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The Undying Appeal Of The Walking Dead

jnarvey — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:36:13 +0000

I was excited about the continuation of The Walking Dead television series this evening and I’m happy to say that it lived up to expectations. Why are zombie stories – and in particular, The Walking Dead – so cool?

First, I should probably point out that not all stories of the undead are, in fact, cool. Some stories work. Some don’t.

Even though zombies have become almost as popular as vampires in today’s diverse menu of show-biz offerings, relatively few stories have lived up to the legacy of Night of the Living Dead. 28 Days Later and its sequel, 28 Weeks later, were both incredible films. The Dawn of the Dead remake was almost as entertaining as the original.

Unfortunately, most zombie flicks, including most of the Romero pictures, have been dumb gore-fests that revel in their depictions of entrails, without really delivering the guts of a good story. Increasing blood spatter and body counts stand in for plot and character development.

What does a good zombie story have going for it?

Interesting characters. These stories feature white-knuckled heroes shepherding the survivors and badass villains who want to make the most of a very bad situation. Then you’ve got supporting characters who evolve in interesting ways: pizza delivery guys become expert scavengers. Veterinarians turn into zombie combat medics. An old mechanic becomes an essential maintainer of the last few working vehicles on the planet.
Lots of action. The heroes typically have to bludgeon, shoot and blow up any undead they come across. Sure, you can go around them — but since zombies never get tired and they’ll track you down eventually, it’s better to fight ‘em while you can than wait until you’re sleeping in a tent with a thin veneer of canvas between you and the undead. Also, you’re able to get away with a lot more violence in zombie movies because, well, they’re zombies; wipe out a village of human beings and your heroes are now bloodthirsty genocidal villains — but if these same heroes wipe out a city of zombies, they’re still heroes, even if they may feel conflicted about shooting their former roommate in the head.
Constant Conflict. There is about as much dramatic conflict between humans and zombies as there is between humans and tornadoes. You can’t reason with the problem. You can only do things to work around them. Within the confines of a zombie-plagued city, the real dramatic conflict ensues between the survivors. Some want to save everyone. Some want to dominate. And when the rules of civilization are thrown out the window, sometimes the hero has to tread a very fine line between delivering justice and becoming a monster himself.

There are things about The Walking Dead that make it a top TV show that go beyond the awesomeness of the genre. You’ve got great actors, good story pacing, interesting character arcs and enough genuinely surprising developments to keep the story from becoming a boring tale of characters kill zombies in Atlanta, characters kill zombies in New York, characters kill zombies in Winnipeg, ad infinitum.

SPOILER ALERT. My favorite moment in tonight’s episode is when Rick Grimes singlehandedly guns down two dudes who in all probability were very, very bad men. He had already partly redeemed his badass-ness by shooting the undead Sophia, who even Shane wouldn’t touch. Now he’s definitely reminded us how he’s an action hero who can rival Shane’s “Conan the barbarian” aggressiveness — and he’s still got the best leadership skills in the group.

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Another Day In Paradise

jnarvey — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:00:42 +0000

In case you were wondering, the title of this blog post refers to my being back in Vancouver, paradise of the west coast. In contrast, Maui’s an absolute hellhole.

I kid, I kid. Vancouver truly is all that, but Hawaii’s certainly a pleasant place to spend a week. Here are some shots from my recent trip there.

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Scenes from New York

jnarvey — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 07:57:47 +0000

I’ve actually been back from my vacation in New York City for a few weeks now. Between catching up on work, writing for The Propagandist, and playing a zombie apocalypse RPG, I’ve been busy. Too busy to write about my trip.

Here are some images from Flickr I took while I was in America-land so you can get an idea of what I was up to. They’re in no particular order:

Traveling in New York City Some highlights of my vacation in New York City so...

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Hearing for the First Time

jnarvey — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 06:30:12 +0000

This made me happy. A 29-year old deaf woman can hear for the first time in her life.

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My Vancouver Fringe Festival Reviews in Plank Magazine

jnarvey — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 05:58:20 +0000

Yup. They asked me back. I’ve been checking out some shows at the Fringe Festival in Vancouver and I have to say, this year’s crop is pretty good. Check ‘em out:

And while I’m recommending stuff, here’s the buzz about a friend’s cool show:

Aficionados
Part of the Vancouver Fringe 2011
Presented by Disturbingly Brilliant

Welcome to a tongue-firmly-in-cheek, highly irreverent romp through the art world. Here nothing is sacred—not script, not tradition, not canvas, not budgets, and certainly not reality. For true aficionados, mere practicality cannot hold back magnificent art! Join our crazy characters as they flail through a journey of self-discovery and mayhem.

I was trying to help put this thing together… really I was… but oh my God. I’m just not sure that it is possible to create a watchable show with this material.

Maryth Gilroy, Fringe artist/reluctant helper

Aficionados will happen during the Vancouver Fringe 2011. Featuring THE ARTIST CURRENTLY KNOWN AS _________, this show will make you laugh, cry and maybe even want to buy some theatre merchandise. Also 100% guaranteed to address current issues such as everyone’s favourite: the HST Debacle. Aficionados: disturbingly brilliant.

SHOW TIMES:

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 5-6:15 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 16, 9-10:15 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 17, 1:45-3 p.m.

All performances at Studio 16 (1555 West 7th Ave)

Tickets information, including prices, available from the Fringe website.

Neanderthal Arts Festival is Back! And you thought Neanderthals were extinct. Wrong! Not only are...
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Superman. Traitor Or Stealth Patriot?

jnarvey — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:44:49 +0000

Superman didn’t give up on America.

America gave up on America.

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Canucks Victorious

jnarvey — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 06:30:49 +0000

Bye, bye, Chicago.

Nashville, here we come.

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Insomnia Followed By The Hurricane

jnarvey — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:26:39 +0000

Too excited to sleep. Just a few hours away from unleashing vengeance upon an unethical twerp. Nothing violent, mind you. Just filing some paperwork.

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Heavy Metal Chanukah

jnarvey — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:03:18 +0000

Shalom, y’all.

It’s about time someone did this. A Charlie Brown Heavy Metal Christmas has been up on YouTube since 2006.

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Neanderthals Still Running Amok In Vancouver

jnarvey — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:06:41 +0000

I’ll be checking out the Neanderthal Arts Festival again this week. It’s into it’s second week, so there are new shows to see and much fun to be had. Details:

Neanderthals In Fort Mac and Countries Shaped Like Stars

Neanderthal Arts Festival

The Neanderthal Arts Festival showcases cutting-edge theatre from across Canada and BC. The Festival also includes the Walking Fish Showcase for emerging theatre artists and a range of other initiatives and events.

The action takes place at The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street.

Tickets available through the Cultch website

For more information visit the Neanderthal Arts Festival website

Week 2: July 28 – August 1

Highway 63: The Fort Mac Show by Architect Theatre
Produced by Architect Theatre; Venue: The Cultch Historic Theatre

Every Canadian experiences the benefits of oil, but many know very little about life at its source. Behind every barrel, every economic projection or environmental scandal, there are people. Who are the people at the northern tip of Alberta’s Highway 63? At the heart of the world’s largest energy project, theatre creators from across Canada use a blend of verbatim and improvisation to bring the front lines of the oil sands to Vancouver.

Countries Shaped Like Stars by Emily Pearlman & Nicolas Di Gaetano
Produced by Mi Casa Theatre, Venue: The Cultch Rehearsal Hall

The courtship of Gwendolyn Magnificent and Bartholomew Spectacular is a tale of love best heard through a tin-can telephone. With performer-operated lights, water glasses, whirly winds and a mandolin, they create the sounds and images of a landscape forever altered by regret.

The Hanging Judge by Andrey Summer
Spectral Theatre Society; Venue: The Cultch Historic Theatre

In a cemetery outside 17th Century London, two trolls meet by the discarded corpse of a hanged judge. The mangier troll, Blemish, has brought a bag with him inside which is a bound man. Blemish would like to eat this man, but the other troll – Chantecler – has just returned from France, where Napoleon has ushered in an era of enlightenment. And Chantecler has learned.

Walking Fish Showcase: July 31, August 1
Returning for its eighth season the Walking Fish Showcase, will featuring its strongest line up yet of emerging, young theatre artists. An eclectic evening of adventurous, risk-taking theatre, the line up this year includes:
• Red by Jordan Hall, directed by Renee Iaci;
• SeaofSouls.com by Melanie Wickes, directed by Jeff Gladstone;
• The Assembly Line by Paulo Ries Ribeiro, directed by Nathan Medd
• The Woods at Tender Creek by Lenore Rowntree co-directed by Ella Simon & Evan Frayne
• The Anarchist Banker, devised and created by The Ensemble, co-directors: Nicole DeLauriers & Ryan Swansen, choreography by Edmond Kilpatrick.

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