Quote from Day remake's FX guy, Dean Jones

[Cereval]

From Fangoria #255:

Jones on the zombies of the Day remake and then about the remake itself:

They move more horrifically as well, things such as the original Dawn of the Dead were a bit too clownish, and this goes in a much more serious direction ... The hardcore Romero fans are going to be reasonably surprised. I believe they're going to appreciate the hard work and effort that went into this. The script and the characters are different, and this film is more believable in terms of their situation.
First off, I'm glad I was on the crapper when I read this because it really helped things move along. If what I saw in the trailer is true, then I don't find the logic in describing these zombies as more serious when they're flying out of windows and such. And as for the film's situation being more believable? I found the original's timeline and situation to be pretty plausible and well thought out, as it were. It sounds like he's describing the original as having a health club and roller rink underground. With all due respect for the work and effort, this man sounds like a tool. And this film looks and smells to be what I produced whilest reading this article.

[EvilNed]

He's probably just doing the mandatory bull**** talk every cast and crew member has to do when a film nears completion. You never ever catch a crewmember say "This film is Ok. I mean, it's not as good as the original, but it's Ok I guess."

[Cereval]

He's probably just doing the mandatory bull**** talk every cast and crew member has to do when a film nears completion. You never ever catch a crewmember say "This film is Ok. I mean, it's not as good as the original, but it's Ok I guess."

Good call. And even if there were are few honest folk amongst the crew, I doubt Fangoria would print such a contradiction in an article promoting the film.

[EvilNed]

Good call. And even if there were are few honest folk amongst the crew, I doubt Fangoria would print such a contradiction in an article promoting the film.

I'm just fed up with it. Like Bruce Willis for the new Die Hard film. He said he thought it was better than the first one. Well, that's exactly what he said when the second and third one were released too! And I've heard lots of other people say it too. I bet you twenty bucks that when Indiana Jones 4 gets released, Harrison Ford will say the exact same thing.

That said, this Dean Jones took a pretty poor path to upbeat his film. I mean, you can't make YOUR film seem better by downgrading another film (the original). And I don't see what was so unrealistic about the originals, altough I can agree with him on the clown movements of the Dawn film. Night and Dawn has my least favourite zombie performances, except for Stephen of course!

[MinionZombie]

Hardcore fans eh? So - us - basically.

Methinks he's in for a shock, GAR's Day - aka the one and only Day of the Dead - is a superb film. The zombies are horrific to say the least, ghastly even, and how is Day not a serious film?! It's so dark and can be a bit depressing if you wanna look at it that way, it was made during the dark years of the 1980s in Americaland for cripes sake!

As for Dawn of the Dead, those zombies look like zombies to me, they aren't leaping out of windows or choosing to be VEGE-F*CKING-TARIANS!!!

Indeed, dissing other people's work to try and big up something you know is a sack of sh*t is just low, I mean really low. I can't wait to suffer sitting through this sack of crap so I can specifically take the piss out of specific moments, and to 100% justify my hatred of it. :elol:

[darth los]

Indeed, dissing other people's work to try and big up something you know is a sack of sh*t is just low, I mean really low. I can't wait to suffer sitting through this sack of crap so I can specifically take the piss out of specific moments, and to 100% justify my hatred of it. :elol:

When people talk about a project they're currently working on they're given a bunch of talking points, not unlike politicians. They stick with what they're supposed to say no matter how ridiculous they may sound, like "there's been remarkable progress in iraq." Them basically dissing gar's zombies sound just as ridiculous and is a telltale sign of the quality of their work that they have to bring someone else's product down instead of building up their own.

[MinionZombie]

When people talk about a project they're currently working on they're given a bunch of talking points, not unlike politicians. They stick with what they're supposed to say no matter how ridiculous they may sound, like "there's been remarkable progress in iraq." Them basically dissing gar's zombies sound just as ridiculous and is a telltale sign of the quality of their work that they have to bring someone else's product down instead of building up their own.
It's zombies in a mall ... how many other flicks are like that?

It's like Dead Rising, although they say it's in no way connected, you flat out know they watched Dawn of the Dead a hell of a lot while making that game. :D

[Philly_SWAT]

First off, I'm glad I was on the crapper when I read this because it really helped things move along. If what I saw in the trailer is true, then I don't find the logic in describing these zombies as more serious when they're flying out of windows and such. And as for the film's situation being more believable? I found the original's timeline and situation to be pretty plausible and well thought out, as it were. It sounds like he's describing the original as having a health club and roller rink underground. With all due respect for the work and effort, this man sounds like a tool. And this film looks and smells to be what I produced whilest reading this article.
Oh man, this is some good stuff!! :D :cool:

[Trancelikestate]

just in case anyone wants to read the whole ghastley thing here it is:
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/6285/daycrapak1.jpg
wow, sorry thats a lil large :p

[darth los]

You think that's big enough buddy? :p

[MontagMOI]

The more i read about this film the more i am convinced that it will be VERY VERY funny. But for all the wrong reasons.
And to Special Effects 'wiz' Dean Jones: I know who i think looks clownish and it aint Savini's zombies.
Still good luck with your SFX career. "this goes in a much more serious direction" PMSL. :D :D :D :D :D


"If possible sir, only.. if.. possible"

[MinionZombie]

Tell me about it, the funniest (yet most tragic for filmmaking) article I've ever read.

He's supposed to be an FX "wiz", yet he doesn't even know that 28 Days Later IS NOT A F*CKING ZOMBIE FILM - THEY ARE "INFECTED", I.E. THEY NEVER F*CKING DIE, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT GODDAMN ZOMBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad::rolleyes: Jesus Christ tap dancing across the moon! :eek:

They flat out know their film is sh*t, so they attack someone else's work which has (rightly so) achieved cult status, success and a place in cinematic history (and I see that GAR is #79 in the Total Film "top 100 directors of all time" list - NICE :))

[Trancelikestate]

for some reason i wanna see it real bad. it looks like contagium in those pix, but hey, for some reason i really wanted to see that to.

[MinionZombie]

for some reason i wanna see it real bad. it looks like contagium in those pix, but hey, for some reason i really wanted to see that to.
You're a glutton for self-torture, eh?

Yeah, figured as much. :p:D

[EvilNed]

28 Days Later falls within the zombiefilm category since it uses the typical genre clichés, plotpoints and iconographies of the genre. Only difference is the little technicality about the infected vs. zombies.

[darth los]

28 Days Later falls within the zombiefilm category since it uses the typical genre clichés, plotpoints and iconographies of the genre. Only difference is the little technicality about the infected vs. zombies.

i would hardly call the difference between living and dead a little technicality.

[EvilNed]

From a genre point-of-view, it is. The Thing and Alien are both sci-fi/horror films. They fall within that genre. Despite the fact that they're probably not from the same planet, and they function differently.

[MinionZombie]

Darth - hehe, exactly.

28DL is a plague movie, like The Omega Man. It's apocalyptic.

Not one of the infected people die, ergo - NOT zombies - ergo NOT a zombie film. The book cover might look like a zombie film, especially to the uneducated trogledites who's only exposure to zombies is the Thriller video and The Simpson's Halloween Special III. :rolleyes:

[EvilNed]

The film still falls within the zombiegenre by using it's iconography and plotpoints. So it is a zombiefilm, even if it does not feature zombies. This is of course up to the eye of the beholder, but what is NOT subjective is the fact that it actually does use the same iconography and plot points as a zombiefilm. And this is what defines a genre. If I hadn't returned my Steve Neale book to the library, I would have quoted him and shown you, but he speaks of the definition of genre and how we classify it. 28 Days Later is most certainly a zombiefilm than as well as an apocalyptic film. It's both. Just like Land of the Dead and Day of the Dead.

[darth los]

The film still falls within the zombiegenre by using it's iconography and plotpoints.

I think it's more because there's no other place to put it, so they just classify it as a zombie film. It's kind of like when they take job applications or a census. If your not white, black or hispanic they just lump you into the "other" catagory.

[EvilNed]

I think it's more because there's no other place to put it, so they just classify it as a zombie film. It's kind of like when they take job applications or a census. If your not white, black or hispanic they just lump you into the "other" catagory.

Well, there's no other place to put Day either. So you put it in the Zombiefilm category, despite the fact that its VERY different from many other zombiefilms. 28 Days Later is put in the zombiefilms category, because that's where it belongs (just like Day).

Now, these guys are probably not expers on genre-studies so they might very well have made a common mistake thinking the infected were zombies. But they're not wrong. The threat are not zombies, but since they are so close (and the film places itself in a apocalyptic world straight out of a zombiefilm), it still belongs to the zombiegenre.

If you were to recommend a few good zombiefilms to someone, you wouldn't exclude 28 Days Later just because of that technicality of "where the threat comes from". It's close enough to a zombiefilm for you to include it on that list, seeing as it is a kickass film.

[darth los]

Well, there's no other place to put Day either. So you put it in the Zombiefilm category, despite the fact that its VERY different from many other zombiefilms. 28 Days Later is put in the zombiefilms category, because that's where it belongs (just like Day).

Now, these guys are probably not expers on genre-studies so they might very well have made a common mistake thinking the infected were zombies. But they're not wrong. The threat are not zombies, but since they are so close (and the film places itself in a apocalyptic world straight out of a zombiefilm), it still belongs to the zombiegenre.

If you were to recommend a few good zombiefilms to someone, you wouldn't exclude 28 Days Later just because of that technicality of "where the threat comes from". It's close enough to a zombiefilm for you to include it on that list, seeing as it is a kickass film.


I wouldn't exclude 28 days later but i would explain to them that it's not technically a zombie film.

[MinionZombie]

If there's no zombies in it, then how on earth can it be a zombie film? That's like saying Starship Troopers is a musical ... it just doesn't have any song & dance numbers! :lol::rolleyes:

[EvilNed]

As I explained, MZ, 28 Days Later follows the iconography and plot-points of a zombiefilm. Which is what defines a genre! Starship Troopers does not follow the iconography or plot-points of a musical. Thus it's not.

[coma]

If there's no zombies in it, then how on earth can it be a zombie film? That's like saying Starship Troopers is a musical ... it just doesn't have any song & dance numbers! :lol::rolleyes:
Springtime for bugs and buggery
yoodledetoo!

[MinionZombie]

Springtime for bugs and buggery
yoodledetoo!
:lol: GLORIOUS.

A zombie film needs one key element to be a zombie film - freaking ZOMBIES.

How could you have a vampire film, or a werewolf film, or a Frankenstein film, without the central monster?

28DL is a plague movie, just like The Omega Man - so is The Omega Man a zombie film all of a sudden?

APOCALYPSE/PLAGUE movie.

*dusts hands ... I'm done*

[darth los]

28DL is a plague movie, just like The Omega Man - so is The Omega Man a zombie film all of a sudden?

APOCALYPSE/PLAGUE movie.

*dusts hands ... I'm done*


LADIES AND GENTS WE HAVE A WINNER !!!! :cool:


By that logic the creatures in the cave and the descent should be enough to constitute them vampire movies as well since the creatures avoid sunlight and feed on humans. For that matter let's call 28 days later a quasi-vampire film as well since the infected are nocturnal as well. I think the first question we shouls ask is, "are they dead." No dead, no zombie. Simple really.

[EvilNed]

A genre is not defined by the monsters that attack the protagonists, wether you like it or not. A genre is definded by it's iconography and it's plot-points. A western film has to take place in the west, right? But there's more to it than that, unfortunetly. Ravenous takes place in the West, but it's noway a western film. Also, both Dog Soldiers and The Howling are Werewolf films, despite being very different.

28 Days Later is also a apocalypse/plague film. As well as falling into the zombie-film genre category. It's not that hard to understand, really.

A zombiefilm in the way that you mention it is just a term, not really a genre, because there's more than one single element (the existance of zombies) that make up a zombiefilm. If that were the case, all films featuring aliens would be alienfilms. Yet you have action films featuring aliens, horror films featuring aliens, political thrillers featuring aliens etc. etc. An alienfilm would just be a term to combine them all together, but not a genre. (and don't mention sci-fi, since that is an extremely broad genre)The same way you are using the zombiefilm term. In a genre-theory, 28 Days Later is a zombiefilm.

The perfect example to prove this was the one I asked Darth. if you were going to recommend a few zombiefilms to someone, would you exclude 28 Days Later just because the threat in them are not technically (but extremely close) to zombies? No, you wouldn't.

[darth los]

28 Days Later is also a apocalypse/plague film.

if you were going to recommend a few zombiefilms to someone, would you exclude 28 Days Later just because the threat in them are not technically (but extremely close) to zombies? No, you wouldn't.


Although i don't agree with your overall arguement, those are valid points.

[EvilNed]

Although i don't agree with your overall arguement, those are valid points.

Very few, if any films, belong to just ONE genre. Day of the Dead is an apocalypse film. Just like 28 Days Later. They're also both zombie-genre films.