Life Imitates Cheesy Science Fiction Film

As we learn in this article from today's New York Times, conditions in hurricane-wracked Galveston, Texas, have begun to approach the scenario depicted in the latest remake of I AM LEGEND.

As crews hacked away at downed trees and replaced blown-out transformers and cut lines, state and local officials contended with a plethora of other problems, among them a tiger on the loose.

James D. Yarbrough, the Galveston County judge, said a pet tiger, well known to locals, had escaped during the storm and was wandering the ruins of houses on Bolivar Peninsula. “I understand he’s hungry, so we are staying away from him,” Mr. Yarbrough said.


You'll see Will Smith's similar encounter at approximately the one-minute mark in the trailer below.

     Posted By: Paul - Wed Sep 17, 2008
     Category: Animals | Armageddon and Apocalypses | Death | Disasters | Guns | Movies | Nature | Pets | Dogs | Science Fiction | Actors





Comments
We're constantly condemning the stupid and ill repaired here and even celebrating the passing of those too dumb to stay alive with a Darwin award so here, and now, I'd like to acknowledge Mr. Yarbrough's common sense and applaud him on to a long and fecund life.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 09/17/08 at 11:09 AM
Expat47--indeed, Yarbrough's comment might be the most sensible one ever to appear on WU....
Posted by Paul on 09/17/08 at 11:35 AM
Also as in I Am Legend, there are zombies roaming the streets. However, they tend to disguise themselves as local politicians.
Posted by BikerPuppy on 09/17/08 at 12:51 PM
BikerPuppy--very good analogy!
Posted by Paul on 09/17/08 at 01:18 PM
I have to disagree with the title of this section - I quite enjoyed I Am Legend, (spoiler alert: except for the dog dying, could have done without that) I didn't find it cheesy at all. You want cheesy...watch Teeth.
Posted by Jules in Connecticut on 09/17/08 at 02:39 PM
Pablo--an amazing and probably accurate reconstruction of events!
Posted by Paul on 09/17/08 at 03:02 PM
Jules--I will take your estimation of the film under advisement, confessing to not having actually seen it myself. It's only that I prefer my post-apocalypse scenarios purely rational--as in EARTH ABIDES--with no zombies present.
Posted by Paul on 09/17/08 at 03:03 PM
See the thing is they weren't zombies - someone found a cure for cancer but it turned those not immune to the injection into angry nocturnal predator thingies.
Posted by Jules in Connecticut on 09/17/08 at 03:35 PM
See, Pablo, I'm not a big fan of " wam bam pew pew pew, kiss kiss, dead, sad, vindictive pew pew, kissy kissy happy ending" movies either. But I DO like "wam bam pew pew pew, kiss kiss, wam bam, dead, sad, vindictive pew pew, wam bam, kissy kissy happy ending wam bam" movies.
Posted by KW in Dallas, TX on 09/17/08 at 04:30 PM
Pablo--glad your friends and relatives in Galveston came thru okay.
Posted by Paul on 09/17/08 at 05:26 PM
Steve--noted: that's why I said "similar encounter," not "identical."
Posted by Paul on 09/18/08 at 11:03 AM
For the I Am Legend discussion-- the most faithful movie to adapt the book so far is still The Last Man on Earth, starring a young Vincent Price. The book specifically states that the creatures are vampires, or at least vampire-like in nature, not zombies.

If you're interested, check out the novella I Am Legend by Richard Matheson for the real ending to the story- and a much more powerful, compelling ending it is, too.
Posted by kingmonkey in Athens, Ontario on 09/18/08 at 11:10 AM
Kingmonkey--I read the Matheson, but a long, long time ago. Will have to go back....
Posted by Paul on 09/18/08 at 12:07 PM
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