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The New DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS

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Brian Christgau

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Jan 9, 2010, 3:42:55 AM1/9/10
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Wow. What to say, other than I found it pretty disappointing. It tries
to be equal parts a remake of the SURVIVORS remake and 28 DAYS LATER, both
of which were heavily influenced by John Wynham's original TRIFFIDS novel (a
brillaint read, by the way, if you haven't had the pleasure), but end up
falling short of both.

It's certainly quite watchable, mind you, and the Triffis are really
quite effectively creepy when they got some serious screen time, but there
are just way too many stupid bits. I have a relatively high tolerance for
stupid, mind you, as long as a work compensates with other virtues, but when
the villain (well played by Eddie Izzard) keeps stalling on shooting the
good guys so he can gloat a *second* time, it really gets pretty hard to
forgive.

My suggestion? Skip it and watch the 80's mini-series. Or better yet,
pick up Wyndham's novel (if you can find it). Either will give you a much
better time.

Cheers,

B


Dr Walpurgis

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Jan 9, 2010, 7:02:04 AM1/9/10
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On 2010-01-09 08:42:55 +0000, Brian Christgau said:

> My suggestion? Skip it and watch the 80's mini-series.

I rewatched the eighties series again quite recently and thought it
stood up rather well. The last couple of episodes were clearly a huge
influence on Romero and DAY OF THE DEAD.

I've got a bootleg DVD round here somewhere of the follow-up series,
THE MAD DEATH, which is about a rabies epidemic in Britain. I haven't
watched that since it aired. I must dust it off and take a look.

--
"Yes, yes, I know, monotonous" - Avoid normal situations, 27/7/09

Simon (Dark Angel)

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Jan 9, 2010, 7:43:21 AM1/9/10
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"Brian Christgau" <bria...@optonline.net> wrote in message...

> My suggestion? Skip it and watch the 80's mini-series. Or better yet,
> pick up Wyndham's novel (if you can find it). Either will give you a much
> better time.

Whilst I enjoyed the 80s mini-series at the time, there were several things that I felt let it down and seem even worse viewed now.

These are some of the things I posted about on here in the past...

The acting, particularly that of John Duttine, who played Bill Masen, was more wooden than a petrified forest. It was like the cast only bothered looking at there lines right before the scene in question,as they appeared to be narrating their lines, not emoting.

There were also several plot points that just didn't seem quite right to me.

When they were being shot at by those bikers, he helpfully told the blind folk to keep running to the end of the road and follow the fence, then legged it in a differant direction. Then when the triffids attacked whilst they were looting the store, he thoughtfully helped them into the backyard out of the way, then took off in the nearest car and left them to it.

If he was going to abandon them, it seemed a bit odd initially helping them only to then leave them. Plus after both occaisions, when he got back to the house they were staying
at, no one said "what happened to the others?" when he tuned up on his own, nor was any explanation given.

Plus when the Jack Coker (Maurice Colbourne) character catches up with them near the end, Jo (Emma Ralph) says how nice it is to see him again. Eh? Last time she saw him he'd taken her prisoner and handcuffed her to a gang of blind men. Any normal person would have slugged him in the jaw first.

Plus, I know people smoked a lot back then, but when faced with the apocalypse would breaking into a pub to raid the cigarette machine be the first thing on persons list? Given the situation, I would have thought there would have been more pressing matters than having a smoke. Indeed, right up to the final episode he could be seen rolling cigraettes from tobacco he'd looted from various shops. Just seemed a bit odd, that no matter what else went wrong he had to have a supply of tobacco.

As a side issue, how come no one mentions the Howard Keel film? I quite liked it!


--
Best Wishes
Simon (aka Dark Angel)
Dark Angel's Realm of Horror - http://www.realmofhorror.co.uk

deadrodentyping

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Jan 9, 2010, 9:23:00 AM1/9/10
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On Jan 9, 4:43 am, "Simon \(Dark Angel\)" <contact me through my
website> wrote:
> "Brian Christgau" <briana...@optonline.net> wrote in message...
When the Apocalypse comes, I know I will have to fucking *kill* other
human beings for coffee. And I will rationalize it somehow.

> As a side issue, how come no one mentions the Howard Keel film? I quite liked it!
>

Well, *you* would.

deadrodentyping

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Jan 9, 2010, 9:31:52 AM1/9/10
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On Jan 9, 12:42 am, "Brian Christgau" <briana...@optonline.net> wrote:
>     Wow. What to say, other than I found it pretty disappointing. It tries
> to be equal parts a remake of the SURVIVORS remake and 28 DAYS LATER, both
> of which were heavily influenced by John Wynham's original TRIFFIDS novel (a
> brillaint read, by the way, if you haven't had the pleasure), but end up
> falling short of both.
>
Filled with lots of wonderful creepy moments....though I wonder if
Romero actually saw it as Walpurgis suggests below. I mean, the BBC?
In the 80's? You really have to have had to go out of your way to have
seen it the U.S. Unless they had it on VHS.

>     It's certainly quite watchable, mind you, and the Triffis are really
> quite effectively creepy when they got some serious screen time, but there
> are just way too many stupid bits. I have a relatively high tolerance for
> stupid, mind you, as long as a work compensates with other virtues, but when
> the villain (well played by Eddie Izzard) keeps stalling on shooting the
> good guys so he can gloat a *second* time, it really gets pretty hard to
> forgive.
>

'And now I will kill you in an unnecessarily complicated way which
will allow me to give the audience some much needed exposition, as
well as giving me a chance to give Alan Rickman a run for his money
and make everyone forget that James Mason ever existed as we exchange
witty banter about how I am going to cause the End Of Civilization As
We Know It.'

deadrodentyping

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Jan 9, 2010, 9:33:03 AM1/9/10
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On Jan 9, 4:02 am, Dr Walpurgis <burke.denni...@cunting.hun> wrote:
> On 2010-01-09 08:42:55 +0000, Brian Christgau said:
>
> > My suggestion? Skip it and watch the 80's mini-series.
>
> I rewatched the eighties series again quite recently and thought it
> stood up rather well. The last couple of episodes were clearly a huge
> influence on Romero and DAY OF THE DEAD.
>
Possible, but it's very possible that he never saw it. I'm guessing.

Andrew

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Jan 9, 2010, 10:04:20 AM1/9/10
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Brian Christgau wrote:

> My suggestion? Skip it and watch the 80's mini-series. Or better yet,
> pick up Wyndham's novel (if you can find it). Either will give you a much
> better time.

The novel appears to be readily available, Amazon is selling it new for
about $10. Was it out of print for a long time?

Andrew

deadrodentyping

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Jan 9, 2010, 11:12:50 AM1/9/10
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The author of "The Brief and Wondrous Life of Osca Wao" was on Colbert
Report a while back. He's from the Dominican Republic and compared
sugar cane fields to that..."There like triffids, man!" Colbert was
amused at this incredibly geeky pop culture reference.

Brian Christgau

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Jan 9, 2010, 6:30:27 PM1/9/10
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"Andrew" <manowa...@NOSPAMnetscape.net> wrote in message
news:_rGdnRPKmcp_B9XW...@giganews.com...

Yes, just like that other Apocalyptic Horror masterpiece I AM LEGEND. I
was thrilled when I found a copy at the local used book shop.It's not quite
as engrossing as the Matheson novel, but still a damn fine read.

Cheers,

B


Dr Walpurgis

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Jan 9, 2010, 7:38:16 PM1/9/10
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On 2010-01-09 23:30:27 +0000, Brian Christgau said:

>>> My suggestion? Skip it and watch the 80's mini-series. Or better yet,
>>> >> pick up Wyndham's novel (if you can find it). Either will give you a
>>> much >> better time.
>>
>> The novel appears to be readily available, Amazon is selling it new for
>> > about $10. Was it out of print for a long time?
>
> Yes, just like that other Apocalyptic Horror masterpiece I AM LEGEND. I
> was thrilled when I found a copy at the local used book shop.It's not
> quite as engrossing as the Matheson novel, but still a damn fine read.

The one I always recommend to fans of 'Day of the Triffids' is 'A
Wrinkle In The Skin' by John Christopher. I discovered it by chance
when I was hospitalized in Spain as a child, and it was the only
English language book they had. It's a rollicking good post-apocalyptic
story. Much better than his more widely known novel 'The Death of
Grass'.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wrinkle-Skin-John-Christopher/dp/1587152355

Brian Christgau

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Jan 9, 2010, 9:43:02 PM1/9/10
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"Dr Walpurgis" <burke.d...@cunting.hun> wrote in message
news:hi9r7s$g9o$1...@drwalpurgis.motzarella.org...

> On 2010-01-09 08:42:55 +0000, Brian Christgau said:
>
>> My suggestion? Skip it and watch the 80's mini-series.
>
> I rewatched the eighties series again quite recently and thought it stood
> up rather well. The last couple of episodes were clearly a huge influence
> on Romero and DAY OF THE DEAD.

I definitely think so as well, although I think he was more likely
influenced by Wyndham's novel than the mini-series. I think the one thing he
really took from TRIFFIDS is the notion that the zombies sort of fade into
the background and, ultimately, it's other humans that are the biggest
danger.

Cheers,

B


Kishin

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Jan 10, 2010, 12:50:23 PM1/10/10
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"deadrodentyping" <deadrod...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:99c14947-d857-4093-915e-

> Filled with lots of wonderful creepy moments....though I wonder if
> Romero actually saw it as Walpurgis suggests below. I mean, the BBC?
> In the 80's? You really have to have had to go out of your way to have
> seen it the U.S. Unless they had it on VHS.

It was played on the A&E Network in the US, and I watched it. I don't
remember the date, but it wasn't too long after it aired in the UK, as I
recall. And if *I* saw it, Romero easily could have. Of course, I was a big
fan of the novel, so I sought it out.

--

Kishin

Jared

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Jan 10, 2010, 6:07:15 PM1/10/10
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On Jan 10, 10:30 am, "Brian Christgau" <briana...@optonline.net>
wrote:

>     Yes, just like that other Apocalyptic Horror masterpiece I AM LEGEND. I


> was thrilled when I found a copy at the local used book shop.It's not quite
> as engrossing as the Matheson novel, but still a damn fine read.

All the Wyndham books are worth a read I reckon. What about THE
KRAKEN WAKES? A novel about melting ice-caps written in the 50s, The
man was a visionary.

whessoe

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Jan 11, 2010, 6:01:06 PM1/11/10
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"Simon (Dark Angel)" <contact me through my website> wrote

As a side issue, how come no one mentions the Howard Keel film? I quite
liked it!

I liked it too from what I remember and for a long time it was hard to
find/see over here in the US but I have no idea why. My mind still confuses
this film with THE NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTERS though.

I will also echo what just about everyone else has said in that Wyndham's
novel is well worth the time.


deadrodentyping

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Jan 11, 2010, 9:59:29 PM1/11/10
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BEHOLD! I CAN READ BOOKS ON MY COMPUTER!
I knew these things could play movies--but look at this! What marvels
await future denizens of this Earth! What miracles! Movable type? The
printing press! EXCALIBUR!

deadrodentyping

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Jan 11, 2010, 10:23:59 PM1/11/10
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On Jan 10, 11:07 pm, Jared <bi...@hotmail.com> wrote:

I noticed this is also available in a (surprise) BBC radio drama
version. British actors have (or had) voices as terrific as BBC News
is annoying. Probably the only way to be sure anyone in ear shot is
listening, I reckon. Will obtain and bitch about it as soon as
possible.

Jared

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Jan 12, 2010, 5:56:32 PM1/12/10
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On Jan 12, 2:23 pm, deadrodentyping <deadrodentyp...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I noticed this is also available in a (surprise) BBC radio drama
> version.  British actors have (or had) voices as terrific as BBC News
> is annoying.  Probably the only way to be sure anyone in ear shot is
> listening, I reckon.  Will obtain and bitch about it as soon as
> possible.

How come pommies are so popular in the States at the moment? You
can't turn on CNN without some cockney wanker interviewing poor Seppos
EXTREMELY LOUDLY.

deadrodentyping

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Jan 12, 2010, 8:14:07 PM1/12/10
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Cockneys are the new Mexicans. I never watch CNN, but PBS's
programming used to consist mostly of BBC cast-off. Oh, there's John
Oliver on the Daily Show. Looks like an inbred eastender.

Avoid normal situations.

unread,
Jan 13, 2010, 12:34:40 PM1/13/10
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Jared <bi...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> On Jan 12, 2:23??pm, deadrodentyping <deadrodentyp...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > I noticed this is also available in a (surprise) BBC radio drama

> > version. ??British actors have (or had) voices as terrific as BBC News
> > is annoying. ??Probably the only way to be sure anyone in ear shot is
> > listening, I reckon. ??Will obtain and bitch about it as soon as
> > possible.

> How come pommies are so popular in the States at the moment? You
> can't turn on CNN without some cockney wanker interviewing poor Seppos
> EXTREMELY LOUDLY.

Perhaps you should get a clue and comprehend, finally, that "television
news" is an oxymoron... or better yet, stop watching tv altogether.

Could be dangerous, though. If too many of your neurons grow back after
giving up the tube, you won't fit in with your friends anymore, and *then*
where would you be?

--
alt.flame Special Forces
"An Immortal said: 'In playing chess, there is no infallible way of winning,
but there is an infallible way of not losing.' He was asked what this
infallible way could be, and replied: 'It is not to play chess'." -- Feng Yula

bod

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Jan 13, 2010, 5:38:46 PM1/13/10
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"deadrodentyping" <deadrod...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:3db80af6-9d1f-4bef...@e27g2000yqd.googlegroups.com...

i hope you dont associate all us brits with those SPOON PLAYING JELLIED EEL
EATING SOUTHERN CUNTS.


--
regards from BOD!


"dont worry yoko, its only a friggin water pist...."
JOHN LENNON 1980


http://www.myspace.com/bodland
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=bodland


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