Comments on: Mom and Pop are Zombies!–The Infanticidal Structure of 28 Weeks Later http://biblioklept.org/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:19:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Sage http://biblioklept.org/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-7359 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:33:41 +0000 http://biblioklept.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-7359 A little late in the game but why not?

I personally found the movie very enjoyable both for its superficial characteristics (Zombies NOM NOM NOM) and for its underlying theme. On that point I would have to agree that though the children are completely innocent and naive the entire movie it is in fact their childish naivety that destroys the world.

BTW: That seen right after the guy got infected and was pushing his wife’s eyes in, not good for your wifey.

]]> By: ed biblioklept http://biblioklept.org/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3847 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:20:53 +0000 http://biblioklept.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3847 Totem, although I’m not going to rewrite my essay again here, I will reiterate a number of points in order to assure you that I didn’t “miss the point” of the movie:
1. Yes, the children are sympathetic. The film relies on this to succeed structurally. Just because the children are at fault does not make them unsympathetic.
2. The film, on the surface, presents parental authority (in both Carlyle’s zombie dad and the violent and suppressive US government) as the “bad guys.”
3. Applying your tautological argument that things “are what they are,” we can see that, like the children, both the zombies and the army “are what they are”: that is, the “bad guys” are just doing their jobs (the zombies, to use your description of the kids, are “not aware of their biological nature”; the army is simply trying to contain a virus). In this sense, the “bad guys” do not merit the morally criminal culpability the narrative wishes the audience to ascribe them. Instead–
4. The narrative really finds the children at fault. As I mentioned above (through numerous examples, examples that begin from the outset of the film), the structure of the film ascribes the downfall of humanity to children. This is an infanticidal structure.
5. I believe that if you look at any number of narratives, beginning with the Genesis story, Greek mythology, and extending into any number of modern writers and contemporary movies, you will see this structure at work.
6. The film does not literally argue for anything at any point. Perhaps I use my verbs too metaphorically. Still, I think that the movie makes a case–a case that inattentive, zombie-like viewers will miss–that the children are at fault, the children bring the evil. This is not something we (the big Western We) like to acknowledge as being present in our narrative, even when it is in plain sight.

]]> By: totem http://biblioklept.org/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3834 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:06:44 +0000 http://biblioklept.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3834 While I enjoyed both your essay as the movie itself (admittedly, I enjoyed the latter quite a bit more :) ), I just came by to mention that albeit I’ve found the central idea of what you wrote remarkable, I truly believe that you have missed the point. “…ultimately the movie blames the children for the downfall of mankind” – actually, no, according to my observation there is no such blame in the movie. These children are what they are, neither responsible for their supposed biological nature, nor aware of the consequences of their actions. Therefore there is no blame, and logically there can be none.

“The infanticidal structure of the film argues for the execution of children, those dirty little harbingers of contagion.” Argues? Literally argues? I didn’t get that impression at any point. Quite to the contrary, the audience has been made fairly sympathetic with these children.

“Their mother had very special blood” – Scarlet told Doyle, “a natural kind of immunity to the virus. [...] so their lives are far more valuable than mine. Or yours.” In that respect, the children carried “a key to a vaccine, even a cure” (just like their mother did). Oh well, that things went up shit creek eventually lies in the nature of the genre. A horror movie with a happy ending would be a farce, wouldn’t it?

]]> By: Damon http://biblioklept.org/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3810 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:21:09 +0000 http://biblioklept.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3810 I rented and watched the movie last night. Though not quite as excellent as the first, which was horrifying because it was so plausible. This sequel was a fine extension of the original plot into another, albeit slightly less plausible, story.

I don’t agree that the plot holes were nearly as gaping as the forums at the movie’s iMDB page so I’ll continue to suspend disbelief and skip the analysis of why the characters ran to location X instead of Y.

Is this really a movie to watch with the wife? I don’t think so. I’m lucky that mine chose to bug out the second The Last Supper was interrupted by the Infected. That’s good because I know she would have asked me whether I would have ditched her in The Moment in order to save my own skin and my first answer would have been a joke along the lines of “Are you kidding? Hell yes, I would!”

I wouldn’t though. I’d put on my red-zippered leather jacket, take my Infected bite with class, and show those zombies the Thriller dance.

And what a bleak ending! Let’s just hope that the Infected can’t cross the Bering Straight.

I’m excited about the prospects of a third installment (rumored to be helmed by the original 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle.

]]> By: ed biblioklept http://biblioklept.org/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3537 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:48:16 +0000 http://biblioklept.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3537 You should watch it. We loved it, from the get go. It was like 28 Days Later, but at the same time it was an entirely different movie. I probably should’ve just written: 28 Weeks Later good movie you watch bye now.

]]> By: Damon http://biblioklept.org/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3534 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 13:44:34 +0000 http://biblioklept.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mom-and-pop-are-zombies-the-infanticidal-structure-of-28-weeks-later/#comment-3534 So you’re saying I should rent it? Do you think the wife could handle it? Could yours?

I had to skip the bulk of your post because of the spoilers.

I really enjoyed 28 Days Later. I won’t do a clever blog comments movie review on it, but I will say that it was scary in a way that goes beyond shock horror. It was, like, scary in the “your deepest darkest fears” way because it seemed like it could really happen…

…and fast zombies. Damn. That’s some scary shit.

Was 28 Weeks Later similar?

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