EL ESCRITOR COMPULSIVO

EL ESCRITOR COMPULSIVO
El gran Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer

EL ESCRITOR COMPULSIVO

El escritor compulsivo soy yo, Alberto Bellido y este es un blog dedicado a mi mayor afición, a mi mayor pasión: El cine, el séptimo arte.

En el blog los visitantes podrán leer y comentar diversos artículos así como guiones de todos los géneros redactados por mí y sus memorias de realización, es decir, las diferentes intenciones que me guiaron en el momento de crear cada historia.

Espero que todos disfrutéis con mi blog.

Un afectuoso saludo.

domingo, 15 de mayo de 2011

The zombie film.

The film is a subgenre of zombie horror films emerged in the thirties. This type of film derives directly from the folklore and legends from Haiti (Caribbean country that shares the same island with the Dominican Republic), and are associated with black magic and voodoo. The phenomenon of zombies or undead in the United States became known following the publication of the book "The magic island" (Magic Island), WB Seabrook. Also in 1932, premiered a play on Broadway, titled "Zombie" by Kenneth Webb, based on the book of Seabrook, who did not get too much success, so do not take long to be removed from the programming the legendary New York theater. However, it does Halperin brothers liked the conversion to work in theater, and decided they had to move it to the movies. However, Kenneth Webb try by all means of stopping the project, regarded as a plagiarism, but failed in his attempt.Thus was born the first zombie movie history: "The legion of soulless men" ("White Zombie", 1932), by Victor Halperin. This primitive production, and included all the topics that define the subgenre until the late sixties, the most prominent of them the fact that the villain had at their disposal an army of zombies faithful and devoted to serving as a tool to implement its complete their sinister intentions and plans. (This argument refers to the previous decade of the twenties, with the most outstanding film of German Expressionism, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari", 1922, by Robert Wiener, and that it included a "Mad Doctor", ie , mad scientist, as the bad guy). Despite the novelty of the film and to have the role of Bela Lugosi, this is not garnered good reviews. This fact was attributed to the film was almost silent when the talkies took several years of existence. Still, the film is very significant and, although it shows in this production that the transition from silent films to sound not so simple, this is not a valid argument to discredit. Zombie movies out other noteworthy productions, but rare, during the thirties and forties. In 1936, Michael Curtiz, (known as the director of "Casablanca"), filmed "The Walking Dead, whose most striking peculiarity was that the zombie really a good actor. Another equally notable film was "Revenge of the Zombies" (Revenge of the Zombies ", 1943), whose villain could not be other than a Nazi scientist, since the world was immersed in the Second World War. But if there is a film that stands out above all others, is none other than "I Walked with a Zombie" ("I Walked with a Zombie", 1943), director and creator of the extraordinary atmosphere is unique, Jacques Tourneur. The director stressed throughout his career in film, for making prevail the horror suggested in relation to the horrors shown because they believed (in my opinion, rightly) that often cause more fear and dread the reflection of the shadows the characters that the protagonists themselves, physically materialized. In the fifties, the zombie film fell into obscurity and utter ostracism, being rescued in a few isolated cases, but with absurd and implausible argument.So it was with "Invisible Invaders" (1959), Edward L. Cohn, and "Plan 9 from Outer Space" ("Plan 9 from outer space", 1959), ridiculous production of Z series, led by the ineffable and unrepeatable Ed Wood (Tim Burton who has spent even a movie.) In 1966, a classic zombie movie (ie, starring the quintessential villain) of the Hammer, served as a prelude to the film capital of the subgenus. It was "The Plague of the Zombies" ("The Plague of the Zombies"), directed by John Gilling. Then came 1968, (a watershed year in many different areas), with the output to scene of "The Night of the Living Dead (Night of the Living Dead"). As a curiosity, indicate that the film was shot in 16 mm, with a tiny budget of $ 114,000 and a team of amateur actors (including friends and family stood out.) This production, with a distinctive documentary style, enhanced by white and black, turned out to be an immediate and resounding success. Since then, the director George A.Romero has become the real leader and guru of the subgenus, directing five deliveries more closely related to the zombie theme. The most significant feature in these films is that the greatest enemies of the main characters are not zombies, but other characters (ie, antagonists), which have their own ideas of how to survive, which differ significantly from that in the end get rid of the meat eaters.Notable example of this situation is the confrontation, in this first film Romero, among black men (that will not die until the end, curiously, at the hands of law enforcement officers, who mistake him for a zombie), and father of the family hiding in the basement that serves as a refuge from the attacks of the undead. Romero's second film, "The Dawn of the Dead" (Dawn of the Dead, 1978) is the most popular of the whole saga. On this occasion, the protagonists take refuge in a shopping mall in the insatiable zombies. This second installment, filmed in color and is much more powerful than the first, for it shows dismemberment of bodies without limitation, barely glimpsed in the 1968 film. For their part, many years later (specifically in the year 2004), an avowed admirer of the work of Romero, the director Zack Snyder directed a remake of the hit movie. In this second movie, 1978, were followed by four more: "The Day of the Dead" ("Day of the Dead, 1985)," The Land of the Dead "(" Land of the Dead, 2005) , "The Diary of the Dead" (Diary of the Dead, 2008) and "Survival of the Dead, 2009, not yet released in Spain. I have to say that all these productions, I have seen the first, third, fourth and fifth installment, (ie, the ones that have not been viewing the second and the sixth and final). Thus, the first film I could see no problems, but I must confess that the third was gagging when I saw the zombies dismember one of the protagonists and that unforgettable night, I could not sleep well. I understand that there are fans of this film, but to me the zombie too extreme, raw, and the gore, I do not like. Regarding the fourth and fifth deliveries, I had no problems in seeing them. A country that, apart from the U.S., stood unexpectedly in the zombie subgenre, was Italy.Thus, the director who led the production of these films was Lucio Fulci. His "Zombi 2" is well remembered and has been regarded as a sort of sequel, in turn, the second film in Romero, but he had nothing to do with it. Interestingly, in Spain, was known by the suggestive title of "New York under the terror of the zombies." And another Italian film, shocking since its title was "Night of the Living Dead erotic" (1979), Joe D'Amato.However, this director is known mainly for erotic and pornographic productions. Finally, two lesser known films and, therefore, less impact, were "Fear in the City of the Dead" and "beyond", both also directed by Lucio Fulci. Other films representing the decades of seventies and eighties were as follows: "Waters of terror" ("Shock Waves", 1977), with Peter Cushing as a former Nazi Doctor revives a battalion of soldiers, "Return of the Living Dead "(" The Return of the Living Dead, 1985), the writer of "Alien", Dan O'Bannon, a zombie comedy with witty dialogue, and has come to qualify as one of the best productions of the subgenus. Also. Another interesting film is "The Serpent and the Rainbow" ("The Serpent and the Rainbow", 1987), the famous director attached to the fantasy genre, Wes Craven. This film, based on a true story, recounts the experiences of Wade Davis in Haiti, which led to the discovery of the Teterodotoxina, a drug used by witches expert in voodoo and that caused a death-like trance or a coma. Finally, in 1992, the New Zealand director Peter Jackson, (later known throughout the world as responsible for the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" and the remake of "King Kong") directed " Brain Dead, mindless comedy, as its name suggests, showing the disorders caused by a rare rat monkey species native to Indonesia which was the cause, with their bite, the spread of an epidemic that turned the beings humans into zombies, in a village. In the first decade of the brand new century has brought to light a varied production of zombie movies, besides being very interesting, have made the genre reach a relevant and unexpected popularity. Of these, the first meaning was celluloid adaptation "Resident Evil" (based on a popular book and game), shot in 2002, directed by Paul WSAnderson and whose star is his wife, Ukrainian actress Jojovich mile (which was released in the production "The Fifth Element", by French director Luc Besson). Regarding his argument, he describes the trap in which it eventually becomes an underground chemical laboratory belonging to the powerful Umbrella Corporation, a group of survivors, when all workers become zombies. His great success at the box office led to have been made so far, four more installments: "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" (2004), Alexander Witt; "Resident Evil: Extinction" (2007), Russell Mulcathy; and "Resident Evil: Afterlife" (2010), again directed by Paul WSAnderson. Gradually, the franchise was acquiring an increasingly apocalyptic tone. It should also be note that the guru of the subgenus, George A. Romero, also wrote a script in order to make a film that is suitably adapted more faithfully to the book and the video game, but his proposal was rejected. 2002 is the movie "28 Days Later" ("28 Days Later"), the English director Danny Boyle.Production raised the zombie subgenre that lay dormant for many years (since the saga of "Resident Evil" refers to the zombie theme, but not entirely). In relation to his argument, England was invaded by people infected by the virus known as rage, highlighting the London opening sequence desert (remember, in turn, the Madrid of "Open Your Eyes" by Alejandro Amenabar) The film was a sequel that, for many it is even better than the first film with Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. Thus, the main novelty of this second part is reflected in the exceptional introductory sequence, which completely refute the classical view of the living dead. That is, in this case, the zombies are as authentic athletes are quick, strong and very violent, so that its danger is vastly superior to that of the prototype of zombie life.Moreover, has not yet ruled out a third installment, to be called "28 months later." However, we should expect to see the light, to see if it passes the first two parts of the saga. These same characteristics with respect to the zombies, were also the hallmark of successful remake of "Dawn of the Dead" (the second installment dedicated to zombies), directed by Zack Snyder. Another notable film in 2004, but that was an unexpected twist to the genre, mixing down with the comedy, was the British "Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright. On the other hand, another rather curious production is "Dead meat", Irish Connor McMahon, noting the origin of evil, nothing more and nothing less, than in the famous mad cow virus. In 2005 he released the fourth movie zombie master Romero, entitled "The Land of the Dead" with a stellar cast consisting of Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento and John Leguizamo, among others.The story chronicles the adventures of the survivors of an apocalypse who take refuge in a fortified city, with its ruling class entrenched in its skyscrapers, while anarchy reigns in the streets and the army of the undead, led by a mechanic black fitted with a not inconsiderable intelligence, just penetrating the city. The critical reception to this new release was generally favorable. In 2007, Romero returned back to load a movie, unlike the previous, independently funded, entitled "Diary of the Dead." In this case, the project director decided to film a documentary, realistic style markedly through the use of subjective camera (ie with the actors recording the events that are happening), as has happened with remarkable horror films such as "Cannibal Holocaust" (1980), "The project of the Blair Witch" (1999), and the Spanish "REC" (2009). The latest film from Romero zombie cycle, is "Survival of the Dead" (2010), unprecedented in Spain and is set on an island. The latest films attached to the subgenus are: "Planet Terror" (2007), the Mexican filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, who was released as a double session (which was fashionable in the sixties and seventies), under the title of "Grindhouse," with "Death Proof" by Quentin Tarantino. "I Am Legend" ("I am legend", 2007) by Francis Lawrence. One of the most inspired versions of the same title novel writer quoted Richard Matheson, which was the best adaptation starring the great Vincent Price. In this case, the last qualities that have added to the zombies, (ie strength, speed, stamina and intelligence), were added specifically vampiric properties. Finally, we must highlight the entertaining "Zombieland" (2009), Ruben Fleischer, another hilarious comedy with Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin as protagonists. Regarding the series, are also worthy of mention, these two: "Dead set", (2008), curious to the absolute limits, being set in the house ,..., "Big Brother !!!". "The walking dead", (2010), produced by Fox American Studies, and is based on the comic of the same name, in which the protagonist is a sheriff who awakens in a hospital after being injured and leaving the outside, he finds that the world has been ravaged by zombies. And I wonder: Is this, perhaps, a nod to "28 Days Later" with an identical start?. Finally, we have to wait to see what lies ahead this new decade. 

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