The Walking Dead - The Complete First Season UNCUT - DVD

Film: Having already adapted three stories by horror master Stephen King to film, with his latest adaptation The Fog being the closest to the horror genre, Frank Darabont seems just about predestined to direct a quality zombie series for television. Darabont, who among other things had already directed episodes for the award-winning TV series The Shield and is therefore quite familiar with the rules of the genre, has created a great piece of genre entertainment with the adaptation of the graphic novel series The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman. And even though he had to step down as director of the series at the beginning of the second season, his work on the first season has laid the groundwork for long-term TV entertainment of a very high standard.

When police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) wakes up in the hospital after being shot on a call, he finds the world in total chaos. There are dead bodies everywhere, destruction dominates the cityscape and the only creatures still moving are all bloodthirsty zombies. Successfully, Rick manages to make it to his home, but his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callis) and son Carl (Chandler Riggs) are gone. However, Rick is convinced they are still alive, so he sets out to find them. When he meets survivor Morgan Jones (Lennie James) and his son Duane, he learns that there is supposed to be a military base in Atlanta where the survivors of the zombie plague have supposedly been taken to safety. Although it's just a rumor, it's enough for Rick to make his way to Atlanta. Once there, however, he finds only a horde of hungry zombies surrounding and nearly killing him. But then he is saved at the last second by some survivors who belong to a larger group that have set up camp outside the city. Now everything seems to be turning out all right after all - until Rick discovers that in these times of destruction and chaos, it's not just the dead who have mutated into monsters.

The Walking Dead may be a TV series. But anyone who thinks that compromises have therefore been made in terms of violence and horror is sorely mistaken. Because with bloody effects the creators are not exactly squeamish. The great make-up effects in combination with very successful computer effects create many a time a real goose bumps. But what makes the series so successful, is that it is not only carried by the splatter moments, but also by the characters and their story. The first episodes take their time to introduce the main characters and develop their personas, allowing the viewer to build a bond with them that is vital to the success of the series. In doing so, the pilot episode in particular sticks closely to the graphic novel. Only in the further course of the first season does the TV adaptation break away from its original, which was also done on the advice of Robert Kirkman. Even though many fans wanted the adaptation to be as faithful to the original as possible, they also wanted the TV series to offer them as many new things as possible. And that is the creators then also succeeded very well.

The production is thereby on a very high level. Especially the first episode, directed by Frank Darabont himself, can easily keep up with most cinema productions. Both the effects and the dramaturgy are first class. There is, for example, a scene in which Rick saves a starving zombie woman from her gruesome fate, which is of enormous intensity. Or the image of Rick riding a horse into seemingly deserted Atlanta, which is so great that it has become one of the main motifs of the first season. At moments like that, it's easy to forget that The Walking Dead is not a major motion picture.

The cast is also very well chosen. Englishman Andrew Lincoln, previously known more for comedic material (Indeed.Love or the British comedy series Teachers), may seem at first glance a rather unusual choice for a small-town American cop. But Lincoln does a very good job as a hero against his will. Also convincing alongside him are Darabont's regular actor Jeffrey DeMunn and a wonderfully nasty Michael Rooker, among others. Even if not all actors act equally well (especially Sarah Wayne Callis, known from Prison Break, limits her facial expressions to a single terrified expression), the ensemble is overall very aptly chosen and ensures that the series also pleases in its quieter moments.

The Walking Dead is gripping end-time version, straight zombie horror and suspenseful TV drama all in one. With only six episodes in its first season, the series has proven to be qualitatively adequate to its great graphic novel template. Although there are some small hangs, from which also the following seasons have to suffer, and the usual clichés, but the bottom line is that this lavish production is the best proof that some TV series are more expensive cinema productions qualitatively and dramaturgically highly superior. For fans of the horror genre and lovers of exciting TV entertainment, which may also be a little bloodier, The Walking Dead is an absolute must. Absolutely recommended!!!

The UNCUT version: Already a year and a half ago, the first season of the acclaimed zombie series The Walking Dead was released in Germany. In the process, as in the rest of Europe, three of the six episodes were presented only in a shortened version. Now, in cooperation with Entertainment One and WVG Medien, the rights for the uncut versions could finally be acquired, so that an uncut reissue of the first season box set can now be released. The differences only amount to a few seconds per episode, so the added value of this box is limited to a few brief moments. Nevertheless, it is clear: this version is the only true version for fans! However, this does not change anything about the quality of the content!

Picture + Sound: The picture is clean and has a high overall sharpness, which allows even smaller details to come into their own well. This is especially noticeable in a positive way during the great makeup of the zombies, where even minor subtleties are easily discernible. The colors are rather reduced, which gives the series a dirty and atmospheric gloomy look. This gives the viewer a real end time feeling.

In terms of sound, it is noticeable that the German track has been mixed much stronger than the English sound, which sounds a bit muffled and quieter. The ambient sounds also come across much better in the German version, although the whole thing is also mixed a little more front-heavy than the original sound. Overall, however, there is a deserved for the technical implementation: very good!

Extras: In the U.S., in addition to the regular version of the first season also appeared a 3-disc special edition with lots of new bonus material, such as audio commentaries, a black and white version of the pilot and other featurettes. It would have actually offered itself to offer for an Uncut release in Germany also this new bonus material, in order to attract also such buyers, who are already in the possession of the shortened version of the 1. season. Because for many, a few more seconds of gore just might not be enough to justify a new purchase. Unfortunately, however, German fans are deprived of this bonus material. So also the Uncut version offers only the already known, admittedly very good additional offer of the original release:

Neben the fact that the pilot episode in the American long version, which has about 20 minutes more material to offer, than the European TV version, which can be considered quite extra, the second disc has other worth seeing bonuses to offer. It starts with a good, almost 30-minute making of, which offers an entertaining and informative look at the production of the first season. Interviews with the creators and actors alternate with footage from the set. Just under half an hour is also devoted to a look at each of the six episodes, which are primarily short clips from the episodes and accompanying interviews with the creators. Quite nice, but nowhere near as informative as the making of.

It continues with a brief look at the series with its comic creator Robert Kirkman, amusing zombie makeup tips for Halloween, and a nearly 10-minute recap of the panel with the producers at the popular ComicCon in San Diego.

But that's not all: under the Extras menu are six more short documentaries made for the website of amc, the US channel on which the series airs in America. Between 3 and 5 minutes long, viewers can go to Zombie School, watch how the elaborate make-up for the Bicycle Girl from the pilot episode was created, spend time on set with Robert Kirkman, Steven Yeun or Andrew Lincoln, or be guided through Dale's camper by Jeffrey DeMunn. All of which are somewhat brief, but all the more entertaining extras. Very good!

Conclusion: The first, all-too-short season of The Walking Dead is not only a great TV series, but also horror entertainment at quite a high level. The double DVD set with the six completely uncut episodes is absolutely recommendable for all zombie fans due to the good technical realization and the extras worth seeing! Who has not yet grabbed the slightly cut version, which should definitely make up for it now!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp