Areala Asks: Zombies?

[Areala]

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I'd take a poll.

 

Do you love zombie movies/TV shows/other media?

 

If so, what are some of your favorites?

 

Alternately, what are some of your least-favorites?

 

Have zombies run their course in popular culture, or will there always be room for the ultimate blue-collar horror antagonist among us?

 

*huggles*
Areala

[Data]

I enjoyed The Walking Dead for the first 5 seasons but stopped watching after the third episode in the 6th season.

The first few season were very suspenseful and I was lucky to have watched them all in order.

 

Now that season 7 is out I may try to catch up but I'm starting to lose interest.

[Areala]

I'm a shameless slut when it comes to zombie stuff. Started with watching Savini's remake of Night of the Living Dead back in high school, advanced with Resident Evil in college (which messed with my nerves so badly I had to stop playing after exploring just a few rooms of the Spencer Estate), and nothing's been the same since.

 

One of my favorite zombie-related bits of media however was a pen-and-paper RPG that came out in the early 2000's called "All Flesh Must Be Eaten". I love RPGs that cast the players as "us against the hordes of evil". White Wolf's "Hunter: The Reckoning" did this awesomely, but AFMBE took the concept and ran with it into the end zone.

 

AFMBE offers a wide variety of options for players: 'Norms' are normal people, 'Survivors' are slightly hardier normal people, and 'Inspired' are people with access to some form of higher power (true faith, religion, witchcraft, paranormal, etc...) like the Imbued from Hunter: The Reckoning they can use to combat the undead, but for my money, the most fun is had when the game master hands out character sheets and tells the players, "You're all Norms. Make yourselves and let's see how well-suited you are to survive the apocalypse."

 

Anybody interested in seeing what it's all about can download the free introductory game kit from the Eden Studios website:

 

http://www.edenstudios.net/images/afmbedemokit.pdf

 

As well as character sheets:

 

http://www.allflesh.com/Csheet.pdf

http://www.allflesh.com/Cback.pdf

http://www.allflesh.com/Csheet2.pdf

 

And the character creation tool:

 

http://www.allflesh.com/creator.zip

 

.After that, all you need is a copy of the base rulebook (Revised Edition preferred) and you too can play out your own Dead Rising, Resident Evil, Dead Island, or Dawn of the Dead scenarios this Halloween!

 

*huggles*
Areala

[te72]

Not sure where I started when it comes to zombies. Perhaps Castlevania? My first solid memory is the original PS1 Resident Evil. Rented that after seeing the previews and thinking it looked amazing, and well, the rest they say...

 

Also a big fan of the staples. Watched Romero's original just a few years ago with a friend, and found that it holds up nicely. Enjoyed immensely the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. Big fan of The Walking Dead, both in comic form and the show, and looking forward to seeing how things pan out. Also interested in seeing how far they take TWD on the show, as the comic is just... brutal... on a whole new level. At the risk of implying spoilers, does anyone who has read the comic think they'll do THAT to the little cowboy hat wearing badass?

 

As for whether or not zombies have run their course, I don't know. Certainly are popular, and like all things, there are gems and there are gravel, just a matter of sorting out the good stuff. Personally, I think RE ran its course with RE4, seeing how 5 is a remake of 4, and 6 is well, 6 (and they seem to have painted themselves into a corner), so I think RE if anything, should just focus on the remake of 2, and if we're lucky, 3, then call it a day.

[kitsunebi]

During a brief fling with trying to be "active and outdoor-sy" I used the Zombies Run app.  Anybody else use this?  It seemed interesting enough - I just never find the time for exercise anymore.  My naturally trim figure belies an early heart attack waiting to happen lol.

[twiztor]

i don't hold a special place in my heart for zombies. i used to, but i got bored of them a couple years after they hit the mainstream. there were just too many crap movies and stuff. the good stuff is still really good, but it feels so watered down after zombies have basically infused our entire culture at this point.

 

what kick-started my appreciation for zombie flicks was also the remake of Night of the Living Dead. i had seen the earlier one but have never had any love for black and white films (exception: Clerks). I liked it a lot, tracked down the still-sorta-sequels and REALLY liked Dawn of the Dead. Would get into lengthy zombie debates with friends, and we rented Day of the Dead, which probably became my favorite. Bub is the man.

 

as far as games go, Resident Evil was good, but RE2 is where it's at. i've got nothing but love for that game and have bought it numerous times on a number of systems.

 

i feel the need to mention White Zombie/Rob Zombie right here. how much they fit into the conversation is debatable, but i love their music, with Hellbilly Deluxe being the single best album IMO.

 

 

least favorites? i'm gonna start with "28 Days Later". It was promoted as a zombie movie while being anything but. i sometimes see it cited as a "new beginning" for zombie movies, which probably explains why my interest started to fade after this.

[kitsunebi]

The problem with zombie movies is their adherence to "zombie movie rules."  They either follow those rules precisely, resulting in a film that is usually far too similar to those that have come before, or they break from those rules and infuriate all the purists.

 

As much as I LOATHE vampire fiction, at least vampires have been able to safely break away from the vampire rule set.  Heck, at this point, a vampire movie with vampires that have fangs, are harmed by garlic and holy water, have to be invited in, can't cross running water, etc. etc. would seem hopelessly old-fashioned.  They usually just pick one or two things, and chalk the rest up to "that's only true in the movies."

[Areala]

least favorites? i'm gonna start with "28 Days Later". It was promoted as a zombie movie while being anything but. i sometimes see it cited as a "new beginning" for zombie movies, which probably explains why my interest started to fade after this.

 

I probably would have liked "28 Days Later" better if I'd been told that it was a medical/viral outbreak film instead of a zombie movie. It's not a zombie movie. The victims are still alive, they're just exceedingly pissed off at everything and they die if they don't eat regularly. By that reckoning, we're all zombies. That might have been the social commentary Boyle was going for, but sorry, those ain't zeds.

 

*huggles*

Areala

[kitsunebi]

I probably would have liked "28 Days Later" better if I'd been told that it was a medical/viral outbreak film instead of a zombie movie. It's not a zombie movie. The victims are still alive, they're just exceedingly pissed off at everything and they die if they don't eat regularly. By that reckoning, we're all zombies. That might have been the social commentary Boyle was going for, but sorry, those ain't zeds.

 

*huggles*

Areala

 

Well to be fair, much like most "zombie" movies, the word "zombie" is never used.  And I just watched the trailer and saw nothing that was promising a zombie film, but lots of references to medical/viral outbreaks. "Exposure.  Infection.  Epidemic.  Evacuation. Devastation."  Sounds more like a viral outbreak movie to me.

 

That said, I'm sure a lot of the secondary promotion for the film (interviews, magazine articles ,etc.) pushed it as a zombie film. 

 

But here's the problem I have with the argument that 28 Days Later isn't a legit zombie movie: If zombie movies have any meaning at all, they represent how quickly society will crumble in the wake of a highly infectious, uncontrollable disease.  Not a disease that causes dead people to attack the living, but rather a disease that once contracted means certain death, thus making all carriers figuratively "the walking dead," as their fate is decided.  Whether they go about attacking the healthy is irrelevant - due to their high level of contagiousness, they are a deadly threat simply by existing.  And since disease is often hard to see with the naked eye, suddenly everyone is a potential threat and civilized society dies as everyone turns on one another out of fear.

 

It's a frighteningly possible future scenario, and zombie movies are the safe way we get to play out that fantasy.  Making the enemies into "already dead" monstrosities makes killing them seem heroic.  Whereas in reality, you would just be murdering innocent people whose only crime was contracting a disease.  Lots of zombie movie fans like to fantasize about how they would handle themselves in a zombie apocalypse, maybe imagining themselves as some badass popping off zombie heads left and right.  Which of course is way more fun than imagining yourself killing lots of ordinary people begging for help.

 

28 Days Later is still very much in the fictional "us vs. the monsters" vein of zombie films, even if the infected don't adhere to all of the same rules as Romero zombies (more traditional voodoo zombies are another thing entirely.)  Just because it plays its cards just a bit closer to the reality that the zombie apocalypse metaphor represents doesn't completely disqualify it from being a part of the same genre, in my opinion.

[Data]

The Return of the Living Dead in 1985 was a mix of humor and horror.  I recommend this.

 

International Treatie all skeletons come from India.
No Kidding, How come?
How the hell do I know how come?  The important question is where do they get all of the skeletons with perfect teeth?
Im gonna ask you a serious question.
How many people you know die with beautiful perfect set of choppers in their puss huh?
Nobody I can think of.
I think there's a skeleton farm over in India.  Ha Ha

 

Now Freddy here's something you dont see very often, you're a priviliged person.  These are split dogs.  Yep, for veteranarians schools.  Oh we get alot of orders for split dogs.
That pretty rad.  
Grrrr..
Dont fool around, you're learning.

 

Over hear Freddy is where we keep the fresh cadavers.  We sell these to medical schools and for the US Army for ballistic tests.
Well say hello...

 

We used to get more inventory than this but uh.. were expecting a shipment on Monday.
How many bodies are in there usually?
Well you know, you don't want to be overstocked.  Kinda like the restaurant business, you don't want you're inventory to lose it's freshness.
Ha ha ha. Tell you what I do, kid: buy you a soda and I teach you how to fill out these shipping forms.

 

Frank?
Yea kid.
What's the weirdest thing you ever saw in here?
Aww kid, I have seen some weird things come and I have seen some weird things go. But the weirdest thing I ever saw just had to cap it all
Ohh yea, whats that?
Let me ask you a question kid. Did you see that movie Night of the Living Dead?  Yea Yea Yea, that's the one where the corpses start eating the people right? Sure what about it?
Did you know that movie was based on a true case?
Aww come on you're shitting me rig..
I aint never been more serious in my life.
That's not possible, i mean they showed zombies taking over the world.
They changed it all around, what really happened was back in 1969 in Pitsburgh at the VA hospital, there was a chemical spill.  All that... stuff... kinda leaked down into the morgue and it made all the dead bodies kinda jump around as though it was alive.
What chemical?
245 Trioxin it's called.  It was to spray on marijuanna or something and the Darrowed Chemical Company was trying to develop it for the army, and they told the guy who made the movie that if he told the true stroy they would sue his ass off so he changed all the facts around.
So what realy happened?
Well they closed it all down see and the army shipped all that contaminated dirt and all those dead bodies out and they kept it a secret.
So how come you know about it?
Well, typical Army Fuck up, the transportation department got the orders crossed... and they shipped those bodies here instead of the Darrowed Chemical Company.  
Wanna see em?
See em?
The Corpses.
What are you talking about?
There down in the basement.
No

 

Ohh shit.  You say that thing was alive?
So they say.
Hey these things don't leak do they?
Leak? Hell no, these things were made by the US Army Core of Engineers.  

 

You Okay kid?
I don't know, I don't feel so good. Christ what a stink. What the hell happened to the body?
Must have melted when it hit the air.
Close the god damned thing.
I never smelled anything like that before. I think I'm gonna be sick.

 

What was that?
Sounds like a dog.
Wait a sec, listen listen.
You hear that?
What the hell's going on here?
What's wrong with it?

 

 

Ahh!  Im gonna kill it.

 

Screaming from freezer
We fucked up what's happening?  It's the cadaver the cadaver!
Well what's it doing in there?
I don't know, it sounds sore!
What are you gonna do?
Lock it in!

 

We gotta think!
Are we going crazy?
No it's that crap from the tanks.  The god damned chemicals, it's all over everything.
You stupid ass hole!
Watch you're tongue boy if you like this job!  
Like this job?
Think Think!
We gotta call the cops.
You know what the cops will do to this company?
What about the number on the side of the tank. The one that said to call in case of an emergency?
No, that's the god damned army!  You don't want the god damned army around this place.

One question Frank, this guy screaming in here, are you sure he's a dead cadaver?
Why don't open the door and find out?
No that's alright Frank I'll take you're word for that.
If that's a re animated body then were gonna have to kill it.
How do you kill something that's already dead?
Well how do I know Fred let me think.
In that movie they destroyed the brain to kill him is that what they did?
Now listen to me very carefully, Freddy you're going to open that door.
Frank you stand here and when he comes out I want you to brain him with that axe.
Aww Jesus!  
Well, how are we gonna stop him from moaning Frank?

 

Alright hold him.

 

Lots of screaming. Hit the brain. I did hit the fucking brain. Well do something else for god's sake.
Hold him down hold him down.
What are you gonna do?
Be a man Frank be a man!

 

 

 

[Areala]

Well to be fair, much like most "zombie" movies, the word "zombie" is never used.  And I just watched the trailer and saw nothing that was promising a zombie film, but lots of references to medical/viral outbreaks. "Exposure.  Infection.  Epidemic.  Evacuation. Devastation."  Sounds more like a viral outbreak movie to me.

 

That said, I'm sure a lot of the secondary promotion for the film (interviews, magazine articles ,etc.) pushed it as a zombie film.

 

I never saw the trailer for it (I don't watch much television). I had several friends describe it to me as a modern-day zombie film set in London, directed by the guy who did Trainspotting, and tell me I just had to see it because it was just the type of film I'd love to death, 'instant classic', etc... Also, the text on the US edition of the DVD quotes a reviewer: "Danny Boyle re-invents the ZOMBIE HORROR film and it's SCARY AS HELL". Now, if you're going to claim the director of The Beach reinvented the zombie horror film, then I don't feel it's unfair to expect a bloody zombie horror film, not a movie where a bike courier single-handedly takes out a bunch of highly-trained soldiers who've gone rape-crazed from not getting laid in a month. I mean, really...?

 

Maybe my problem was having it hyped to hell and back, but I waited, and waited, and waited for literally anything about '28 Days Later' to impress me. Finally I got my wish as the credits rolled and I said, "Thank God that's over." Seriously one of the biggest cinematic clunkers I've ever had the misfortune to watch.

 

*huggles*

Areala

[kitsunebi]

I wasn't trying to convince anyone who didn't like it that they should.  Just saying that I don't think it's as easily dismissed from being a part of the same genre of film as people are suggesting just because it doesn't adhere to the entire checklist of zombie film tropes/rules. 

 

I probably never saw the trailer either (I also don't watch much TV, due in part to the fact that I haven't owned a TV in over a decade), but I can guarantee you never saw it on TV.  Looked kind of red-band to me. 

 

I honestly don't know how I feel about the film itself.  I only saw it once, and the theater I saw it in had a problem with their sound system where the center speaker wasn't working (which if you know your surround sound, you'll know is the speaker where most of the dialogue comes from).  So the entire time I watched the movie, I was distracted by the juxtaposition of the super-loud music and effects covering the barely-audible dialogue.  I reported it early on, but it went unfixed, and pissed me off through the entire film.  So that pretty much taints my opinion of the quality of the film itself.  I did get some free tickets out of it though, when I complained to the theater's corporate customer service.

[te72]

Speaking of zombies, a comic for you all. Make sure the sound is on loud enough to hear some subtle noises:

 

http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/detail.nhn?titleId=350217&no=31

[Terry93D]

Not really much of a fan, but I do enjoy it when it's well-done. I mean, I think I do. Of zombie stuff I've only ever really read World War Z. 

[Softballchic10]

During a brief fling with trying to be "active and outdoor-sy" I used the Zombies Run app.  Anybody else use this?  It seemed interesting enough - I just never find the time for exercise anymore.  My naturally trim figure belies an early heart attack waiting to happen lol.

I know I'm a bit late to this party, but fashionably late I hope. I totally used this app as well during some of my workouts. I'm an avid runner so this was a fun alternative to just listening to my music. I actually used this during my training to do my first half-marathon. Perhaps when and if the zombies come, I'll be ready now.

[Areala]

I know I'm a bit late to this party, but fashionably late I hope. I totally used this app as well during some of my workouts. I'm an avid runner so this was a fun alternative to just listening to my music. I actually used this during my training to do my first half-marathon. Perhaps when and if the zombies come, I'll be ready now.

Great to see you pop in again, player of softball!

 

*huggles*

Areala

[AVGNFanBoy]

I will admit Zombies are starting to become more and more dull as they milk it for all its worth. But, zombies are starting to disappear as Superheroes rise and become the new cash cow.