29 replies to this topic

[TWoP Tennison]

I think this is just a redone version of the pilot, in black and white, but I'll start a separate thread for it.

[SDcat2009]

Okay that was pretty cool. It makes me long for Lennie James all over again. The black and white served the scenes in the hospital and Rick escaping the most IMO.

It still holds up nicely.

[Doom]

I agree. I liked the beginning. In the original, you see lots of green and recognize it is summer, so you wonder where everyone is, and what is happening. But with everything black and white, the beginning is different. The trees are gray. It could be a cool fall evening instead of a clear summer day. There is already a sense of the landscape being burnt out. It looks more like a bomb blast than a wreck and fire. In the original, it seemed like he was in a pocket where something happened to kill or drive away all the people. With the b&w to me it felt more like the entire world was gone and he may be the lone living person.

[jgilkey513]

The pilot was and still is the best episode imo. I always imagine the AMC exec's watching this like they just found a goldmine. I'm not complaining about the rest of the series but man is there alot of tension in this ep.

[that one guy]

Now I'm considering setting my TV to black and white when the series comes back. Definitely ups the tension and creepiness factor.

I hope we get to see Morgan and Duane again, they were interesting characters. But I also love how there's no way to get in touch with him. One thing that's interesting about this show is it's the end of the information age. No mail, no cell phones, no internet. Are their other survivors around? Probably. Anyone you know? Probably. Do you have any way to figure out where they are, or what's going on in the rest of the world? Nope. In fact, anytime someone is out of earshot and line of site, you may never see them again and never know what happened.

Most of human history was like this but it's entirely alien to our modern existance. The power being out is not the biggest problem here - there's no mail. Here at the beginning, when Rick knows nothing at all, the information void is pretty terrifying.

[calamity469]

Man, did I love this! I never saw Walking Dead when it first came on. Someone has to stay upstairs with the youngest to watch something else, and since zombies are Hubby's thing, I volunteered.

The whole ambiance of the program seemed heightened while watching it in black and white. Didn't help the spooky factor when, halfway through the episode, a dove slammed into our sliding glass door, causing me to scream!

I'm a convert. I will start DVR-ing the episodes so that I can watch when it returns in October. Just have to make sure that Mini-Calamity is in bed before I do!

[workingmom]

Most of human history was like this but it's entirely alien to our modern existance. The power being out is not the biggest problem here - there's no mail. Here at the beginning, when Rick knows nothing at all, the information void is pretty terrifying.

All it takes is a freak storm to give a taste of what it would be like (speaking from the mid-Atlantic after last week's massive power outages). At least we still had a battery powered radio to keep track of when the power company wasn't coming.

The B/W accentuates how great the camera work is on this show. The pans such as when Shane was kneeling over Rick at the scene of his gunshot - even better in black & white. The absence of the dark red blood that is everywhere was also a good contrast and let you focus on the story instead of the gore.

[Kolaka]

I really liked it - it had the feel of a Twilight Zone episode. It seemed like Rick's aloneness was even more emphasized in B&W. A lot of things stood out - Lennie James' facial expressions as he tries to shoot his wife, Rick's panic when he first gets to his house then his compassionate expression when he goes back for the bicyclist, even the poor horse getting ripped apart - all were more stark then in color. I did watch the pilot in color on Saturday so the differences are fresh to me.

Great idea and wouldn't mind seeing it done again - I think the S2 finale - second best episode IMO, after the pilot - would look great in B&W also.

[ChipBach]

Rick's panic when he first gets to his house then his compassionate expression when he goes back for the bicyclist,

Just a small nit but, he went back for the

Spoiler

mom that was killed in the webisode,

right?

[TV Anonymous]

In my opinion, I do not like it. I do not like films in black and white and I do not like black and white photographs. There are plenty of good B&W movies, I like them because of what they are, not because they are black and white.

Human eyes can distinguish 16.7 million colors, so they say, then why should we reduce what we watch in mere shades of gray? For me the special episode then feels too gimmicky and does not offer anything beyond the original.

[Doom]

How do you feel about the Twilight Zone? (which is in black & white, like the WD pilot)

Is it that the Walking Dead pilot was first in color? And so it feels silly for it to be in black & white? Would it be okay if it had come out in the 60's or at a time when black and white was all there was?

I understand you like the content for the content, and I understand it feels gimmicky because it isn't a limitation any longer. Just curious if you can further elaborate.

[dc_liz]

Just a small nit, but he went back for

Spoiler

the mom that was killed in the webisode

right?

yes.

I liked the b&w. It somehow made Lori look better. I think it was most effective in the top half of the show, up to where Rick at the farmhouse. The emotion in the faces of Morgan, Duane and Rick is highlighted well in B&W.

Edited by dc_liz, Jul 11, 2012 @ 10:29 AM.

[TV Anonymous]

Doom,

Like I wrote, there are great films made in black and white. The Longest Day, All Quiet on the Western Front, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Mutiny on the Bounty, to name a few. They are in black in white since it was the technology at the time. Would I be happier if they were in high-definition color? Certainly. Am I happy to see the colorized version of them? No. Do I like Schindler's List for being in black and white? Not at all. I do however tolerate The Artist since the setup is a silent movie.

Does that answer your question?

[Doom]

Thanks for elaborating! It would have been nice to me if they would have shot it with a black and white camera, instead of (I imagine) going back and just flipping a switch to b&w.

The b&w Twilight Zone episodes are fantastic, and I do think that adds to the charm, mystery and overall viewing experience. In a world where everything is available, and like that one guy alludes to - we have every conceivable way of communicating with one another, I liked what this b&w version made me ponder. Stripping out the color did that. The show already wants us to believe everyone is pretty much dead and gone. In the classic title shot when Rick is riding the horse up the empty side of the highway and nothing is moving but him, the lack of color even improves that iconic view. In color you can kind of tell the left side is fabricated, and mostly you just wonder how they put the fx together to get the shot. You know there are people in the buildings and lots of people just off screen. But with the added black and white, not only do you feel that we're supposed to believe society was stripped away, but it is almost a time warp back to the 60's, 50's or before. It gives you another layer of loss, helps you ponder the absence of even the ability to show you the cataclysm in color. If I could have the chupacabra episode in b&w, I would love that.

[SDcat2009]

I agree DOOM. I think the b&w allowed so much more of the devastation to come through. It seemed more despairing and lonely for Rick. I didn't find it gimmicky. I thought it was a fascinating idea. For some reason, I focused much more on the acting than all the pretty colors etc etc.

I'd love to see TS-19 in b&w. That was one of my favorite episodes as well as the pilot.

[dc_liz]

I think that while the B&W let the gravity of the destruction shine through, the color, with all the vibrant greens of the non-kudzu plants and trees and the sounds of bird, highlights the isolation better. The disconnect between the greenery of earth, vs. the almost post-war appearance of Altanta and the hospital is more jarring in color.

That said, I agree that it would have looked better had it actually been shot in B&W, instead of manipulated later. But that may also be because I've seen the pilot so many times now, that I'm just looking for more detail to see if I missed anything. The only new thing I picked up this time was the moans and clanking of the chains coming from the hospital cafeteria as Rick approached.

And then, my question/concern was raised again, if Morgan had deliberately been shooting out the window to pick off random zombies (and his wife) and, as a result, attracted a fairly sizeable crowd of them to the house, did Morgan and Duane actually ever get out of the house? One of the zombie fiction mainstays is that zombies are persistent, because it isn't like they have anything better to do. Wouldn't they have kept trying to get at Morgan, since they knew he was in there? Daryl alluded to this issue at the farmhouse, when he noted that hiding in the house was pointless, because the zombies would tear it up to get to them. (Then again, apparently wife zombie got bored waiting to be shot and just wandered away, despite the noise/live meat issue, so maybe the other zombies would too.)

Not that the pixies at TWD care about continuity, but it is something that I've wondered about for a while.

[ChipBach]

TV Anonymous

Like I wrote, there are great films made in black and white. The Longest Day, All Quiet on the Western Front, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Mutiny on the Bounty, to name a few. They are in black in white since it was the technology at the time.

The Longest Day was released in 1962 and could have easily been made in color, B&W was used for effect. Just like Chaplin releasing "City Lights" as a silent movie. Artist choices, not driven solely by the technology of the time. Of course there is also "Young Frankenstein" & "Dead Men Wear Plaid" where B&W were applied for effect with brilliance. I think applying a B&W treatment to this show was effective.

BTW - "Gone with the Wind" is color.

Edited by ChipBach, Jul 12, 2012 @ 11:33 AM.

[TV Anonymous]

ChipBach,

You have your opinion, I have my opinion. Let us just leave it at that and agree to disagree as this is a matter of taste and preference.

[ChipBach]

I am not sure I was challenging your opinion, just pointing out that "The Longest Day" was filmed well after color movies were invented. As for "Gone with the Wind", I think I can provide proof that it is a color film. ;-)

Either way, no offense intended.

[Doom]

Another thing that finally dawned on me is that it turned the iconic scene and much of the episode into an old Western. And kind of a sci fi futuristic western when he rides into the city with cars and buses. That could be a time travel episode of the Twilight Zone.

Especially since Rick's gun is a Colt or whatever, having that olden style.

[Bentley]

Rewatching the pilot made me remember why I fell in love with this show. However, in my mind, Rick's solo horse ride down the deserted road into Atlanta should always be accompanied by the Walkers Brothers singing "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore." Such an iconic image. I also don't think the show's theme song or the person who wrote it, gets enough credit. It has so much tension and drama, it's always played after an unsettling opening scene (little zombie girl in jammies!) and it just pumps you up to watch a great episode.

So many great scenes from the pilot, but I'll just say that after all the drama of watching Rick pursued by zombie hordes and the horror of the horse going down, I loved loved the humorous way they ended it: "Hey dumbass. Yeah, you in the tank..."

Can't wait for October.

[Doom]

Speaking of little zombie girl in b&w. Watching parts of the b&w pilot again I was struck by how beautiful Jenny (Morgan's wife) is. Odd, but watching the pilot something like 30 times, I never got why Morgan couldn't put Jenny down. But somehow the b&w images of her looking so pristine, I got it. She was totally not herself as he had the sights on her, but looking through those pictures, she was just flawless. I get why he couldn't do it.

Not that the pixies at TWD care about continuity, but it is something that I've wondered about for a while.

Oh my goodness dc_liz that is so great. And so true.

ETA:

did Morgan and Duane actually ever get out of the house?

I meant to respond to this. Yep. Morgan says that even after he shot the gun, that the zombies would likely wander off by morning. Which of course destroys Hershel's "I'll die here" bravado, since all they really had to do was close the doors and cover the windows, but again - the pixies aren't really up for consistency. Our merry band of morons has weapons and ammo out the yang and their group has been decimated. Morgan and Duane are probably chilling out in some house, playing Parcheesi.

Edited by Doom, Jul 13, 2012 @ 12:32 AM.

[JOnanGoopta]

I think it was goofy to spend an hour doing a special version of the pilot in black and white when I could just as easily do that by turning off color on my TV. I am very fond of black and white in photography and in film, but there was no particular need for this.

[ace27]

Honestly, I don't know how I feel about b/w pilot. B/W film and color films are lit completely different, which is why films that are colorized never look quite right, imo. Digitally changing the show to b/w won't change that.

If it was shot in black and white- it would have more of an effect and look its best. Since it wasn't, I think I prefer the color version and feel b/w was kind of a cheap ploy. Just saying. Oh, I guess I do know how I feel. lol

Edited by ace27, Jul 13, 2012 @ 10:34 PM.

[Kolaka]

Just a small nit but, he went back for the mom that was killed in the webisode, right?

I didn't watch those, so I don't know - to me, she is "the bicyclist".

Re: dc_liz's point about Morgan shooting at the zombies and why they weren't swarming - could be the group wasn't large and agitated enough or they cut us out of the viewing before the group got to that point. He was one man shooting rather than several shooting continuously. That's all I've got.

As for Morgan's fate, though I think Lennie James is great (and would like to see him on the show again) and I really felt for Duane, I'm OK with not knowing what happened to them. In the post-apocalypse world it's not going to be common to find out the fate of people you know and care about, never mind people you just happen to run across.

Which of course destroys Hershel's "I'll die here" bravado

Herschel ended up outside and that group was much more agitated and in full attack mode, plus they had sight of the people, which would have kept them agitated. I think he would have died there if Rick hadn't grabbed him. In Morgan's situation, they heard the noise but I don't think they actually saw him in the house. Like the car alarm, it could get them excited initially, but with the absence of food, they drift away.

It sort of makes sense that some zombies would be more aggressive and others more of the "sit around and wait" type. The brain is (sort of) re-firing so those traits necessary for survival are still there but not exactly the same in each one. Then again they don't attack each other, which if my theory were sound they should (strong picking off the weak competition) so maybe not, lol.

Edited by Kolaka, Jul 14, 2012 @ 10:08 AM.

[lawless]

I haven't been to this thread in weeks (months?) so I did not know that they re-broadcast the pilot in black and white, and am sorry I missed it! Generally, if you can do color, I prefer color, but I like that they let fans have the option to see the pilot in black and white, I am imagine it upped the creepiness in some ways, and allows you to see what happens in a slightly different way. However, in response to the comment above about the absence of color obscuring the seasons a little, cool, but on the other hand the oppressive heat of summer in the deep South also heightens their desperation and vulnerability, so I like having a strong sense of the season.

Just had to chime in that when Morgan said that the zombies would lose interest and wander off, it was also much earlier in the outbreak than where we last saw our gang. Maybe there was also a lot more fresh meat for the zombies at that time, so in Morgan's experience up to that point in time, the zombies might lose interest and wander off, but not so much into the Zombie Apocalypse as humans got harder to find and kill? Just trying to make sense of it all. Also, as others have said, the zombie herd at Herschel's was much larger and more agitated by all the people running around.

[that one guy]

Also, as others have said, the zombie herd at Herschel's was much larger and more agitated by all the people running around.

It didn't occur to me when the episode first aired, but now I think they could easily have waited out the zombies in the basement had they fled there and locked up the house at the first sign of the herd. The problem came in with people (whose names rhyme with gory) running around the yard yelling "Carl! Carl!) I think it was the noise and commotion that got the walkers all agitated, and then when Herschel started blasting away at everything, it was definitely slo-mo stampede time. Lighting up the barn was actually a great move. Had everyone else been quiet, the bright shiny probably would have distracted the zombies enough that they wouldn't even have realized there was a house. Assuming the house didn't catch fire, obviously.

And lighting the barn on fire with no way out was also kinda stupid.

[dc_liz]

See, I don't buy that they didn't see Morgan. He whistled to get one zombie's attention, and then shot him. When they did the long pan down the street to the house, you could clearly see him in the window (albeit behind a chair) and he was moving. Moreover, he was yelling to Duane, so they could "hear" him as well. Different from the car alarm to me, because it was a car alarm, as opposed to a possible meal sighting.


I do want to see Lennie James again, in human form, and Duane as well, so I hope that I am just nit picking the episode, but later episodes of the show, including the start to the finale, which showed how the hoard that took down the farm formed back in Atlanta, do show a tenacity and a persistence to behavior that doesn't bode well for Morgan and Duane, when we last saw them.

[lawless]

Er, maybe the zombies all went to the front side of the house and Morgan and Duane escaped out the back? Maybe? Otherwise, you're right, it pretty inconsistent and does not bode well for them. Nor is it a great example of Morgan's intelligence, which I was otherwise impressed with. I will chalk it up to limited experience with zombie "sieges" up to that point, and being distraught about his wife. I hope they made it. At least one nice, normal kid should survive, if nothing else.

[JOnanGoopta]

Of course, if he is still alive, he may no longer be a nice, normal kid. I think nice, normal kids would be walker-bait.