Rick dead. In the episode called "Secrets" Shane makes it clear he wants Rick dead when he aims his shotgun at him while Rick is in the distance and unaware, but Dale confronts him. Shane denies what Dale thinks, but makes it clear to Dale he would have no problem killing him also. It was a back handed threat. At that point Shane was going to do whatever he had to do to get Lori and the leadership of the group.
However in the episode "Save the Last One" When Otis and Shane where at the school getting supplies, I do believe that Shane intended to get Otis out of the school and return him to the farm. But there was a boy dying and that was Shane's first priority, so he shot Otis and sacrificed him for Carl. You could very well debate and say that Shane had other motives, and that is a fare argument. Shane returns to the farm as the hero,and that's when things being to unravel for him when they have a memorial for Otis. They ask him to say some words about Otis because he was the one that was there in his final hours. This is where Shane's guilt starts to eat at him, and I am not talking appetizer, but big chunks like a walker chowing down on new meat. This is where the battle for Lorie and leader of the group really starts or at least the way I see it. He does not have a plan at that point, but he knows what he wants.
After the memorial, and the rest of the season Shane takes on Rick. You could say they are no longer best friends. In the episode "18 Miles Out" Rick and Shane fight it out for the first time in trying to come to terms with Lori and the baby that is on it's way. Rick makes it clear that even if the baby belongs to Shane, it will know Rick as the father. That was another notch in a mind that is already ready to lose it. They make it back to the farm with nothing settled. Then Shane takes Rick on a walk in a episode called "Better Angles" The title of that episode says it all. With what happen to Dale getting bit and Carl knowing it was his fault, and then Rick kills Shane just to have Carl shoot Shane after he turns. It makes you wonder about Shane. Maybe he was a angel, but he was not the best. Carl was Ricks Angel shooting Shane the Walker, but Carl was no Angel to Dale.Come to think of it. Was Dale the better angel? He always watched out for everyone. But that is another part of the series.
Shane seems like a great leader of the group and Lori and him are at that point of being a family with Carl, but in the episode "Tell it to the Frogs" Shane's world is shattered when Rick is reunited with Lorie and Carl. When you see his reaction it's heartbreaking as it is bitter. Shane fights his demons but over time he becomes even more bitter as Rick slowly becomes a leader of the group. Shane fights with Rick on every decision he makes. However, was Shane always wrong to challenge Rick? I don't think that in the first season that any of the group had come to reality of the new world they where now living in except Shane.
I often wonder if Rick and Shane could have come to a understanding and Shane was the leader what shape would the group be in? Maybe they would have taken Woodbury and over powered the Governor and fortified the prison and held their ground and maybe even got the tank and maybe more weapons.
While I like Rick, Shane had no problem being tough when he needed to be. Rick seemed to want to make everyone happy because of Carl. He wanted his son to see him as a true leader.
To Shane's defense, he was being ignored and Lori just dumped him as if they nothing happen and moved back to Rick's arms. Or so it seemed. I mean face it how would you feel if you was in Shane's place? The world has just ended, you find happiness and move on, but the old world including your best friend that you thought was dead comes back from the dead as if you have done nothing right and takes over. That my friend is a big pill to swallow.
Shane felt that Rick could not keep the Lori and Carl and the group safe. What was he calling safe? was he wrong? In the episode "Pretty Much Dead Already" Shane was right in killing the Walkers in Hershel's Barn. Hershel had some how convinced Rick to help him retreat two lost walkers from the creek down below his farm. Shane was pissed off and mad. In the world of the Zombie Apocalypse what is the correct way of communicating or educating people about the world around you?
But like greed, Shane had already lost control of his anger when he killed Otis in the episode "Save the Last One". But even I wonder if Carl would have survived if Shane had not of killed Otis. In war there is a term called collateral damage. Innocent had to die to save others. If they could have put Shane on trail, would collateral damage been a strong enough defense for a not guilty verdict? I think it was Shane's guilt of killing Otis that made him just not care and want Rick dead. In the episode called "Secrets" Shane makes it clear he wants Rick dead when he aims his shotgun at him while Rick is in the distance and unaware, but Dale confronts him. Shane denies what Dale thinks, but makes it clear to Dale he would have no problem killing him also. It was a back handed threat. At that point Shane was going to do whatever he had to do to get Lori and the leadership of the group.
However in the episode "Save the Last One" When Otis and Shane where at the school getting supplies, I do believe that Shane intended to get Otis out of the school and return him to the farm. But there was a boy dying and that was Shane's first priority, so he shot Otis and sacrificed him for Carl. You could very well debate and say that Shane had other motives, and that is a fare argument. Shane returns to the farm as the hero,and that's when things being to unravel for him when they have a memorial for Otis. They ask him to say some words about Otis because he was the one that was there in his final hours. This is where Shane's guilt starts to eat at him, and I am not talking appetizer, but big chunks like a walker chowing down on new meat. This is where the battle for Lorie and leader of the group really starts or at least the way I see it. He does not have a plan at that point, but he knows what he wants.
After the memorial, and the rest of the season Shane takes on Rick. You could say they are no longer best friends. In the episode "18 Miles Out" Rick and Shane fight it out for the first time in trying to come to terms with Lori and the baby that is on it's way. Rick makes it clear that even if the baby belongs to Shane, it will know Rick as the father. That was another notch in a mind that is already ready to lose it. They make it back to the farm with nothing settled. Then Shane takes Rick on a walk in a episode called "Better Angles" The title of that episode says it all. With what happen to Dale getting bit and Carl knowing it was his fault, and then Rick kills Shane just to have Carl shoot Shane after he turns. It makes you wonder about Shane. Maybe he was a angel, but he was not the best. Carl was Ricks Angel shooting Shane the Walker, but Carl was no Angel to Dale.Come to think of it. Was Dale the better angel? He always watched out for everyone. But that is another part of the series.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Into The World of "The Walking Dead" Part 2 , Glenn and Maggie
This post will have to be edited later on when Netflix adds the 4th Season of "The Walking Dead" to it's service. I have not connected some events to the series time line and episodes. But do to the fact that I am the type of person if I don't do it now it will not get done I wanted to make sure I continue the series. This is going to be a on going project till I get each part right. There will be a day when I get this and all parts of the series done. But its like every time you watch a episode you see something new.
Rick makes it to Atlanta and after he is overwhelmed by Walkers he is in a Tank and just before he commits suicide, he hears a voice on the radio. This is Glenn Rhee, he is like the gopher of the group. He is like the experiment before the group commits on pushing forward. He is awkward as he is smart. He is not good at keeping a secret. But he is committed and may be one of the most trusted people in the group to make the right decision. Glenn's awkwardness is very noticeable when he is in the drug store getting a pregnancy test for Lori and Maggie finds Glenn. Glenn puts the Pregnancy test in his back pack and grabs a box of condoms and does not know what to say. Maggie shuts him up and tells him she will have sex with him.
Glenn broke the news to the group that there was walkers in Hershel's barn. It was Glenn that broke the news that Lori is pregnant. But the thing about Glenn is that I think he is the one person of the group that really cares about everyone. It is very clear that he wants to make a stand in the episode "Home". Glenn wants to make his stand at the prison. He is angry and wants revenge. "Home" was the episode after Glenn and Maggie was taken hostage at Woodbury. Merle Dixon beats and tortures Glenn.
However what really brings a spark to Glenn is the unyielding love he has for Maggie Green. Maggie as you might remember was introduced to the group in the episode "Blood Letting" where Glenn sees her for the first time riding a horse like a hero. I think they fell in love at that moment, however Maggie thought the whole group was crazy when they lowered Glenn down in the well to pull the "Well Walker" out. This is before she becomes a ass kicking walker killer herself, you will have to watch the episode "Cherokee Rose" to see Maggie make that statement.
In some of these pics from youtube ,Maggie looks kind of crazy her self after the reality of the Zombie Apocalypse hits you.
Glenn and Maggie are obsessed with each other, and while they are still committed to the group they are evermore committed to each other. This was never more apparent then through the second half of the forth season after the fight with the governor at the prison, and Maggie lost her sister Beth and Glenn. She was more obsessed with finding Glenn because I think she thought Beth was safe with Daryl Dixon and Judith. I am not really clear on that. I will have to re watch season 4 when it become available on Netflix. What worries me about Glenn and Maggie's future is at the end of last season in the episode "us" They are reunited, and Maggie tells Glenn that he will never need a picture of her. To me that was a ominous warning that someone is about to die. But who, Maggie or Glenn? I guess we will find out in season five.
TNT! Please Renew Dallas, Because it's All About The Drama
Sometimes there is a TV story that lives forever. It has hero's and villains. And sometimes the villains are the good guys but you still hate them. The plot can be twisted every direction. Some plot lines are a little far fetched and maybe just a little unbelievable. But you don't care this is your TV show and you need to know how the family is doing.
Dallas is that type of show. It has everything you could want in a drama. Some of the things that happen may be on the border line of unbelievable, but the writers keep it simple and we understand whats going on. Dallas is your show. it's about family, family feuds , sex, crime , back stabbing fun. no matter how unreal some critics think it might be, you can sit down for a hour and escape into other family problems.
It is my hope that the powers that be at the TNT networks will consider what Dallas means for a huge fan base. And know not everyone is a part of the Nielsen Family. I know Dallas can not go on forever, but just a few more years. However if the network executives decide to cancel Dallas, I ask them to at least give it a final episode that could be brought back for a network mini-series now and again. And maybe one day the we can give Dallas a final farewell for all the long dedicated fans.
However, to the fans use social media, to save your show. Talk about it on Twitter and Facebook. Hash tag it, tag the networks and the official show twitter pages. Do not relent, do not stop , Blog about it and put it out there for social media and for the world to see. If you watch a episode of Dallas, make sure the social media world knows it, not just your connections.
Official Twitter tag for Dallas TV Show
@Dallas-TNT
Official Twitter tag for the TNT TV Network
@tntdrama
Tweet if you watch Dallas on DVD, Netflix, etc
Hash Tags for Dallas in general
#DallasTNT
#Ewingswin
That is just a couple.
Bottom line is, watch Dallas and let the world know, talk about it on social media.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Into The World of "The Walking Dead" Part 1
lets TRY not think about who the actors are, who wrote the episode, what network it is on. Lets just pretend for a moment that the Zombie Apocalypse is very real and out there is a group of people lead by Rick Grimes. I will refer to episode names and insert a few Youtube Videos here and there, but for the most part I want to keep this as real as possible. There will be a lot that is not explained, but as I was watching the series I just took a bunch of notes and now I am trying to put them in order for this Blog Series, however I will skip back and forth in the time line of the TV series
At the start of the series we find in the episode "Days Gone By" that Rick has problems with his marriage to Lori. Shane Walsh is Ricks best friend and they are both officers for the sheriff. Shane is very interested in how the marriage is holding together. Why is that? Is he truly worried about his best friends marriage? Is he waiting in the wings if things fall apart? He seemed very concerned about his friend Rick that was laying in the hospital from a gun shot wound he got from a stand off gone wrong when Rick and other officers stopped a group of outlaws at a road block .
Shane went to Rick's bed side several times before the start of the Zombie Apocalypse, when it appeared that he could do no more he blocked the door from walkers and soldiers getting into Ricks room and then told Lori and Rick's son Carl that Rick was dead. Could have Shane done more? How much time had passed since the last time Shane was at the hospital and when Rick was reunited with Lori and Carl.
Rick wakes up in a different world. He wakes up thinking no time has passed since Shane's last visit because at the moment he woke up, he made fun of the vase that Shane brought him with flowers from the Sheriffs office staff
Rick wakes up, stumbles through the blood cover hospital halls, Bodies laying everywhere. He comes to the Cafeteria that warns not to open there is dead inside
He keeps walking on, bodies of the dead are everywhere. As I am watching this I am thinking what would I do if this was me? What would be going through my mind. Rick goes home and hits himself and tells himself this is a dream , but he does not wake up, He tries several times to wake himself up, trying to convince himself that the Zombie Apocalypse is a nightmare gone wrong, but he does not wake up and must face the reality of the new world that now surrounds him. After getting cleaned up and dressed, he starts the journey into hell and there is no return trip back to the world he once knew. It starts when he sees a little girl. He is looking at her feet from underneath a car and notices she bends down to pick up a teddy bear. So this girl must be ok. He then approaches her and speaks to her and she turns around and she is a walker. What kind of horror is going through anyone's mind when you would see a child holding a teddy bear that has become a monster.
Rick keeps walking, and later finds a crawler with only the upper torso and uses it arms to crawl on the ground like a insect. This walker has a back story before Rick ends its un-dead life it never asked for. This is what she use to be. You can Find other parts of the story on Youtube or the AMC Web site
Before Rick kills the crawler in the park and starts his horse ride to Atlanta, he meets Morgan Jones after getting his head bashed in by Duane Jones who is Morgan's son. Rick wakes up recovering from the blow to the head. He is tied to the bed just to be safe because Morgan does not know who Rick is. Morgan pretty much gives Rick a crash course on how to handle a walker. But Morgan has a debate of the heart that comes up so many times in the story. There is a walker that use to be his wife and mother to his child. He knows what these walkers are but when he gets her in his sites from the upstairs window in his house he can not shoot her.
This is what amazes me with the whole Zombie Apocalypse experience. It is like when we see a loved one in the hospital on deaths door step. Very sick and we want the suffering to end, but when the loved one does die, the overwhelming grief hits us. I think that is the feeling the writers try to explain with Zombie stories. They are sick and not themselves but we still love them. The people around are yelling you need to shoot them in the head, but that person still sees something that that crudely intimates life. Much like the love a mother has for a child or the spouse that loves a abusive mate that suffers from alcoholism. You can't see the monster for love you have for the human it use to be.
Rick leaves behind his hometown on horse back for Atlanta, he is overwhelmed by a massive heard of walkers when he gets there, he escapes to a tank. At that moment he gives up and loses all hope and ask Lori and Carl to forgive him in a prayer and Puts the gun to his head and just as he is ready to pull the trigger, he hears a voice on the radio. He has got a new dose of hope and pulls the gun away from his head.
I can not in my wildest dreams imagine what it would take that would make me want to commit suicide, But it happens over and over again in Zombie stories. it is as if the ZA is the final push over the edge that will make people give up on life. The shock of waking up to a new world is a punch to the gut and your soul. What we have today we may not have it tomorrow, How would we deal with losing our cell phones, internet and TV. No more doughnut shops to go to meet our friends. The game of the week is finding food. The banks are gone, hospitals are closed and our doctors could be dead. Maybe you don't have a gun but the police are gone, your house is on fire but 911 is not working. How can it get any worse? You are about to find out.
PART I
At the start of the series we find in the episode "Days Gone By" that Rick has problems with his marriage to Lori. Shane Walsh is Ricks best friend and they are both officers for the sheriff. Shane is very interested in how the marriage is holding together. Why is that? Is he truly worried about his best friends marriage? Is he waiting in the wings if things fall apart? He seemed very concerned about his friend Rick that was laying in the hospital from a gun shot wound he got from a stand off gone wrong when Rick and other officers stopped a group of outlaws at a road block .
Shane went to Rick's bed side several times before the start of the Zombie Apocalypse, when it appeared that he could do no more he blocked the door from walkers and soldiers getting into Ricks room and then told Lori and Rick's son Carl that Rick was dead. Could have Shane done more? How much time had passed since the last time Shane was at the hospital and when Rick was reunited with Lori and Carl.
Rick wakes up in a different world. He wakes up thinking no time has passed since Shane's last visit because at the moment he woke up, he made fun of the vase that Shane brought him with flowers from the Sheriffs office staff
Rick wakes up, stumbles through the blood cover hospital halls, Bodies laying everywhere. He comes to the Cafeteria that warns not to open there is dead inside
He keeps walking on, bodies of the dead are everywhere. As I am watching this I am thinking what would I do if this was me? What would be going through my mind. Rick goes home and hits himself and tells himself this is a dream , but he does not wake up, He tries several times to wake himself up, trying to convince himself that the Zombie Apocalypse is a nightmare gone wrong, but he does not wake up and must face the reality of the new world that now surrounds him. After getting cleaned up and dressed, he starts the journey into hell and there is no return trip back to the world he once knew. It starts when he sees a little girl. He is looking at her feet from underneath a car and notices she bends down to pick up a teddy bear. So this girl must be ok. He then approaches her and speaks to her and she turns around and she is a walker. What kind of horror is going through anyone's mind when you would see a child holding a teddy bear that has become a monster.
Rick keeps walking, and later finds a crawler with only the upper torso and uses it arms to crawl on the ground like a insect. This walker has a back story before Rick ends its un-dead life it never asked for. This is what she use to be. You can Find other parts of the story on Youtube or the AMC Web site
Before Rick kills the crawler in the park and starts his horse ride to Atlanta, he meets Morgan Jones after getting his head bashed in by Duane Jones who is Morgan's son. Rick wakes up recovering from the blow to the head. He is tied to the bed just to be safe because Morgan does not know who Rick is. Morgan pretty much gives Rick a crash course on how to handle a walker. But Morgan has a debate of the heart that comes up so many times in the story. There is a walker that use to be his wife and mother to his child. He knows what these walkers are but when he gets her in his sites from the upstairs window in his house he can not shoot her.
This is what amazes me with the whole Zombie Apocalypse experience. It is like when we see a loved one in the hospital on deaths door step. Very sick and we want the suffering to end, but when the loved one does die, the overwhelming grief hits us. I think that is the feeling the writers try to explain with Zombie stories. They are sick and not themselves but we still love them. The people around are yelling you need to shoot them in the head, but that person still sees something that that crudely intimates life. Much like the love a mother has for a child or the spouse that loves a abusive mate that suffers from alcoholism. You can't see the monster for love you have for the human it use to be.
Rick leaves behind his hometown on horse back for Atlanta, he is overwhelmed by a massive heard of walkers when he gets there, he escapes to a tank. At that moment he gives up and loses all hope and ask Lori and Carl to forgive him in a prayer and Puts the gun to his head and just as he is ready to pull the trigger, he hears a voice on the radio. He has got a new dose of hope and pulls the gun away from his head.
I can not in my wildest dreams imagine what it would take that would make me want to commit suicide, But it happens over and over again in Zombie stories. it is as if the ZA is the final push over the edge that will make people give up on life. The shock of waking up to a new world is a punch to the gut and your soul. What we have today we may not have it tomorrow, How would we deal with losing our cell phones, internet and TV. No more doughnut shops to go to meet our friends. The game of the week is finding food. The banks are gone, hospitals are closed and our doctors could be dead. Maybe you don't have a gun but the police are gone, your house is on fire but 911 is not working. How can it get any worse? You are about to find out.
TO BE CONTINUED
Zombie Apocalypse: Science Fiction or Preparation for Armageddon?
I worte this two years ago on the old wordpress blog site, with the upcoming series I have coming on the AMC TV SERIES THE WALKING DEAD I decided to repost this on the new blog site
Last night I watched "Zombies: A Living History" I went in to the program thinking that it was just a history of the Zombie story. It was that and more. I did not expect the more. I keep on asking myself are they saying that the possibility of the dead coming back to a form of life and feeding on the living is true? As a matter of fact they where. But not in the way you think. How you ask? While many cultures have has their own legend of a Zombie it was Director George A. Romero 1968 movie "The Night of the Living Dead" that gave us the modern APOCALYPTIC Zombie. A mass invasion of the undead or the walking dead.
While I was learning about the Zombie History , I keep seeing references to disasters and wars in World History, but while some points they made went back hundreds of years, I was most horrified by accounts of events of the past 100 years. Since Romero's 1968 movie half of all the Zombie movies where made after 9/11/2001.
In viewing the documentary I also learned that there has been a long standing fear of the dead coming back to life. One example is this question. Why are coffins are bolted shut if the person inside is dead? Some countries use to bind the dead and put tight restraints around them. Some countries would put rocks in the mouth so the dead could not bite anyone if they came back to life. The reason for this is that zombies represents the worst fear of disease.That fear is still so true today that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued issued a Zombie Novella in order to teach emergency preparedness in 2011.
The days after 9/11 the Bush administration made it clear that the only way to stop a terrorist is to destroy it. and what do we know about zombies? The only way to stop a zombie is to destroy it.
In the past 12 years we have saw examples of civilization breaking down. 9/11 we keep it together because a country pulled together but we learned the enemy could hit us and maybe destroy us. Then Katrina stuck and it was a total break down from the police department on up. As Max Brooks said , we have a global war on terror ,we have global warming. Massive earth quakes, storms, tsunami etc. We have had other global disease epidemics like SARS, Mad Cow,West Nile Virus just to name a few.
These all represent a threat to the break down of civilization, plagues break down civilization. National disasters break down civilization. Zombie Apocalypse is the study of uncontrolled pandemonium and it is used for a model to teach Personal or emergency preparedness.
On Twitter I follow many Zombie fans including a group I am going to pay closer attention to a called Zombie Squad.
Their mission (From Web site)
Zombie Squad's mission is to educate the public about the importance of personal preparedness and self reliance, to increase its readiness to respond to a number of disasters such as Earthquakes, Floods or Zombie Outbreaks.
They are forming a community to teach people to be ready for anything. If your ready for Zombies your ready for anything.
It occurred to me while watching this that there is a growing sense of that the world as we know it is going to end. People are upset with the new standard of living with the great recession. People are not happy. People are stressed and restless.
But what about the government labs that store and create viruses? Could they ever make a mistake and harm the public?
Zombies are the worst fear of disease or uncontrolled civil pandemonium because a pathogen does not need tanks to do harm. When the public hears the word virus a panic starts, even though it is soon controlled. But what if control did not happen soon enough, and our governmental authority started to break down. The American people are so polarized and upset with the government it makes me ask the question: Could a massive uprising of the people be far off?
On a recent TV special years ago on the Super Volcano in Yellowstone Park a Representative from FEMA said there is no amount of preparedness that could make them ready for a full response. Is it possible that the recent attention from the media on Zombies is a teaching method to warn us and tell us to be prepared for anything?
Tell me: Are you ready for a Zombie Apocalypse? Or Anything that might come our way? Are you? Am I?
MARK G POGUE
I WILL RISE UP THE DEAD AND THEY WILL EAT THE LIVING
EPIC OF GILAMESH
Last night I watched "Zombies: A Living History" I went in to the program thinking that it was just a history of the Zombie story. It was that and more. I did not expect the more. I keep on asking myself are they saying that the possibility of the dead coming back to a form of life and feeding on the living is true? As a matter of fact they where. But not in the way you think. How you ask? While many cultures have has their own legend of a Zombie it was Director George A. Romero 1968 movie "The Night of the Living Dead" that gave us the modern APOCALYPTIC Zombie. A mass invasion of the undead or the walking dead.
While I was learning about the Zombie History , I keep seeing references to disasters and wars in World History, but while some points they made went back hundreds of years, I was most horrified by accounts of events of the past 100 years. Since Romero's 1968 movie half of all the Zombie movies where made after 9/11/2001.
IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHEN YOU TURN ON YOUR TV THAT EVERYTHING YOU SEE IS POTENTIALITY DISASTROUS!
MAX BROOKS, AUTHOR OF WORLD WAR Z
In viewing the documentary I also learned that there has been a long standing fear of the dead coming back to life. One example is this question. Why are coffins are bolted shut if the person inside is dead? Some countries use to bind the dead and put tight restraints around them. Some countries would put rocks in the mouth so the dead could not bite anyone if they came back to life. The reason for this is that zombies represents the worst fear of disease.That fear is still so true today that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued issued a Zombie Novella in order to teach emergency preparedness in 2011.
The days after 9/11 the Bush administration made it clear that the only way to stop a terrorist is to destroy it. and what do we know about zombies? The only way to stop a zombie is to destroy it.
In the past 12 years we have saw examples of civilization breaking down. 9/11 we keep it together because a country pulled together but we learned the enemy could hit us and maybe destroy us. Then Katrina stuck and it was a total break down from the police department on up. As Max Brooks said , we have a global war on terror ,we have global warming. Massive earth quakes, storms, tsunami etc. We have had other global disease epidemics like SARS, Mad Cow,West Nile Virus just to name a few.
These all represent a threat to the break down of civilization, plagues break down civilization. National disasters break down civilization. Zombie Apocalypse is the study of uncontrolled pandemonium and it is used for a model to teach Personal or emergency preparedness.
On Twitter I follow many Zombie fans including a group I am going to pay closer attention to a called Zombie Squad.
Their mission (From Web site)
Zombie Squad's mission is to educate the public about the importance of personal preparedness and self reliance, to increase its readiness to respond to a number of disasters such as Earthquakes, Floods or Zombie Outbreaks.
They are forming a community to teach people to be ready for anything. If your ready for Zombies your ready for anything.
It occurred to me while watching this that there is a growing sense of that the world as we know it is going to end. People are upset with the new standard of living with the great recession. People are not happy. People are stressed and restless.
But what about the government labs that store and create viruses? Could they ever make a mistake and harm the public?
Zombies are the worst fear of disease or uncontrolled civil pandemonium because a pathogen does not need tanks to do harm. When the public hears the word virus a panic starts, even though it is soon controlled. But what if control did not happen soon enough, and our governmental authority started to break down. The American people are so polarized and upset with the government it makes me ask the question: Could a massive uprising of the people be far off?
On a recent TV special years ago on the Super Volcano in Yellowstone Park a Representative from FEMA said there is no amount of preparedness that could make them ready for a full response. Is it possible that the recent attention from the media on Zombies is a teaching method to warn us and tell us to be prepared for anything?
Tell me: Are you ready for a Zombie Apocalypse? Or Anything that might come our way? Are you? Am I?
Thursday, September 11, 2014
My Blog Series of the" The Walking Dead"
Over the next few days/weeks I am going to be writing a series of Blog post about the popular AMC Series "The Walking Dead" It is not going to be a review, but my look at the show as if it is a true and real story. I want to look at each character and main events in the show. I have re-watched the entire series and I am sure you could watch each episode several times and come up with different thoughts and questions. In this series I may have random thoughts with out any connections. I am sure I will have many unanswered questions, and my views will be different then yours, or we may agree.
The Zombie Apocalypse has generated a huge following ever since 9/11. When the government asked for the worse case possible disaster to prepare for , the answer that came back was a contagion virus that would end life and cause civil unrest and end civilization as we know it, something that Police and civil authorities would be helpless to defend against, and those left behind would have to defend for themselves. It would be all out survival. So they asked Hollywood how would you best describe this to the population, the answer was the Zombie Apocalypse.
I wrote about this subject two years ago on my Wordpress Blog page, Here is a link.
Zombie Apocalypse: Science Fiction or Preparation for Armageddon?
My Blog Series will be more about the story of a group of people that bonded during the Zombie Apocalypse. How they survived as told in the TV Series The Walking Dead.
The Zombie Apocalypse has generated a huge following ever since 9/11. When the government asked for the worse case possible disaster to prepare for , the answer that came back was a contagion virus that would end life and cause civil unrest and end civilization as we know it, something that Police and civil authorities would be helpless to defend against, and those left behind would have to defend for themselves. It would be all out survival. So they asked Hollywood how would you best describe this to the population, the answer was the Zombie Apocalypse.
I wrote about this subject two years ago on my Wordpress Blog page, Here is a link.
Zombie Apocalypse: Science Fiction or Preparation for Armageddon?
My Blog Series will be more about the story of a group of people that bonded during the Zombie Apocalypse. How they survived as told in the TV Series The Walking Dead.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
If The World Was About To End I would Want Kate Beckinsale to Tell Me.
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There are people that can look you in the eyes and convince you that even if your going to die and the world is about to end, it's ok. There are people who can tell you to jump of a high level bridge because they need you to do that and for a second you might consider doing so, There are people that would tell you that they are going to blown your brains out of your head and you will enjoy it and you would believe them.
Kate Beckinsale is such a actress. Every movie I have seen her in, your going to do what she tells you just because she told you to do so and you will enjoy it. one of my favorite lines she had was in the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor. Soldiers where being rushed in after the attack and this guy looks at her and tells her he does not want to die, in true nurse style she looks back at him and says your going to be fine and rubs her hand over his head and tells someone he is not going to make it.
Have you ever been sick in the hospital and not doing that well and the nurse comes in and makes everything ok? I mean your still sick, but as long as the nurse said you was ok, then it was OK, That is what Kate Beckinsale brings to the screen. In the 2004 movie Aviator staring Lenardo DiCaprio as the late Howard Hughes, Kate portrays the late Ava Gardner. When Howard has a breakdown Ava comes to his rescue cleans him up and gets him ready for the hearings with love and care of a mother, wife or nurse I could not tell, She covered all roles when she cared for him.
And what a curve she throws at us by being a vampire in Underworld movie franchise. But I don't know how to explain this, her role as Selene is not as secure as her other roles but still just as confident, I struggle to explain what the Selene character is. She is sweet but can kill with out blinking. she is soft but tough as nails. She loves you but she will kill you.
so if Kate Beckinsale would tell us all that the world was going to end and we was going to be eaten by large aliens and it was going to be painful. I would be ok......Well......Not Happy, but Ok......
Peter Capaldi is Doctor Who
Ok so I have watched two episodes of Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who, and I like him and the change. I think Capaldi brings that classic touch that has been missing since Doctor Who came back in 2006. Ok, hold on , all the actors that have taken up the part of the Doctor have been great and I have enjoyed all the story lines. But Peter Capaldi brings back that maturity that was so visible in the classic years but yet holds on to his human qualities. When he ask Clara if he is a good man that question mergers the old and new Doctors. That question brings all the Doctors together from the first Doctor. Before that happen there always seemed to be a separation between 1-8 and 9-12 until now. I like what his style brings to the series.
I have read news of Doctor Who ratings slipping. I hope that this is just a quirk that will work it's self out and fans will embrace the new Doctor. There is a change in style and attitude of the series and I think it's a positive one and will give future Doctors more room to make changes to the mood of the series.The changes we have now should reflex a complete circle for the Doctor Who franchise. Peter Capaldi brings a different personality to the Doctor and yet still shows some of the Doctors insecurities which I think was missing in Doctors 1-8 but was reveled in 9-11. It is a clever unique way of installing Capaldi as the New Doctor.
I am hoping fans will be open minded to the changes and embrace what Peter Capaldi brings to the series. I think what the shock is for some fans or the way I see it is that David Tennet and Matt Smiths Doctors resembled each other, and now we have this change and it is a shock. But I don't think it's a shock that should scare fans away. By embracing the new Doctor is no way saying you don't appreciate the former Doctors but it should say that we can expand the character and still keep him who he is and what he is about.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Dusk Till Dawn on Netflix Does Not Work For Me
I know I am always saying to people that don't understand other popular shows that this is grown up TV and maybe you should not watch. I guess I am in the same boat now. I mean there is some good plots going on, but then I forget that this is suppose to be a horror series. I mean I forget that this has anything to do with vampires and monsters, then someone gets bit. I am not going to quit watching yet because last year Marvels: Agents of Shield started out the same way for me and then I was hooked in the 2nd half of the season. But their slow start was better then the start of Dusk till Dawn.
I understand that you can't give away the story at the start, but other TV series that have got canceled have done better the Dusk till Dawn. Two stories that I really liked that got the ax way to soon was Terra Nova on FOX in 2011 and The River from ABC in 2012. I am not sure why I am so disappointed in Dusk till Dawn, I generally try to be open minded about everything, but this is not working for me at this point.
The Strain from FX: We know what happened, but we don't know whats next!
Unlike AMC's The Walking Dead where Rick wakes up half naked in bed during the Zombie Apocalypse, you don't know what kind of crisis is going on. Is the Strain a virus or a disease, Zombies, Vampires or something more evil. Your not really sure. There are several connections to the monsters that have a zombie/vampire likeness. There are a lot of questions and they all kind of fit I think. I really like the creepiness with different elements in the story. I am even wondering if there is alien involvement because of events that happened in episode seven called "For Services Rendered" If that was or was not aliens, the writers are doing it well. The show is produced by Guillerermo del Toro. This guy is not afraid to take a chance on imagination.
However I still love and will always watch "The Walking Dead", But I really do like "The Strain"
Monday, September 1, 2014
What is in a Series Final Episode?
We often hear of one of our favorite series ending it's run. Most of our favorite shows that survived the ratings have that final episode. Some fans are upset that their favorite shows don't go on forever. While I am sad to see some of my shows go, I am glad they are ending it while the story is strong. nothing is worse then when your show has run out of imagination and it's canceled. But there are shows networks did not give a fare chance to grow with the audience and then get the ax, no final episode, but just gone.
By my question today is what makes a good final episode?
The NBC's 1994 Comedy sitcom Friends, it had a ten year run and went out with a great ending for the fans. To me it was a big thank you and good buy to the fans that stuck around and supported the show for ten years.
Here is a clip
My next favorite but not fan favorite is ABC's Drama/Syfy?Fantasy LOST, because for six seasons it kept us lost. Every time you thought you knew what happened, just to find out you did not, you was lost. I mean how else could this end? I thought the writers ended this in a perfect way. What it means to me may not mean the same to you, I thought it was awesome it ended the way it began. Jack opens his eyes in the first episode and Jack closes his eyes in the finale.
Here is a clip
There is one show that has a favorite farewell and I am sorry to say I never watched every episode, and that was CBS comedy M.A.S.H. The show had a 11 year run and for many fans it was like saying goodbye to family. I did watch the finale episode just last year. That is right, 30 years after this show ended, I watched the last episode.
Here is a clip
Just recently True Blood on HBO ended and fans where truly unhappy. I guess I can understand that. The writers went with a everyone is happy and life goes on. Come on , can life in Bon Temps Louisiana ever be normal?.But that is the choice they went with. And why did they kill bill off? Bill should have lived. I think they could have done better, I could not find a good clip of the final scene to share, so here is the trailer for the final season
The 1999-2006 NBC political Drama The West Wing. I don't care what political party you side your self with, I would vote for a President Josiah 'Jed" Bartlet. This Drama cover the most of the first term and the whole 2 term. It had a perfect finale, I am not sure if it was better then MASH, but it was complete. it was what every finale should be modeled after. Life did go on but Barlet's story was over and his staff moved on.
Here is a clip
In all, my question to the viewing audience is what is a perfect last episode and can the series your are addicted to have that satisfying ending. When a series runs it's course is there anymore to be said? Do we expect to much from writers. One aspect of a show I am always afraid of is it was all a dream. Fans have suggested the the Zombie Apocalypse in the AMC 2010 popular Drama/Syfy is a dream and is all in Rick Grimes head. I truly hope that, I would hate that type of a ending and don't want to see it end that way.
However back in 1990 the 1982 show Newhart ended it's run with a dream, and for me it worked. Do you remember the 1972 Bob Newhart Show. I end this post with that final clip
By my question today is what makes a good final episode?
The NBC's 1994 Comedy sitcom Friends, it had a ten year run and went out with a great ending for the fans. To me it was a big thank you and good buy to the fans that stuck around and supported the show for ten years.
Here is a clip
My next favorite but not fan favorite is ABC's Drama/Syfy?Fantasy LOST, because for six seasons it kept us lost. Every time you thought you knew what happened, just to find out you did not, you was lost. I mean how else could this end? I thought the writers ended this in a perfect way. What it means to me may not mean the same to you, I thought it was awesome it ended the way it began. Jack opens his eyes in the first episode and Jack closes his eyes in the finale.
Here is a clip
There is one show that has a favorite farewell and I am sorry to say I never watched every episode, and that was CBS comedy M.A.S.H. The show had a 11 year run and for many fans it was like saying goodbye to family. I did watch the finale episode just last year. That is right, 30 years after this show ended, I watched the last episode.
Here is a clip
Just recently True Blood on HBO ended and fans where truly unhappy. I guess I can understand that. The writers went with a everyone is happy and life goes on. Come on , can life in Bon Temps Louisiana ever be normal?.But that is the choice they went with. And why did they kill bill off? Bill should have lived. I think they could have done better, I could not find a good clip of the final scene to share, so here is the trailer for the final season
The 1999-2006 NBC political Drama The West Wing. I don't care what political party you side your self with, I would vote for a President Josiah 'Jed" Bartlet. This Drama cover the most of the first term and the whole 2 term. It had a perfect finale, I am not sure if it was better then MASH, but it was complete. it was what every finale should be modeled after. Life did go on but Barlet's story was over and his staff moved on.
Here is a clip
In all, my question to the viewing audience is what is a perfect last episode and can the series your are addicted to have that satisfying ending. When a series runs it's course is there anymore to be said? Do we expect to much from writers. One aspect of a show I am always afraid of is it was all a dream. Fans have suggested the the Zombie Apocalypse in the AMC 2010 popular Drama/Syfy is a dream and is all in Rick Grimes head. I truly hope that, I would hate that type of a ending and don't want to see it end that way.
However back in 1990 the 1982 show Newhart ended it's run with a dream, and for me it worked. Do you remember the 1972 Bob Newhart Show. I end this post with that final clip
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