The Zombie Zone

The Last Zombie Zone Post, Ever

2011-09-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

Wow. I would bet you thought Uncle P had given up on the ole Zombie Zone. And the truth is - I have. I just haven't made official until tonight. Running three (1 daily, 1 weekly and 1 seasonally) blogs is just too much when working full time while directing and acting part time (you'll have 3 chances to Uncle P actually perform in the upcoming season).

What Uncle P doesn't have time for is a weekly blog that seemed liked overkill. I can talk about zombies over at Caliban's Revenge any time I want. I don't need a special blog to do so.

And remember way back in the beginning when I said the Zombie Zone (originally "The Zombified Zone") was an experiment? I wasn't kidding. I wanted to see if I could find enough material for a weekly blog about single subject. It was fairly easy, at first. But something really strange happened. A mid-century cult horror movie suddenly went mainstream and zombies were literally everywhere. And I'm sure Papa George never thought his little super-cheap indie horror movie would spawn a totally new sub-genre. I know he never imagined one the best television dramas of the Twenty Teens (I'm claiming that phrase if no one else hasn't already done so) would take place in the genre he invented..

I know several of you already do, but please come follow me over at Caliban's Revenge. It's as much about zombies as it is anything else. I rant; review; critique; complain; analyze and explain movies; theatre; TV; politics; LGBT issues; family secrets; fun with friends and others; technology; travel; etiquette; personal issues; common issues; food and just about anything else I'm obsessing on at the moment, all with my own particular take on each subject, because I am nothing if not opinionated.

I thought I'd leave you with some of my favorite images I gathered for use on future Zombie Zone posts. Like that tattoo of Pope Benedict as a zombie. I guess it's well executed, but I don't understand. Can a monster turn into another kind of monster? It's sort of like getting a tattoo of Hitler in dominatrix gear. The horse is already... ah, never mind.

I loved trying something that looked completely different from Caliban's Revenge (which is undergoing some renovation at for the moment). I loved my custom colored keywords. Caliban's Revenge simply has too many tags to even try something like that - though maybe for some very specific tags). I liked finding odd and funny zombie clips, videos and trailers. As I'm sure you know - there's a lot of real crap out there, also contributing to the lack of stuff good enough to bothering embedding, let alone simply linking to. I could have spent the summer linking to AMC and their The Walking Dead dead teasers and updates, I suppose but I wanted to avoid spoilers. The ouster of Frank Darabont is cause for concern, though he set the bar so high, the cast and crew have no choice but to continue to deliver the goods.

And I will continue to cover and recap the show on Mondays at Caliban's Revenge.

I hope you've enjoyed the experiment while it lasted. I know I did. I hope you'll visit Caliban's Revenge.

I always have a good time there.

NOT Teddy Z

I won't be deleting The Zombie Zone any time soon, but I will no longer be posting anything here after tonight. Thanks for reading me. I hope you had as much fun as I did.

Is this a Pinup Nurse Fetish Zombie Tattoo? Why?

I will leave you with one final Zombie Clip of the week, as soon as I find one. BRB!

That was kind of lame, wasn't it? Hold on...

One of dozens like it, you say? Damn, you are hard to please...

Oh, I give up! Here's a stupid car commercial with a zombie:

No More, Ever (At Least Not Here)
Prospero

Bad Vacations (Plus: An Announcement)

2011-03-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

First, I have an announcement:

While I have decided not to shut down The Zombie Zone, it will no longer be a regularly scheduled blog. It's hard enough sometimes to come up with daily topics for Caliban's Revenge, but finding enough new topics for a Zombie Zone post every week, is just too much.

I'll continue to post here and promise you'll read and see something at least twice a month. I can't guarantee that you won't already have heard about what I post two weeks before I actually post, but hey... I write the Zone for myself. I've always called it an experiment, and will continue to do so. Just not a weekly one. I'll also be moving my weekly "The Walking Dead" re-caps from Caliban's Revenge, to here, for its new season.

I hope you'll continue to stop by and have some fun once in a while. I know it's fun for me to write, when there's enough for me to write about... If you don't already, check out Caliban's Revenge. I'm there just about every day...

That having been said, let's get on with it, shall we?

I suppose this first item belongs in Zombie Nonsense. The adorable Zombie Teddy Bear on the right is there because of this article on The Zombie Research Society's website about Zombie Hibernation. I don't know, but I'm thinking its a stretch, at best. Sometimes the writers at ZRS just try too hard...

Meanwhile, in Zombie Science, The Huffington Post has this delightful article about the discovery of new species of Insect Zombie-Creating fungi. Pleasant dreams after watching this one, kids:

Just one more reason for Uncle P to despise mushrooms...

And last, though hardly least, this next piece serves dual function. Gotta love that!

First, in Zombie Games, the trailer for the new video game from IGN "Dead Island" (via) is rather amazing... and very very grim and apparently, somewhat controversial because while we've zombie children plenty of times, this is a story about a child who is a zombie victim. Told mostly in slo-mo reverse, it is some of the most amazing CG I've ever seen in a video game trailer.

Second... the "Dead Island" trailer is also this week's Zombie Clip at the End of the Post. But I have to be honest - it is rather... intense. Watch in Full Screen mode (if you can) and watch all the way to the end for the fullest effect. Probably NSFW, due to violence and gore. Same for the young'uns... (when did I become a Hillbilly?). Enjoy:

Wow! Talk about a vacation in hell...

"Th-th-th-that's all, Ethyl!" (and 10 points to the first reader who can source that particular quote). Hang in there, Baby! 'cause I promise:

More Pseudo-Scientific Mumbo-Jumbo, soon.
rospero

Killer Kool Aid and Other Zombie Nonsense

2011-02-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

I haven't been to bed yet, so it's still Saturday to me, no matter what it says on the post date. Anyway, here's a silly bit of Zombie Ink to start us off this week, via Ugliest Tattoos. Regular readers know that Uncle P has a few tatts of his own (and will likely get a few more before he's worm food), though I doubt I would get anything quite like the one pictured here.

First I have to ask, "WTF?" The irony of the friendly anthropomorphic Kool Aid Pitcher as a zombie doesn't escape me. Nor the fact that he is bursting through flesh, rather than the traditional brick wall. Still, it boggles my mind that someone would actually have this image permanently inked on his torso. And it doesn't help that Kool Aid Man is bursting through an obviously labial wound, bringing both menses and infection to mind with one fell swoop. I will, however, admit to liking the skull ice cubes floating atop the pus green contents of K.A.'s pitcher. And I suppose it's better than this Infected Zombie Bite tatt on what I must assume (and hope) is someone's shoulder.

If you must express your love of Zombies in public, then I suggest you do so less permanently with some fabulous Zombie Fashion, as in these shoes found on If Style Could Kill:

Splattered with "blood' and featuring just a glimpse of the zombie who may or may not have done the splattering, they're perfect for the Ghoul on the Go wanting to make a statement on the Blood Red Carpet.

And since I've mentioned Red Carpets, the Oscars are almost here, and while it is exceptionally unlikely that a Zombie Film will ever win Naked Gold Man, it doesn't mean the genre is any less valid than any other. And a Golden Globes nom for "The Walking Dead" this past year may well elevate the genre just bit (but Pia Zadora has a Golden Globe, so so much for their credibility). And while I would like to say that there are tons of great Zombie Films coming out in 2011, most of the ones I have come across seem to be listed on IMDb as "in development," so who knows if they'll ever come to fruition.

They include, but aren't limited to: Cell, an adaptation of Stephen King's take on the genre, once attached to Hostel's Eli Roth; Evil Dead IV, director Sam Raimi's long-rumored fourth entry in the franchise that made him famous; I Walked with a Zombie, a remake of the Val Lewton-produced classic about Haitian-style zombies; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which seems to change attached directors every two months or so; Virulents, about U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan stumbling across a nest of zombie vampires and of course, Zombieland 2. I'm not holding my breath for any of these projects, though I'd say a production company couldn't go wrong with a certain Anti-War Zom-Rom-Com that's available for production at a reasonable price...

And since its been a very long while, this week's Zombie Clip of the Week is Episode 8 of "Zombie College:"

More Southern California Post-Punk Zombie stylings, soon.
Prospero

Let Them Eat Cake

2011-02-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been away from the Zone for a while, but there really has been so very little Zombie News to report of late. And while I do still intend to talk about upcoming Zombie Films, this week I thought I'd start with some Zombie Pastries. The photo above is actually a cake (via) by Barbara Jo found on DoItMyself.org. Full instructions can be found here. Regular readers know that Uncle P's sister has a side business making custom cakes for all kinds of occasions. Sis came North last year for a change, but I'm still hoping that when I go south this spring, she'll have a special zombie cake just for me. And I''ll be sure to post pictures of it here when she does.

In Zombie TV, AMC continues to post interviews with the cast and crew of their hit series "The Walking Dead." An interview with cast member IronE Singleton can be found here, while an interview with Season 1 crew can be found here. Meanwhile, on the heels of AMC's surprise hit, several other networks are developing their own zombie series. First (via) comes news of the CW series "Awakening" about "two sisters who come of age and face off against one another amidst the zombie uprising." Meanwhile, NBC is developing the totally ridiculous-sounding "Zombies Vs. Vampires." Uncle P thinks this is definitely a case of genre overkill and predicts a very short run, should the show actually make it to air.

And finally, in advance of my post about upcoming Zombie Films, comes the Zombie Clip of the Week, a (you should excuse the expression) short about the making of Night of the Little Dead, a film which features "The Cape" co-star Martin Klebba and whose title which will make itself apparent as you watch the clip. Enjoy:

More Melting Heads, soon.
Prospero

A Week Off

2011-01-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

There isn't a whole lot of Zombie News, to report this week, so Uncle P is going to take this Saturday off. I'll be back next week with a look at some upcoming Zombie Films for 2011.

Instead, I am off to work on my latest Zombie screenplay, which I hope to be able to share with you soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this Zombie Food Pyramid I found by randomly searching Google. Man, I love the Internet!

More organ grinding, soon.

Prospero

Best Zombie Movies of the Decade

2011-01-08T20:44:00.001-08:00

Since I'm doing "Best of the Decade" over at Caliban's Revenge, I thought consistency was a good thing and decided to bring it to the Zone.

Sadly, while there are lots of Zombie Films I haven't seen over the past 10 years, including Pontypool and Dead Snow, there are plenty I did see, and so this week's post is all about them. Let's get started, shall we?

10. Land of the Dead (2005)

The father of the modern zombie adds his fourth entry into the series with Land of the Dead, a story about the "haves" and the "have nots." Dennis Hopper is Kaufman, a guy who has set up a walled city in Pittsburgh where the very rich live in protected luxury while the poor struggle to survive in a post zombie apocalypse world. Simon Baker; John Leguizamo; Asia Argento and Robert Joy are members of Kaufman's scavenger crew, raiding outlying towns for supplies. When a zombie known as Big Daddy discovers the lights across the river, he leads a horde of the hungry undead right into the heart of Kaufman's "Zombie-Free" City. While not exactly as good as his previous efforts, Romero still manages to bring social commentary to his world of the hungry undead:

9. Deadgirl (2008)

In this independent thriller, two disaffected high schoolers discover a young woman imprisoned in the depths of an abandoned mental asylum. It soon becomes clear that that she is one of the undead, but that doesn't stop them from selling her as a sex slave, with disastrous results. Creepy, weird and very original, Deadgirl is probably the most disturbing film on my list:

8. REC (2007) /Quarantine (2008)

The original Spanish film REC places a young reporter with the night crew of a fire station, where their latest call is to a building where all hell has broken loose. The American remake Quarantine follows the same plot, but adds Hostel hottie Jay Hernandez into the mix. Both films are rather intense, feature a first person narrative and take a "rabies" approach to the zombie meme, though the original is just a little better.

7. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Zack Snyder (300; Watchmen) reimagines Romero's classic treatise on consumerism as a balls-out horror movie, featuring an astounding opening sequence; lightening fast zombies and most repulsive take on zombie babies since Peter Jackson's Dead Alive. Below is footage that was shot, but never used.

6. Slither (2006)

A zombie film by default, James Gunn's hilarious Sci-Fi zombie movie concerns a small town under siege by slug-like aliens who tun their victims into hungry zombies. Gross and funny, Slither made my Top Ten Horror Movies of the Decade, as well. Slither is a treat for anyone who loves genre movies.

5. Diary of the Dead (2007)

Romero's next entry in the genre he created is his first attempt at 'first person' filmmaking and tells the tale of a group of young University of Pittsburgh film students trying to make their way east during the zombie apocalypse. While not exactly up to the quality of Romero's earlier films, it manages to take a stand against more recent films that take liberties with the genre, while providing a couple of the best zombie kills ever.

4. 28 Weeks Later (2007)

Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo picks up where Danny Boyle left off with this aftermath story about a man who is trying to live with the guilt of leaving his wife behind. When his children discover their mother still living, it triggers a new outbreak of the so-called "Rage" virus, practically destroying everything the military has done to control the outbreak. 28 Weeks Later also includes one of the most heart-pounding first scenes in film history.

3. 28 Days Later (2002)

Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting; Slumdog Millionaire) turned the genre upside down with his film about animal activist do-gooders who unwittingly unleash the 'Rage' virus upon the UK population. Referred to as "The Infected," the zombies in Boyle's film are unapologetically fast and brutal, paving the way for new kind of zombie.

2. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg take on the genre with their hilarious POV in this film about being stuck in a rut in more ways than one. Uncle P snuck away during a dance rehearsal for a terrible show he was stage-managing, to find himself the only person at the matinee who got the "We're coming to get you, Barbara" joke.

1. Zombieland (2009)

Using the lore from every Zombie movie that has come before, director Reuben Fleischer and writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick turn Romero's trope into the funniest and most effective Zombie movie ever made. Number 9 on my list of Best Horror Movies of the Decade, Zombieland is the best Zombie Film I've seen in the past 10 years, despite having its tongue firmly planted in it's cheek. Hilarious, gory and so very fun, Zombieland earns it's number one in spite of (and even perhaps because of) its use of 'Evil You Know Whats.' Of course, the camoeo turn by Bill Murray may have something to do with it.

Agree? Disagree? Discuss. I love your comments.

More cannibalism, soon.
Prospero

Welcome 2011 - One Year Closer!

2011-01-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

According to more than a few nutjobs and bad Hollywood disaster movies, the world is scheduled to end on December 22, 2012. So enjoy the last two years before they come for us (and get yourselves ready for when they do...).

Seriously, I wish my readers both here and at Caliban's Revenge a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2011.

I have a special Saturday post on the Revenge tonight, so read me there. I'll be back with my usual Zombie Nonsense next Saturday.

Prospero

A Very Zombie Christmas

2010-12-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Uncle P has been very busy gathering brains, guts and limbs for all the zombies on his list. Whew! I'm exhausted. So let's get started, shall we?

In Zombie Films, via CNN comes this story about a new Cuban zombie comedy Juan of the Dead. I doubt we'll ever get to see it here the U.S., though I hope I'm wrong. It looks like it could be hilarious.

In Zombie Nonsense, via Boing Boing, comes this not-so-helpful Zombie Survival Graph at Meme Base.

And even though AMC's "The Walking Dead" is over until next fall, they keep posting all sorts of Zombie TV content in an effort to keep their hungry fans sated. Here's there most recent post: "More Online Zombie Content Than You Can Shake a Dismembered Limb At." Of course, no one was more thrilled to learn that "The Walking Dead" has received a Golden Globe nomination for Best TV Drama. It has a snowball's chance in hell of winning, but how cool is it that the Foreign Press Association thought highly enough of the short season freshman to nominate it. It certainly bodes well for ensuring more (and longer) seasons of the Best New Show of the Year.

And since we're already talking about "The Walking Dead," this week's Zombie Clip of the Week is this amazing clip (via), featuring every zombie kill in "The Walking Dead" in 69 seconds:

But wait! There's More! Next Saturday is Christmas and there will be no Zone post. So, to hold you over until the New Year, here's a special re-post from last December. Consider it Uncle P's gift to you...

A Zombie Poem by Prospero:

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the town,
Not a zombie was stirring; they'd all been gunned down.
The corpses were burned in the chimney with care;
The stench of their rot was soon filling the air.
The living were nestled all snug in their beds,
Hoping their brains were still safe in their heads.
And Ma with her Uzi and me with my gun,
Stood watch o'er the door, ready to run.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my seat to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash;
Tore down the nailed boards and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the blood spattered snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to the terrors below.
When, what to my horrified eyes should appear,
But a miniature hearse and eight undead reindeer.
I had to move fast, I had to shoot quick;
Or else I'd fall victim to brain-hungry St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, more zombies came;
Some of them neighbors, I knew them by name.
"There's Harvey and William; there's Barbara and Billy;
That's Carol and Sarah, well don't they look silly!"
They lurched toward the porch, they clawed at the wall;
Blast away, blast away! I shot at them all.
Still on toward the house, the zombies kept coming;
If Santa got in, we'd all soon be running.
Then like a nightmare, I heard on the roof
Scratching and moaning -- It's not zombie-proof!
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
Down the chimney a zombie came with a bound.
He was all dressed in rags, from his head to his foot
And his clothes were all covered in brains, blood and soot.
Another soon followed right on his back,
They shuffled on in, prepared to attack.
Their eyes were all milky, their cheeks sunken in;
Their lips were drawn back in a sardonic grin.
The hair on their heads was as stiff as dead straw;
Their fingers curled up into flesh-tearing claws.
The stump of an arm was clenched in one's teeth,
And the face of the other resembled ground beef.
They were greenish and pale, all rotten and smelly;
I shot one in the head; his brains turned to jelly.
Another soon followed, dressed like an elf.
I laughed when I saw it, in spite of myself.
It looked at me and twisted its head,
Filling my gut with a feeling of dread.
It spoke not a word, but went straight to its work,
Shambling and shuffling, all gnashing and jerks.
I pulled my trigger - Right in the nose!
He wanted to eat me, or worse, I suppose.
Ma sprang to my side, shot one and then whistled.
"Guess that'll keep him from chewing our gristle."
Once the zombies were dead, I turned off the light.
A Zombie Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

With my deepest apologies to Clement Moore...

Wishing you all a very Zombie Christmas!
Prospero

Zombiewood

2010-12-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry to disappoint the pervs who may have mistaken this post's title for a necrophilic reference.

This week in Zombie Art, the poster on your left is by artist Matt Busch, who re-imagined several iconic movie posters as zombie movies in this hilarious collection over at Buzzfeed's "Hollywood is Undead" collection. The posters include "Indiana Bones;" "Scary Potter" and "Toy Gory." Somehow, Uncle P can't help but think that "Cadavatar" would have been a much better (or at least more interesting) movie than the one it's parodying.

Of course, this week's sad Zombie TV news is the end of Season 1 of AMC's "The Walking Dead." But fear not. AMC has loads of Zombie content to keep you occupied until the series' next season. First, there's this interview with Emma Bell, who played the unfortunate Amy. And this interview with Laurie Holden (Amy's sister, Andrea) and finally this interview with Jon Bernthal, who plays Shane. I do so hate that we must wait 10 months for the next season, but take some solace in the fact that it will be 13 weeks long, rather than this season's paltry 6 episodes. And in an effort to keep their rabid fans happy, AMC has put up a ful page that that they call "More Online Zombie Content than You Can Shake a Dismembered Limb At."

In unsubstantiated Zombie Film news, word is out that the producers of Zombieland are on the hunt for a another celebrity cameo for the sequel, though I can't imagine who might top Bill Murray (though a zombified Stallone, Willis or Schwarzenegger would be awfully sweet). Who would you like to see in the sequel?

And in Zombie Music, the Internet Movie Database recently linked to this Tumblr post called "Zombie Rock," from Certain Songs.

And this week's Zombie Clip of the Week is from Toyota, of all companies, who aired this very clever commercial during episodes of "The Walking Dead:"

More skull crushing, soon.
Prospero

Supercailifragilisticzombiealadocious

2010-11-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

Several interesting Zombie things of note this week, starting with an MTV Zombie TV report entitled "What Happens at 'The Walking Dead' Zombie School." It's an interesting look at what the extras had o go through in order to appear on the massive AMC hit. And there'll be more about "The Walking Dead" in a bit...

In Zombie News, now that holiday shopping is in full swing swing, the CTPost had this article about a special gift for under your favorite Zombiephile's tree. Uncle P has actually bought zombie presents for two of his favorite Zombiephiles, but since they both read this blog (or at least they tell me they do), I can't reveal what they are or they are for, though I know they know who they are... (suddenly this has become the Ralph Kramden Zombie Zone). And the New York Times opinion page recently ran this column about the recent proliferation of everything Zombie. While the author says she doesn't think there can actually viable plotlines involving the Zombie Apocalypse, she fails to realize that zombie stories (good ones, at least) are really about the living people who are trying to survive amidst the worst possible of conditions.

And almost finally, in the new (though probably one-time) category of Zombie Sports, the Columbia, MO Daily Tribune asks: "Are Zombies Any Good at Football?" I'm guessing the answer is "no." That's probably because zombies are far more interesting in eating their opponents than in scoring touchdowns.

This week's Zombie Clip of the Week is sort of a cheat. Since I recap and review each episode of "The Walking Dead" over at Caliban's Revenge every Monday, I usually save these "sneak-peek" clips for then, but I thought I'd share early... After all, we know what's going to happen to poor Amy, even if Andrea is in deep denial about it:

More rising from the dead, soon.
Prospero

Flash Flesh Feast

2010-11-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

Uncle P has been a flashmob mood all week. Primarily because I am desperate to organize one to promote a JTMF or Shakespeare '70 event, but haven't been able to come up with an appropriate one.

Now, I love a really good and creative flashmob. The best ones are promotional, set up by advertising firms to promote a product, event or even a TV show. Though occasionally there will be a mad, senseless and just fun flashmob. Which is where the zombies come in.

Here the, are a few of Uncle P's favorite Zombie Flashmobs:

Italy, 2009:

San Francisco, 2006:

Denver, 2009:

New York, 2007:

There isn't a whole lot of Zombie stuff going on right now (except in Zombie TV on AMC's "The Walking Dead") what with the Holidays upon us and all... But speaking of "The Walking Dead," AMC has this interview with cast member Sarah Wayne Callies who plays Lori on the show.

And the Zombie Clip of the Week is Episode 7 of "Zombie College:"

More meaningless brain eating, soon.
Prospero

Please Do that Voodoo?

2010-11-13T20:03:00.000-08:00

Let's start with a combination of Zombie Films and Zombie Science this week, shall we? That's the poster for documentarian Hamilton Morris' latest film Nzambi, which documents Morris' attempts to prove the work done 30 years earlier by Wade Davis in his book "The Serpent and the Rainbow" (which was later fictionalized in the underrated Wes Craven film of the same name). The always entertaining Zombiphiles at BoingBoing recently posted this interview with the filmmaker.

The interview led Uncle P to seek the film out and I have posted the first 9 minutes or so below. While Nzambi has almost nothing to do with the modern concept of the flesh-eating eating zombie created by George Romero in Night of the Living Dead, it's still a fascinating and intense look at a cultural phenomenon that is almost entirely limited to the culture of Haiti and the religion known as Voodoo.

Since we started with Zombie Science, let's continue and talk about this fascinating item to your right, "Effervescent Brain Salt." Sounds like some sort of zombie condiment, doesn't it? It is, of course, an old-timey headache cure along the lines of Alka Seltzer, but I bet it's delicious on braaaaiiiinnnnssss.... (also via)

The zombie-loving Sci-Fi geeks at i09 have this insightful article about a ship converted into a Zombie Safe House, complete with living, farming and storage decks, insuring years of survival on the ole Mississippi. The winner of Architect Southwest's "Zombie Safe House Competition" the SS Huckleberry was designed by Shea Michael Trahan.

io9 also provides us with a fairly comprehensive primer for The Walking Dead, the much-loved graphic novel which has now been adapted into a critically lauded Zombie TV series by cable channel AMC. And since we're talking about "The Walking Dead," AMC has this nifty little interview with actor and rat-lover Steven Yuen, who plays Glenn.

Of course, one should never confuse the AMC show with the 1936 Warner Brothers thriller of the same name, starring none other than Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff; about about a mad scientist who resurrects a man who was wrongfully executed for murder:

And since its been a while, this week's Zombie Clip of the Week is Episode 6 of "Zombie College:"

More very disturbing fantasies, soon.
Prospero

The Walking Dead, Mike White and a Chainsaw

2010-11-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

That's a panel from Robert Kirkman's graphic novel The Walking Dead. As you all well know by now, AMC hs adapted Kirkman's work into an exceptionally graphic and well-produced TV series. The premiere aired last Sunday to AMC's highest ratings ever and proved that Horror has an audience on TV. So let's start with some Zombie TV, shall we?

The premiere episode, "Days Gone Bye" introduced the main character, a Georgia Sheriff's Deputy named Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) with marital problems who is shot in the line of duty. He awakens from a coma about a month later to find the world has changed for the worse. Everything he knows is gone, including his wife and son. Even worse, the dead walk and they want nothing more than to eat the living. My original review can be found here on Caliban's Revenge, but I watched it again today (man, do I love my DVR) and have some additional thoughts.

First, Frank Darabont is an obviously talented director who understands and appreciates genre story-telling, perhaps more than any director working today. One need only to watch his three Stephen King adaptations (The Shawshank Redemption; The Green Mile and The Mist) to know that. He is also a master at getting nearly point-perfect performances from his casts. No matter how outrageous the situation, the actors in his works make us believe them because they believe them, themselves (see Tom Hanks in The Green Mile and Marcia Gay Harden and Thomas Jane in The Mist). Finally, he is committed to conveying the humanity in the stories he tells. "The Walking Dead" isn't about a world over-run by flesh-devouring zombies. It's about the living and very human beings trying to make their way in such a world. As with his other genre works, Darabont understands this and uses it to his best advantage. We can see all the gore and grotesques in the world, but without real human reaction to them,, they mean nothing. The confusion and fear on Rick's face as he picks his way through a field of corpses outside the hospital tell us more about him than a hundred exploding zombie heads ever could. And the abject grief in Morgan's eyes as he puts his wife's zombified head in the sight of his rifle is enough to bring tears to the most jaded of horror fans' eyes.

Of course, Darabont isn't afraid to creep us out - the scene where Morgan's zombie wife tries to open the door the house where they are hiding is as scary as any boogieman we might imagine in our closets or under our beds. And the sequence in which Rick finds himself surrounded by hundreds of zombies in downtown Atlanta is nothing less than heart-pounding. "The Walking Dead," while ostensibly a story about the Zombie Apocalypse, is actually a tale about the people trying to survive in a world turned upside-down by circumstances completely beyond their control. And that is why it works so well.

In Zombie Film news, it is being reported (via) that Mike White (Chuck and Buck; Year of the Dog) has been offered to direct the film adaption of Seth Grahame-Smiths Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the zombified version of the Jane Austin classic. And while Natalie Portman is reportedly no longer attached, Scarlett Johansson (Ironman II) is now reported to be in the running for the lead.

Finally, tonight's Zombie Clip of the Week, in which the zombie-killing claymation maid makes a welcome return:

More kids with chainsaws, soon.
Prospero

This is Zomboween

2010-10-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Since Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, and because AMC's "The Walking Dead" premieres tonight, I thought I'd wait until after midnight to post this week's Zombie Zone entry.

And since I've already started talking about Zombie TV, this week's episode of NBC's quirky comedy "Community" was one of its best, ever even if Joel McHale kept his clothes on. Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) buys the school's Halloween Party food at an army surplus store, inadvertently buying an experimental form of rabies along with it, temporarily turning the entire student body in into bite-happy zombies. It was as near a perfect parody of Horror, Sci-Fi and Zombie movies as a half-hour sitcom could be. And even though Joel kept his clothes on, who knew Donald Glover had abs on which one could grate cheese?

My review of "The Walking Dead" will appear on Caliban's Revenge on Monday, but in the meantime you can read this article at New York Magazine. It has a tidbit or two we haven't already heard, though my fellow zombiphiles will appreciate it more than anyone else.

Also in Zombie TV, via Uncle P's sister comes this link to the WWE, which has zombified it's wrestlers for Halloween. And since I'm linking to otherwise non-zombified websites, Sears just moved up a major notch on my list, for having such a great sense of humor and Halloween spirit, by zombifying their website so cleverly. You can check it out here. Funny, hip and irreverent, it's the perfect way for the stodgy old retail veteran to attract young customers. I wouldn't be surprised to see more retailers do something similar next October.

Nominally in Zombie Toys, the brainiacs at BoingBoing have a link to a some Zombie Wound Stickers.Print 'em on sticker stock; cut 'em out and you have an instant Halloween costume (as long you don't sweat too much or have really oily skin, I suppose).And I am ashamed to admit that my favorite Zombie Toy, Teddy Z, did not take part in this very amusing short from BBC3:

And finally, because it's Halloween, here are several Zombie Clips of the Week:

More Apocalyptic speculation, soon.
Prospero

Ink, Art and Zombie Barbie

2010-10-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

It's getting harder and harder to find interesting and funny zombie to share with you guys, so I may be posting every other week from now on.

Lets start with some Zombie Ink, shall we? To your left is a photo courtesy of i09, of a fan so enamored of Charlie Adlard's "The Walking Dead" art, that he's had panels reproduced as tattoos on his right leg. See, this is the right way to do a zombie tatt. This, would be the wrong way...

And speaking of "The Walking Dead," in Zombie TV news, the premiere of AMC's adaptation is just one week from tomorrow. It's only a six-episode starter season, but AMC has already announced a second season. Let's just hope we don't have to wait until October 2011 for it.

This week in Zombie Art, the always hilarious Helen Killer (AKA April Winchell) has posted and altered this lovely painting. Make sure you scroll down for the full effect.

And almost finally, in Zombie Toys, the brain-hungry crew over at BoingBoing posted a link on how to make your very own Halloween Zombie Barbie Garden. "Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow? With white spray-paint, a rat-tail comb and pretty maids all in a row?" And in Zombie Nonsense, there's this very amusing clip from College Humor; "Nazi Zombies."

And last, but not least, in a Zombie Nonsense cross-over, here's your Zombie Clip of the Week: "Lego City Zombie Infection."

Since next weekend is every Zombie's favorite holiday, I'll try to make sure I have plenty fun stuff to post.

More virus-induced cannibalism, soon.
Prospero

Zombie World

2010-10-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

So much to cover after so long away, so let's get started, shall we? First up - a brand new label: Disney Zombies. Uncle P's sister (who celebrated her birthday, yesterday) lives in Florida and is a self-described 'Disney Dork.' She and her husband have super-duper season passes which give them access to just about everything in Disney World and they go often, spending a weekend here and there at different hotels and exploring all sorts of weird and wonderful things.

On their most recent excursion, they played the Kim Possible* adventure game in Epcot. They were

given special passes and clues that took them all over the park, enabling them to activate different special things with special codes. At one point, they came upon the miniature clockwork in the picture above which when activated, turned the tiny people in the town square no zombies. Sis thought I would enjoy nothing better than this picture she snapped for me.

Somehow, I enjoy this Jesse (from Toy Story) sno-cone cup even more. I suppose it's because it encourages you to take huge bites out of Jesse's frozen, bloody brain. Yum!

Meanwhile, in Zombie Science, Sis also sent me a link to this story on AOL News about real Haitian zombies. It's nothing you probably haven't already read, but still an interesting article.

In Zombie Toys, Gore Galore (a Halloween prop and costume website), offers a line of My Pet Zombies, a series of fairly pricey 6" zombie figures that are fun to look at, even if you can't afford them. And if you can afford them, would you please buy a set for me?

And in Zombie Nonsense, the blog Three Years of Roses has a very funny piece on survival tips, called The Zombie Buddy System. Uncle P laughed out loud more than once.

Let's not forget Zombie Fashion. The brain-hungry lunatics at BoingBoing recently featured a lovely pair of custom PF Flyers designed by tattooist Mark Lankin. Me likey!

And finally, in a combination of Zombie News and Zombie TV, The L.A. Times had a rather wonderful article about the show we're all drooling to see, AMC's "The Walking Dead," whose premiere is just a few weeks away on Halloween. And that was followed by the maniacs at i09 who posted these two new clips, which will serve as a dual Zombie Clip of the Week, since I was so bad and didn't post anything last week. First up is the latest trailer, followed by a behind-the-scenes interview with actor Jon Bernthal (late of ABC's "Eastwick"), who plays Shane. Enjoy!

If you haven't done so yet, check out my Shocktober series on horror directors over at Caliban's Revenge. I'll try not to be away so long again...

More rotten flesh, soon.

Prospero

*P.S. "Kim Possible" is the creation of one of Uncle P's high school friends. I'm not bitter or jealous, though. Much...

A Pregnant Pause

2010-09-25T23:23:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the lack of a proper post this week. Uncle P has been in hard labor, giving birth to a play and really hasn't had time to post on either of his blogs, this week. If you only read the Zone and not the Revenge, then you don't know I have just directed a production of Caryl Churchill's 1982 dark 'dramedy,' Top Girls, with eight of the most extraordinarily gifted actresses he's ever had the pleasure and the privilege to direct. While Churchill's non-linear plotting and complicated, over-lapping dialog may not be to everyone's sensibilities, there is no doubt that the performances of these eight women are quite exceptional. If you are within driving distance of Central NJ, and you want to see some amazing acting in a decidedly unusual play, please come see it. We have four performances left, through October 2nd.

I have been gathering all sorts of Zombie Nonsense this week and we'll have plenty to gnaw on next week.

I will leave you with a Zombie Clip of the Week, though. Predating AMC's "The Walking Dead" by three years, here's a promo for "Lifeless," a zombie series that never played in the US (though I'm not sure of its origin, I would guess it's Canadian):

Lots more brains, next week.
Prospero

We're Coming to Get You, Barbara!

2010-09-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well, since there was no Zombie Zone post last week, I have tons to talk about this week.

In Zombie Films, there were two terrific articles recently (via) about classic two classics of the genre.

First up, this article by Joe Kane at The Warp, about how casting Duane Jones as the lead in the George A. Romero's original Night of the Living Dead changed the whole timbre of the film. As written, Jones' character Ben was originally a redneck trucker, complete with grammatically poor dialog. Jones insisted that the character appear educated and used the dialog written, but adapted it to 'smarten' Ben up. It's most definitely worth reading and a fascinating look at how the genre came into being.

Then there is this terrific interview in the L.A. Times with Bruce Campbell (damn, he was - and still is - fine!) on how Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead not only launched his, but Raimi's careers. The article is just in time to mark the newly remastered Blu-Ray release of the original 1981 film. Campbell is funny and articulate and the interview is a very fun read.

This week in Zombie Fiction, there is a new trailer for the book "Night of the Living Trekkies" that is both hilarious and gross, and the perfect cross-over for geeks of all kinds (via):

Personally, Uncle P can't wait for the inevitable movie version.

This week in Zombie Science, a Japanese scientist has found a new use for lasers (via):

Of course, why a Japanese scientist was looking to use a laser in this way, remains a mystery to me.

Let's turn to Zombie Art, shall we? The zombie-loving freaks over at BoingBoing shared this amazing typographic poster of a zombie arm, made up of the titles of 978 Zombie Films. Uncle P wishes he had the wall space to buy a copy for himself...

Finally, this week's Zombie Clip of the Week combines Zombie Art, Zombie Films and advertising all in one. The video below is a promotion for the Madrid premiere of the most recent Resident Evil film and is loads of fun, even if it is right out of one of Uncle P's childhood nightmares:

Sleep well, my fellow Zomboids.

More rotten flesh, soon.
Prospero

No Post This Week

2010-09-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

Out of respect and in memorium, there will be no Zombie Zone post on 9/11.

But be sure to visit next week.

Prospero

Prospero's a Zombie

2010-09-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

This may as well be a portrait of Uncle P this evening. I am VERY tired and have loads on my plate, what with a show opening in just three weeks or so... I actually considered not posting tonight, but I couldn't let you down. So, briefly:

In Zombie News, BoingBoing has this story about zombies getting tickets for running red lights. Zombies' legal woes do seem unending, of late.

In Zombie Films, it has been announced that S.G. Browne's novel "Breathers: A Zombies Lament" has been picked up for adaption, produced by Jennifer's Body scribe Diablo Cody and possibly starring Inception's Joseph Gordon Levitt (via).

And in Zombie Fashion, Uncle P has found a wonderful store for all you fashion-conscious brain chompers, Sour Puss Clothing. If I were a young, obnoxious hipster (kind of like I was in the 80's), I'd be very excited to shop there.

And this weeks' Zombie Clip of the Week is (for those keeping count) Episode 5 of "Zombie College:"

Which begs the question, what does one call Zombie Suicide? Is it even suicide, at all? Too deep for me, in my personal zombified state...

More Brownie Cakes, soon.

Prospero

Golden Ghouls and Eat Me Pumps

2010-08-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

Thank You for Eating My Friend

I'm going to start with some Zombie Art, an under-used label here on the Zone. The "quadratich" (yes, I may well have just made up a word and if catches on, I want credit, damnit!) above is from April Winchell's hilarious blog Regretsy. And I must give April credit for the caption, as well - it was her title for the post featuring living-dead portraits of Sophia (Estelle Getty); Dorothy (Bea Arthur); Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McLanahan). Poor Betty White seems to have come through the worst for the wear, even though she's the only one who is still actually alive.

April's zombie lyrics to "Thank You for Being a Friend" are very funny and I just adore the little animation that one of Regretsy's regular readers made, imagining the ladies as finger-puppet zombies, complete with hilarious dialog.

I think $15.00 is an incredible bargain for four 5x7 prints and am actually considering buying a set for myself. I'd put them in my home office, somewhere I could glance at them for inspiration. Of course, Christmas isn't too far away to start thinking about...

In Zombie Fashion this week, thanks to If Shoes Could Kill, come these fabulous Zombie Pumps.

Perfect for a night on the town with your Goth boyfriend or a Zombie Pup Crawl, you'll be the envy of every brain-eating fashionista in the cemetery. They also have a an amazing pair of crucifix and garlic Vampire-Killing Pumps which I'm including as at least marginally connected in that both Zombies and Vampires are versions of the 'undead.' The shoes don't look very comfortable, though, even for a woman who is used to wearing heels.

How about some Zombie News, then eh? BoingBoing posted this story about a bunch of protester zombies who were wrongly arrested in Minneapolis two years. The four sued the city and initially lost, but filed an appeal. Rather than face a lengthy trial, the city of Minneapolis just settled the case for $165,000. That can buy a lot of clownwhite, kohl eyeliner and fake blood.

And this week's Zombie Clip of the Week is news report footage from Zack Snyder's excellent 2004 re-make of Dawn of the Dead:

I don't remember if all of this footage was used -- I'll have to go back and watch the movie again -- and I suspect some of it may be fan-made, though I could wrong. But it's fun!

More mindless consumerism... er, uh... I mean cannibalism, soon.

Prospero

Zombies on Crack?

2010-08-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Let's start with some Zombie Science this week, shall we?

When Uncle P was a kid, he thought Mad Magazine was the pinnacle of hilarity. I loved their goofy movie parodies, Spy vs. Spy and the last page fold-ins. As far as I know Mad is still being published. It's low-rent competitor Cracked, however, has gone the way of many ink-on-paper publications and now exists online, only. The guys who run the site are often vulgar, though occasionally funny. Even less occasionally, they run something that actually has some tenuous scientific merit. Such is the case with this article: 7 Scientific Reasons a Zombie Outbreak Would Fail. Way to kill my Zombie buzz, Cracked. Assholes.

And the odd news aggregate site Weird Universe had a link to the video below, about a fungus that turns ants (and other insects) into zombies, of sorts. If you're a sympathetic entomologist (Uncle P dated an entomologist, once - he specialized in a very specific type of wasp, but more on that another time), you may want to avoid the very cool images of 'exploded' insect bodies towards the end of this clip:

This week in Zombie Films, Dread Central has posted this trailer for the upcoming South African Zombie flick The Dead:

The Dead - Official Trailer
Uploaded by dreadcentral. - Check out other Film & TV videos.

And then there's the upcoming Resident Evil: Afterlife, the first major release to employ the 3D camera system developed by James Cameron for Avatar.

Milla Jovovich returns as the genetically engineered zombie killer Alice in Paul W. S. Anderson's fourth entry in the video game-inspired franchise, though 'inspired' is hardly the word I'd use to describe these films. They can be entertaining, though they're hardly what anyone would call "good." Of course, compared to a directer like Uwe Boll, Anderson is a genius.

And since it's been a while since we've visited this series, your Zombie Clip of the Week is the next episode of Zombie College:

That's all the news that's fit to chew for this week. More grisly gristle chomping, soon.
Prospero

Eat Brains Love

2010-08-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

The hilarious poster on your right comes via the Sci-Fi, Steampunk, zombie-lovin' nerds over at Boing Boing. Uncle P would certainly see this movie over the one in which Julia Roberts is currently starring. I mean come on, the Queen of Rom-Coms for the past 30 years as a zombie? I'd pay double to see that movie. Pretty Zombie, anyone? Or how about Runaway Zombie? My Best Friend's Zombie? Zombie Hill? I know - Sleeping with the Living Dead! Any of these movies would be preferable to the treacly crap the very attractive star usually makes.

Sadly, there aren't very many major Zombie Films on the near horizon, unless you count Paul W.S. Anderson's upcoming Resident Evil: Afterlife, the next wide release movie shot with the 3D cameras developed by James Cameron for Avatar.

Of course, next year we have Natalie Portman starring in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies from lunatic director David O. Russell (I Heart Hucakbees), based on the book adapted by Seth Grahame-Smith. 2012 is the scheduled release date for the film version of Max Brooks' novel (really a collection of related short stories) World War Z (a book Uncle P found to be actually quite boring) reportedly starring and co-produced by Brad Pitt.

And we have yet to see the U.S. release of Rec 2, the sequel to the Spanish zombie movie that was rather effectively re-made in the U.S. as Quarantine:

And While Rec 2 is a direct sequel to Rec, Quarantine 2: The Terminal (according to IMDb) takes place at an airport, during the same time as Quarantine. Latino hottie Ignacio Serricchio appears instead of Latino hottie Jay Hernandez, whose hot fireman character apparently died in Quarantine.

There are a few low-budget Indie zombie movies on the horizon, though they'll most likely play a festival or two and then go straight to DVD. Zombie Undead is one such film:

As is Dead EXIT:

Sadly, neither of those trailers make me want to spend the money to rent them.

And it seems that Zombie Pastries are all the rage of late. Uncle P's sister sent this link to an L.A. Times article about Brain Cakes. Mmmm... brain cakes!

Finally, here's your Zombie Clip of the Week; a very short and very silly bit of Zombie Nonsense appropriate of nothing, really:

Hopefully, I'll have something of a bit more substance to report the next we meet in the Zone...

More shambling, moaning and chomping soon.
Prospero

Zombie-copia

2010-08-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Happy August, Zombiephiles!

Lots to talk about this week, so let's get started, shall we? First, in Zombie Pastries is this delightful cake of Audrey Hepburn as a zombie. Titled "Zombie at Tiffany's," it's an entry in this year's Threadcakes contest, sponsored by T-shirt company, Threadless. Uncle P's sister entered last year's contest, but realized that her sculpting skills just weren't up to some of the other entrants', so she decided to forgo this year's. I imagine if Ms. Hepburn were to rise from the grave, she'd be in much worse shape than this, considering she's been dead for over 17 years...

In Zombie News, here's a funny story I've been sitting on for a while (I honestly forgotten about it), but thought you might find amusing. Apparently, some revelers dressed in Zombie attire were involved in auto accident in Portland, OR. Can you imagine witnessing this accident? Or worse, being the first EMT on the scene?

And then (via) comes this fun story about a Zombie App for your iPhone. You take a picture of someone, and it "zombifies" them. Yup, there's an app for that. Personally, I hate iPhones (and all so-called 'smart phones,' for that matter). I think they are just one more device that is depersonalizing society - creating virtual zombies who are too "plugged-in" to experience and enjoy real life. But that's just my humble opinion. Of course, without modern technology, you wouldn't be reading this right now, so who am I to judge? You can download the free app here, if you so choose...

And in a Zombie Nonsense/Zombie Music combo-post, comes this rather amusing mash-up video from Barely Digital, Left for Dead Beatles:

Now where have I heard that "Paul is dead" line before?

Finally, tonight in Zombie TV -- by now you all know how excited I am to see the new AMC original series The Walking Dead, based on the Robert Kirkman comic book series of the same name, about a family struggling to survive in the aftermath of the Zombie Apocalypse. Via the flesh-eating maniacs at i09 comes the Zombie Clip of the Week, showing how the Walking Dead SFX makeup team created 'Bicycle Girl.' Enjoy:

At the risk of repeating myself, if anyone can do this series justice, it's Frank Darabont.

More gut-chomping, soon.
Prospero

Kiss Mah Braaaaiiiinnnss!

2010-07-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot to talk about this week. The only big Zombie project at ComiCon was "The Walking Dead," but we'll get to that, later.

Since I got some new ink of my own last week I thought it might be appropriate to start this week's post with a bit of Zombie Ink.

Her name tag says "Flo," so I'm guessing this is a Polly Holliday Zombie Tattoo (though I don't think that's Mel's head on her platter -- though maybe it should be Mel's).

Actually, the art's not bad, though nothing Uncle P would get. The weird spiral and the tatt's general style remind me of the horror comics I grew up reading as a kid -- Creepy; Eerie; Vampirella...

Their stories' surprise endings were often illustrated with a psychedelic, swirling background in the final panel, I suppose to further enhance the terror (though how, I'm not quite sure...).

I know I said this was going to be a short post, but really, this next Zombie TV item is the only other thing I have this week.

Below is a bootleg (one of many online) of the trailer for Frank Darabont's AMC series "The Walking Dead." I slogged through about 15 of these to find the best quality, and it's still crappy. Still - it appears as though AMC is letting Darabont do it right...

So here is your Zombie Clip of the Week:

I have very high hopes for this series and will be recording and dissecting it both here and on Caliban's Revenge.

Hopefully, there will be more next week.
Prospero

News, Fashion, TV & Film - Suddenly I'm the Zombie Access Hollywood

2010-07-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, Angelina Zombie... my straight readers are all lusting after you, even in your undead form. Come to think of it, Angelina would probably make a kick-ass zombie. Imagine a face-off between Angelina Zombie and Milla Jovovich's Alice. There's an entire 90 minute fight sequence that straight boys would line up to see again and again... Wow -- I'd better register that, or something.

So, I've been away from actually posting here on the Zone, and some of what I have to talk about this week is probably old news for many of you. Still, I've been gathering it for 2 weeks and have a few things to say about each of the items below, so let's get started, shall we?

First, in Zombie News there's this ridiculous story from my favorite defunct tabloid, The Weekly World News, now available only on line. Anyway, the story is reputed to be from Miami, where a Haitian immigrant has supposedly filed a suit against the US Government for denying him Social Security benefits because he is a zombie. Puh-lease... Isn't collecting a dead person's SSI money illegal?

And here's a photo gallery from Sacramento's Zombie Walk 2010, which took place on July 10th. It looks like a fine time was had by all...

This week in Zombie Fashion, Threadless has produced yet another fabulous Zombie T-Shirt design with this amazing "Zombies in Wonderland" T, which Uncle P is loving like a son... Of course, as a birthday present from my dear friend Megan, I got this "In Case of Zombies" T, which I love and wear proudly...

Then in Zombie Nonsense, there was the Cheezburger Networks' site "Wedinator," which posted a hilarious picture of a Russian Zombie Wedding, which I suppose is no stranger than a Clown Wedding or any other Weird Wedding...

In Zombie TV, it's ComiCon 2010 and the good folks at AMC had a panel there to talk about their highly anticipated adaptation of The Walking Dead. You can read all about it here.

And in Zombie Film news, Brad Pitt is reportedly both producing and acting in the film version of Max Brooks' novel World War Z. I wasn't particularly thrilled by Brooks' novel. I thought it was just a little too all-over-the-place, if you know what I mean, though I know there are many fans out there. I enjoyed Brooks' tongue-in-cheek Zombie Survival Guide, but thought the lack of a single narrative structure hurt WWZ. I can't imagine what a film version of it would look like...

And finally, the Zombie Clip of the Week, episode 4 of Zombie College:

Mmmm... Ear Jerky!

More high SAT scores... uh... I mean more skin-chewing, soon.
Prospero

We Appreciate Your Patience

2010-07-17T20:49:00.001-07:00

Okay - it's Uncle Prospero's Birthday Week and I have to get up early to catch a train. Several of my dearest friend are joining at me at Coney Island, a classic Brooklyn attraction to which Yours Truly has never been.

So, I promise an extra special big post later this week. Really.

What? Yes, I know what I said. Sh*t happens, you know?

I'm sorry? Yes, I know that last week I said "not before Monday or Tuesday." I wasn't lying.

Seriously? Come on, don't be like that. Have I ever lied to you before? Really? When, exactly?

No, I think you're not remembering correctly. Trust me, this will happen. Just not tonight.

Don't look at me like that. No, please. I said "don't."

Okay, fine. One thing, but that's it. I have to go to bed.

Here's your Zombie Clip of the Week, Universal Dead - Episode 3:

I promise you several skulls chock full of brainy goodness, very soon.
Prospero

Please Stand By

2010-07-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

We're having technical difficulties...

A weird connection, a keystroke error or some other Internet gremlin kept me from posting last night.

Thankfully, I copied and saved most of it to a word file, so reconstruction should be rather simple, but won't be until at least Monday or Tuesday.

Your patience is requested and my apologies are offered.

I promise there's some good stuff in the upcoming post, including a brand new zombie label!

And check out Caliban's Revenge, where I'm celebrating that blog's 2nd Anniversary all week!

More Manwiches, soon.

Prospero

The Ghoul Old Days

2010-07-03T19:44:00.001-07:00

There isn't a whole lot of Zombie stuff to talk about this week, but since it's the 4th of July weekend, I thought some political zombieism was appropriate this week. That having been said, here's some Zombie Politics:

The first year that Uncle P was allowed to vote, the race was between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. As young gay Democrat, I was horrified when the ancient Republican from California won and was sure we were headed for nuclear annihilation. Thankfully, I was wrong, and Reagan actually managed to facilitate the end the Cold War. Reagan may have been "The Great Communicator," but his economic policies were often hard to swallow.

I was a college student working in retail (about the most zombie-riffic industry there is, outside of accounting) at the time Ronnie was in office and making just above minimum wage, so I may be just a bit biased when talking about his administration...

From The Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse, comes this 2009 clip about a resurrected Reagan, running for POTUS:

Zombie Reagan Raised From Grave To Lead GOP

Hmmmm.... is it me, or do you have deja vu, as well?

Since there's so little Zombie News to report this week, here's a hilarious little video from Hulu that more than qualifies as Zombie Nonsense. Please enjoy this week's Zombie Clip of the Week, Jim Henson's Resident Evil 5:

Here's hoping none of you Zombiephiles end up missing digits this weekend.

Hopefully, next week will be a bit more exciting.

More Zombie Althistory, soon.
Prospero

Uncle P is a Zombie?

2010-06-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

A quickie tonight, and a note that there will be no Zombie Zone post next Saturday. That's performance number 2 of the play I am directing and I will be in attendance at both the performance and whatever takes place after. If I'm lucky, I'll be conscious enough to post on Caliban's Revenge, come Monday, the 28th. UNtil then, I am a Theatre Zombie...

Since I posted this movie poster (which I suppose is meant to appeal to the Twilight crowd, what with the Sultry Native American, Blonde Temptress and Brooding Stubbly White Hero), I suppose I'm going to be talking about Zombie Films. The ghouls at i09 posted this story about The Dead and the Damned, the latest alt-history zombie flick involving the California Gold Rush and the living dead.

The movie is premiering at some obscure film festival and while I admire the film's creators' attempt to instill something new into the genre, the trailer embedded below leads me to believe that The Dead and the Damned could probably have benefited from both a higher budget and some more experienced talent. The three leads are pretty, if nothing else. Take a look at the trailer and let me know what you think:

I'm not quite convinced...

Then there's this much more promising movie The Killing Strain, from San Antonio director Daniel Maldonado. Here's a report from San Antonio's KENS Channel 5:

The trailer and additional clips can be found here. I think I'd rather see that than the first one.

And in Zombie Toys: it was bound to happen. I am very pleased to announce that I have found Zombiesandtoys.com, a place where Uncle P's friends and family can shop for his upcoming Eleventieth birthday in July.* Of course, nothing would make me happier than owning the Dawn of the Dead Hare Krishna Zombie action figure.

I'll be back in two weeks, with plenty of Red, White and Blue imagery to convince that zombies (despite their Haitian origins) are as American as apple pie.

More yummy brains, in two weeks.
Prospero

The Games Zombies Play?

2010-06-12T19:50:00.001-07:00

The last time Uncle P seriously played video games, they came on two, three or even four floppy discs and were little more than a series of puzzles to solve to get to the next level. By the time fighting games came out, I had moved on. The last arcade video game I can remember enjoying was "House of the Dead," which my sister and I played both in Florida and at the Jersey Shore on one of her rare visits home. I am almost ashamed to admit that I have a Wii system, still in its box (though on a shelf in the entertainment center) since Christmas of 2008... I am hopeless when it comes to electronics. Hell, I'm lucky I can figure out how to blog... Still, a new category is born: Zombie Games. The image above is from Capcom's DeadRising 2, due this August:

Worth Playing has their review, here. And while searching images for DeadRising 2, I came a curious little game from Destineer, called Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie Bar-B-Que, which seems to be about zombies ruining Red Riding Hood's Cookout, or something. It's an old game, but one that looks ridiculously complicated and therefore entirely uninteresting to Yours Truly.

Of course, Zombie Films are always interesting to me, even when major newspapers give them terrible reviews, as the Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan gave Survival of the Dead, here. Brutal. While Romero's zombie movies have always been about so much more than gruesome effects, his earlier films are much better at conveying that. While I will defend Diary of the Dead as the best in the series since Dawn... (Come on - I dare you), nothing comes close to the social satire (and ground-breaking effects) as 1978's Dawn of the Dead. Personally, I can wait until it is OnDemand for $4.99.

And transitioning in to Zombie TV, there's this deceptively titled article from E!Online about zombies on one of Uncle P's favorite new shows. Zombies on "Glee?" Only if they're doing their own version of "Thriller" (which they should totally do). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see an entire MJ episode next season. And what the hell? Just for kicks...

And since we're already on TV, my Zombie Clip of the Week is the latest from AMC - a little behind-the-scenes footage from this coming October's "The Walking Dead." I give you, Zombie School:

Is it any wonder I'm going nuts over this series? If anyone can breathe new life (all puns intended) into the genre, it's Darabont. This clip actually gave me a 'zomb-on' (eeeewwwwww!!!).

More necrocannibalsim, soon.
Prospero

The Creepshow Must Go On....

2010-06-05T12:15:00.001-07:00

That's Toronto-based band The Creepshow* in the photo above, which must mean tonight's post starts with some Zombie Music! I found The Creepshow in an odd way. I was looking for images of traditional Haitian zombies (there aren't many that don't look like horrible racial stereotypes), I came across a photo of this band, Voodoo Zombie, a Chilean psychobilly band. Intrigued by that rather startling photo, I searched for them on YouTube and came across the first video posted below for their song "Amor Psycho." Musically, it's okay and the zombies all seem to be having a mighty fine time. My chief complaint is with the vocals.

But a suggested video on that page led me to The Creepshow and their "...country-tinged, psycho punk rock 'n roll..." (via). This is a video for the song "Zombies Ate Her Brain," from their 2006 debut album "Sell Your Soul:"

I will definitely be checking out more from this very amusing band. The Creepshow's website is here.

Let's move on to a bit of Zombie Nonsense, shall we? Total Film has this story about Miss Zombie Queen UK. I wish there was a video of it, somewhere. I searched YouTube, Vimeo and Flcker...

And segueing ever so-smoothly into Zombie Films, Miss Zombie Queen UK coincides with the DVD release of the positively wretched-sounding (and looking) Zombie Women of Satan, whose very unappealing tag-line is: 'It really was the wrong time of the month!' Really? The trailer says it all...

Is it just me, or does that look painfully bad in non-ironic way? I've seen better acting in David Decoteau's homo-erotic vampire movies and better special effects in a Sid and Marty Krofft TV show.

Also in Zombie Films, Salon.com is marking the release of Papa George's* 6th entry in his film Zombieverse, Survival of the Dead, with this well thought-out list of "10 Essential Zombie Movies." The list is interesting, though I would have made a few changes. Peter Jackson's outrageously over-the top Brain Dead/Dead Alive would have gotten a higher ranking, 28 Days Later, a slightly lower one and Lucio Fulchi's Zombi 2, with it's infamous Zombie vs. Shark scene, would not have made the list at all. For its sheer fun, I would have included Black Sheep, because it certainly fits the criteria, even if the zombies are sheep and the result of their bite is a were-sheep and for even more fun, I would have added Canadian director Andrew Currie's hilarious take on zombies and the coldwar, Fido. I would have replaced Romero's original version of The Crazies (an overrated, preachy and very talky picture) with last year's Zombieland and Dellamorte Dellamore with Evil Dead II, but that's just me.

Moving to some Zombie TV news, Rabid Doll shares the news that AMC has released a promo video for the their new series, "The Walking Dead," based on the very good comic of the same name. Directed by no less than one of few directors to make Stephen King *movies the way they should be made, Frank Darabont.*

Wow. I can't wait.

Almost finally, this week's Zombie Clip of the Week, Episode 2 of the web-based film, Universal Dead:

And I couldn't end without letting you know I finally decided on a title for my latest screenplay, formerly known under the working title, Redneck Zombie Nightmare. But I'm going to end on a tease and make you wait until the final draft is completed, before revealing the title.

*I'd rather like to think of all these King/Romero/Darabont references as synchronistic, as so many things in my life seem to be, but I suspect they are simply the result of of related information and have no other impact on anything other than this post. And there I go, getting all existential again. Uncle P needs to stop over-thinking, I think.

More unprocessed Soylent Green, soon.
Prospero

Jerky, Kitties and Other Assorted Nonsense

2010-05-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Several things to discuss tonight, the first of which has forced your Uncle P to create a new category, Zombie Snacks, because the item below certainly can't be described as Zombie Pastries:

Oh, those wacky Japanese! This is an image of the package for a new product available at select Japanese stores: Zombie Jerky. The actual product is dyed blue, like bloodless zombie flesh. The folks at i09, where I found this story, don't say what the jerky is actually made from, though Kobe beef would probably be cost-prohibitive (i09 reports that it sells for about $4.50 a bag, U.S.). And I really hope this isn't Soylent Blue, or something equally disturbing.

Of course, disgusting candies and other treats have been around for a long time. Take these Fear Factor Creature Parts or these Chocolate Dog Poo Treats for example. Not really something I'd want to eat, either. And since I'm not really a fan of jerky in any form (it always tastes like spice leather to me), I don't see myself buying any Zombie Jerky in the foreseeable future.

In Zombie News,:

The Wrap has a rather extensive interview with the Godfather of Zombies, George A. Romero, in which he talks about "the zombie business, Fred Rogers’ tonsillectomy and being paid to cut a fart in Hollywood." You can read the whole interview here. Romero's sixth entry into the genre, Survival of the Dead is currently available OnDemand and playing in select theaters, now. While I actually enjoyed Romero's hand-held, 1st person Diary of the Dead, I think he may have actually 'jumped the shark' with this Hatfields and McCoys tale of survivors on an Irish island battling zombies and each other. When I get a chance to finally see it, you can be sure I'll review it.

And then there is this story about family bonding and the 5th Annual Boston Zombie Walk, over at The Boston Channel. Oddly, it made me feel both old and relevant at the same time.

And this week in Zombie Nonsense, the clip below may not be new, but it's new to me. The Kitty Zombie Apocalypse never sounded so good as it does in this sick little crossover into Zombie Music. I give you "Meow:"

I don't know... Is there something really wrong about kittens committing suicide, or is it just me?

And this week's Zombie Clip of the Week is also an oldie, but a goodie. Night of the Zombie is a very amusing short about...

wait for it...

Zombie Abuse! Enjoy:

More shambling, soon.
Prospero.

The Beginning of the End?

2010-05-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

That's a still from last year's Norwegian Nazi Zombie film, Dead Snow, which I still have not seen, despite its having been released on DVD. And that's a shame.

My DVD player stopped working a few months back and while I can certainly afford a new one, it seems there have been more pressing things on my mind. Maybe I'll look for it OnDemand. Though, to be perfectly honest, now that I am in the midst of directing the annual JTMF show, I simply have very little time for anything else. "But Uncle P, you blog almost every day." I know, but that's usually late at night (it's after 11 PM here as I write this) and by the time I'm usually finished blogging, it's bedtime. And how lame is it that I am sitting her at 11 PM on a Saturday night, blogging? The less said about that, the better, I suppose... sigh...

Anyway, since I posted a picture from a zombie movie, I may as well talk about Zombie Films. Below is the first installment of a new Webseries, "Universal Dead," starring D.B. Sweeney (Fire in the Sky), Gary Graham ("Alien Nation") and Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth; Legion):

Now you may be asking "Does this really qualify as a Zombie Film?" Well, eventually, yes. And on a completely TMI side note, I find the grey-haired soldier assigned to protect Graham to be exceptionally hot... I'll be posting more episodes as they appear.

And this week in Zombie Science, this happened:

Of course you and I both know that this can only lead to the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse. And for when it does happen, Archie McPhee's blog Monkey Goggles, has provided us with a handy guide to Zombie Etiquette, which you can read here. Remember the name J. Craig Venter, as he will no doubt go down in history as the man who set everything into motion.*

Finally, in this week's Zombie Clip of the Week Zombie College's Scott makes his way through Zombie Territory to buy Zelda a brownie cake in an effort to prove his love for her:

Mmmm... brownie cake! I mean... er... um... Mmmm... Braaaaaiiiiiinnss!

Have a good week all!

More sexually ambiguous food-related humor, soon.
Prospero

*And you know I'm kidding here, right? I am sure Dr. Venter looks nothing like Gene Wilder, nor are his intentions evil or zombie-related in any way (or are they?).

Live Long and Eat Braaaaiinnnns!

2010-05-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Lots to chew on tonight...

First, some Zombie Fiction:

Geeks of Doom has a sneak peak at the cover art for "Night of the Living Trekkies" which, as I am sure you can imagine, revolves around a zombie outbreak at a Star Trek convention. You can see the very amusing artwork here.

And in an amazing Zombie Music/Zombie Fiction/Zombie Film cross-over, a new novel (with the inevitable film adaptation) has been announced in which the Fab Four become zombies. The Film Stage has announced the plot of "Paul Is Undead," in which a re-animated John Lennon takes a zombie band "on a tour of terror across Europe and the U.S." Sounds kind of tasteless to me, and I can't honestly imagine the estates of Lennon and Harrison signing off on the project (McCartney and Starr became whores long ago, though). But the idea does bring this to mind:

In other Zombie Film news:

None other than Sir Ian McKellan (no stranger to Fanboy Fare, what with his appearances in the LOTR and X-Men films) is next set to appear in E'gad, Zombies! a zomcom set in 18th Century England. According to ReelzChannel.com, 22 minutes of the film have been shot and it is currently being shopped at the Cannes Film Festival. Here's the teaser trailer (via):

I don't know about you, but it looks pretty funny to Uncle P.

And the Godfather of Zombies, George A. Romero (whose Survival of the Dead is making the rounds OnDemand before its theatrical run) has announced that he has two more films left to make in his of the Dead series. While I (and many others) thought Land of the Dead was the least successful in the series, I thoroughly enjoyed Diary of the Dead and plan on checking out Survival soon. According to BloodyDisgusting.com, if Survival of the Dead does well commercially, he'll shoot the two-film finale of the series back-to-back. Romero also recently announced he plans to foray into 3D with a remake of Dario Argento's classic horror film, Deep Red. I say, enough with the 3D and the remakes, already!

And this week in Zombie Science:

Apparently, a broken satellite known as Galaxy 15 has gone rogue and may well interfere with transmissions from AMC-11, a satellite which transmits signals for Comcast. This could mean that millions of Comcast subscribers won't be able to see the "Lost" finale on May 23rd. yet another reason I am so happy to have switched to FiOS. The story is here at G4 and on BoingBoing, where I first read about it.

And, in Zombie Nonsense (see, I told you there was lots tonight):

Does Howard Johnson's hate zombies? Well apparently they do in Fargo, ND. Fargo's 3rd annual Zombie Pub Crawl was held today, with hundreds of folks dressed as zombies set to take part. But the Sidestreet Grille & Pub in the local Howard Johnson's hotel has posted signs reading: "NO ZOMBIES ALLOWED!" They claim they don't want to deal with the mess, but I suspect they're just a bunch of scared pusses. Read the full story here at Inforum.com.

Last, but certainly not least, the Zombie Zone Zombie Clip of the Week.

The loonies at RobotKitchen make these weird and wonderfully hilarious animated clips using toy cars, dolls and action figures. Please enjoy "Zombie Kill of The Week 3:"

Ah.... nothing like decapitating zombie Barbies, is there?

Well, I guess that's it for this week. Don't forget to check out Caliban's Revenge for your daily dose of weirdness; film; theatre and ramblings.

More living death, soon.
Prospero

May is Zombie Awareness Month

2010-05-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

This week in Zombie News:

Had I known, I would have posted this last week, but thanks to a friend on Facebook, I just recently found out about Zombie Awareness Month.

According to the Zombie Research Society, May is 'Zombie Awareness Month.' Participants are encouraged to wear gray ribbons in an effort to remind everyone that the Zombie Apocalypse is nigh. Truth be told, your Uncle P welcomes the Zombie Apocalypse. Unlike the Nuclear Apocalypse; the Global Warming Apocalypse or even the Biblical Apocalypse, the Zombie Apocalypse affords Horror Fans, Movie Geeks and Lunatic Fringe Militia the chance to prove their mettle in the face of a nearly unstoppable Army of the Dead (like how I snuck that in there?).

Now here's a video from a fellow who has obviously put way too much time into thinking about the Zombie Apocalypse:

If nothing else, I suppose its a good lesson in weaponry...

And while I linked to a rather awesome picture of a Spider-Man tattoo in last week's Zombie Ink post, in no way did I mean to reference a tattoo of the Marvel Zombies version of Spider-Man as seen in this abomination (via). Really? You spent your hard-earned cash to have that image permanently inked onto your skin? Buddy, they saw you coming a mile away.

Finally, this week's Zombie Clip of the Week:

Scott risks being devoured so Zelda (oh, how I love a Fitzgerald reference) can have some brownie cake. Now that's true love. It also amuses me that sexual ambiguity and Zombies seem to go together, perfectly. I wonder why that is?

More selfless acts of flesh-eating, next week.
Prospero

Mmmm... Human Flesh... D'oh!

2010-05-01T19:44:00.001-07:00

Not much to talk about this week, but let's start tonight off with some Zombie Ink, shall we? You all know of course, that I have a few tattoos. They are one-of-a-kind custom tatts that I thought very carefully about before committing them permanently to my skin. They are works of art and self-expression and they have very personal meaning to me.

And I'm not just a Zombie fan. I love lots of other things, including "The Simpsons," which even at its worst, is still better than a lot of stuff on TV. But other than the annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, I would never have thought to combine the two. Especially not as a tattoo. I just cannot imagine walking into Living Arts and saying "I want a tattoo of Homer Simpson as a zombie. Oh, and I want it on the top of my foot."

First of all, the top of the foot is probably one of the most painful places to get inked. There isn't a whole lot of flesh there and the needle comes awfully close to the bone. And secondly, isn't getting a Homer Simpson tatt (even a non-Zombie one) a little like getting a Calvin and Hobbes or a Hello Kitty tatt? And even though it's probably not that big, the number of colors (I count at least 7) in this tattoo means it wasn't cheap, either. Seriously, if you're going to get a cartoon character tattoo, at least make it an awesome one. Remember folks, tattoos are very expensive to remove.

There isn't a whole lot of other Zombie-related stuff going on these days, other than this Zombie Fiction story over at BoingBoing about Amelia Beamer's novel The Loving Dead:

"...THE LOVING DEAD is about zombies, all right, but it's zombies with Xanax, zeppelins, Trader Joe's, iPhone apps, sex, humor, adventure, NPR, IKEA, and Indiana Jones! It's a rollercoaster ride of a read and a true original!" - author Connie Willis.

Sounds like a fun read, no?

Finally, the Zombie Clip of the Week:

This is an oldie, but a goodie:

I can certainly imagine that if Dick Cheney had told George that Zombies were behind 9/11, the moron would have staged just such a press conference. Though it would hardly surprise me to find out that the Bush campaign had actually recruited the Living Dead to vote for him. I mean, they're the only ones I can imagine were mindless enough to vote for that idiot twice. And on that very political note, I shall wish you all a good week.

More gore, soon.
Prospero

Dead with Regis and Kelly

2010-04-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Toys, Fashion, Film and Film Commentary all in one place. This week's post is like 'Dead Morning America' without the news, weather and travel segments.

So let's start first with Zombie Toys. I am assuming that Zombie Zach over there in the pretty lady's arms is a ventriloquist's puppet, based on his lack of legs and her unseen right arm. I imagine that's one twisted act. And potentially funny as hell. But if all the baby ever says is "Braaaaaiiiiinnnnssss!" it's probably not funny. If I were a practitioner of the Black Art that is Ventriloquism,* this is probably the kind of puppet Uncle P would have. Hell, this is the kind of puppet Uncle P would love to have now. Zombie Zach is pretty creepy, and much more convincing than Baby Selwyn (I know, Selwyn is a gag. But so is Zach... I'm just sayin', is all). I don't personally know any ventriloquists, but I did go to college with a magician who was recently arrested for fondling little girls at birthday parties. As if us carny folk don't have enough of a reputation, as it is.

Of course, there are plenty of toys I saw while Googling and Binging that I really want to have, too. Like this adorable little Zombie Bunny, this weirdly sexy Wolverine figure from the Marvel Zombies collection or this must-have Dawn of the Dead Hare Krishna Zombie action figure. That went right on to my Amazon wishlist. Of course, I really want one of these, too:

And while I'm coveting these Zombie Toys, over in Zombie Fashion, I'm also coveting some of these Zombie T-Shirts and wondering why I don't own a single one of them. Some are stupid; some are funny; some are disturbing; a few are quite clever and one is for people with better bodies than yours truly. All of them are fun, though.

And I suppose from there, we can make a semi-logical leap to Zombie Ink.. I have mentioned that I'm planning on some new ink in the coming weeks (it's finding the time). Of course, I think I've already said I won't be getting a Zombie Tatt. Especially not Zombie Pee-Wee; Zombie Hello Kitty; Zombie Stephen King (at least that's who it looks like to me) or Zombie Elvis. I might consider one o f these amusing Zombie Bite tatts, if I was 19. And I'd certainly never get this Zombie tattoo.

Of course, Rob Zombie is a director, now. Which makes for another semi-logical leap to Zombie Films.

The guys over at Go! See! Talk! have posted this little diatribe aimed at Romero and Zombiephiles, everywhere. Some valid points are made, and the fellow allows that he loves Zombie movies, despite their perceived (by him) flaws. So I checked out some of their other posts. The 3 guys are often funny, though I'm not sure which of them is writing what and their humor is pointedly sophomoric. Sadly, they seem to think they know more about movies than they actually do, which doesn't really make for a very good movie blog.

And finally, this week's Zombie Clip of the Week:

Le Queloune is French short about clown brought back from the dead with help of Diet Coke and Mentos. It was sent to me by the lovely Sean at Just a Jeep Guy, who shares my love of the Living Dead. Enjoy:

Dominique Pinon (City of Lost Children; Alien Resurrection) gives another amazing performance as the Zombie Clown. I love when he tries to make the screaming woman laugh - there is something very John Belushi about it. And that's one very self-aware zombie. His discovery of his condition is just priceless and his first attempt at cannibalism is just hilarious, in a very ghoulish way. Only a French Zombie would consider cooking his food. And the husband coming home to unknowingly sample his wife? Genius. Though why a French clown would be dressed as the very American Bozo, is beyond me. Of course, a quick search also brings up plenty of nightmare versions of Bozo. The moral? Stop putting Mentos into Diet Coke. Do you want to be responsible for the Zombie Apocalypse? I know I sure don't.

More scientific nonsense, soon.
Prospero

*All you ventriloquists out there pipe down. It's a joke. You know people think what you do is creepy, so don't try to deny it. Just accept it and move on.

Let Them Eat Brains

2010-04-17T13:00:00.001-07:00

Not a whole lot going on in the Zombie-verse this week.

There is though, some Zombie Pastries fun: A mom made this 'Zombie Girl' cake for her daughter's 8th birthday. Now, if your read Caliban's Revenge, you already know that Uncle P's sister has a small side business, making custom cakes, cookies and cupcakes. And while many of her cakes are quite good, she has never attempted anything quite like this (though I bet she could kick some Zombie cake ass if she set her mind to it). Of course, she said she thought it was a bit much for an 8year-old, but that really depends on the 8 year-old, doesn't it? I've known some pretty sophisticated 8 year-olds in my day. Mom also made Eyeball Cupcakes for daughter to take to school. How cool (and creative) is this mom? The zombie it that picture reminds me of the monsters on the boxes of those Ratfink hotrod models, all bug-eyed and drooling. And I particularly love the brain. An awful lot of time and effort went into this cake, and it rivals anything I've seen on "Ace of Cakes" or "Cake Boss." View the whole Flicker set here (via).

And because Uncle P was up very late last night writing his glowing review of Kick-Ass, let's get right to this week's Zombie Clip of the Week. This week, a delightful little tale from the Happy Tree Friends. I give you The Happy Tree Friends Halloween Special, "Remains to Be Seen:"

That was fun, wasn't it? HTFs are a delightful group of cartoon forest animals who have all sort sof violent and rather twisted adventures. That little zombie flick was actually quite tame, compared to my favorite HTF adventure. "Let It Slide:"

Twisted, hilarious stuff which anyone with a sense of humor (granted, a dark one) would find amusing because we all know it's make-believe. Much like Kenny on South Park (who counts as a sort of zombie, I guess) comes back for every episode, so do the HTFs, no matter what kinds of horrible things happened to them in the previous episode. The joke isn't in the violence, but in the violence's outrageous excess, much like in Kick-Ass, which I saw and reviewed on Caliban's Revenge last night.

You and I both know that all genre fans are a off our proverbial rockers to some extant, but Zombie fans are a breed unto ourselves and are apt to find humor in things others find frightening and/or repulsive. It's the utter absurdity of the thing that makes it funny, and good absurdist comedy isn't easy. Most of us live proverbial lives of quiet desperation, and the zombie reminds us not only of our own mortality, but allows us to execute the soulless part of ourselves without remorse. A well-executed zombie feeding frenzy can be both disturbing and hilarious, but there is nothing more exceptionally satisfying than the splatter of zombie heads; either by gunfire, defibrillator, explosives or in the blades of a helicopter. Hmm... I can see a new category for next week: Zombie Kills.

Let's grab a bite, soon.
Prospero

The Dead Invade Your TV

2010-04-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful dinner with friends tonight, followed a terrific production of a musical with which I was completely unfamiliar (more on both tomorrow at C's R), so I got home a bit late, thus the rather short post this week.

Okay, this story may be a few weeks old, but it's still rather exciting. In Zombie News, it has been announced that Frank Darabont (one of the few directors to successfully translate the work of Stephen King to the big screen) has been given the go-ahead for a six-episode adaptation of Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore's graphic novel The Walking Dead for cable channel AMC.

For those unfamiliar, The Walking Dead is the story of small-town Kentucky police officer and his family and their attempts to survive the Zombie Apocalypse. Dear friends gave Uncle P a bound copy of the full series for Christmas, though I haven't actually had the time to get around to reading it (though I hope to do so, soon).

Darabont's version of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile were terrific and his adaptation of King's novella The Mist, was exceptionally satisfying. He is producing The Walking Dead along with Gale Ann Hurd (James Cameron's former production partner), though I'm not sure that it qualifies as an American Movie Classic. Of course, like every other cable outlet, AMC has been forced to expand its programming in an effort to increase its audience and their first efforts at original programming ("Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad") have proven to be quite good, so I have high hopes for The Walking Dead. Andrew Lincoln ("Afterlife") has been cast in the lead.

In Zombie Films, Fangoria has a terrific story about Michael Simon's short "Romantic Zomedie," Gay Zombie (not to be confused with this YouTube short). I haven't seen Simon's film, but after reading this article, you know it's on my "Must See" list.

Finally, tonight's Zombie Clip of the Week, Part 2 of the animated series, "Zombie College:"

I'm actually kind of glad I went to a regular college where the students were all alive (well, most of them). I don't think I would have liked to have spent my late teens and early 20's looking over my shoulder to keep from being eaten.

More deliciousness, next week.
Prospero

The Dead Walk! Oh Wait, It's Just Easter.

2010-04-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

And now for something completely different.

When I was a kid, I actually believed in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and the Bible. We stopped going to church when I was about 6, for several reasons, none of which are important right now. My father, who claimed he was on a path to enlightenment, studied all sorts of Eastern philosophies (too bad none of them helped - he was always an... well, we don't need to go into that here, either).

Anyway, as I grew older and made friends with various people of various faiths, I started my own spiritual journey of sorts. And I realized that most religions were all pretty much bullshit.

Religion's only true benefit, was in helping to establish a moral code for being a good person. The Ten Commandments are little more than that. The rest of the Bible, Torah and Q'uran are simply rules of order, imposed on ignorant science-less people in ancient times, so the priests and shamen could maintain a sense of control over their followers. And lets not even talk about the Bagvadhgita or The Tibetan Book of the Dead, or the numerous other "holy" books that people take for truth based on unfounded belief. For today's purposes, let's stick to the New Testament.

In the Gospel According to John, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, to the delight of Lazarus' sisters Mary and Martha (not to mention the delight of Lazarus, himself). Of course, we all know the consequences of bringing the dead back to life: they will either become monsters intent on the destruction of their creator (as in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein); or they become mindless, brain-hungry Zombies intent on eating every living person with whom they come into contact. In John, Jesus attends a supper with Lazarus and his sisters six days before the Crucifixion. John makes no mention as to whether or not brains were served. Now, Lazarus had been entombed for 4 days before Jesus brought him back. I can only imagine that after four days in the desert heat, without the use modern embalming techniques, Lazarus probably neither looked nor smelled too good. But that doesn't seem to have mattered to Mary or Martha. And of course, we all know the story of Jesus' supposed resurrection after 3 days. Conveniently, Jesus was assumed into Heaven before anyone had the chance to examine Him.

Here's the thing: None of the Gospels were recorded until at least a hundred years after the events which they detail supposedly occurred. No one who was actually alive when Jesus (actually Jeshua) lived wrote a single word. And that's probably because none of them could - reading and writing were the only for the priests and scribes in those days, an most likely, none of the Disciples were capable of either. Until the Renaissance, about 1500 years after the events detailed in the New Testament, only the clergy and the gentry could read or write. The majority of poor slobs had to rely on what the clergy and the gentry told them what was written in the Gospels.

So we get fifth or sixth-hand information recorded well-after the events they describe; in languages long dead; translated from ancient Aramaic to ancient Greek to Middle-English to modern English. And we're supposed to believe them? If Snopes had existed 600 years ago, I imagine they would have had a field day with this. And don't even get me started on the Church's stealthy integration of traditional pagan holidays into Christian mythology. Just look at when Easter falls: Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon, following the Vernal equinox. How pagan is that?

So, is Uncle Prospero an atheist? Not exactly. I know that one of the laws of physics is "Matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed." I also know that the human spirit (or whatever you want to call it) is energy. When we move on (so much nicer than saying "die"), that energy has to go somewhere. I just don''t know (nor does anyone) where or what it becomes. I'd like to hope that we go on in some way. I honestly just can't imagine it's a place in the clouds where we meet "God" and get judged on the merits of the lives we've led.

Okay - enough ranting. My point is made. Do with it what you will. This pagan will go on worshiping Mother Gaea, sacrificing at Stonehenge and looking for patterns in ley-lines (yeah, right).

So, after all that, here's the Zombie Clip of the Week:

I was barely old enough to get into the theater in 1978, when Romeros' classic Dawn of the Dead was released without an MPAA rating. It played as a late show at my local $1 theatre, and I had to borrow my father's car to go, promising I would be careful (and lying when I said I was meeting friends - my friends were all too scared to go). Before the movie started, the theater manager came out and warned people about smoking during the film. Of course, that did nothing to stop several dozen folks from sparking up the joints they'd saved for just this occasion. I was probably the youngest audience member in attendance, but I was also probably the most jaded, when it came to horror movies. Still, nothing could have prepared me for the onslaught of graphic violence and gore that I witnessed that night.

When all was said and done, I drove home in a daze (in part thanks to the contact high I received in the auditorium), unsure of whether I'd seen a work of genius or a work of madness. Now, many years later, I can honestly say it was both. I just knew that Tom Savini was my new hero and I would never look at a shopping mall in quite the same way again.

Okay, I know this isn't my usual Zombie Zone post. And I am truly sorry if any Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus or pagans took offense. But from what I understand, blogging is all about opinion. I don't mind if yours differs from mine. Nor should you.

I wish all my readers a Happy Easter, Passover, Ramadan or whatever. I just ask that you remember that you weren't there (nor was I), and therefore neither of us can have a truly informed opinion.

Namaste.

More gore, soon.
Prospero

O Zombie, My Zombie...

2010-03-27T20:09:00.001-07:00

Let's start with a brand new label, tonight. Welcome to the Zombie Zone's first post on Zombie Art:

You may be wondering what Walt Whitman has to do with Zombies, and I'm certainly willing to admit that the answer is: Probably very little. But the image above, done by one of the many folks who specialize in modified toys as art (and in particular, My Little Pony) for some reason made the phrase pop unbidden, like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, into my head and would not go away. In addition to My Little Zombie there, I am also very enamored of My Little Edward Scissorhands, My Little Xenomorph, My Little Joker and My Little Cthulhu.

I imagine these artists are living well off of their work. Or at least I hope they are. They are very good at what they do. I don't have the patience to work with my hands. My fingers are so clunky, it's a miracle I can type (if you can call what I do typing - I'm fast, but it is entirely my own, inadequate system). Anyway, I wish I was as capable an artist as these folks. I'd be modding all sorts of toys into Zombie versions of themselves. I'd make some Zombie Toys children should never even be allowed to see, let alone play with. And yes, while I do own an RC Zombie, complete with a brain-shaped remote (a Christmas Gift from two years ago, he watches over me as I write, sitting next to Hannibal, the Bad Taste Bear which was part of a cast gift, picked out by D), I don't have any Zombie dolls. And honestly, I don't know which is more pathetic, my lack of one or my desire for one. I just know that a well-done one would make me very happy.

And since Zombie Fashion has a direct link to Zombie Art, here's a fun little Zombie Eyeball ring from the fine lunatics at BoingBoing.

And speaking of segues, also from BoingBoing comes this week's entry in Zombie Music:

This may be a stretch, but I know that if I were making a zombie movie that required a nightclub scene, I'd hire these guys, immediately. Quirky and oh-so-creepy, The Tiger Lillies are are a rather unique and interesting trio who manage to evoke early Oingo Boingo; Leon Redbone and Creole Funeral Music as sung by Alison Moyet. Chompers and Slayers, I give you "Living Hell" (May be NFSC - Not Safe for Coulrophobes):

The Tiger Lillies- Living Hell from Mark Holthusen on Vimeo.

Creepy, eh? And quite brilliant. I think I love them and must hear more.

And finally, the Zombie Clip of the Week.

Pet Sematary was Stephen King's first foray into the Zombie genre, and he infused it with omens, ghosts and Native American folklore, while maintaining his flair for the horrors of the mundane. Reportedly, while researching children's funerals for the project, King became so distraught at imagining his own son's death, he put Pet Sematary aside until his kids were older and he could handle the material. I'd say it's pretty impressive when a writer upsets himself with his own story.

Personally, I think Pet Sematary is one King's better novels and it deserved a better film version than Mary Lambert's 1989 attempt, starring TV C-Lister Dale Midkiff; future Tasha Yar, Denise Crosby and Herman Munster himself, the late Fred Gwynne. I will admit that while the movie doesn't come close to conveying the sense of dread that King builds so well in the novel, it does have its fair share of memorable moments: Rachel's twisted sister Zelda screaming in horrific pain, the picture of a Zombie if not actually one; the fight at the funeral; the scalpel attack on poor old Jud's Achilles tendon; the look on Midkiff's face as he waits for Rachel to come home. Goosebumps, every time.

There is a remake at hand (of course) though I think that may actually be a good thing, for once. Even though Lambert didn't completely crap on her source material (unlike many other directors of King's works), I think that in the hands of a better director and better cast (no offense to Mr. Midkiff, Mr. Gwynne or Ms. Crosby -- who are all fine in Lambert's film), a new version of Pet Sematary could be one kick-ass scary movie.

Lambert is currently listed as 'In Production' on the Vampire Western High Midnight, which could be interesting, but while she has continued to work since her most successful film, she's never come close to making a movie even half as good as Pet Sematary.

King visited the genre again a few years ago with the techno-phobic novel, Cell. The Zombies in Cell are all somehow controlled by an electronic signal, initially transmitted through the prolific use of cell phones, and forced to act as part a single hive-like entity (think insanely violent Borg without the tubes, wires and telephoto eyes). Director Eli Roth (the hilarious and zombie-inspired plague movie Cabin Fever) was attached to direct a film version at one time, though Roth has since moved on (as he always seems to be doing lately) and I can find no reference to it on IMDb. That's a shame, because I totally imagined it as a movie when I read it.

This has been a very long and surreal day. You can catch up on why at Caliban's Revenge, tomorrow (well, tonight, technically). I'll also have my review of Comedy Central's "Ugly Americans" there, tomorrow.

More brain nomming, soon.
Prospero

Dawn of the Dreadfuls

2010-03-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay. I was a judge at a 24-hour play competition last night (more about that later tonight on Caliban's Revenge) and I got home way to late to post, so you get 'The Zombie Zone Lite,' this afternoon. So let's get started.

Tonight in Zombie Fiction:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, already slated for a film adaptation starring Natalie Portman, has a prequel. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls will be released this Tuesday.

"Readers will witness the birth of a heroine in Dawn of the Dreadfuls—a thrilling prequel set four years before the horrific events of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." Or so says the press release on Quirk's site. Now there's nothing wrong with promoting a new book, whether its good or bad. But I've noticed this very bizarre trend of filmed trailers for books.

The first one I really remember seeing was last year, with the release of Stephen King's Under the Dome. Then I remember seeing one for a Steampunk adventure novel. And last week, I stumbled upon the trailer for PP&Z: Dawn of the Dreadfuls (I refuse to type that whole, ridiculous title). I was just sort trolling YouTube for a suitable Clip of the Week candidate and there it was, in all its infinite silliness, complete with bad acting, silly stunt fighting and lots and lots of blood. Check it out:

What do you think? I the acting is my favorite thing about that trailer.

In Zombie News:

From True/Slant (via) comes this excellent essay by Mark Dery on Zombies, the econopocalypse, modern society and the loss of individuality.

"The zombie is a polyvalent revenant, a bloating signifier that has given shape, alternately, to repressed memories of slavery’s horrors; white alienation from the darker Other; Cold War nightmares of mushroom clouds and megadeaths; the post-traumatic fallout of the AIDS pandemic; and free-floating anxieties about viral plagues and bioengineered outbreaks (as in 28 Days Later and Left 4 Dead, troubled dreams for an age of Avian flu and H1N1, when viruses leap the species barrier and spread, via jet travel, into global pandemics seemingly overnight. Which may be why the Infected, as they’re called in both the film and the game, move at terrifying, jump-cut speed, unlike their lumbering, stuporous predecessors.)"

A truly fascinating read and one of the best essays I've read on the topic.

And tonight's Zombie Clip of the Week:

Yes, it's Lucio Fulci's Zombie 2, featuring the infamous Zombie Vs Shark scene. I remember seeing this in a theater filled with people who spent so much time screaming at the screen, we couldn't hear a word that was being said (not the dialog was all that good, or even important), so we left and got our money back. And Tisa Farrow is indeed Mia Farrow's younger sister. Tisa made a handful of crappy Italian horror movies and then retired from acting at the tender age of 29, to be forgotten and never heard from again. Years later I finally got to see Zombie 2 on VHS and learned that I really hadn't missed much. Some gruesome effects didn't make up for the movie's overall craptitude. I have no idea why this 1979 stinker is so revered. A bad movie is a bad movie, no matter what the genre. And Zombie 2 is bad, bad movie. What say all of you?

More, next week.
Prospero

Posting Delay

2010-03-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

I'll blog about why the Zombie Zone is late this week on Caliban's Revenge, Sunday night. Watch for a Zombie Zone post on Sunday afternoon. I just hope everyone is having as good a weekend as Uncle P has had, so far.

More, very soon.
Prospero

I'll Take Zombie Ink for Five Hundred

2010-03-13T19:59:00.001-08:00

I know I posted a Zombie Waldo tatt before, and since this is the second of what I am sure will be many more, and since I'm finally about to get that gorgeous Pre-Columbian Yin/Yang tatt that I posted about on Caliban's Revenge, I starting a new label: Zombie Ink.

This is from the very amusing (if not always SFW) site, Ugliest Tattoos, as was the Zombie Waldo ink. The folks at UT have determined from the "Forever Young" banner and the Zombie's hairstyle, that this is a tattoo of a Rod Stewart Zombie. Isn't that redundant? I mean, let's face it, Rod's a bit long in tooth these days. Just look at this. It's a far cry from this, isn't it?

Rod never really did it for me, despite that ridiculous rumor about the soccer team. In the 80's, at the height of Rod's popularity, I was more about Adam Ant; Paul Young; Cory Hart; Billy Idol (I wanted to imbed that Zombie-filled video, but its been disabled) and Bruce Willis. But that's a bit off topic. I would never get a portrait tattoo of anyone, let alone anyone as a Zombie, as much I love them (Zombies, that is). Tattoos are all about expressing one's self, fairly publicly (usually). Good ink is a like any good art, something one is proud to display. The two I have (and the third I am getting) are tasteful and artistic expressions about who I am and the symbols important to me, and I will never regret them. This particular tattoo is something someone spent way too much money on, to regret in 30 years.

Tonight in Zombie Fiction:

i09 does it again with this post about a 'Star Trek' Zombie novel, ala Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Night of the Living Dead Trekkies concerns a group Star Trek fans who take on a horde of our favorite cannibals. Publishers Quirk Books have not announced a release date.

Finally, tonight's Zombie Clip of the Week:

I know I've talked about Survival of the Dead very recently, but I just saw this particular clip for the first time, today:

If nothing else, the Zombie kills in Romero's films get better and funnier in every film. Up until now, my favorite (even though it wasn't technically a kill), was using the defibrillator on the Zombie Nurse:

But using a flare, with the cigarette lighting, is even better. So what do you think, fellow Zombiephiles? Are you as excited to see Survival of the Dead as your Uncle P is? Have any Zombie-related anything you'd like to share? Want me to talk about a particular Zombie subject? Let me know. I always love to read your comments.

More rotting flesh tattooed onto flesh that's going to rot, soon.
Prospero

Cartoons, Jane Austen. Tolstoy and Oz

2010-03-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I thought I'd start with some
Zombie TV.

Comedy Central has a new animated show coming out called "Ugly Americans" about a social worker at the 'Department of Integration' who's job is to help people and 'other beings' adjust to life in New York City. His boss is a demon who is literally "The Boss from Hell" and his roommate is... a Zombie, of course.

The mad brain-chewers over at I09 have several clips and more of the story, so I thought I'd just embed the first one showing on Comedy Central's "Ugly Americans" page. It looks amusing, if nothing else. Of course, embedding codes don't always work, so all you get is this link to the show's page.

There isn't really any explanation given for the why the city has been overrun with supernatural beings (though I may be mistaken) and it looks like the audience is just supposed to accept the premise at face value. I'll be sure to check it out and give my thoughts after I've seen a full episode, either here or on Caliban's Revenge. Oh, the show's webpage has an amusing ad to text for help for your "cerebral consumption addiction." I don't text, so I have no idea what you get when you text "UGLY" to the number.

Next, in Zombie Films:

I'm not sure that After.Life really qualifies as a Zombie Film, but it's about a girl (Christina Ricci) who apparently dies in an auto accident and the mad funeral director (Liam Neesom) who can talk to her. Is she really undead, or is the loony old guy just a perv playing mind-games with her? Drag Me to Hell's adorable Justin Long once again plays our victim's boyfriend. It seems a little more than odd to me that Neesom's first film since his wife's death would be about this, though I am sure it was in the can long before Natasha Richardson's untimely ski accident last year.

Also in Zombie Films, you can catch my review of the remake of George A. Romero's non-zombie Zombie movie The Crazies, here. I really liked it. It's not an instant classic or anything, but it is a solid, taut horror movie with a likable cast and some fun scares. Definitely worth seeing.

And in Zombie Fiction, there will soon be a prequel to Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Steve Hockensmith has written Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls. It tells how the zombie plague started and how our young heroine became such a proficient zombie-killer at such a tender young age. PPZ: Dawn of the Dreadfuls is scheduled for release on March 24th and joins such re-imagined classics as Andriod Karenina; The Undead World of Oz and Emma and the Werewolves. It's a good thing that Austen, Tolstoy and Baum are all long dead. I can't imagine they'd be too pleased to see their works bastardized this way, though the books are really just all in good fun. Meanwhile, Graham-Smith's latest novel Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, has been reportedly optioned for a big-screen treatment. Now why didn't I think of doing something like that? No, I had to be all original and what. Damn!

And finally, this week's Zombie Clip of the Week:

From the fine, sick folks who gave us 'Happy Tree Friends' comes Zombie College, an animated series which follows the adventures of a freshman at Arkford College, which is apparently known for its Zombies. I, for one, love that Arkford references DC Comics' Arkham Asylum, itself a reference to H.P. Lovecraft's Arkham, MA, home of Miskatonic University. Miskatonic, of course, is the setting for 'Herbert West: Re-Animator,' Lovecraft's 1922 short story about a mad medical student who brings the dead back to life, which was made into the outrageous Zombie Film, Re-Animator in 1985 (a film I'll talk about, soon).

You can be sure I'll be posting more episodes of Zombie College in the future.

More flying, animated intestines, soon.
Prospero

Oxymoronic Titles, les Films Francais, Disney and Coulrophobia

2010-02-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

I suppose that since I put up the poster for The Master's latest film, Survival of the Dead, I should start with Zombie Films. Funny, from that linked photo, you'd never guess that kindly-looking older gentleman was the father of a Horror sub-genre about cannibalistic reanimated corpses.

Anyway, Romero's latest entry (his 6th, if I'm counting correctly) has started making the rounds and had a sneak peak in NYC last weekend. It concerns a remote island and the inhabitants' efforts to find a cure for zombiefication so they can bring their loved ones back to life. Survival... has been descibed as a "neo-Western." Here's a clip of an interview with Papa George, talking about making his latest, his first direct sequel which follows a character from Diary of the Dead:

And here's another "Behind the Scenes" clip:

I don't know about you, but Uncle P. is chomping at the bit to see this one (every pun you can think of, intended).

In other Zombie Film news, here's the trailer The Horde, a French zombie movie that was supposed to be released in August of last year. Maybe it slipped by my radar (unlikely), but I didn't hear a word about it:

And since The Crazies was released this past weekend (I'm seeing it on Thursday with my favorite Elf, so watch for my review on Caliban's Revenge, then), I thought I'd pass on this piece about non-Zombie Zombie movies.

And in Zombie Nonsense this week, here's a clip from the Midlands MCM Expo of Disney Zombies:

That clip goes out especially to Uncle P's sister, a self-described "Disney Dork."

And finally, this week's Zombie Clip of the Week:

Regular readers of Caliban's Revenge are by now familiar with the friend I refer to as My Dear D (not his actual picture, though he's certainly what you might call 'hirsute'). D is a brilliant young actor and just about the sweetest guy in the world. He's smart, funny and an even bigger movie fanatic (if you can believe that), than I am (even though I may question his taste, at times). The thing you should know about D, is that he is absolutely terrified of clowns. We were at a Pride event promoting a JTMF show a few years ago. I was talking to someone about the show, when I suddenly felt the back of my shirt being pulled on. I looked behind me and found D cowering in fear, clutching my back in abject terror. Another friend then pointed to the aisle, where a perfectly innocent-looking clown was approaching our table. Now imagine seeing Zombieland with Dear D. The poor boy spent this entire scene with his hands in front of his eyes, missing Jesse Eisenberg's beat-down of the Zombie Clown, something I'm sure he would have probably enjoyed seeing. I hope to some day get him past his coulrophobia, but until then, I will continue to protect him from images such as this one. And D, if you're reading this, I hope you didn't click that last link.

More Zombie Clown Stomping soon,
Prospero

Zombies in Outer Space, Norway and Great Britain

2010-02-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

Tonight in Zombie Films:

This very amusing image of Zombie Stormtroopers comes to us via Skull Swap. I love the idea of George Lucas' cloned warriors as Zombies. In the Star Wars universe, the Stormtroopers represent not only their obviously Nazi* namesakes, but their mindless intent on the destruction of their prey. How better than to represents them as Zombies?

Meanwhile, the maniacs over at Fearnet.com have posted this interview with director Breck Eisner on his remake of Romero's "non-Zombie" Zombie film The Crazies. While the lamentable Mathew McConaughey vehicle Sahara may have been a complete mess, the trailers for The Crazies have me hoping Eisner may have made up for it. Eisner is next scheduled to make a new version of Flash Gordon and is in talks to direct a remake of the David Cronenberg classic, The Brood.

Also in Zombie Films is this trailer from the 2007 short Zombie Jesus:

Personally, that movie seems kind of silly to me (not to mention sacrilegious, even if I do consider myself an Agnostic).

*And while we're on the subject of Zombie movies and Nazis, I have yet to see the Norwegian Nazi Zombie movie Dead Snow. I have posted about it before on Caliban's Revenge, but am still waiting for its release on DVD.

Mmmmm... Beethoven...

And now, the Zombie Clip of the Week:

From Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Sean of the Dead) comes this hilarious zombie survival guide from their web series "Danger: 50,000 Volts" (language NSFW):

"What up with Unkie Doug?" indeed. And you have to love Pegg's teeth in that clip. So un-British.

And here's Part 2:

So, did you learn anything about surviving the Zombie Apocalypse from those clips? I may have been highly amused, but didn't learn anything I didn't already know about Zombies. Give me a shopping mall over a cabin in the woods, any day.

More Zombie Apocalypse survival tips, soon.
Prospero

Mmmmm... Zombies...

2010-02-13T20:27:00.000-08:00

Uncle Prospero's sister has a side-business as a cake maker, which she hopes to one day turn into a full-time career. She makes custom cakes for all occasions. Some of them are quite good. She's done a Pirate Ship cake and a Cheeseburger & Fries cake that are very good. She also does some rather traditional cakes for birthdays, weddings and other special occasions. She's not quite up the level of Duff at Charm City Cakes (as seen on "Ace of Cakes") or Buddy at Carlos Bakery (as seen on "Cake Boss"), but she is pretty good. She'll be launching her very own blog soon (which I will link to on Caliban's Revenge). But, to my knowledge, she has yet to make a Zombie cake. Though I'm sure if someone asked her to, she would come up with something rather wonderful, especially since she is nearly as big a Zombie fan as I am.

So tonight in Zombie Pastries, I thought I'd share some very amusing Zombie cakes with you. I particularly love the Hello Zombie Kitty cake I put in the banner. There's just something about the whole Hello Kitty thing that lends itself so well to Zombification. Oh, those wacky Japanese! And of course, there's the brilliant Zombie wedding cake pictured above. I'd like to imagine the couple met at a midnight showing of Dawn of the Dead, and fell in love over Bloody Marys, afterward. And while they could have just gone with a Zombie Cake Topper, this couple went with an all-out Zombie massacre, instead. Still, isn't it nice when couples have things in common?

Anyway, on to Zombie Films. Next week brings us the remake of George A. Romero's 1973 'non-Zombie' Zombie flick, The Crazies, starring Timothy Oliphant and Radha Mitchell. When a lethal virus is unleashed on a small town, the citizens begin to turn into murderous maniacs. Your Uncle P has never actually seen the original (I know - shame on me), but I think the trailer makes the movie look interesting, if nothing else.

In this week's Zombie Clip of the Week, gay porn star Francois Sagat stars in the bizarre film L.A. Zombie from gay 'auteur' Bruce La Bruce. The music is terrible and the plot seems totally asinine. But what can one expect from the maker of such 'masterpieces' as Otto, or Up With Dead People and The Raspeberry Reich?

Really? Would you pay to see that movie? If so, you might want to take stock of the life you're living. Seriously. While La Bruce seems to have garnered a cult following, I honestly can't imagine myself sitting through any of his films in its entirety.

Finally (and a bit sadly), in Personal Zombie Film News:

Just before Christmas, I received a call from Roger Corman's New Horizons Pictures, telling me that they were pitching my Zombie screenplay to SyFy. I was excited and upbeat, especially after speaking with the rep from New Horizons, who seemed very enthusiastic about the script. Yesterday, Uncle P learned that Army of the Dead, was passed over by SyFy for a movie called Sharktopus. I kid you not. Of course, any company that would actually make a movie called Sharktopus is probably not a company with which I would want to do business, anyway. Oh well. If one company was interested, another will be. In the meantime, I will continue to work on my newest Zombie screenplay (working title: Redneck Zombie Nightmare) and hope for the best.

More shambling, soon.
Prospero