I'm not the biggest fan of the Zombie apocalypse genre, but AMC's The Walking Dead ranks as my favorite take. I believe the TV series format aids in fleshing out the concept, more so than films, although there have been a few very decent ones through the years. Here's a list of serious life lessons one can learn, or relearn from the series. They're highlighted very well by the character driven show - which is why its so good, making the scenario more realistic - when you see how normal human beings would react to something so foul.
1. Do not allow circumstance to change who you are. Of course we all change in some way with life and defining moments eliciting due reaction, a tragic loss of a loved one, hope diminishing… but we should not allow such things to alter who we are – our nature. Of course this is speaking in general terms because quite frankly some people need to change for the better (but this is targeted at those mostly outside the realm of extreme criminality).
2. The world is a dark and depressing place. It has always been so – because of mankind – the evils we see around us, in the news on a daily basis, is nothing new. Just think of people baying for blood in the roman Colosseum, an empire which also crucified people. Then there's the Holocaust, cannibalism, human trafficking, rape, mutilation, serial killers...
3. We live in a complicated world. But of course we made it so; by constantly cluttering our lives with material nonsense. When, ahem, if, the Zombie apocalypse makes landfall, one thing it will do for all concerned, is refocus our minds onto what is important – In Other Words – Prioritize… this is no time to be persnickety.
4. You’re only as good as your ‘worst’ member (reflecting the sentiments of ‘the health of a nation can be judged by its prisoners’). When in survival mode, people tend to make bizarre decisions… When things become really complicated – because of humans – deciding the fate of a fellow human being and having to play judge, jury and executioner, surely does provide ample opportunity to gauge the nature of the collective group.
5. Norman Reedus is still cool, it was looking dodgy after the curios case of Boondock: All Saints (Not a life lesson? – HA, your argument is invalid) No really, a redneck hillbilly makes for a valued ally when battling the dead, especially when he has many redeemable qualities… and if you're able to look past the personal hygiene issues.
1. Do not allow circumstance to change who you are. Of course we all change in some way with life and defining moments eliciting due reaction, a tragic loss of a loved one, hope diminishing… but we should not allow such things to alter who we are – our nature. Of course this is speaking in general terms because quite frankly some people need to change for the better (but this is targeted at those mostly outside the realm of extreme criminality).
2. The world is a dark and depressing place. It has always been so – because of mankind – the evils we see around us, in the news on a daily basis, is nothing new. Just think of people baying for blood in the roman Colosseum, an empire which also crucified people. Then there's the Holocaust, cannibalism, human trafficking, rape, mutilation, serial killers...
3. We live in a complicated world. But of course we made it so; by constantly cluttering our lives with material nonsense. When, ahem, if, the Zombie apocalypse makes landfall, one thing it will do for all concerned, is refocus our minds onto what is important – In Other Words – Prioritize… this is no time to be persnickety.
4. You’re only as good as your ‘worst’ member (reflecting the sentiments of ‘the health of a nation can be judged by its prisoners’). When in survival mode, people tend to make bizarre decisions… When things become really complicated – because of humans – deciding the fate of a fellow human being and having to play judge, jury and executioner, surely does provide ample opportunity to gauge the nature of the collective group.
5. Norman Reedus is still cool, it was looking dodgy after the curios case of Boondock: All Saints (Not a life lesson? – HA, your argument is invalid) No really, a redneck hillbilly makes for a valued ally when battling the dead, especially when he has many redeemable qualities… and if you're able to look past the personal hygiene issues.
6. You need human interaction to survive. You may be a bit like me, a person who is okay on your own, alone. Most writers don’t really suffer from loneliness, but when humanity is under threat, and you’re surrounded by moaning walkers and impending doom, a fellow healthy human is the prefect remedy to that sinking feeling… or at the very least, you’ll have some company when facing the darkness – whether literal, mental or that perceived darkness of death closing in.
7. And on that note: sort out your views/beliefs regarding death. I’m not a religious man, I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, so when the world descends further into apparent anarchy, best be at peace with death – I believe it is but a gateway, though this doesn’t mean I will not go down lightly; with a samurai sword in one hand and a spear in the other (and a pistol/Uzi and survival knife as backups) "I shall rage against the dying of the light!".
8. Learning some useful skills is always an advantage. There’s no need to be an expert, but a few seemingly abstract expertise will reveal their use in extreme situations. Everyone has a skill-set, the more the better, which means you’ll be a credit to your group – a pool of talent - indispensable even, improving their willingness to save you when in peril.
9. Being fit and healthy is a huge plus. You never know when you’ll be required to run for your life, sprint for a mile on an empty stomach, with full backpack of rations and medical supplies, with freaks on your tail, and your entire group depending on you. In all, okay most, apocalyptic tales, running is usually involved…
10. Self-control - an underestimated virtue. (you may find this a useful attribute in normal society too) Many people don’t know the true nature of their interactions with other people (living). Everyone has their own variety of oddities, though in a highly stressful environment it will behoove you to NOT be a nuisance to your fellow humans. IOW – Keep it together. That's right Eric, KEEP YOUR S%#T TOGETHER! The zombie apocalypse is no time to wig out and be a burden on your already jittery cohorts; otherwise you’ll be on the receiving end of some uncompromising WUP-ASS.
7. And on that note: sort out your views/beliefs regarding death. I’m not a religious man, I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, so when the world descends further into apparent anarchy, best be at peace with death – I believe it is but a gateway, though this doesn’t mean I will not go down lightly; with a samurai sword in one hand and a spear in the other (and a pistol/Uzi and survival knife as backups) "I shall rage against the dying of the light!".
8. Learning some useful skills is always an advantage. There’s no need to be an expert, but a few seemingly abstract expertise will reveal their use in extreme situations. Everyone has a skill-set, the more the better, which means you’ll be a credit to your group – a pool of talent - indispensable even, improving their willingness to save you when in peril.
9. Being fit and healthy is a huge plus. You never know when you’ll be required to run for your life, sprint for a mile on an empty stomach, with full backpack of rations and medical supplies, with freaks on your tail, and your entire group depending on you. In all, okay most, apocalyptic tales, running is usually involved…
10. Self-control - an underestimated virtue. (you may find this a useful attribute in normal society too) Many people don’t know the true nature of their interactions with other people (living). Everyone has their own variety of oddities, though in a highly stressful environment it will behoove you to NOT be a nuisance to your fellow humans. IOW – Keep it together. That's right Eric, KEEP YOUR S%#T TOGETHER! The zombie apocalypse is no time to wig out and be a burden on your already jittery cohorts; otherwise you’ll be on the receiving end of some uncompromising WUP-ASS.
UPDATE: Here's an alternate list of "10 Life Lessons The Walking Dead teaches us" by WHATCULTURE.com published December 2013. I think we only share (sort of) 2 lessons, though theirs carries slightly different emphasis on both, see if you can spot which ones I'm referring to...
The Walking Dead - screenshot
AMC TV Series poster
The TV show was of course inspired by the Graphic Novel created by Robert Kirkman (writer), Tony Moore & Charlie Adlard (artists)
News:
- Despite tremendous success and record ratings, The Walking Dead is not without its problems. Show creator Frank Darabont was fired after season one after disputes with AMC exec Joel Stillerman over budget cuts and producers infringing on the creative process. Glen Mazzara has since taken over for season 2. For more details on this story follow this link to Screenrant.
- For those who don't mind spoilers, check out the official site at AMC here.
Apart from the TV show, here's my two favourite Zombie films: 28 Days Later and Shawn of the Dead. The former's movie poster was creepy so I chickened out and added two screenshots. 28 Days Later just BTW, was directed by Danny Boyle and also starred current Bond girl Noamie Harris and Brendan (aka Braveheart's Hamish) Gleeson.
FYI 2013 has a couple of zombie films on the way, namely the big budget Brad Pitt vs the world "World War Z", then there's the comedy Warm Bodies - which looks at things from the perspective of a zombie... this one actually looks like fun.
Jury's still out on World War Z though because they chose to use CGI zombies; I'm not sure what your take is on this but if memory serves, I am Legend didn't fare too well with faux zombies, a decent film, but it kind of detracts from the overall experience, distancing one from the perceived threat - because we can all see its fake... In my opinion.
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