The Walking Dead season 5

AMC is having two programs tonight featuring cast interviews, behind the scenes looks, etc. Tpmorrow is a look at how the Walkers are 'created'. Last night they had another "Talking Dead summer show" with Scott Gimple one of the exec. prod. and Chris was in NC doing interviews with some cast and even the costume manager. Scott said that they now have several hundred fans camped out watching the shoots and they have to be careful to avoid having someone wandering in the background.

The Walkers 'creation ' program isn't until next Tuesday but last night's program on the general production techniques was really interesting.

I  didn't know that there are two types of special effects, with their own directors and crews. One is "special effects" which deals with explosions, car wrecks, and general mayhem involving set structures, tanks , etc.  The other one is "visual effects" which deals with the actual actors and their interactions with props, action sequences, etc.

They interviewed the wardrobe creator and manager, an interesting lady named Eulady Womble with an accent I couldn't place. She showed how she creates the shredded , ripped Walker clothes, with blood, sweat, vomit stains. She has racks and racks of clothes with each section labeled with the actors name.

Most of the Walkers are real people in makeup of course but sometimes they have to create a "dead" Walker that is torn apart or meets some sort of gruesome end. These are "built" in a facility in Chatsworth, CA and sent to GA. The chief "creator" said that the most challenging job was creating the "well Walker". That was the big, white, flabby Walker that grabbed Glenn when he was lowered into the well. As they pulled Glenn out with the Walker clinging to his legs, it had to be pulled in half as it came over the lip of the well. He said that getting it to look suitably big and flabby, and come apart with plenty of blood and gore was a chore but he's proud of how it looked on camera.

Also, the weapons are interesting. Daryl's crossbow is real but it  has a rubber band for a string to avoid accidents. He can load a bolt and cock it but of course the rubber band wouldn't fire it. He pulls the trigger but the actual bolt is all "digital" which is what they call CGI.

Michonne has several swords, some are aluminum, with dull edges, some are rubber, some plastic. Those are  used when she just has to "slap" someone or something, not kill it. When  she does the decapitation scenes she uses either a 1-2 ft sword with green squares along the blades which helps with the CGI someway, they didn't explain it. For "close up" decapitations she uses just a handle, no blade at all, and the blade is added with CGI.

She has to rehearse very precisely to get the angles just right because she can't see where the blade would be in reality.

The location mgr. and set mgr. work together to come up with real locations and structures. The prison was just an empty warehouse on a ridge. They added the chain link fence, the guard towers, gate, etc. One time a guy from the GA Dept. of Corrections came by and said that people have told him there was a prison out here, but they didn't have it on their records. Everyone got a laugh.....

One of the producers said that she can usually watch every scene no matter how gruesome but the one where the Walker's teeth was bashed out on the rock was too much for her and she couldn't watch even though the Walker's head was a prop and the 'rock' was styrofoam.

There are over 150 people on the crew in GA, plus the guys in CA and all of them are really dedicated to do the best job they can for the fans, and the actors say it's the best job they've ever had and they all hope they won't get killed off. There are only 5 major cast characters left from the first season.

Scott Wilson said he's been an actor for 50 years and of course was always known by his real name. But now he says he has become "Hershel" in everyone's mind.  

Some of the producers said that they often wonder how they are ever going to come up with the sets and scenes required by the scripts, but the crews always come through.

The scene where Hershel's barn was burned down was tricky because they had only one chance. It was 19 degrees that night but it went off okay and the crew sat around and watched it burn, took half an hour, and were thankful for the heat.

Next week should be interesting, how they cast the Walkers, the makeup the "acting".

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One thing you get from all these prod.exec. interviews and also the cast, is how much they appreciate the fans, who themselves are as dedicated as any Roswell fan was, but in much larger numbers and not so many teen-age and prepubescent girls I'm sure.   

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These guys have been the absolute masters at taking a real, outside location and transforming it to their needs, especially considering that their "needs" are always way beyond what the location normally looks like.

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They have the same producers (probably the best group working on TV today) so this spin off should be great.  It will be interesting to see where it will take place. In order to show what's happening in other areas of the apocalypse it will have to be located far away from Georgia.  Of course I nominate NM....


AMC Announces Pilot Order for The Walking Dead Companion Series

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AMC announced today that it has ordered a pilot episode of a companion series for The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead, which premiered on AMC in October, 2010, has been the #1 program on television among adults 18-49 for the last two years. Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert from The Walking Dead are also executive producers of the new project which, like the original, is being produced by AMC Studios. Dave Erickson (Marco Polo, Sons of Anarchy), who co-created and co-wrote the pilot with Kirkman, will serve as an executive producer and showrunner.

“Almost from the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, fans have been curious about what is going on in the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world. In fact, beyond requests for zombie cameos, it’s the question I get asked the most,” said AMC President Charlie Collier. “Obviously, we all take our stewardship of the original franchise incredibly seriously and we, along with Robert, Gale, David and now Dave, are all proceeding with extreme care in order to ensure that we are offering fans something truly compelling, engaging and distinct. We’re thrilled to be taking this next step with these remarkable partners.”

“There are many corners of The Walking Dead universe that remain unseen in the shadows. Being given the opportunity to shine a light into those corners and see what lurks out there is an absolute thrill. I know the fans are anxious to hear what Dave and I have been cooking up for this new version of The Walking Dead, and I’m happy to be one step closer to sharing it with them,” said Kirkman.

“I’ve been fortunate to have collaborated with both Robert and AMC on past projects and I’m thrilled to join them again, along with Gale and David, to build upon The Walking Dead’s already epic narrative,” said Erickson.

The pilot is scheduled for production in late 2014. No additional details are being provided about the location and/or casting for the pilot at this time.

The Walking Dead returns Sun., Oct. 12 at 9/8c on AMC.

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Latest pics. TWD is the best at keeping fans interested.

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A perfect example of why Z Nation can't measure up to TWD.

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Another great video.

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Still no clue as to how the group gets out of the boxcar. We know that Rick buried his pistol before going into Terminus at the end of S4, but he would have to get out of the boxcar first to go dig it up and start blasting "termites", (the ominous group inhabiting Terminus).  We'll find out on Sunday night !  

This is Rick's pistol. It looks like his has the 8" barrel. When a Walker, or anyone else gets hit with one, they don't get up !

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It was a good season premiere. They did not hold back with the blood, gore or intense drama.

Our viewing party at Jo's and Chuck's house went well. No one fainted.

Ha! I DO remember closing my eyes a lot though!

Could have been just sleepy. no problemo......

We were warned that some major characters would buy the farm in S5, it's coming true although how 'major' a character Bob was, could be debated. But there is some speculation about whether eating the flesh of a person who has been bitten by a Walker but has not yet died and "turned" can infect a normal person. Of course only Gareth and his followers worried about that....

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Halloween costume tips from Greg Nicotero, the master at zombie makeup.

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Mid-season finale this Sunday !

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OMG !!! �Sometimes you have to wonder if it's worthwhile going on.....    Was it REALLY necessary to kill Beth ? Yes, we know that mid-season or end-season cliffhangers are always possible but this wasn't a real cliffhanger. It just plunged everyone into a deep depression and now we suffer until February when the next half-season starts. And it even made poor Emily Kinney cry when she was on The Talking Dead. And even Lauren and Norman were crying on the set the day the scene was filmed. Twitter exploded like never before and who can say what the repercussions will be to the social fabric ? If we get through this we may be all the stronger but what psychic scars will remain to explode at some later date ?

It looks like she'll be alright career-wise. We always worry about what will happen to their careers after they get killed off, but she's had good roles before and �TWD will probably enhance her career going forward.

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'The Walking Dead' Mid-Season Finale Recap: The Group Suffers a Loss
Alan Danzis

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

After walkers basically brought upon the apocalypse in the world of The Walking Dead, many characters have had to face whether they were going to remain good people or whether they were going to let the new reality change them into survivors who might have to do awful things to others in the name of surviving. Some people like Gareth give up and give in to evil, while Dawn does evil in order to maintain the idea that one day the world will be normal and good can happen again.

This thematic idea, it has made for an absolutely incredible half-season of The Walking Dead. And it should be what I should spend most of my time talking about in this recap. But then again, that happened...


...a hole was blown out the back of Beth's head. While her death has been speculated quite a bit this season -- and many of you voted in the previous polls on this site that her death was coming -- it's still a shocker. But we'll get to that.

If I Am Going Down That Dark Alley Then I Want These Characters With Me >>>

The Trade Is Back On

For reasons that seem to defy logic, Bob the cop at the beginning of this week's episode, "Coda," decides to try to free his hands on his cop car before escaping the immediate vicinity. This gives Rick plenty of time to catch up in the car when Bob gives up and tries to make a run for it. Rick orders Bob over the cop car loudspeaker to stop, but when Bob refuses, Rick hits him with the car.

"It didn't have to be like this," Rick says to Bob, who claims his back is broken. "You can't go back, Bob," Rick tells him, sounding like Gareth before he puts a bullet in Bob's head.

When Rick returns to the factory, Tyreese, Daryl and Sasha don't seem happy that Bob is not with him. "This changes things," Darryl tells Rick, before remembering that according to their other cop hostage, Dawn hated Bob. She even suggests they should claim that rotters killed him, and the other remaining cop hostage also agrees to go along with the story.

A Happy Reunion Occurs

Early in the episode, Father Gabriel stumbles upon an unlikely coincidence when he finds himself at the scene of where the other Bob's leg was amputated earlier in the season by Gareth and his friends. The discovery freaks Father Gabriel out and he limp/runs away as walkers start to close in. He is chased and winds up back at his church, ironically begging to be let back in to the building that he had forbidden so many others the opportunity to seek shelter in.

Carl and Michonne hear his cries for help and they instead decide to help him, even if that means destroying the protection they had installed inside to keep walkers out.

Father Gabriel makes it inside safely and Michonne easily kills all of the walkers that follow in, until she and everyone else realize they're dealing with an actual herd of walkers, not just a few isolated ones.

The three of them barricade themselves in the back, and Father Gabriel tells Michonne and Carl to escape through the hole he used last episode, while he holds off the horde. Carl grabs Judith, and Father Gabriel tells Michonne that it was worth it. He, however, is able to escape (just barely) and tells her he can't run anymore.

Michonne and Carl then decide to lock the remaining walkers inside the church and barricade it from the outside. It doesn't hold very long, and the walkers are about to bust out when a fire truck comes down the road and rams the porch, blocking the front door. That's right: Abraham and the team are back.

Glenn tells Michonne that Eugene was a liar, and while she looks surprised, she isn't that upset. Maggie, however, is overjoyed to hear that her sister Beth is alive.

Dawn Almost Loses Command

At the hospital, Dawn starts to get concerned that her cops in the field aren't getting back to her. She then tells Beth about the downfall of her mentor and how you don't need the love of your community, but you do need their respect for it to survive.

Dawn later finds Beth sitting on the edge of an open elevator shaft. Beth continues to challenge Dawn, who is obsessed with keeping order until "all of this is over." Unlike Gareth, Dawn still believes the real world will snap back into place one day and all the walkers/rotters will be gone.

Dawn reminds Beth that she inadvertently killed a cop at the hospital and that Dawn was protecting her from the others. One of the other cops, Donald, overhears and threatens Dawn before saying, "It's time to make a change." We learn in that moment that Dawn killed her mentor because he wasn't tough enough when he was in charge of the hospital sanctuary.

Dawn pulls her gun on Donald, but he reminds them of their shared history: knowing his wife and having cigars when his child was born. But Dawn reminds Donald, who starts to show the same kind of crazy eyes that Gareth used to have, that he now laughs about rape. Dawn and Donald start to fight and Dawn's gun slides across the floor before going down the elevator shaft.

Beth tries to intervene and gets knocked down. Dawn then hits Donald in the throat, and as he stumbles back, Beth pushes him down the open elevator shaft. We hear the sounds of walkers having a meal as Dawn thanks Beth.

Beth and Dawn have a heart to heart later in Carol's room. Dawn says she knows that Beth knows the woman in the bed (Carol) and offers Beth a chance to be a part of the group for real. Carol then starts to stir, as if she's going to wake up.

The Trade

On a roof, Tyreese comes clean to Sasha about how he failed to kill Martin, one of Gareth's men who later showed up at the church during the assault earlier in the season.  He believes that the mistake he made and the one Sasha made (in trusting cop Bob last episode) means they're just like the people they used to be before the apocalypse started. Sasha, however, doesn't think she can be that person anymore.

Rick is on a roof across from that building. He meets two of the cops from the hospital and offers a trade for two hostages. He also claims that cop Bob died from walkers, just as it was agreed upon earlier in the episode. He gives the officers 10 minutes to make the trade happen.

Rick and his group arrive at the hospital later while Dawn is surrounded by other cops, as well as Beth and Carol, who is in a wheelchair. Dawn and Rick order both of their friends to holster all their weapons just before the trade is about to take place.

Dawn seems to believe the story of Bob the cop being killed by rotters, so she says she'll hand over one person if Rick hands over someone. Carol is handed over first, then Beth.

"Glad we could work things out," Dawn says to Rick, before adding that she needs Noah as well. "That wasn't part of the deal," Rick says. Really, Rick? You barely know this kid.

Rick and Daryl both try to stick up for Noah, but he offers to go back to Dawn's group. Beth gives him a long hug first before delivering an epic stare down to Dawn. Beth says, "I get it now," before she stabs Dawn in the shoulder with a pair of scissors.

Dawn then casually blows out the back of Beth's head with her pistol. I screamed "NO!!!!!!" at the top of my lungs -- scaring the shoot out of my dog -- shocking myself both by the volume of my voice as well as my love for a character I used to forget the name of.

Dawn shakes her head in disbelief, but Daryl quickly shoots her in the head. The female cop hostage (or former hostage, if you will) tells everyone else to stop and stand down -- it was just about Dawn. She then tells Rick that they can all stay now.

"No," Rick says. "And I'm taking anyone back there that wants to leave."

The fire truck with everyone from the church arrives outside at the hospital. And I suddenly realize poor, poor Maggie is about to head inside and see her dead sister. Instead, Rick comes out, shaking his head, with Tyreese holding Carol and Daryl cradling the dead body of Beth.

Other Odds and Ends

-- I watched Hello Ladies: The Movie this past weekend. Kind of crazy to go from seeing Christine Woods in that (as Jessica) and then in this week's mid-finale as Dawn.

-- If you had any doubts that someone was going to die in this episode -- despite Norman Reedus basically screaming it in interviews this past week -- knowing that there was going to be a "mysterious" cast member on Talking Dead this week made it certain.

-- Just like in the season premiere, we get an after credits sequence with Morgan. He has stumbled upon the spot where Bob lost his leg (and Father Gabriel visited earlier in the episode). Morgan calmly kills a walker before he wanders over to the church, where all the walkers are gone. He lays down a few items on the altar (as an offering?) while he prays, before he spots the note Abraham wrote to Rick, asking him to come to DC.


The Walking Dead returns Sunday, February 8, 2015, at 9pm on AMC.  

(Image courtesy of AMC)