Comic-Con 2010 – The Walking Dead Descend!

FRANK DARABONT, GALE ANNE HURD, ROBERT KIRKMAN AND THE CAST OF AMC’S SERIES “THE WALKING DEAD” DESCEND ON COMIC CON 2010

“The Walking Dead” Exclusive Sneak Preview and Panel Event Takes Place Friday, July 23rd at 11:30am, Room 6BCF

Get “Zombified” in AMC’s “The Walking Dead” Booth 3721 Plus Limited Edition Giveaways

Autograph Session with Panelists

Highly Anticipated Series Premieres in October during AMC Fearfest

NEW YORK, NY–July 9, 2010 – The stars and producers of AMC’s highly-anticipated series “The Walking Dead,” based on the comic book written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, will descend on Comic Con 2010 for a panel event and exclusive sneak preview of the original drama. “The Walking Dead” panel, scheduled for Friday, July 23 at 11:30am in room 6BCF, will feature series stars Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually), Jon Bernthal (“The Pacific”), Sarah Wayne Callies (“Prison Break”), Laurie Holden (The Mist), and Emma Bell (“Law & Order”).

Joining the cast are writer, director, executive producer and three-time Academy Award nominee Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption,The Green Mile); executive producers Kirkman and Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, Aliens,Armageddon), make-up artist Greg Nicotero (George Romero’s Land of the Dead, The Mist); and Joel Stillerman, AMC’s SVP of original programming, production and digital content. “The Walking Dead” will premiere this October during AMC Fearfest, the network’s annual blockbuster marathon of thriller and horror films.

During the hour-long event, moderator Eric Moro of IGN.com will lead panelists in a discussion about their experience shooting the series in Atlanta, and the process of bringing Kirkman’s comic book to life on the small screen, among other topics,followed by an exclusive first look at “The Walking Dead,” and a Q&A session with attendees.

“The Walking Dead” panel will be complemented by a number of on-the-ground activities taking place throughout Comic Con: Attendees will have an opportunity to get “zombified” by visiting “The Walking Dead” booth and putting themselves into a zombie scene from the series via a touch screen and AMC will email the photo to them. AMC will distribute limited edition “The Walking Dead” series posters from internationally recognized movie poster artist, Drew Struzan (Star Wars,Indiana Jones, Harry Potter,Blade Runner,Hellboy and more). An autograph session will take place with Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Greg Nicotero and Gale Anne Hurd in the Image Comic Books booth. AMC will distribute limited edition “The Walking Dead” series buttons. AMC will have “The Walking Dead” walkers around the convention center and booth. “The Walking Dead” booth will be a semi-recreation of a scene from the pilot episode.

About “The Walking Dead”
The Walking Dead tells the story of the weeks and months that follow a pandemic zombie apocalypse. County Sheriff Rick Grimes travels with his family and a small group of survivors, constantly in search of a safe and secure home. But the constant pressure of fighting off death on a daily basis takes a heavy toll, sending many to the lowest depths of human cruelty. As Rick struggles to keep his family alive, he will discover that the overwhelming fear of the survivors can be far more dangerous than the mindless walkers roaming the earth.

AMC and Fox International Channels (FIC) recently announced an unprecedented partnership whereby FIC has picked up all International Television and Home Video rights to “The Walking Dead,” the network’s first wholly-owned original production series. The deal includes a first-run window on all FIC’s outlets in addition to full distribution rights for the life of the series, outside of the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to Darabont, Hurd and Kirkman, David Alpert from Circle of Confusion, and Charles “Chic” Eglee (Dexter,The Shield, Dark Angel) serve as executive producers. Jack LoGiudice (Sons of Anarchy,Resurrection Blvd) serves as co-executive producer.

Review – Survival of the Dead

George Romero has really made a name for himself in the horror genre especially with the walking dead. Romero didn’t invent the zombie movie but he definitely set a standard that would be the blueprint for many films, novels, comics and even rock music. First came Night of the Living Dead, then Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead and the next entry Survival of the Dead which opens Friday.

Survival Of The Dead picks up with Sarge Crockett (Alan Van Sprung), from the previous entry, leading a group of National Guardsman to Plum Island, Delaware, where they end up between two armed, feuding Irish families and fending off decomposing, flesh cannibals as well.

I enjoyed the series all the way up to Diary of the Dead. Survival is better but not by much. It lacks the excitement of the other original films. There are a few scenes that are worth checking out but the computer generated gore lacks in impact compared to the practical effects used in the previous efforts. Romero put some concepts into the script that had potential but are overshadowed by the Hatfields Vs. McCoys -esque plot line and ridiculous scenes like establishing a character by having her masturbate as if it were as common as smoking.

Jesse Eisenberg

I think I have to take exception with those who call Jesse Eisenberg a less funny version of Michael Cera. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Michael Cera. But while Cera is an adorable nerd I find Jesse Eisenberg more of an intellectual, socially awkward nerd. Yeah, I realize there isn’t much difference between the two. We’re pretty much comparing apples to apples. Let’s instead talk about how cool Jesse Eisenberg is and why he’s One2Watch4. We will include audio-visual aids so strap those pocket protectors down, we’re going in!

Growing up in Queens and New Jersey young Eisenberg joined the famed acting troupe The Broadway Kids, and I quote, “to avoid going to school.” What he found instead was his entrance into some off-Broadway plays, which he still does. Things began to open up for Jesse: a short-lived TV series and a role while finishing his senior year, in an indie called Roger Dodger (2002) with Campbell Scott. Once he got that one and got noticed that lead to…well another indie, The Squid and The Whale (2005). After turning in such a terrific performance in such a critically acclaimed film the huge offers just came pouring in. One such offer was for Superbad director Greg Mottola’s Adventureland with Kristen Stewart (which grossed $17 million worldwide compared to Superbad’s $170 million). Are you sensing a trend here? Eisenberg is pretty select about what he does.

But I hear you nay-sayers: “So what’s up with Zombieland?” Is it possible that a blockbuster movie about a world full of Zombies can have well developed characters as well as action and humor? Well according to Jesse it can. That, he says was a big appeal to the project. Yeah, I’m not sure I believe it either. I think he was excited about blowing away the undead. You can only play the nerd so many times before you want to kick some ass. But if Zombies don’t have you rolling the in aisles there’s Holy Rollers, with Justin Bartha (Riley in the National Treasure series), about young Orthodox Jews who begin to sell ecstasy that should bring a smile to your face. Jesse’s younger sister, former child actress Hallie Kate Eisenberg has a part in Holly Rollers as well. No release date for that yet. Two additional future projects of note: The Social Network has Jesse playing one of the founding members of Facebook along side Justin Timberlake and Kill Your Darlings with Chris Evans and Ben Whishaw as the trio of Beat poets Allen Ginsburg (Eisenberg), Jack Kerouac (Evans) and Lucien Carr (Whishaw). Now you can’t tell me that won’t be interesting.

Reading through some interviews with the Jesse I was impressed at how on top of things this young actor is. It should be said at this juncture that Jesse is currently wrapping up a liberal arts degree at The New School in New York, in between all these acting jobs he keeps getting. Ah the value of an education. His ultimate career goal: he’s like to be a playwright. Now getting back to the Michael Cera comparisons, clearly there’s room in Hollywood for more than one stammering, a-dorkable geek. Otherwise Jon Heder would never act again. So while Michael is off making bigger films like Year One, we’ll leave it to Jesse to represent in smaller independent films. It’s a decidedly unglamorous job but someone’s got to “nut up or shut up.”

Zombieland opens Friday October 2nd.
Adventureland now available on DVD.

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Zombieland

A cowardly shut-in named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to join up with a seasoned zombie slayer named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. As Tallahassee sets out on a mission to find the last Twinkie on Earth, the duo meets up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), two young girls who have resorted to some rather unorthodox methods to survive amidst the chaos. Reluctant partners in the battle against the undead, all four soon begin to wonder if it might be better to simply take their chances alone. – Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Opens October 2nd

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