One minor Land of the Dead hitch

[yendi]

One thing that bothers me about the setup of LotD, with the class-segregated city -- in Romero's world, everyone becomes a zombie when the die. That's part of why it spreads so quickly and is so hard to defend against.

So, in a city with major slums, lots of crime, guns, and drugs, why aren't there already some serious zombie attacks? It wouldn't be hard to imagine a bum overdosing, or a mugging victim dying along of a stab wound, then rising up and spreading the joy. Hell, even in Fiddler's Green, someone could have a heart attack and run amuck amongst the filthy rich.

Did I miss something here?

Comments

[static-eddie.livejournal.com]

Good point...
(Thanks again for the invite... we ended up seeing it last night at Universal Studios' City Walk)

[yendi]

So, what'd you think?

[auryn29a.livejournal.com]

So...why don't they just destroy the brain when someone dies? Why have a separate dead part of the city?

[yendi]

They don't have a separate part, but there's a huge class line, and the poor are kept out of the "rich" area, other than servents, etc.

[averyslave.livejournal.com]

You know, I think the rules have changed for Romero's films. I watched "Day of the Dead" earlier this week to bone up on my zombies, and was stunned to notice that when the scientist/mad doctor is killed, he doesn't rise as a zombie. They shoot him in the chest and, when Bub finds him later, there isn't a bullet hole in his head. But, alas, he didn't start walking. *shrug* I might have missed something too, but the rules have seemingly changed from "Night" to "Land".

[yendi]

hmm. Need to re-watch "Day," then. It was definitely still in play as of "Dawn," although, to be fair, we never saw someone die from non-zombie wounds and return, so it's possible that the initial epidemic had ended by then, and no one realized it.

[shawnj.livejournal.com]

I just saw it last night. As far as I could tell, all of the bullets landed in his chest area. Although I'm not sure that it wasn't just a lack of forethought on the part of Romero not to show one going through his head or if it really is a case of the rules changing.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

I always thought the initial virus that infected the corpses in NOTLD had run its course by Dawn, and was then spread by blood/saliva (bite). Isn't that how Roger and Flyboy die?

[yendi]

It is, but the news broadcasts (the crazy guy with the eyepatch, especially) are still saying that all dead will arise. That said, we know that the news is out of date on other topics, so you never know.

Then again, if that was the case, how could Blade (who gets shot late into Dawn) still be wandering around in Land?

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

You mean the Savini character? I dunno — maybe he got bitten as he was dying.

The eyepatch guy struck me as the sort of Fox News pundit who advises ruthless elimination/beheading/incineration of all dead people, instead of, y'know, studying a few to see if they all rise, or if some rise and some don't, and if so, why...

I should add here that I own the Dawn novelization — which may, for all I know, have some answers — but never got past the first few pages. My four-disc Dawn set is also, as yet, untouched, so if anyone theorizes about it on any of the docs or the four commentaries, I wouldn't know.

[yendi]

I gave up on trusting novelizations after being burnt by the Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors one.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Just looked up the Savini character. So he's still around in Land as a zombie? Or as an asshole biker who survived his injuries?

Either way, it's probably just Romero throwing in a Savini cameo to tickle the fans. It would've been cool if he'd gotten Gaylen Ross to reprise her role, but maybe that'll come in Road of the Dead or whatever.

[yendi]

As a zombie. With a machete. Although if he'd had a cock-pistol, I'd have said it was Sex Machine.

Judging from the IMDB, I'm not sure if Ross is every going to appear in front of the camera again. It's been nearly 25 years.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Though I'm intrigued to learn she's apparently a documentary filmmaker now.

[yendi]

And she was casting director for Day!

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Should I be ashamed to admit I've seen all three of her movie performances? Even Madman? Hi, my name is Robyn, and I'm a cheesyhorrorholic...

[yendi]

No shame at all (although I still haven't seen Madman yet).

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Oh,you must see it. It's just...um...it's a 1981 slasher flick called Madman. That's all I got.

Jesus, did I really misspend all those hours in the '80s? And why the hell am I so nostalgic for it? I'm seriously considering tracking down a DVD of The Mutilator, for fuck's sake.

[shawnj.livejournal.com]

Are we sure it's a virus? I'm pretty sure it's never been determined exactly what caused it to happen.

[yendi]

They never, as I recall, truly pin it down. They call it a virus often enough, but that's mainly because it works like one. There's that mysterious satellite that's mentioned in the first movie, and (of course), the explanation that Hell is full. Part of what Romero wanted to do, of course, was to not provide easy answers.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the famous 'Venus space probe.' Bane of sci-fi/horror heroes' existence...

[yendi]

Damned Venusians.

Stephen King had some fun with that one in the Book of the Dead.

[shawnj.livejournal.com]

I do hope they cover this point, although I think that a lot of this would have to do with the fact that it is supposedly years ahead of Day, and most of the lower class population would be able to handle a zombie or two.

[averyslave.livejournal.com]

Now having seen "Land": Yeah, who knows? There are several clues throughout the film that the dead don't need a bite mark to rise. So if the rules changed, the characters aren't aware of it. And, worse yet, the Director of Photography wasn't in on it either, 'cause the way he shot one scene in particular was designed around us thinking a bite wasn't the only way.

As for your intial note: Cholo and crew are dumping bodies at the beginning, so there could be regular precautions taken. Also, when everyone in the world knows that killing a person creates an even bigger problem, I imagine criminals take it easy on the killin'. It is something I would have preferred them address verbally, though. Lord knows they could have added a few minutes.