Zombies are a changin'....Pontypool

Zombies in popular culture have changed over the years. There was the flick in 1943 called I Walked with a Zombie, featuring creepy mindless voodoo zombies. In 1968, George Romero's zombies caused by some unknown force began walking the earth. After that there was a boom of zombie flicks regurgitating the Romero formula, however, sometimes these stories gave origins to the zombies. The super natural, toxic waste, and medical experimentation comes to mind. 2002 brought a new kind of zombie into being. I know there is a debate on whether these people are zombies or not but I'm a firm believer that the infected individuals in 2002's, 28 Days Later, are zombies. So the zombies sped up and become more terrifying than ever before. 2004's Dawn of the Dead remake used fast zombies, meanwhile during the same year, Shaun of the Dead reminded us all just how dangerous and fun slow zombies can be. Anyway, a new surge in zombie pop culture began and continues today.

As of 2009, we've seen a new breed of zombies. Fast or slow doesn't matter much anymore. It's the origin of the zombies that are being explored. Supernatural reasons are out for the most part (thank god) and more scientific reasons are being explored. I've always believed that the more real something is the more scary it can be. Witches and vamps don't cut it for me (Steve Niles' & Richard Matheson's "vampires" were fine, however).

The Signal (2006) explored a sound wave that has infiltrated the television and radio waves that turn people into mindless lunatics. [Rec] (Quarantine in the U.S.) explores the possibilities of a human rabies virus. Stephen King's book Cell explores a sound wave generated through cell phones and other devices creating mindless "flocks" of destructive humans with a collective mind. Again, with 28 Days Later, a rage virus blasts through the human populace. I'm sure there are other science based zombie flicks out there that I have not mentioned.

A new zombie film explores yet another possibility loosely based on science. Here's the synopsis for Pontypool and a brand new trailer: A small-town radio station discovers that recent madness in the local population may be caused by a virus transmitted through speech. The flick is set in a radio station in Pontypool where one day the morning team starts taking reports of extreme, bloody incidents of violence occurring in town. As the story unfolds, the radio staff soon realizes the violence that is ripping society apart is due to a virus being spread through the English language. That in turn poses a problem for a yappy radio jock and his staff holed up in the broadcast booth housed in the basement of the town's abandoned church as a slaughter rages beyond its walls.

here's the trailer via Bloody Disgusting.

Pretty cool, eh? With all that barely researched stuff I was blabbing about above, we can still trace these "new" zombie films back to George Romero with his 1973 film called The Crazies: When a government plane laden with biological weapons crashes in a small Pennsylvania town in this George Romero film, its deadly cargo seeps into the water supply -- and anyone who drinks the water becomes stark, raving mad. David (Will McMillan), a firefighter, and his wife, Judy (Lane Carroll), are two of a very few left unscathed. To save themselves, they and a few others attempt to escape … but for some of them, it may be too late.



So where does the Zombie genre go from here?

The Real Apocalypse: Terminated

From time to time, I'll run across some pretty serious news stories that seem to predict or even warn of the coming destruction of humankind. There's always real news stories that get me thinking: What if?

When I run across these stories, I'll make a special post entitled: The Real Apocalypse.

Today, I ran across a very curious news article.

Everyone's seen the Terminator movies. Some of ya'll have seen Battlestar Galactica. Each story revolves around humankind building machines and robots to assist our progress in evolution only to have those same machines turn on us and attack. Humans become the hunted. A war between man and machine would totally destroy everything and everyone.

Imagine hiding out in your house while a robotic tank strolls down your street....scanning for any sign of thermal activity. Yikes! Read this:

Autonomous military robots that will fight future wars must be programmed to live by a strict warrior code, or the world risks untold atrocities at their steely hands.

The stark warning — which includes discussion of a "Terminator"-style scenario in which robots turn on their human masters — is part of a hefty report funded by and prepared for the U.S. Navy's high-tech and secretive Office of Naval Research.....finish reading the article here.

lot's of zombie news!

Check out this behind the scenes video for George Romero's latest, ....of the Dead. The video was shot by a fan at some convention, but we get to see some zombie action and a bit more is revealed about the film:


Here's another sneak pic of an infected individual from the upcoming [Rec]2:


















This fall we can expect Zombies of the Night to be released. Here's a trailer for it and it looks like fun!:


Although, I'm not the biggest fan of the supernatural when it comes to horror films, this next film will involve the undead in such a form. So I'd figure I'd share this bit o' news:
Producer Gilbert Adler livening up 'Dead'

Finally, here's a bit of brilliance from The Onion:

Are Violent Video Games Adequately Preparing Children For The Apocalypse?

More Pride & Prejudice & Zombie Fun!

Here's a short and fun interview with Seth Graham-Smith, the author of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. He reveals some interesting insights into the book and talks about Elton John's Pride and Predator flick. Here's my favorite quote from the interview:

They call zombies "unmentionables" because it's a very polite society and the word "zombie" is kind of like a curse word.

Also, Cinematical takes a look at the two Jane Austen mash-ups as well.

[Rec]2, Remnants, and Breathers

New images from [Rec]2 have surfaced. Still curious as to what the plot is...only time will tell.







































A new post-apocalyptic film called, Remnants, is in the making. Looks like terrible fun. Here's the synopsis via QE: The nuclear apocalypse of World War 3 has ravaged Earth. Now for the few lucky survivors trapped in a rural Texas bomb shelter, life has become a dangerous game of life and death as they battle radiation sickness, hunger, and marauding gangs of violent refugees infected with a strange and terrible nuclear illness.

More info on the zombie comedy, Breathers. Fox Searchlight has picked up the film....
Here's the plot via Horror-Movies.ca: Meet Andy Warner, a recently deceased everyman and newly minted zombie. Resented by his parents, abandoned by his friends, and reviled by a society that no longer considers him human, Andy is having a bit of trouble adjusting to his new existence.

But all that changes when he goes to an Undead Anonymous meeting and finds kindred souls in Rita, an impossibly sexy recent suicide with a taste for the formaldehyde in cosmetic products, and Jerry, a twenty-one-year-old car-crash victim with an exposed brain and a penchant for Renaissance pornography. When the group meets a rogue zombie who teaches them the joys of human flesh, things start to get messy, and Andy embarks on a journey of self-discovery that will take him from his casket to the SPCA to a media-driven class-action lawsuit on behalf of the rights of zombies everywhere.

Rainbow Bridge and the Horde

William Nicholson, the writer of the movie Gladiator, and Dreamworks are in line to make a film called Rainbow Bridge. The story revolves around a crack in the earth and zombies spilling out of it! Awesome...

Speaking of zombies (aren't we always), here's a new zombie short film available online for free viewing. It's called The Horde: Desolation and you can watch it here.

Film Review: Resident Evil: Degeneration

Film: Resident Evil: Degeneration
Director: Makoto Kamiya
Reviewed by: Doc Zombie

In this CGI animated movie, Resident Evil characters Leon and Claire reunite to stop the T-virus from spreading like it did in Raccoon City years earlier.

For those of you who have been living in the grave for all your life and don't know what the hell I'm talking about, then let me just give you a quick synopsis of the origins of Resident Evil.

Resident Evil is a survival horror game in which you as the character of Claire or Leon would be stuck in a mansion full of zombies. These zombies turned out to be carriers of the T-virus, which was hatched by the Umbrella corporation. That's basically all you need to know.

If you are familiar with any of the Resident Evil games then you are familiar with the cinematic featurettes throughout the games. Those can be pretty crappy. Especially when it comes to dialogue.

Well imagine one of those little featurettes extended to almost two hours. What you get is a lot of action with a lot of crappy dialogue.

The movie started off promising after a plane full of zombies crashes into the airport spilling them out into the terminal. The zombie action was excellent and cool. However once the airport scene is over, the movie quickly dissolves into mushiness. The zombie action disappears and never fully returns.



It reminded me of the second Resident Evil movie where they have to fight the big bad monster at the end. It's basically the same thing here. The characters also have to fight their way through a big crazy scientific complex...

Anyway, nothing new here, other than the fact that it's CGI animation (which really freaked me out after awhile). It's decent and I'll give it three blood drops.

David Moody's Autumn....frustration!

So I just finished reading the first book of the Autumn series by David Moody and I must say that I was very pleased. It captured everything that I'd want out of a post apocalyptic zombie story. Moody definitely captured the sorrow and defeat of the survivors. He also creeped me the fuck out.

Well, now I'm ready for the sequel, Autumn: The City, however, everywhere I've looked online its out of stock or it sells for over 30 bucks. Damn it! I want it now!

As I understand it, the Autumn series will be reprinted sometime soon....however, I did not find an exact date to expect them. It's all very frustrating.

The only thing that is keeping me from killing someone is the fact that Autumn the movie looks to be coming along. The trailer for the film looks pretty astonishing! I'm looking forward to this and watching it every step of the way.

Anyway, check out this trailer for the film:

Zombie Wine and Straw Man

Zombie wine? Oh yes. It's called "Night of the Living Red". Wouldn't mind having a sip of this!

There's a new post apocalyptic film coming out called Straw Man. Looks to be maddening. Here's the synopsis:
Straw Man is the harrowing tale of one man, a lone soul in an empty world. To combat the loneliness of isolation he surrounds himself with people made out of straw, hand-crafted and moulded from faded memories of friends and family. They offer little in the way of company yet they hold insanity at bay. This Lone Man is a contradiction, his rambling thoughts battling against his need for structure and routine. In his quest for normality he spends each day teaching pupils, reading to them from the classics as they stare back at him with blank, featureless faces. But when the line between reality and fantasy is blurred by madness his ordered life is sent into a downward spiral.

Why do the straw people stare at him with blind judgement?
What are the children trying to tell him?
Who is the beautiful woman... ...and does she offer salvation?

Film Review: Van Helsing

Film: Van Helsing
Director: Stephen Sommers
Reviewed by: Doc Zombie

Synopsis: Infamous monster hunter Van Helsing, and his priest of a sidekick Carl, travel to Transylvania to battle monsters of legend Dracula and brides and the Wolfman, and keep the notorious Count from bringing his undead children to life, and in so doing, allow the the beautiful Anna, and the rest of the family Valerious, to enter the Gates of St. Peter.

My synopsis: crap. I wasn't expecting much and I'm glad I didn't. I watched out of curiosity. The plot was bad. The dialogue was awful. Some of the acting was monstrous. The film was drenched in crappy CGI. Don't waste your time with this. One measly blood drop.

Dead@17, The Crazies, Natalie Portman, Before the Fall, and Tokyo Zombie

I haven't read the comic series, Dead @ 17 , however I've just learned that there's a movie adaptation in the works.

I've also yet to see the original The Crazies by George Romero but the remake seems to be on its way to being finished. Here's the synopsis and the new teaser poster:
The story revolves around the inhabitants of a small Kansas town who are beset by death and insanity after a plane crash lets loose a secret biological weapon into the water supply.

More info on the movie adaptation, Pride and Prejudice...and Zombies, has come to light. Natalie Portman will be involved!

Here's a trailer for a new British post-apocalyptic film called S.N.U.B:


Yet another remake is in the works. This one is another post apocalyptic film involving asteroids showering down on earth. It's called Before the Fall. It appears that Wes Craven has showed interest in doing this.

And lastly, the zombie comedy, Tokyo Zombie, will be hitting the DVD circuit in April.

Apocalypse Children, Breathers again, Elton John's Predators, Rec2 teaser

This looks like total crap. Maybe it's like Water World in the desert, but with an even more atrocious plot....and more crappy acting. But hey...it's post apocalyptic:
Apocalypse Children Promo

A few days ago, I mentioned a new book called "Breathers: A Zombie's Lament". I also mentioned that Hollywood was interested. What I didn't mention because I didn't know at the time was that it will be produced by Diablo Cody, who was the screenwriter for Juno and some new flick called Jennifer's Body.
I also mentioned another new book called "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and how that book was also attracting Hollywood. Well, hopefully, they can get that out before Elton John's production team get's "Austen Vs. Predators" out. Yes, you heard right. The Rocket Man wants to do Pride and Prejudice...and Aliens. I figured they jumped on the news as soon as they heard about the Zombies....we'll just wait and see...
Here's the first teaser for [REC]2. This is exciting!!!

Dead Rising 2, Zombie Boyfriend, Breathers, Zone of the Dead, and the Economist

Geez, I wish I had an Xbox or PS3...There's all these awesome zombie games out right now! Here's a possible sneak peak at Dead Rising 2!


Whoa! Man dies. Comes back to life 48 hours later. His fiance thinks he's a zombie. This is not a new movie...this is real life.

Check out this new book that's coming out. Breathers: A Zombie's Lament:

Browne's black comedy debut brilliantly reinvents zombie culture for the 21st century. Andy Warner reanimates after the car accident that kills his wife, but is too mangled from his injuries to talk. He lives in his parents' wine cellar, occasionally attending a zombie support group and struggling to rejoin a society that offers the undead no rights, bans them from working and doesn't even punish those who destroy them. When Andy and his fellow zombies—notably Rita, a sexy suicide victim with a lipstick fetish, and Jerry, a Playboy-obsessed stoner—learn why they're so driven to consume human flesh, the repercussions are both tragic and hilarious. Browne neatly mixes humor and extreme violence with a surprisingly tender love story, some witty social satire and an extremely strong narrative voice. (Mar.) --Publishers Weekly (Starred)

Serbian zombie madness? Oh yes. Here's a trailer for the upcoming Zone of the Dead, featuring Ken Foree (the original Dawn of the Dead):


And according to one of the latest covers of the magazine, The Economist, zombies will rise from the grave a force you to adhere to their economic/political agenda!

Film Review: Funny Games (U.S. version)

Film: Funny Games (U.S. version)
Director: Michael Haneke
Reviewed by: Doc Zombie

Unfortunately, I watched the original German version from 1997 first so I can only begin to compare this 2007 version with the original. Fortunately, this new version was shot for shot the same movie. The only difference here being the American actors.

Funny Games (U.S. version - 2007)


















Funny Games (German version - 1997)


















Funny Games is about a family who arrives at their vacation home for a two week stay. The neighbor drops by with a guest to say hi. Said guest and a friend of his turn out to be vicious home invaders...and what follows is one of the most horrific stories I've seen on film.

What grabbed me about this film was how the director managed to get me attached to the characters and then tear that connection down with brutal force. By the time the movie was over, I was exhausted - only because i was tense the whole time. Holding my breath. Hoping with all my might that the family would somehow make it through the ordeal.

As far as the acting goes, the American actors weren't quite up to the same level as the German actors. However, I can't tell if I feel that way because the German actors were unknown to me and seemed anonymous rather than seeing Naomi Watts play the Ann character, for example. I'm not saying that the American actors didn't do a good job, though. They still rocked their roles hardcore style and brought the pain and suffering enough to make me feel it.

I rented the U.S version about 2 weeks ago and I've avoided watching it. I had to wait until I was in the mood to throw myself into this story. I knew what was awaiting me. All I'm saying is if you plan on watching this (and you should), be prepared. This movie will chew you up and spit you out and you'll be left feeling the bite wounds.

Supposedly, Funny Games is supposed to represent what Americans love about the movies...exploitation of ultra-violence and hate. This is the Clockwork Orange of my generation. 5 muthafuckin blood drops.

The Stand: Captain Trips #1 Free online...

Yo, Stephen King fans! Check it out! Marvel Comics has released a free online version of The Stand: Captain Trips #1! In case you were wondering whether a comic book adaptation of one of the best apocalyptic thrillers ever written would be worth while, now's your chance to find out.

For those of you who have been living on another planet, Stephen King's The Stand is about a superflu virus that kills off nearly everyone on earth. The few survivors are drawn together to face a dangerous villain who may be behind the cause of this superflu known as "Captain Trips".

Film Review: Teeth

Film: Teeth
Director: Mitchell Lichtenstein
Teeth is a film about a strictly abstinent teenage girl, Jess, who finds out through terrible circumstances that she has the mythical mutation known throughout primitave cultures as "Vagina Dentata", or better known as, "sharp ass teeth in her va-j-j".

I don't know that I'd technically call this "horror" or not. I could definately understand how men could see this film as horrific and I'm sure some women would also find it a bit scary. As a male, this movie made me cringe the first time a penis was chomped off. However, all of the men who come in contact with Jess' mutation certainly deserved it. As a matter of fact, most of the men in this movie, save Jess' step-dad, are major a-holes. Jess quickly becomes a hero. Especially, after she learns to harness her new found ability. Geez, what is this...XXX-men?

The most disturbing part to me was the whole beginning of the movie. The display of strict abstinence here was over the top. People denying themselves their own sexuality to such a degree really creeps me out almost more so than penis chomping.

All in all, this was a fun movie. To the dudes out there reading this...just try not to think about this movie while having sex. This one gets 4 blood drops.

Zombie Dating, Dead World Rising, & a Deeper Impact?

Just in time for Valentines day you can hook up with the perfect zombified date....I haven't messed with the site yet, but it appears you can zombify your picture to fit in.



Ok, I don't really dig the concept of zombies with brains...er, intelligent minds. However, I'll give anything a chance. I've been meaning to pick up this comic for a while now and now it appears to be attracting some Hollywood attention. That would be Deadworld. I'll be keeping my eyes on this...


Remember that movie Armeggedon? Y'know, that one where there was an asteroid heading to destroy the earth, probably because radio stations all over the U.S. kept that damn Aerosmith song on loop 24/7? Yeah, well, forget that. (I'm sure it'll be easy.) Check this shit out!

Undead Apocalypse

Welcome, horror hounds, survivalists, and zombie hunters! This blog is dedicated to zombies and all things apocalyptic! I'll review movies and report news of upcoming relevant topics. Let's get started shall we?....