Market for Zombies? It's Undead (Aaahhh!)

[Evil Avatar]

The New York Times has posted an article, Market for Zombies? It's Undead (Aaahhh!) (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/fashion/sundaystyles/26ZOMBIES.html?_r=1) (registration required) talking about the recent rebirth of the Zombie genre in movies and books, including quotes from fan-favorite authors Brian Keene (Yea!) and Brian Smith.

Perhaps the biggest debate in the zombie world is whether zombies have to move slowly, as they do in the Romero movies, or whether they may run. Some of the first sprinting zombies appeared in the 2002 film "28 Days Later." In "The Rising," Mr. Keene's zombies can sprint and even drive vehicles, qualities some zombie purists object to.

"I gave them an upgrade," Mr. Keene said.You will see banner ads for Keene's newest novel, The Conquerer Worms, and Smith's zombie novel, Deathbringer, running right now at the top of the page. Both are highly recommended.

[captainspankypants]

Isn't there some debate as to whether "the infected" in 28 Days Later are even zombies at all? I don't usually think of that as a zombie movie, but more of a viral outbreak/end of the world movie, similar to The Stand.

[Citizen Philip]

I'm all for the traditional slow zombies, however, I do think the fast zombies are also fine: I only think fast zombies are unfair ;)

I draw the line at being able to perform complex tasks: they aren't zombies anymore. Simple activies like posting a website for example, are totally acceptable. Provided they prerequite groans, complaints, flames and desire for brains are clearly mentioned.

/hungry

/brains

[phantomhitman]

i agree, 28 had infected humans with a rage virus. they were not dead, just crazy

[Grimmjow]

yeah i also consider 28 days to be a berserk/human virus or whatever! movie :)

[pacmanfever]

i always thought of the infected as zombies without all the supernatural stuff.

if you want to be strict about the definition of zombie, we're gonna have to exclude most of the usual films because voodoo has to be involved.

[Venkman]

The zombies in the rising were called that simply because the characters could not come up with anything else to call them!

They are in fact something else. Read the book to find out. :-)

[Bone]

The zombie purists generally consider Romero's work to be the canon by which all zombie rules must apply. I find that to be horseshit, as much as I love his work. The genre should be open enough to accept differing rules, just like werewolf and vampire rules shift within their genres.

For instance, the new Dawn of the Dead was a great zombie movie, even if it changed the rules, and even if it was based on Romero's work. It was a different movie and a very enjoyable one, I thought. I had no problem accepting the faster zombies.

[Citizen Philip]

The zombie purists generally consider Romero's work to be the canon by which all zombie rules must apply. I find that to be horseshit, as much as I love his work. The genre should be open enough to accept differing rules, just like werewolf and vampire rules shift within their genres.

For instance, the new Dawn of the Dead was a great zombie movie, even if it changed the rules, and even if it was based on Romero's work. It was a different movie and a very enjoyable one, I thought. I had no problem accepting the faster zombies.

I think purist is just another word for fanatic. If it works, it works. I really enjoyed the redone Dawn of the Dead. Very good.

I tend not to listen to fanatics. Unless I agree with them.

[AntB]

Undead zombies should be limited to primal consciousness. None of this driving cars bullshit.

[Soap]

***Prepare for Zombie Geekness***

Romero really changed Zombie canon in his last movie, Land of the Dead. He made the zombies in that film attempt to have a "normal life". The zombie leader gets angry at the humans who are killing all his buddies (I shit you not). He eventually "learns" how to use a Steyr Aug (assault rifle) and leads a semi-revolt against one of the last buildings occupied by humans.

For you Keene fans, Land of the Dead, has many similarities with his second book "City of the Dead."

I personally feel that the definition of a Zombie, is one who is literally Brain Dead. It seems kind of strange to me, if your muscles are rotting off your body, that your brain can still pick up new skills.

But hell, I'll keep reading 'em anyways.

[Hegemony Cricket]

I thought the first sprinting zombies were in Return of the Living Dead.

One of the top five zombie films ever made.

Now for the argument generating list:

1) Night of the Living Dead
2) Dawn of the Dead (original)
3) Return of the Living Dead
4) Shaun of the Dead
5) Lucio Fulci's Zombie

[Beelzebud]

zombies that can drive? I guess I'd have to read it, but that just sounds stupid. If a zombie has the mind to drive a car, is it really a zombie at that point?

[Loganrapp]

I'm going to argue that the point of zombie films - the reason why they're popular - is, beyond the idea of just being able to run free and blast shit like you're in an FPS, that zombies are essentially humans stripped down to primal instincts - to hunt to kill.

And the idea that seems to be pushed by Romero is that, despite our TVs, our sofas, etc., civilization does not mean we are incapable of becoming zombies ourselves, turning on one another, trying to establish dominance, and the like.

To get to some semblance of a point - the idea for zombies is that they are basic. They have no communicative skills, they have very basic motor skills, and probably have the ability to problem solve as, say, a dog would.

One would also be led to believe that, if zombies are dead, the longer they are animated the more they decompose (cells are not regenerating), and the less they can do. Driving a car just seems so counter-intuitive, unless we're talking a freshly-bitten and zombified victim, who still retains some memory.

[The Continental]

***Prepare for Zombie Geekness***

Romero really changed Zombie canon in his last movie, Land of the Dead. He made the zombies in that film attempt to have a "normal life". The zombie leader gets angry at the humans who are killing all his buddies (I shit you not). He eventually "learns" how to use a Steyr Aug (assault rifle) and leads a semi-revolt against one of the last buildings occupied by humans.

Changed for the worse...

I love zombies, fast zombies, slow zombies, whatever. I will admit that both 28 Days Later and the Dawn of the Dead both blew Land of the Dead out of the water in every regard, so I guess I'm taking a bit of a liking to the fast zombies.

As a fan of the original dead trilogy though, I can honestly say Land of the Dead was just terrible, to the point where I hope Road of the Dead never gets made just so George doesn't tarnish his legacy any further.

[YoungAlCapone]

One would also be led to believe that, if zombies are dead, the longer they are animated the more they decompose (cells are not regenerating), and the less they can do. Driving a car just seems so counter-intuitive, unless we're talking a freshly-bitten and zombified victim, who still retains some memory.

I agree

I have always been of the opinion that a freshly undead and non-decomposed Zombie should still be able to book it. However once the decomposition starts to take place and muscles start to rot they should start to lumber around and eventually should just be struggling with even lifting thier legs. That is just my opinion.

Oh, and 28 days contained no zombies, and Land of the Dead wasn't really that bad at all in my opinion, but the Dawn of the Dead remake was better.

[pacmanfever]

***Prepare for Zombie Geekness***

Romero really changed Zombie canon in his last movie, Land of the Dead. He made the zombies in that film attempt to have a "normal life". The zombie leader gets angry at the humans who are killing all his buddies (I shit you not). He eventually "learns" how to use a Steyr Aug (assault rifle) and leads a semi-revolt against one of the last buildings occupied by humans.


George really started in with the idea of a thinking zombie years ago with "Day of the Dead" and Bub. I felt like the zombie intelligence in "Land of the Dead" was a pretty natural progression from that point, even if it is the weakest film in the series.

On the other hand, it's also the only one with Asia Argento, so it gets points for that.

[PacerDawn]

Zombies man... I'm a huge mark for the genre (actually I think it may be more apocolyptic genre, but zombies is the best of those for me).

"Night of the Living Dead" did have fast zombies. The very first zombie in fact was quite fast in fact, and wicked mean with a rock.

I liked "Land of the Dead". My least favorite was "Day of the Dead". That movie didn't seem like much of a zombie movie to me. The main story was "Scientists vs Military", with the "survival against masses of undead" tacked on as an afterstory.

Give me the George R movies (and remakes), give me "Shawn of the Dead", give me Resident Evil, but please keep that House of the Dead crap and burn it. Hell, I didn't think it could get worst than the first one, until I started to watch the second one and had to turn it off 10 minutes in. Geez, and I thought nobody could do a worse job than Ewe Boll...

[Logik]

But Boll's zombie flick had one thing Romero's films never did...a woman dressed like Captain America at a gymnastics competition.

[Soap]

Zombie Intelligence sounds like an oxymoron to me. I'll give you 5 cool points for having Asia Argento in Land of the Dead, but I'm going to have subtract 7 cool points from you for having John Leguzamo portraying a character named Cholo.

[Bone]

I agree that if you think "logically" about a zombie, the faster, intelligent ones should be the freshly bitten, recently dead ones. They should get slower with age and decomposition (the new Dawn of the Dead touches on this, but very briefly- a bunch of the zeds milling around the mall are a bit more decayed and slow, if I recall).

However... since we're talking about REANIMATED CORPSES here, I think any explanation that an author wants to use should be accepted. Realism need not apply in a zombie flick.

[aversion2k]

Yea, I'm sure if you were walking down the street and then a crowd on moaning and groaning blood covered people were running towards you to eat you, you wouldnt run away screaming "Oh my god zombies!!", you'd stop and started debating about if they are zombies or not.
28 days later is a zombie movie. Maybe they arent traditional zombies, but they are zombies.
Try not to get to technical about a fantasy creature :p