Fatal Contact:: Bird Flu in America (2006)

[Scott]

FATAL CONTACT: Bird Flu in America (2006) - Watched this made for TV film tonight on network TV. It's a fictional film based on what could happen if the bird flu began to spread from human to human. A little of everything happens with food and water shortages, polititians sealing themselves up, police quarentine, mass graves, and people in white suits and mask. Millions die in this film it kinda reminds me of other made for TV doomsday film like THE DAY AFTER (1983) or the mini-series THE STAND (1994) only this time it's the virus we have been forewarned about in the news for a couple years now.

[daveblackeye15]

I wanted to catch this because of it sounded very grim.

Alas I missed it. If there's a DVD I'll rent it.

[Scott]

It was ok for it's dramatic topic, but kinda fizzles at the end. They only cover the first of three waves of the virus expected in the film. The virus was expected to mutate (which it does) then the film just kinda ends after reports of the second mutation.

[peter johnson]

The wife and I watched this . . . TURKEY! . . . all the way through & were pretty amazed at how uneven it was.  I mean, it did have some moments of good acting & real tension in places, before it strangely turned into some sort of civics lesson.  And, to be fair, we did find the final shot of the geese approaching the city of Richmond, Virginia(Where I used to live) carrying, what we assume, is the Doomsday version of the M5 virus, or whatever, to be actually quite chlling.
So what if it was a cop-out "The End . . . Or Is It?" sort of ending -- we still dug it.
     What we did enjoy were the moments of leaden dialogue & telegraphed moments -- re.  You knew old Governor in the Bunker would either die horribly or experience epiphany.
     The only thing about it we thought flat-out stunk about the presentation was how they had to not only play this interminable "this is only a movie/it couldn't really happen" business at the beginning, but some actress from the cast -- the only bona fide "good gal" in film -- had to come on at the end and assure us all that this is a "work of fiction & couldn't really happen" etc.  
     I mean COME ON!!  Are we, as a nation, so namby-pamby & scared of our own shadows and/or stupid that this "it's only a movie" business needs to be drilled into our skulls?
peter johnson/denny crane

[ulthar]

peter johnson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  Are we, as a nation, so
> namby-pamby & scared of our own shadows and/or
> stupid that this "it's only a movie" business
> needs to be drilled into our skulls?

Yes.  As a nation, I think we ARE that infantile. Er, well, at least I do think HOLLYWOOD thinks we are that infantile (which is the same thing, since Hollywood certainly does my thinking for me).

[LilCerberus]

peter johnson Wrote:
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> And, to be fair, we did find the final shot of the
> geese approaching the city of Richmond,
> Virginia(Where I used to live) carrying, what we
> assume, is the Doomsday version of the M5 virus,
> or whatever, to be actually quite chlling.

Here in Richmond, Virginia, there was a big stink about how this movie takes place in Richmond, Virginia, but was actually filmed in Richmondton, New Zealand, a town built by Hollywood to be an exact replica of Richmond, Virginia, and a lot of us were wondering why a film that takes place in Richmond, Virginia couldn't be filmed in Richmond, Virginia, rather than going to another country & building a new one.

I dunno, maybe they were worried that someone might see them filming the "stampede at the grocery store" scene & think we were having another ibook sale.

Since Fatal Contact takes place here, some of the local officials decided to hold a number of last minute public seminars to better educate the public on how a pandemic would be handled here in C VA, but they refused to tell anyone where these seminars were being held.

Boy, I'd hate to be a bear living in Maymont Park right now.

Say, peter, since you used to live in this town, do know of any casting agents around here?
I wanna be an extra real bad.

[peter johnson]

Re. Richmond, VA --
The only people I recall doing any sort of film/acting casting in VA were all indie/to the job at hand kind of people.  It's a sad thing, but I'd say look in the phone book under "Agencies" , or "T" for talent -- sorry I'm not more help in that regard.
The film was shot in New Zealand for the same reason the bulk of "American" outdoor scenes are still shot in Vancouver, Canada:  Despite the generally socialist nature of the Canadian political infrastructure, they know enough not to tax the bejeezis out of a visiting company bringing wealth to the area.   Virginia and Colorado have still not figured that one out, and so both states lose revenue to North Carolina and New Mexico respectively.
peter johnson/denny crane

[ulthar]

peter johnson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  Virginia and
> Colorado have still not figured that one out, and
> so both states lose revenue to North Carolina and
> New Mexico respectively.
>

Could it be that Colorado does not want too much Hollywood influx?  Perhaps there is a sense of conservation at work there.  I don't know, I'm just wondering.  I know The Shining was shot there, and were the scenes in Continental Divide really Colorado (I was under the impression they were)?  Both older movies, of course, and maybe they just paid the price tag.

(BTW, I used to live in Aurora and we visit Grand Junction almost every year, so I am aware that the Denver area is Little LA anyway...lotsa CA implants, er, well, you know what I mean).

[Just Plain Horse]

ulthar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yes.  As a nation, I think we ARE that infantile.
> Er, well, at least I do think HOLLYWOOD thinks we
> are that infantile (which is the same thing, since
> Hollywood certainly does my thinking for me).


Well said, Ulthar. Hollywood thinks we love drivel that can be spoon fed to us. I can only hope there will come a day when they will wise up.

[peter johnson]

Many many films have been shot in Colorado over the years, esp. Westerns.
Many silent Westerns were shot here --
Actually, there is no sense of "conservation" involved with the current lack of film production here, so much as there is no sense of incentives and lack of excessive taxation.
No, the Colorado Film Commission is an agency in name only at this point -- so sad, as Colorado has more days of sun that either LA or Vancouver.
Aurora still has no trees, and Denver is still the same --- only very determined people still make films here
peter determined johnson/denny determined crane

[LilCerberus]

I just found out this afternoon that the reason they didn't film Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America (2006) here in Richmond, is because someone else is busy filming Evan Almighty (2007) in this town.

I'll bet they needed extras.
GOLLYGOSHDARNIT!

Steve Faulkner got to get run over by Charlie Sheen in the Shadow Conspiracy, even though his scene ended up on the cutting room floor. What's he got that I aint got?... Well, beside more hair.


(grumble, grumble, grumble)

[Shadowphile]

As far as the 'this is only a movie' warnings are concerned, I only need to mention the original 'War of the Worlds' broadcast that had most of America in a panic, despite repeated warnings that it was only a radio play.  The next day, several of the people involved in the broadcast were literally dragged from their vehicles and lynched.

[Susan]

Stupid movie. Real threat. The movie went overboard it making a real threat into something too unbelievable with billions dying. Even worst case scenario won't go that far because of the progressive nature of a virus to weaken in mortality the more contagious it becomes.

it's too bad that most of the current made for tv movies just plain suck!

[Just Plain Horse]

Susan Wrote:
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> Stupid movie. Real threat. The movie went
> overboard it making a real threat into something
> too unbelievable with billions dying. Even worst
> case scenario won't go that far because of the
> progressive nature of a virus to weaken in
> mortality the more contagious it becomes.
>
> it's too bad that most of the current made for tv
> movies just plain suck!


Yeah, well said... first off, Tv movies suck because current issues are usually not well understood, and like the 24 hour tv news channels, are more interested in grabbing an audience with exaggerations and generalities than fact or reason.

Now, speculation: Granted, I don't have much of an eduactional background to back this up, but I'm inclined to believe that in order for a virus to be successful, it would gain more from mutating to live in live hosts rather than becoming trapped in the bodies of dead ones... so while the first contact will no doubt be lethal, the faster the virus mutates, the more it gradually becomes like the common cold.... it is possible in the distant future that the HIV virus may eventually do the same thing, as it seems medical science is nowhere near a cure in our lifetimes.

[Vermin Boy]

I missed this one, but did anyone else catch the Daily Show's recap of it? Funny stuff...

"If you missed this movie, you might not know that blowing your brains out is an alternative in dealing with bird flu!"