Looking to God

Zombies, Zombies, Zombies!

Posted on December 24, 2012December 24, 2012 by Jack Flacco

Welcome back to Monday Mayhem. If you haven’t read my intro to the series, you can search for it on my site with the keywords Monday Mayhem or you can click on the Monday Mayhem link at the top of this post. Simple, huh?

Now that the Mayan silliness—ahem—apocalypse is out of the way, let’s talk about something worth talking about: Zooooooombies. Yep, those green critters everyone loves to run away from whenever a biological disaster hits. Zombies. Specifically, let’s talk about what they look like, ‘cause a number of films have interpreted their own versions of the grotesque creatures.

Since I wrote about I Am Legend last week, I thought I’d start with them. According to tradition, zombies are the walking dead. Some call them the undead. They walk back and forth on the earth seeking of whom they may devour. They have a “drag” to their pace. Like this: Step-drag, step-drag-drag, step-drag. Okay, I made that up. Yes, they walk slow. In the movie I Am Legend however, they are speed freaks. They run fast, hit hard and eat with intensity. Some have said they really aren’t zombies at all but vampires, due to their sensitivity to light and their penchant for going for the jugular.

Vampire Extraordinaire, Underworld's Kate Beckinsale — Vampire Extraordinaire, Underworld’s Kate Beckinsale

My thoughts? Vampires turn into vampires when bitten by other vampires. The creatures in this movie become zombies after a medical procedure goes awry (the typical method of zombie propagation).

How about the creatures in other movies? How about the beasts in 28 Days Later, Resident Evil and Dawn of the Dead? Oh, and the TV show The Walking Dead? Well, those are your standard, cookie-cutter zombies. Their flesh hangs off their bones, eyes white, and they possess the trademark drag. Those creatures also maintain their pleasant countenance by walking around with torn, often shredded clothes. Of course, let’s not forget the scabs. They sport various scabs throughout their bodies as a testament to their zombiehood.

You really don’t want me to describe scabs in detail, do you?

Then you have your funny zombies. The zombies you find in Shaun of the Dead for instance. These monsters border on stupidity. Most of the time, they stand around while their food—human—disappears. In one scene, Shaun acts as a tour guide/director giving the hoard directions to follow him, since he is good to eat, all the while helping his friends escape.

And how can we forget Zombieland? Bill Murray plays one of the undead. I’m not getting into the specifics with this movie. It is one of my favorite and it would be a shame if I spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it. Suffice it to say: Watch it.

The last movie I’d like to mention, which may seem odd to describe as a zombie movie, is The Crazies. The beings in this film harbor a mysterious element to their personalities that propels them to behave irrationally. Some critics may not consider them typical zombies in the strictest sense, given they don’t eat flesh, talk, and are not dead. But when faced with one of these blank staring individuals, I assure you, they function as true blood zombies. These are the most interesting of the species. No one knows who they are and the survivors travel with suspicion.

There you have it, a description of the most popular zombies to walk the planet in search of human delicacies.

Did I forget any of them? Have you seen any movie I missed describing the type of zombie? If you have, go ahead and comment. I’m interested in what you have to say.

Freedom Friday

Posted on December 21, 2012December 21, 2012 by Jack Flacco

End of days? Will the world keep spinning after the Maya Calendar ends? Most likely!

Here we are, Freedom Friday. I’ve set aside Fridays as the day when I can let loose and be free. That’s right. Sort of like a merry-go-round without the weird and wonderful music. I get to tell you about the stuff I’ve gleaned this week from my charming world of observation.

This week? Well, if you’ve read my Monday Mayhem post I wrote, you’re already in the know. You did read it, right? If not, go ahead and read it. I’ll wait…

Oh, you’re done? Okay. So here’s the deal—today’s December 21, 2012. Yup. And you know what that means. It’s D-Day according to the Mayan Calendar. Ah-ha! I got your attention! I thought you had read it?

As I was saying, today is the End of the World. I have the date marked in my Outlook, so it must be true. It’s the day when the Mayan calendar ends. Uh-huh. Ceases to exist. Dies. Kaput. Splat.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Now, under any other circumstance, a day such as today means—well, absolutely nothing. But not today. Did you know NASA’s gotten involved with unraveling this whole dilemma? They have a site dedicated to answering common questions of why the world won’t end on December 21, 2012—TODAY.

Imagine that. NASA. This’s got to be big if NASA’s involved!

When browsing their site, I’ve encountered questions such as:

Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012.

What is the origin of the prediction that the world will end in 2012?

Is NASA predicting a “total blackout” of Earth on Dec. 23 to Dec. 25?

Could planets align in a way that impacts Earth?

Is there a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Planet X or Eris that is approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread destruction?

What is the polar shift theory? Is it true that the Earth’s crust does a 180-degree rotation around the core in a matter of days if not hours?

Is the Earth in danger of being hit by a meteor in 2012?

A Leonid meteor, or a shooting star seen in the 2009 Leonid Meteor Shower.

Fascinating stuff. I wouldn’t have thought this being an issue. After all, we live in an enlightened age. An age where we can carry our whole media library in the palm of our hands (ie. iPods, iPads, Nexus 7 & 10’s, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 & 10.1’s, etc.). Who would think a meteor could scream to earth and wipe us from existence? Not me. Not a chance.

Thomas Nast's most famous drawing, "Merry Old Santa Claus", from the January 1, 1881 edition of Harper's Weekly. — Thomas Nast’s most famous drawing, “Merry Old Santa Claus”, from the January 1, 1881 edition of Harper’s Weekly.

But, I have to admit, it is a rather entertaining read when compared to the whole Santa Clause is not real controversy. Oops, did I say that out loud? Forget I said that. No one’s the wiser. Just in case though, if I don’t show up on Monday then you’ll know a massive chunk of the universe leveled my home…and anything within a few thousand miles radius.

Did you know what today is? Do you have any plans to celebrate the End of the World? What are your thoughts about NASA’s involvement with the Mayan end-of-days? I’d really love to know.

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Posted on December 19, 2012December 19, 2012 by Jack Flacco

Welcome to Women Who Wow Wednesday. Or as I’d like to call it: WWW Wednesday. This is when I get to ramble about awesome super chicks in movies and in comic books, and boast a little on their personas and their very cool skill sets.

This week? Let’s talk about Sigourney Weaver‘s character Ripley in the movie Alien. I have to say, if any character has that mix of strength and vulnerability we as a movie audience come to expect from a superhero, Ripley is that woman.

Back in the Seventies, there weren’t that many hero women on TV, or the movies for that matter, a woman could take pride in emulating. Well, there was Wonder Woman—ahem—but she was all candy. The most she could do is lasso a villain with her golden rope of truth and pump them, I mean, question them, for information. She also flew around in an invisible plane. Not bad for back then, although we haven’t seen any studios jump at the chance to make a Wonder Woman movie yet. I wonder why? *yawn*

Then there was the show Charlie’s Angels. You really don’t want me to get into them, do you? They were the epitome of hotness back then. Kate Jackson as Sabrina Duncan, Farrah Fawcett as Jill Munroe and Jaclyn Smith as Kelly Garrett played private eyes for the Charles Townsend Agency. Every week they emerged from their office to hunt for murderers, thieves and other lowbrow thugs. It was also an excuse to wear tight-fitting outfits and string-like bikinis for the adolescent males watching the show. But really, did women actually use these chicks as role models? I don’t think so.

By the way, the show is on Crackle.com this month, if you’re interested in watching the entire first season.

Then, out of the darkness, comes Ellen Ripley.

*spoiler alert*

When the spaceship Nostromo performs a flyby of an unknown planet, she awakens from stasis after receiving an unknown transmission. Once her crew lands on the planet, takes samples back to the ship—like we don’t know what’s going to happen—the alien life form kills everyone onboard except for Ripley, who manages to survive and kill the beast herself.

*end of spoiler alert*

Now, something we have to understand: back then, Ripley became the first female character to show a strong sense of empowerment over obstacles greater than herself. Let’s not talk about Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind (I have a special post planned to honor her most-incredible story). I’m talking about female characters tailored to fit male protagonist roles. She was the first for a starving Seventies generation. And that character became the mold for future female heroes appearing in movies such as Terminator, Kill Bill and Silence of the Lambs.

What makes Ripley unique? She shows a male toughness in the face of total defeat. Her strength lies in not folding under pressure and taking the shots, even if they hurt. Most of all, for the guys out there…who could ever forget the anticlimax of Alien when she struts around in her panties? This delicate image contrasts the hardness she exhibited earlier in the movie when battling the alien for ship dominance.

Is it a wonder so many sequels flourished from that one single movie?

When James Cameron took the helm of Aliens, the second film to the franchise, his love affair with strong women showed right on the screen. Ripley appeared buff, yet displayed a soft mother instinct. Something of which Cameron depicts in all his female protagonists in every subsequent movie he’s shot. But, I’m getting ahead of myself—I’m saving Aliens for another post. The point being, even Cameron recognizes the impact the Ripley character had within the movie Alien, and uses the strong woman archetype in his movies.

Are there female protagonists in movies you like? Why? Are they the type of women who you’d like to have by your side when battling aliens…or taking out the trash? Let me know, I’d love to hear your opinion.

Monday Mayhem

Posted on December 17, 2012December 22, 2012 by Jack Flacco

Welcome to Monday Mayhem. This is when I delve into the post-apocalyptic madness called the Zombie Apocalypse (a.k.a “The Future”), and give you my take on what life would be like if we as a human race would allow it to happen. Yes, for some of us it may be fictional, but for others…it’s already a reality. Have you been to Las Vegas lately?

In the movie I Am Legend, Will Smith’s character Robert Neville lives alone in a deserted city to fend for a cure to the dratted virus that annihilated humanity. If you haven’t seen the movie, I’d suggest you stop reading ‘cause I may throw in a spoiler or two.

From this point on.

Now.

*spoiler alert!!!*

The thing about the virus that consumed humanity is that scientists engineered it to cure cancer. Yeah, that’s somewhat credible to happen today. No really. In the movie, scientists believed that if they could unleash a biological weapon to destroy cancer cells, they could allow the body to repair itself, eliminating the uncertainty that is happening with today’s methods—and the costs. Unfortunately, it pretty much wipes out all humanity and leaves those who survived, famished zombies.

What I found interesting in the film is when everything falls apart in New York City— why is it New York City always takes the brunt of these end-of-days movie scenarios? (ie. Godzilla, Independence Day, etc.)—the military goes ahead and destroys all the bridges to the island to prevent the infected from escaping. If anyone’s seen The Dark Knight Rises, Bane uses the police to execute a similar strategy to contain the population in Gotham City. Now, this approach as logical as it may seem credible, doesn’t prevent the spread, since the virus crests to become airborne. Once this happens, to put in a cliché, all bets are off.

Thus the creation of the zombies, or rather, the Dark Seekers. Here is a quote from the movie to put the statistics into perspective:

“Seven billion people on Earth when the infection hit. KV had a 90% kill rate, that’s 5.4 billion people dead. Crashed and bled out. Dead. Less than 1% immunity. That left 12 million healthy people, like you, me, and Ethan. The other 588 million turned into your Dark Seekers. And then they got hungry, and they killed and fed on everybody. Everybody!”

*end of spoiler alert*

Yup, quite a future.

Well, this coming Friday, December 21, 2012, the Mayan calendar ends. Some have gone so far as to say it will be the end of the world. I actually have it written in my Outlook as an event—End of the World. Heck, I don’t want to miss it if it’s going to happen. No way. I’m just wondering how it will happen.

Will it be a virus? Maybe an invasion from another planet. Or perhaps a Great Tribulation as forecasted in the bible.

No one knows. But you can be sure of one thing: If we’re still around next Monday, I’ll bring you another installment of Monday Mayhem. That is, if the internet is still up and running…

What do you think? Do you think humanity is on the road to a Dark Seeker invasion? Or will it be business as usual this coming Friday? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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