Zombie Invasion

If you don't live in the UK, you will be blissfully unaware of Brad Pitt's new zombie film, World War Z, which has consumed Glasgow. I am all for Hollywood investing millions into the Glasgow economy and I generally like movies, but the Zombie takeover is quickly turning sour for me.

Why?- My morning commute to work requires me to walk trhough George Square in the center of Glasgow. Over the past week this particular area has been transformed into something meant to resemble Philadelphia. This has meant replacing street lights, bins and signs. They even painted crosswalk stripes and shipped over dozens of American cars, taxis, buses and trucks to populate the streets surrounding George Square.

At first, it was fun to see the changes each time I passed on my way to work, during my lunch break, or on my way home. Then the barriers started going up, as they closed off various sections for filming. Each day, I have had to find a new convoluted route into work and back again, following the maze of barriers, security guards, and, most annoyingly, spectators who feel the need to clog the already narrowed walkways in order to oggle the set decor and loiter around the area in the hope of catching a glimpse of Brad Pitt.

I would find the whole experience interesting and even fun, but after more than a week of the madness it is wearing on me. This morning it took me an extra 25 minutes to get from the Underground to my work- a walk that normally takes about 2 minutes. Apparently today they are shooting scenes of the zombie invasion and needed more space to work in, plus a buffer zone to prevent people from interfering with filming.

One aspect of the whole mess that I still find quite amusing is seeing the ridiculous outfits, high heels, and layers of fake tanner that have emerged around the set. Word gets around that Brad Pitt is in town and every woman under the age of 60 starts strutting her stuff around town.

If you wish to see pictures of aforementioned zombie invasion, simply do a google search. I promise you'll find hundreds of hits.