Left 4 Dead
My game of choice over the last few months has been Valve’s zombie first-person shooter, Left 4 Dead. Set during a zombie apocalypse, Left 4 Dead captures the immediate aftermath of the end of the world perfectly: the four human survivors have to negotiate thousands of zombies against a backdrop of empty offices, burnt out buildings and broken-down trains, planes and automobiles. However, Left 4 Dead is more than just a brilliant game, its emphasis on co-operative gameplay is highly significant as it echoes a broader movement towards global co-operation on a political, social and economic level.
Co-operation
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The Postman
Dawn of the Dead 1978 Poster
For my birthday last year my wife gave me a special box-set edition of one of my favourite films: George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (1978). I let the black box sit on the shelf, waiting for the perfect occasion to watch and enjoy it like a good wine. Recently, I decided the time was right to watch it again, so I ripped open the plastic cover, selected one of the three versions of the film and settled down for a night of zombie apocalypse.
And it wasn’t that good.
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The Postman
Survivors
The post-apocalypse is going through something of a renaissance on British TV at the moment. A remake of ‘Day of the Triffids’ has been announced; Halloween saw the zombie-Big Brother mini-series ‘Dead Set’ while the weeks running up to Christmas saw a remake of ‘Survivors’ - the classic 70s post-apocalyptic series set in a world where nearly everyone has perished to a highly infectious disease. While it had its moments, ultimately the remake was an unsatisfying affair, with a succession of nagging gripes that overshadowed a pretty slick production.
70’s Survivors: Modernity Rebooted
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The Postman
Dead Set
Where would you like to be when the zombie apocalypse hits? Would you want to be hanging out in an abandoned farm-house? A suburban shopping mall? Or an underground military facility? Probably the last place I would want to be at the best of times is the Big Brother house, forced to live with a variety of wannabe-celebs while each of my words and actions were monitored by the world at large.
Imprisoned with these unappealing people while outside is being eaten by hungry zombies is even less appealing. However, this is the premise of ‘Dead Set’; an E4 mini-series for Halloween that mashes-up the zombie genre with reality tv.
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The Postman