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Don’t mention the “Z” word

Channel Nine's media for its fictional telemovie Panic at Rock Island has been leaving out the best bit....

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Channel Nine’s media for its fictional telemovie Panic at Rock Island has been leaving out the best bit….

Is there something it’s nervous about?

A Press Release reads: “Set on a spectacular island in Sydney Harbour, Panic At Rock Island tells the story of a hot summer’s day when a lineup of top acts play for music fans from around the world.

“It’s all idyllic until unimaginable disaster strikes when a deadly virus is discovered on the island. Its symptoms are shocking and it brings swift and painful death.”

What it avoids is any mention of the point that this is a Zombie movie!

And while all the rest of television is busy being very serious you’d think it would be an asset to show you have a point of difference.

The telemovie, which includes Grant Bowler, Vince Colosimo, Damian Walshe-Howling and Jessica Tovey, Island has been co-financed with Nine and Universal Networks International (UNI) which will see it air in the US on Syfy Universal.

It airs later this year on Nine.

25 Responses

  2. even if this tv movie doesn’t come out as great as it could have, C9 will still have to be commended for trying something brave and different – something other than the usual suspects of crime-medical-factual.

  3. Anyone who thinks Undead was a decent zombie film, or a decent film in general, really needs to watch it again. Total fail.

    For a good zombie film try watching Dead Set, Dawn of the Dead (’78 version and ’08 version), Day of the Dead (not the remake which was a crime against cinema), La Horde, Shaun of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead (both versions), Braindead and Dellamorte Dellamore.

    No idea if Panic at Rock Island is going to be any good but another zombie film is always welcomed.

  4. @chk chk

    That was “Dead Set” and was on SBS.

    There’s a new US series about Zombies starting end of next month in the states called, “The Walking Dead.” It’s on AMC the same network that does Mad Men. It’s based on a comic series of the same name.

    The coolest part is it’s being done by Frank Darabont . Who has written and directed such things as “The Shawshank Redemption.”

  5. It’s about bloody time Australia has made a fantasy/sci-fi movie or tv series i’m sick of cop shows. Zombies will be awesome, i don’t care if it’s good as 28 days later all i care about we are getting one.

    @chk chk the zombie show was called “Dead Set” I’m pretty sure.

  12. Thats a new direction for our TV networks. It’s about time they tried something that isn’t a Cop show / Hospital Drama / Soap. I hope it does well so they start thinking outside the box more often.

  15. Can’t see an Australian telemovie being anything other than average with their budgets & scripts, certainly not expecting anything as good as 28 Days Later or even Shaun of the Dead.

    If you want a trashy Australian zombie movie, Undead by the Spierig brothers already achieved that.

  16. It’s great that TV is starting to broaden its storyline scope for drama. The Oz film industry has, for some time now, been quietly working away at producing really interesting low budget thriller/horror/slasher movies, garnering attention from the huge US market and elsewhere. Individual filmmakers and producers are showing the way. If only this could be the case with TV, too. Go for it, writers and producers!

  19. Australia has already made a fantastic Zombie pic Salad. It;s won awards all over the world at genre festivals…It;s called Undead…Look it up….

  23. As it’s being filmed on Goat Island on Sydney Harbour, they can use National Parks & Wildlife (NSW Govt) staff as extras,. They behave liike Zombies all the time.

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