The smart script for this film didn't develop into some of the obvious lines directors would take. Chief among them was the storyline of Fran's pregnancy, which is 1) not revealed until about a half-hour into the movie (and her smoking might throw viewers off the scent, even if the habit was less verboten in the late '70s), 2) does not turn her into a archtypal expectant mother who will suffer health problems and need protection and 3) is not seen to full-term, which is what I expected. (Another director might have succumbed to having Fran be mid-labor when the bikers/zombies get in, for example, like there wasn't enough suspense to go around.)
Also off the path was how some of George Romero's characters developed -- who would be heroic, who would survive, who would elicit sympathy. Did you experience any surprises in that respect?
I'll post about the ending tomorrow, but the earlier Wikipedia link had details about the alternate scenes filmed to conclude the movie, which also would have defied conventional audience expectations.
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4 comments:
I was also expecting a cheesy pregnancy storyline and was surprised when it was underplayed. I couldn't believe there wasn't a labor scene.
I was a little surprised about the characters, too. I really expected Flyboy to die earlier. (And I didn't care whether he did; I figured it would be his own fault.)
I think the death order of the two men (sorry, I can't remember character names) was backwards of what other movies would do. The SWAT team guy seemed like a more important character than the helicopter pilot, but he still died first.
I didn't even think about the possibility of a birth, but now that you mention it, that would have been a cheesy way to add chaos.
I also thought Steven would go early. Once a character begins exhibiting flawed behavior in a horror movie, he's a goner. As the heroine's love interest, too, I didn't expect him to act any way other than heroic, too. He's more real and fleshed-out the way he's portrayed, even if he's a bit of an ass.
I agree. It was good he was an ass. You definitely expect the boyfriend role to be heroic.
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