The Walking Dead

You know how partial I am to apocalypse movies, and to zombie movies in particular? I think I’ve determined by now that there’s something about shuffling, mindless, unreasonable hordes that links in to my basic misanthropy. So AMC’s critically acclaimed, much-awarded, ratings-champ post-apocalyptic series The Walking Dead was eagerly awaited by me. (it’s not in SA yet.) I bought the DVD of the first season when I was in LA and have been devouring it with gusto ever since.

The show’s scenario is not particularly original – a small group of survivors travel across country staying one step ahead of ambulatory, infectious, flesh eating, corpses. It’s the way the story is told that’s so compelling – it’s more about human relationships under pressure than it is about slack faced, bity-jawed ghouls. It’s gritty, disturbing, bloody entertainment. Location-wise it’s pretty good too. Using Atlanta’s Center for Disease Control as a rationale for focusing the action, and Georgia’s whoppingly successful Film Incentives as a rationale for selecting the location, the unhappy band of characters are drawn to the vicinity of Peach State’s capital for most of the show. I’m not going to bother with a detailed explanation of how that was created – that’s all been done already at www.walkingdeadlocations.com.

And one last thing: can you hear that loud clunking noise? That’s me, dropping names. Gale Anne Hurd, venerable producer of The Walking Dead is the Co-Chair of the Producers Guild of America and of the Produced By Conference that’s being run in June in association with the AFCI.