Babylon Fields (2007) (TV)

Director:

Michael Cuesta

Writers:

Michael Atkinson (writer)
Gerald Cuesta (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Horror

Plot:

The dead return to earth in an attempt to restore old wounds. |

Plot Keywords:

TV Series Pilot | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Leila Arcieri	...	Louisa Ramirez
Kathy Baker	...	Shirley Wunch
Jason CanneLongo	...	Living Dead Man
Kevin Cannon	...	Lead Zombie
Gary Cherkassky	...	Living dead man (as Igor Cherkassky)
Jessie Coleman	...	Rachael Viscupic
Marika Daciuk	...	Dead Woman
Corey Fryia	...	Living dead man
Sue Galloway	...	Mrs. Denise Ryan
Johnathan Hallgrey	...	Living Dead
Will Janowitz	...	Jimmy Viskupic
David Patrick Kelly	...	Lester Viskupic
Adam LeFevre	...	Dick McCormick
Denis McKeown	...	Living dead man
Mackenzie Milone	...	Doreen Wunch
Jessica Minor	...	Nicole Conti
Max Morris	...	Living Dead Boy
Eric Nelsen	...	Mike Bobkin
Max Robkoff	...	Living Dead
Jamey Sheridan	...	Ernie Wunch
Nicole Signore	...	The Undead Woman
Ray Stevenson	...	Carl Tiptree
Wass Stevens	...	Meyers
Amber Tamblyn	...	Janine Wunch
Rob Tode	...	Zombie
William Henderson White	...	The Living Dead Priest
Mary Jo Wold	...	Child Daughter

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Rising from the grave for fun and profit...

I'm not certain which group acts more like zombies, the actual zombies or the living residents of Babylon. I live near a cemetery, and I'm pretty sure if the dead began rising from their graves, that would have rather stunning implications, and I would seriously want to have a month long dialogue with one of the, well, dead. I'd have a million questions. The folks in Babylon don't seem all that interested. Some act startled, some depressed, but most seem to just want to beat the heck out of a zombie or two. Not too many thinkers in this town. Such a unique situation would seem to warrant some analysis and discussion. Not in Babylon. It's just as well the dead don't clean up too well, either, because their appearance is about the only way to tell zombies from the living. None of the actors are all that animated. It's easy to get the two groups confused. (Helpful Hint) The zombies are dirty, disheveled, and all have muddy complexions. The living just act dead.

OK, seriously. Babylon Fields is an interesting concept, probably a little too dark for network television, and is ripe with possibilities. Like I said before, if the dead began rising, I'd have a million questions. So far, the writers don't appear to have anywhere near that many. I only hope the do soon.

No one in the cast stands out. No one I warmed up to. That's not a good sign. The only character who receives special attention is a dead former cop and abusive husband and father who didn't realize he was dead. Not only dead but murdered. Now I wonder who would kill an abusive husband and father? The mystery can only deepen.

All in all, so far, this is just your average zombie show. Not all that interesting but holds out some promise, not very scary because it's shot in broad daylight and the writing lacks dramatic tension, and the characters, both living and dead, act stiff and wooden.

Also, the show is rather slowly paced, maybe because the dead don't walk very fast.