A few words about…™ – The Last of Us — in 4k UHD

While unconfirmed, it is rumored that the HBO series, The Last of Us, may be another motion picture based upon video game(s). Whether true or not, the series stands on it’s own with wonderful acting and superb production design.

Shot in 3.4k with an Arri Alexa Mini, the resultant files that source the new 4k UHD disc are superb in every regard.

For those who may be unaware this is a zombie drama, with shades of Walking Dead (2010), another TV product. Zombies, whether one believe in them or not, harken back to Night of the Living Dead (1968), Jacque Tourneur’s I Walked with a Zombie (1943), 28 Days Later (2002), and from a more comedic perspective, Zombieland.

It also ties rather nicely into the concept of Covid. HTF is a non-political forum, and Covid can get rather political, so I’ll make the point that if Covid actually did/does exist (along with Global Warming), there’s certainly a connection in this series. I’m taking no position.

Shot in various locations in Canada by four different DPs, it’s a quality affair from start to finish.

One thing that I noticed is the way that budgets are massaged. There are higher and lower level episodes, and I found S1 E3 to be a bit of a resting place, allowing more funds to go into other parts of the story.

Heading into Season 2, with a 2025 date, the first is a limited series of 9.

Acting is superb across the board, with young Bella Ramsey as Ellie. They previously appeared in classic comedy Holmes & Watson, as well an other produced for cable series. Pedro Pascal (Joel) has been seen in Kingsman: The Golden Circle and Wonder Woman 1984. The pair play off one another beautifully.

Interesting that the two leads in a Canadian shot / US production are English and Chilean born. Mr. Pascal’s family escaped the Chilean Pinochet regime, and he was raised in Texas and California. Loss of Chile, win for the US.

Lovely main titles, which (to me, at least) are reminiscent of Westworld, and for slipcase collectors, a beautifully produced, embossed slipcase, with a metallic underlay beneath the colors. I’m of a mind that 95%+ of slipcovers are a waste of paper adding to landfill, and destroying trees.

This one is actually worth keeping, and for those who collect, best to grab a copy while the first printing is still available. One never knows when these could be bringing thousands on eBay. I can imagine the listings.

“Please read full description below. No returns. This listing is ONLY for the slipcase, and does not include the 4k disc. Starting price $250 / BiN $999.

Image – 5 (Dolby Vision)

Audio – 5 (Dolby Atmos)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors – Yes

Makes use of and works well in 4k – 8

Worth your attention – 9

Slipcover rating -8

Highly Recommended

RAH

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Sep 5, 2023

#2 of 31

JoshZ

Screenwriter

Robert Harris said:
Shot in various locations in Canada by four different DPs, it's a quality affair from start to finish.

Wait, you're telling me this wasn't actually filmed in the Boston metro area? I know when I go to Newton Centre, this is exactly what I see when I step out of the Commuter Rail station.

Sep 5, 2023

#3 of 31

Tino

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Senior HTF Member

Robert Harris said:
For those who may be unaware this is a zombie drama, with shades of Walking Dead (2010), another TV product. Zombies, whether one believe in them or not, harken back to Night of the Living Dead (1968), Jacque Tourneur's I Walked with a Zombie (1943), 28 Days Later (2002), and from a more comedic perspective, Zombieland.

They are certainly not zombies in The Last Of Us at all. They are “infected” akin to 28 Days Later. A important distinction. Calling it a “Zombie Drama” does a disservice to this excellent series in my opinion. And the less said about TWD which jumped the shark after a few good seasons the better!

Sep 5, 2023

#4 of 31

Tino

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By the way this is by far the greatest video game adaptation of the greatest video game ever made for tv or film in my opinion.

Sep 6, 2023

#5 of 31

madfloyd

Stunt Coordinator

Some drone scenes were filmed in Boston.

Sep 6, 2023

#6 of 31

Ronald Epstein

Founder

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Senior HTF Member

Tino said:
By the way this is by far the greatest video game adaptation of the greatest video game ever made for tv or film in my opinion.

I don't play many games on my PS4. However, I played THE LAST OF US all the way through several years ago and loved every minute of its gameplay.

I was not optimistic that HBO could pull off the series. Trying to convince my girlfriend who has never gamed, to watch a zombie-like story (but no, not zombies) based on a video game was a hard, hard sell.

But we both gave it a try and by the 3rd episode (which by far is the best of the series), we were firmly sold on this series. Week after week it delivered a story that felt less like a video game and more about humanity.

I need to again stress how superb I thought the third episode of this series was, despite the amount of backlash it received. At its heart, it was a beautiful, moving story.

Glad to read you seemingly enjoyed this series, RAH.

Looking forward to Season 2.

Sep 6, 2023

#7 of 31

Robert Harris

Archivist

Reviewer

Senior HTF Member

Tino said:
They are certainly not zombies in The Last Of Us at all. They are “infected” akin to 28 Days Later. A important distinction. Calling it a “Zombie Drama” does a disservice to this excellent series in my opinion. And the less said about TWD which jumped the shark after a few good seasons the better!

But they’re “infected” by a bite or wound from other “infected” are they not? Presumably, the distinction is that they are not the un-dead, as in Haitian tradition. They are still living.

Makes me begin to wonder about our friends Imhotep and Kharis.

Good comments. You’ll find corrections above. For more info on the topic best we communicate with Mr. Stoker or Miss Shelley for further guidance.

Last edited: Sep 6, 2023

Sep 6, 2023

#8 of 31

Tino

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Robert Harris said:
But they’re “infected” by a bite or wound from other “infected” are they not? Presumably, the distinction is that they are not the un-dead, as in Haitian tradition. They are still living.

Yes. The distinction here is that they are infected by cordyceps…a real disease that affects insects such as ants. They don’t die and come back to life for some unknown reason like traditional Zombies that we are used to.

Cordyceps is a core plot element in the video game series The Last of Us, first released in 2013, and its 2023 television adaptation.[14][15]

Cordyceps - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Last edited: Sep 6, 2023

Sep 6, 2023

#9 of 31

JoshZ

Screenwriter

Tino said:
Yes. The distinction here is that they are infected by cordyceps…a real disease that affects insects such as ants. They don’t die and come back to life for some unknown reason like traditional Zombies that we are used to.

That rule gets thrown out by the second episode, in which we see the heroes unload their weapons into the "infected" to no effect until they can get a good headshot.

You can argue semantics all you want, but the monsters in this show look and act and follow almost all the traditional rules of zombie fiction. They're definitely zombies, no matter what excuse is used for the cause that turned them into zombies.

Sep 6, 2023

#10 of 31

battlebeast

Senior HTF Member

Filmed in my home city!!

Sep 6, 2023

#11 of 31

Tino

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JoshZ said:
They're definitely zombies, no matter what excuse is used for the cause that turned them into zombies.

Well if you say so….. :laugh:

Sep 6, 2023

#12 of 31

Tino

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Expect at least two more seasons as the second game is almost twice as big as the first game as show runner Craig Mazin has already stated.

It’s gonna be a crazy second season too.

Sep 7, 2023

#13 of 31

jayembee

Senior HTF Member

JoshZ said:
You can argue semantics all you want, but the monsters in this show look and act and follow almost all the traditional rules of zombie fiction. They're definitely zombies, no matter what excuse is used for the cause that turned them into zombies.

I'm with you, but I've already had this argument with Tino in the thread for the series when it first aired on HBO. Once was enough.

Sep 7, 2023

#14 of 31

Robert Harris

Archivist

Reviewer

Senior HTF Member

jayembee said:
I'm with you, but I've already had this argument with Tino in the thread for the series when it first aired on HBO. Once was enough.

Why not just consider them as living-dead / zombie-like?

Sep 7, 2023

#15 of 31

Stephen_J_H

All Things Film Junkie

Senior HTF Member

Robert Harris said:
Shot in various locations in Canada by four different DPs, it's a quality affair from start to finish.

JoshZ said:
Wait, you're telling me this wasn't actually filmed in the Boston metro area? I know when I go to Newton Centre, this is exactly what I see when I step out of the Commuter Rail station.

View attachment 196972

As someone who grew up and lived at or near many of the locations featured in the show, this strikes me as particularly hilarious. Alberta can stand in for a lot of things, but not the land of Smaht Pahk.

Sep 7, 2023

#16 of 31

jayembee

Senior HTF Member

My position is that what are considered "zombies" today (infected by a virus) are completely different from what zombies were traditionally (corpses reanimated by voodoo). Given that the range of what is considered a zombie has expanded already, there's no reason why it can't be expanded again. That it's caused by a fungus in this instance instead of a virus doesn't make no nevermind.

Sep 7, 2023

#17 of 31

Malcolm R

Senior HTF Member

Robert Harris said:
But they’re “infected” by a bite or wound from other “infected” are they not?

Maybe they're vampires.

I think a more similar comparison may be rabies. But to most of the general audience, they likely just call them zombies.

Sep 7, 2023

#18 of 31

dpippel

Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems

Supporter

Senior HTF Member

Robert Harris said:
But they’re “infected” by a bite or wound from other “infected” are they not?

Similar to the way the rabies virus spreads, by the bite of an infected animal or human, yet we don’t refer to rabies victims as “zombies” even though the illness can cause drastic changes in the victim’s behavior. It’s a transmissible disease with severe symptoms that eventually results in death, as does the Cordyceps fungus in TLOU.

I agree that the whole definition of what a “zombie” is has been taken in every possible direction, both in film and in literature. So, I don’t have a real problem with people using the term to describe the Infected in TLOS, although I don’t agree with it in the strictest sense.

Sep 7, 2023

#19 of 31

Michel_Hafner

Screenwriter

Ramsey and Pascal were both in GOT, but no shared scenes.
Oh, by the way, diarrhea is hereditary, it...

Sep 7, 2023

#20 of 31

JoshZ

Screenwriter

dpippel said:
Similar to the way the rabies virus spreads, by the bite of an infected animal or human, yet we don’t refer to rabies victims as “zombies” even though the illness can cause drastic changes in the victim’s behavior. It’s a transmissible disease with severe symptoms that eventually results in death, as does the Cordyceps fungus in TLOU.

Can rabies victims survive multiple gunshots to the center of their mass and only be killed by a direct headshot? Because we see that multiple times in this show.