|
Velasquez’ series of short films are really
determined on carrying the legacy of George Romero and his “Dead” series,
and ends up feeling like another creation that’s competent enough to do
so. With fodder like “The Walking Dead,” “World War Z,” and “Shaun of
the Dead,” creators are anxious to show the impact Romero set forth on
horror, and Velasquez is intent on joining the crowd. Save for its
faults, “Deadscapes” is a competent enough series of films about the end
of the world at the hands of the walking dead. For episode 1, Velasquez
chronicles the survival of Eric and two stowaways in his small mobile
home.
|
Velasquez, in a Romero state of
mind from the beginning to the end, and really manages to
set up the desolate world in which the living dead have
taken over and destroyed everything in their paths, and sets
down on these people. Judging by the way the episode takes
its course Velasquez is not so much following one set of
characters, but instead presenting to the audience varying scenarios
with different survivors. |
|
 |
The morbid score is in the vein of the
music by The Goblins, and I dug the hell out of the down to Earth
Carpenter sensibility about it. The mood is perfect for what entails
a zombie series, with a gritty and murky backdrop, that’s further
accentuated by the isolated settings. Velasquez’ series definitely
has its head in the right place, and I’m interested to see how it
continues to unfold.
Sadly, though, the acting leaves much to be
desired. I was never convinced these people were in any sort of actual
danger at any point. I didn’t get the sense that much had happened at
all with these characters who just didn’t seem distressed. Eric, instead
of feeling like a shell shocked psycho was often times more of a
disgruntled bully, while the other two stowaways Greg and Jessie were
often more annoying than anything. They were on the road for a while, so
how come they’re still extremely clean, and not all that bothered by the
carnage? Why didn’t Eric drive to the next town that night? I could
never really understand, “Deadscapes” would have prospered with better
editing in the end.
In the end, the series has the best
intentions and is admirably ambitious. “Deadscapes” is a series of
episodes that you can look forward to, and with better acting, it could
make for an exciting low budget series. Director Velasquez is obviously
a fan of Romero, and I’ll look forward to future episodes.
|
