I Am Legend Freaked Me Out!
Is it not strange that Hollywood and its fans share with more than a few true fanatics the desire to see New York obliterated?
About 10 minutes into the new Will Smith movie I Am Legend, which opens in Manhattan theaters on Friday, my heart rate went up to about 200 and stayed there for the next hour and a half.
Staggering back out into Times Square's holiday crush from the screening room it seemed we'd just been through an aerobic workout before even facing the crowds of tourists and commuters—surprisingly not zombies.
And the lingering questions were weird ones. Would corn naturally grow in Madison Square Park if humanity were wiped out, or did Will Smith have to plant it there himself? Should I get a German shepherd?
But what really stuck was this: why is Hollywood (and, it sometimes seems, much of the rest of the world the world) so keen to see New York City obliterated?
The movie is scary. Scary in the don't-look-over-in-that-dark-corner-Will-Smith-there's-a-zombie way that you already know from every horror movie since Nosferatu, but also terrifying in a "holy crap, this is how it could all go down" kind of way.
I Am Legend is based on Richard Matheson's 1954 book, which has been the source material for all sorts of science-horror movies, and written way before we were scared of airplanes flying into buildings, biological warfare, and of funny-sounding but deadly diseases like bird flu. It's hard to know anymore what to be more scared of: the weather or germs. But New York seems to get it either way, with tidal waves crashing through midtown in The Day After Tomorrow or aliens bursting through sidewalks in last year's War of the Worlds (yes, New Jersey, but close enough) and covering the people with a sickeningly-familiar gray ash. And there's more to come: the trailer for J.J. Abram's much buzzed-over Cloverfield shows the Statue of Liberty's head being blown off. Great.
The premise of the movilete goes like this: a scientist (a brilliant, un-credited cameo by Emma Thompson) announces she's cured cancer with a man-made virus. Except, whoops! The virus mutates, goes airborne, and those infected change into gnashing-toothed, red-eyed monsters with an apparent insatiable appetite for human flesh.
A couple of years later—with the exception of Will Smith's Robert Neville, a military virologist with a sweet Washington Square Park townhouse and even sweeter doggie companion (yay, vacancy rates!)—humans are no more. At least, not as humans.
All the chomp-chomp-chomp of zombie attacks scare in predictable horror-movie fashion, but that's nothing compared to the feeling of dread that settles in when director Francis Lawrence shows his New York City of the future: desolate with grass growing up and over Park Avenue sidewalks, deserted cars abandoned in the streets, the only sound of life is the flock of birds flying overhead or the herds of deer going for a romp up Lexington (until one gets eaten by a lion, sigh).
Even more stressful are the scenes of absolute panic, shown in flashback, of a desperate city trying to evacuate "the island" as the virus spreads. Um, does anyone else remember a certain day in September not too long ago when it was announced Manhattan was being shut down? Does it really seem that far-fetched anymore to see fighter planes blow up the Brooklyn Bridge?
Holiday Bonus Time: Apparently the pandemic reached its zenith during the Christmas season, and bright twinkly lights adorn the city streets as people run screaming for an exit.
Three years later, Will Smith prowls for food and distraction through an echoingly empty city that's still adorned with dulled and dingy Christmas decorations from auld lang syne. Oh come on, Warner Brothers! Like the holidays aren't hard enough.
We love that our local newscasters get to pop up in these big budget films (Hi, Roma Torre!), but listening to these familiar faces give the apocalyptic news doesn't feel quite fantastical ... it just feels creepily right somehow. Deep down, don't you know the first to broadcast the news of Manhattan being overtaken by killer bees or a new strain of the measles will be NY1's Pat Kiernan?
Isn't it time to give Boston a turn? What's Philly up to these days? Let's give that Liberty Bell a whack. Or better yet, watch the Hollywood sign tumble down from the hills.
Have you seen the High Line? Not that there's corn or anything, but I think you get the idea...
I'm pretty sure the undead are supposed to be vampires, not zombies. Of course, artistic license and all that for movies, but still, it's unfortunate that the tone of the movie doesn't seem very similar to the book.
I think New York is always the choice location for disaster films because it's something that most Americans, and most people around the world, are visually familiar with. You could strike a chord with someone emotionally by showing their hometown in ruins, however, you can't tailor a film that way to every person's home city, so the next best thing is showing New York, the place everyone recognizes at least a few buildings from.
On a personal level, I think this stuff is a bit more creepy than the typical disaster stuff because it's not landmark buildings, the touristy places, that get the ruin treatment. Instead its places we all go every day, like Union Square. Seeing the Whole Foods in shambles (not that that isn't an improvement of sorts) is a bit surreal, because I shop there from time to time. Seeing the Statue of Liberty get clobbered does nothing, because they do that in every film.
Gee, lady, take a deep breath and accept the compliment - for a city I've never been within eight thousand miles of, New York sure occupies a great deal of imaginative head space. And not just disaster movies either.
The last time I saw this movie it was called "28 Days Later"
Sure could have picked a nicer looking german shepherd to play the part. Now everyone will be after ugly, skinny, poorly pigmented, improperly backyard-bred American line junk dogs. Hooray for the puppy mills, the GSD is back.
I just wanted to say as someone very experienced with dogs that the GSD is the worst possible candidate for a family that isnt willing to devote ENDLESS HOURS OF TRAINING not to mention $$$.....hip replacements are not cheap. The actions the dog portrays in the movie is virtually unobtainable for the average dog owner. I forsee disaster for many ill-informed families across the globe. Please do not go out buying a GSD and expecting ANYTHING other then a very LARGE, ACTIVE dog. They do not come trained....infact they come pooping and peeing everywhere and eating your brand new Louis Vutton purse, not to mention jumping off (and chewing on)the walls.
Take a look at what happened in 101 Dalmations, within a few months shelters were overfull with unwanted dogs and many children lost there spotted friend only after a short period of having them, this was mainly due to people going out and buying dogs hoping they would be like Pongo. Many of these dogs were very unsound, with bad tempermants and horrible health problems......which are still very prevailent in the breed, probably as a result of the rapid spike in breeding with no regard to the big picture.
Just be cautious.....dont run out and buy a GSD because you think they will be ANYTHING like the dog in the movie......chances are they will be oppisite. Use your head. Spend your money wisely and with thought for the future.
Sincerely,
A concerned dog owner.
Do you even own a shepherd. Well I do and have had the breed for many years. Don't diss this
dog. GSD's have taken a bad rap for many many years. I was ecstatic to see a positive roll for
a shepherd. Every shepherd I have ever owned has been the best of the best.
Shepherd don't need hip replacements! Are you so stupid, I suggest doing your homework before
spouting off!
NO dog comes trained and if they didn't pee and poop just like YOU then they need to see a vet.
Shut up about this breed. Abby aka 'Sam' did a great job and kudos to her trainer.
By the way, check the press for the amount of shepherd rescues in the pass 2 years alone.
Shelters are full of every breed. Put your money where your mouth is and donate to a shelter. But
please do not adopt. I wouldn't want you as my friend.
Its great the GSD is in a positive roll, but think of the amount of people that are going to go out and BUY one just because of this "movie dog". I think if you truly cared for the breed you would be trying to get it OUT of the limelight.
The GSD definitely doesnt need anymore popularity, Im pretty sure most of the world knows what they are and what they are capable of. It was POPULARITY that ruined the breed in the first place, surely you do not want to support the further demise of the breed.
Sure every shepherd you have owned may have been a great dog, but did it not take hours upon hours of dedicated training to get it that way? The average owner has no comprehension of drives and pack mentality, these are very important things to know when dealing with working dogs. I also am assuming you have had a bit of experience with the breed, therefore you must be experienced in training.......it gets easier every time does it not?. But the average dog owner has probably not had years of experience with working dogs, not to mention training them. This usually ends up in disaster.
And no, I do not own a GSD but I interact with them on a daily basis and they have always been a part of my life.
It's absurd to put a warning on here the German Shepherds don't come pre-trained. Of course they don't. Neither do humans. So are you going to put a similar disclaimer about having a human?
Last I checked, human babies, poop, pee and destroy things in the house if you let them loose.
I don't mean to be a smart ass, but next time be blunt about what's at the heart of your rant: Stupid people, please don't go get a dog you are too stupid to be responsible for...
Oh puhlease, Blackshawl. Don't you get it? Popularity of many breeds have sharply risen directly to due the particular breed being in the spotlight from motion pictures. Most of us with the breed (like me, who solely goes german shepherd rescue) wish these morons would pick another breed to screw with. Don't you remember the rise of the Doberman, Rottweiler, and the gosh-awful Dalmations? They are USED to be fantastic breeds, and unfortunately, they are so over-bred and POORLY bred dogs to supply the retarded public with their dog of choice to look like "that dog from the movie", that it is so stinking hard to get a dog true to the standard. Heck, we can't even get a decent GSD anymore! And HELL NO would I not buy anything that is not imported. Breeders in the US have DESTROYED the German Shepherd Dog.
So yeah. Let's give the GSD more publicity. Give the puppy mills back their paychecks. Move over Rin Tin Tin, we want a dog just like Abby! *but these are the same idiots who won't go to a rescue to find one*
And GSDs don't need hip replacements? What planet have you been living on? The German Shepherd Dog is plagued with so many health problems, it is un-freaking-believable. Don't even stop with hips - elbow problems, eye issues, heart problems, spinal abnormalities, epilepsy, megaesophagus, cancer....and that is the tip of the iceberg.
I suggest YOU get on Google for 5 MINUTES and get a clue what has happened to this once noble breed.
Disgraceful. YOU are the kind of person that scares me. Moron.
I have had many dogs, but my GSD was the second smartest (yellow lab beat him out by a bit) and defintely the sweetest. Vitamin C tablets every day may or may not have kept the hip problems away. No other problems, and he led a long happy life (until 16).
He did need a lot of room to run, and would play catch for hours. He was a very good family dog. Intense training for a short period of time worked very well. I didn't try for tricks, etc, just basic training to keep a very large dog under control, and it was not difficult.
You people are idiots, how could anyone with love for the breed support this atrocity?
GSD's are NOT for the novice owner, any REAL GSD is not easily handled by the novice owner or average family. They ARE easily trained if you know the basic fundamentals of pack mentality and an understanding of instinctual drives in dogs.
There are different strains that are more easy to handle and train, but they are usually lacking in health and solid nerves.
IMO if the average person or family wants a big black and tan GSD that is easier to train and slighltly less active, try looking into a Shiloh Shepherd, but dont go out buying a GSD and expecting a calm "easy to train" wonderdog.
Its not like the rescues arnt full enough already.......
How many thousands of dogs will die before people get the point?
I feel very sorry for anyone working in GSD rescue, this is a horrible thing to happen and we really need good people like yourselves to help eleviate it.
Goodness knows the majority of merciless consumers are not going to adopt, but rather buy inferior dogs from horrible BYB's out to make a buck.
Keep in mind everyone, for every puppy you buy another one dies in the shelter.
Agreed, GSDlover.
Wow!! Can any of you people tell me why you are fighting about a dog??
All of you are sad lonely people!
Instead of ranting and raving on the internet why dont you guys get off the computer and take your dogs for a walk
We lived near a police K-9 training facility and my dad always had two GSD's from there.
They auctioned off the ones who couldn't complete/weren't suitable for training.
From the age of six months to four years I was always in the presence of them and I can' help but love them.
A few years ago we got a mixed lab/shpherd (and later we found, pit bull).
Entirely shepherd like in training though.
Stubborn, defiant--unable to force it to do anything--but if you taught him--he was wonderful.
He now knows about twenty tricks and even learned to skateboard. We are working on snowboarding now. He has "words" that he has barks for and he knows what every head.eye and hand nod I give him is. You just can't beat the experience.
What it takes is exactly what Will Smith acted in the movie--having a quality, authoritative, involved, empathic and disciplined relationship--full time.
Tough for kids to understand.
The animal was a rescue froma shelter and is beautiful. "Pure" isn't essential for beauty in a dog.
Amen to that!!! I have a dalmatian...used to have 2 but she passed a few years ago. They are very hyper dogs and need a lot of training and attention. The breed still suffers from puppy mills and improper breeding. I hope this movie doesn't do the same to GSD's.
I'm very involved with the humane society (my other 3 dogs are from there) and it kills me how many people get a puppy or dog with no regard to the training required and the medical bills that can come up. My rott-mix just tore his ACL...not a cheap surgery but we made a commitment to him.
People need to use their head WHENEVER they purchase a pet.
Another concerned dog owner.
maybe you need to reread that post. No one was dissing GSD's...they were dissing the ignorant people who are going to start over breeding and the morons that will start buying these dogs with no regard to the training required...as is with ANY dog.
Get your panties out of a wad.
As an animal lover, I was extemely pleased to see a dog cast as a supporting character. In the wake of the Michael Vick case and the media's interest in dog fighting, it was refreshing to see a dog treated as it should be, a companion and best friend. Dog's are gentle creatures, who want only to protect, please and served their owners. It is the responsibility of the owners to protect, feed, train and nurture them in a way that only produces love and respect.
I'm a GSD owner. I've had many breeds & muts alike. I've tained a lot of dogs in my many years (professional tainer). I can truly state the GSD is far superior in many ways to many breeds BUT . . . they are also very willful, stubborn & authoratative (if not given a role in their "pack"). The TRUE sheherds from Europe are a heck of a lot less likely to come with health issues. They are bred to WORK. They need a job & if you don't give them one, they'll "find" their own. They can be VERY destructive if not put in a correct environment. Please, please to ANYONE, do your homework before buying this wonderful breed. They are spectacular in so many ways, but are NOT for the faint at heart. If you are not a strong wiled person, they will take over your life. You MUST be dominate in your relationships with your shpherds.
P.S. cudos to Abby's trainer & to Will Smith for working so well with this dog. She obviously had a great relationship with both people.
Ok, problem with my keys sticking! Spelling errors in the above paragraph (UGH), sorry! Also, I live in CA :-)
I saw this movie a couple of nights ago in Seoul.
My boyfriend and I both love Will Smith.
I also love post-apocalyptic imaginations especially involving mutants, humans on the run, and the search for enclaves of physical and spiritual security.
It is resonates in my upper middle class childhood feelings of a safe and secure home, with walls to keep the demons out.
From the movie's beginning, I had this feeling of dread. Not knowing it would be anything like 28 Days Later, which is a masterpiece on so many levels and deserving of study, I was caught in the movie theatre.
My dread heightened as Robert and Sam hunker down for the evening in the barricaded beauty of their New York home. The sounds outside say it all.
Suspense is gorgeously enhanced.
When the hive is first spotted, almost orgy-like in a a feast, I knew my dread was warranted.
Of course, I had always been worried for Sam.
And her death in the film has come under severe attack from the critic at boxofficemojo.com as exemplary of the movie's grossness. For me, it marked the realization of Robert's exhausted interiority. To watch all that you once love die and then to have to take the life of all that is left to love was brutal, necessary.
For all of its flaws. For all the Hollywood we want to hate it for. I am Legend was stirring.
Heart-breaking.
Smith brings the intensity (in the right amounts) of his great dramatic turns to his latest smash. It was beautiful to watch him.
After the film, we caught the first taxi and headed home. Sabrina, our dog, was waiting as always by the door to greet us. We both fell to the floor with her in our arms.
That night we all slept together. Drawing the white lights of love all around our Asian apartment.
No dark seekers! Please.
Yummy
I am a GSD owner.I have one GSD. I can truly says that GSD is very superior than other breeds.they love to do any work.they love to live in a family.they always love their family memebers and can't live without them.They can be very destructive if not put in correct environment.
They are spectacular in so manys ways but u have to dominate in ur relationship with ur shephard.they always attack on a weak person or if some one feel scared from them then they definately will attack on that person.
but the role of GSD in this movie was very-very great which insist every person to have GSD in ur home.but the death of GSD in this movie was very touching and tht scene was very emotional tht i was starting crying in tht theatre bcoz at tht time i was also missing my jeffy my GSD.bcoz he was living very far away from me.i love my GSD.so i am suggesting every one to buy thia breed asap by.
I am a GSD owner.I have one GSD. I can truly says that GSD is very superior than other breeds.they love to do any work.they love to live in a family.they always love their family memebers and can't live without them.They can be very destructive if not put in correct environment.
They are spectacular in so manys ways but u have to dominate in ur relationship with ur shephard.they always attack on a weak person or if some one feel scared from them then they definately will attack on that person.
but the role of GSD in this movie was very-very great which insist every person to have GSD in ur home.but the death of GSD in this movie was very touching and tht scene was very emotional tht i was starting crying in tht theatre bcoz at tht time i was also missing my jeffy my GSD.bcoz he was living very far away from me.i love my GSD.so i am suggesting every one to buy thia breed asap by.
I have raised german shepherds for nearly 25 years... I have had german shepherds from west german lines, east german lines and american show lines and the chezch. lines My goal was always to breed a better family pet. that was healthy and long lived. I always felt it was wrong to breed a dog for the show ring or shutzhund ring if you were selling most of your puppies to go into the famliy with children , neighbors and rather normal lives.. I dissagree with so many of the statements I have read and I just want to give my two cents worth... I have tried heavy german show lines and several of them in fact I could not offer a gaurentee I do now they were full of tons of HD! pooh on the a- stamp I found that to be no indicator at all of good hips even if I had two OFA parents from those lines they still produced 30 % HD! and hords of other gentic problems... I have heard they have changed the rateing system so maybe things are better now, tryed the chech lines too.. temperaments for the family were herendous had to replace 50% of the two litters I tried will never do it again! east german was better but still heavy east german would often produce a sharp shy unstable temper..... No wonder the shepherd has gotten a bad rap .. the shepherd in the movie looks of old lines After all those mistakes I went back to my old backyard bred farm dogs from 25 years ago the older and the more unknown the line the better over the years I have improved through OFA of both hips and elbows so I have 50% OFA excellent and the other 50 % OFA good! life spans are once again 12 to 14 years and tempers are much calmer, without loosing that super smarts easy to train with out the German schutzhund line stubbornness. Yes with time you can bring back what the shepherds used to be!!! good stable all around kids and family pets!!! Once you own a good shepherd you will never own anything else.. I will not give my name or kennel name so people will know this is not an ad to sell my dogs.... People do your research about the breed and find breeders who breed german shepherds who only have a purpose to breed for the family. and only buy from breeders who certify the hips of those dogs they breed because there is no excuse not to! and if you want a shepherd you should not be a kind of person who feels dogs do not need good sharp discipline once and a while if you are afraid to take a newspaper and smack him on the butt when he does something wrong don't get a shepherd. AND OLD LINE or old fashioned German SHEPHERDS ARE PUREBRED AKC german shepherds NOT SHILOH! and NOT long coated!
Im getting really sick of hearing people say that importing German shepherds is better than buying ones from the US. I agree that American Line german shepherd breeders (those that go for the AKC standard NOT the SV standard german shepherds) have indeed ruined the breed when it comes to both looks and temperment. an AKC champion doesnt even have to have a hip or elbow certification which in my mind is just ridiculous! If you go to an AKC show and just look at the shepherds you can practically see their hip joints popping in and out. They also walk on their hawks and tend to have horrid temperment. You never get to see the german style SV shepherds at AKC shows, so all you have to judge American shepherd breeders by is the AKC crap.
However, there are many good german shepherd breeders in the US. The public really needs to be more educated about SV german shepherds which are german line shepherds (have same standards as in Germany). There are SV shows all over the US and also all around the world (the largest is held in Germany). These shepherds are bred for their working ability, temperment and health. They must have OFA hips and elbows and must also have schutzhund titles in order to be shown. Dogs with poor temperment or health cannont even compete for they either wont be able to be shown at all or they will just be excused.
Dont get me wrong, the germans did create the breed and there are alot of nice dogs in germany, but there are also alot of crappy breeders in germany as well. Just because a dog comes from germany does not automatically make it a nicer dog than one from America. In fact there are several US dogs that went VA in Germany and beat out alot of German bred dogs.
German shepherds are bred to be versatile animals. They adapt to what home they have grown up in. So if you have more of a layed back home then they will grow up as such. You cannont group an entire breed together and say that they are bad and that they piss all over, that is just illogical. Dogs refelct the way they were raised, part of their temperment is genetic but much more of it is environmental. If a dog grows up in an unclean environment he will learn to go to the bathroom where it lives because that is what it had always known. It a dog is raised in a clean environment it will not want to go to the bathroom where it lives and will be easily housebroken.
This was very long and rambling but it just makes me so mad when people make all of these generalizations about a breed and when people talk badly about American breeders when they dont really know what they are talking about. Dont assume that because you imported a shepherd it is automatically a good shepherd. IN fact, most german breeders do not sell their good dogs outside of the country since most have the ability to house large numbers of dogs. Also, you will no longer be able to import puppies in the near future and if you are importing an older dog than there must be a reason why no one in Germany wanted it.
Schutzhund dogs are NOT stubborn, they are what shepherds are supposed to be! dogs that can go from working hard one moment to playing with kids the next. They are highly intelligent animals and are bred to work as well as to be great family companion dogs. Schutzhund is a sport that was designed specifically for German Shepherds in germany to test the dogs and make sure they are the courageous loyal dogs they are supposed to be. AKC dogs are lazy because the drive to work was bred out of them. I want a shepherd that I can trust around children and yet know that my dog has the courage and strength to protect them. If only you had gunfire in the AKC showring like we do in the SV ring and if only your dogs had to do 12 and 1/2 miles on a bike would you be able to widdle out all of the poorly bred AKC shepherds, but then you would have to get rid of 90% of them. Most AKC shepherds cannot do 12 miles next to a bike because their bodies were not meant to gate that long and they will break down and start limping. Dogs are not meant to walk on their hawks!
One last thing: how many AKC shepherds have you seen that are police dogs? probably few and far between.
Most of the people start arguing over the movie but you argue over a dog. You are a bit too over obsessed with canines I guess.
I don't belive that after this movie hundred thousands of people going to buy GSDs. Yeah it happened with Dalmations but 101 Dalmations was an anmiated movie for CHILDREN who sued their parents until they finally gave up and bought them a Dalmation puppy instead some other breed. Yes there are adults who are so brainless sheep that they buy anything they see on screen but I still dare to hope that only a few of us reached such a low level and I won't see people in red Mustangs wearing leather jacket armed with an M4 carbine driving around in New York with a GSD in the passenger's seat.
You people are completely ridiculous. German Shepherds are amazing animals and this movie depicts their devotion and nobility in a very real way. Give the general public a little more credit they are not going to just go out and buy a GSD puppy because they want it to be like Sam. People are intelligent enough to realize that movies are just movies and that dogs do not come trained and wonderful. People also realize that the dog in this movie is professionally trained by a professional owner we're not all a bunch of little kids. Grow up and stop assuming you're so much better than everyone else and that YOU know everything about dogs and that the rest of us are just obsessed with fads and want everything in the media. Let's see if the amount of 2008 cherry red mustangs increase in used car lots because of this movie? Now that would be a real travesty. Get over yourselves and realize you're no more intelligent or righteous anyone else.
You are an idiot!! Dumbass