Zombies

For discussion of John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel Hanteringen av odöda
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Theinfected914
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Zombies

Post by Theinfected914 » Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:38 am

I haven’t read the book yet, but I thought that I would open up a thread on all things related to zombies. I’ve seen all the classics. From a guy mowing through a massive horde of zombies in what is regarded as one of the, if not, the goriest zombie film, to Romero’s social commentary in his Living Dead series, all the way to Raimi's bizarre Evil Dead series. But to me, the best is the British Horror 28 Days Later series. I guess it’s more of a generational thing, in which the film exposes the darker side of government.

In terms of comedy, Zombieland ended up tying with Shaun of the Dead to be my favorite. I also liked Dance of the Dead. The movie is a quirky teenage zombie film that for some reason, I found myself enjoying—it does resemble Evil Dead.

A bad one I recently saw was: Zombies of Mass Destruction. It was part of the Afterdark Horrorfest series, which I think is officially dead now. It was sort of a letdown anyways.
"But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated."

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a_contemplative_life
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Re: Zombies

Post by a_contemplative_life » Thu Sep 01, 2011 10:37 am

In honor of this post, this photo seemed appropriate... :D

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I have never been a big fan of zombie movies; I think the last one I watched was Dawn of the Dead, which shows you what an old fart I am. They're great for a simple night of plain horror and creeping paranoia, plus the struggle for survival angle, but beyond that, they have never really captured my imagination. I have some vivid memories from DOTD, like the guy who got the top of his head chopped off with a helicopter blade, and the rednecks shooting zombies out in the field. And of course, Tom Savini running around in that mall and that biker dude getting his guts torn out. That made me sorta queasy.

I enjoyed reading HtU, and am looking forward to it becoming a film. It's the first zombie story I ever came across where there was an effort to inject some genuine human drama into the zombie characters themselves and their relationships with their past loved ones. As far as I know, JAL is a pioneer in this.
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DMt.

Re: Zombies

Post by DMt. » Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:30 am

I found myself saying just the other day that the zombie thing is related to fears of people around us going feral, eg rioting/social collapse/civil war.

I had real trouble watching 28 Weeks Later [I still haven't seen the first one] alone; it took several goes :oops:

Especially where the kids are exploring a post-zombie-apocalypse London.

Tense? Rigid is more like it! I don't really like horror films per se, I can frighten myself quite easily enough.

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StefL
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Re: Zombies

Post by StefL » Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:15 pm

If you haven't watched this Swedish short flick you have about an hour from now to do it until it's taken off the Play page of Swedish national TV
http://svtplay.se/v/2492999/svensk_nove ... erfodelsen

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Theinfected914
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Re: Zombies

Post by Theinfected914 » Sat Sep 03, 2011 1:24 am

DMt. wrote:I can frighten myself quite easily enough.
You and I both. Hopefully, I'll be able to put most of it, if not all, into story book format ;) I don't really know why I'm so fascinated by the dark. Perhaps, as one guy in a horror documentary that I once saw said, "Maybe there really is something wrong with me?"
"But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated."

--Ernest Hemingway

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Ash
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Re: Zombies

Post by Ash » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:21 am

Some of the zombie films are just funny, intentionally. "He's got an arm off!!!!"

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Re: Zombies

Post by lombano » Sat Sep 03, 2011 6:07 pm

Perhaps the only zombie film I've ever watched, and certainly the only one I actually remember apart from a few shorts, is 28 Days Later. Too much like some of my childhood nightmares for comfort, but the cinematography is excellent and mostly I liked the angle it chose, kind of Masque of the Red Death meets an extreme battle for survival situation, though I thought it explained a bit too much and some bits were too much Hollywood action. The only zombie book I've read is HTU. Actually I'm not that crazy about a film adaptation, not convinced it lends itself well. I guess zombies just aren't my thing.
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Re: Zombies

Post by DMt. » Sat Sep 03, 2011 6:18 pm

Shaun of the Dead is well worth a look... ;)

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Re: Zombies

Post by Nightrider » Sat Sep 03, 2011 7:03 pm

Two Zombie movies always stay with me.

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Zombie(1979) Lucio Fulci's nasty literally kept me up at night.
Yet I still have this poster in my collection.

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Dawn of the Dead(1978) George Romero's true original classic. Which for my money is the archetypal Zombie film. Imitated, but not surpassed this film showed realistic approach to the goofy premise. It's just a really good film.
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a_contemplative_life
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Re: Zombies

Post by a_contemplative_life » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:59 pm

DOTD's predecessor, "Night of the Living Dead," is also good. I think it is in the public domain, and can be viewed online without copyright violation.

http://www.archive.org/
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