Zombie mini-series

According to Slice of SciFi.com Pride and Prejudice and Zombies will be made into a mini-series. I better get started on reading that. The book has been burning a hole on my shelf for months.

More here.

Thanks to our friends at Monster Sci Fi Show Blog.

EVERY Zombie film!

My friends over at the Zombs sent me this link by Action Flick Chick to every zombie film ever made! I can't vouch for it not missing a single film, but this list is impressive. A great source to check which films you think are worth checking out.

Thanks go to Action Flick Chick. You are my heroine.

Every Zombie movie ever made.

ΩMega Bomb

Movie • THE OMEGA MAN • 1971
I have to admit, I’ve only seen this for the first time. These old cult classics should have been seen many times. I also have to admit, I will likely not be seeing The Omega Man many times. Maybe I’ll watch a scene here and there, but jeepers, it seemed like Omega Man should be watched at nap-time. Charleton Heston looked bored playing his role, and the plague surviving zombie/vampire people were more like jive-talking albino druids that mated with the Morlocks from The Time Machine.
I knew I was in for a really boring treat when Robert Neville goes into a theater to watch a Woodstock film… and we are subjected to several minutes of it as if we’d be given insight to the vibe. I get that what we see in this theater with Neville is a symbolic foreshadowing to the new night-dweller society. After a worldwide biological war, there are a few survivors who are a homogenized, socialist twisted version of the hippie peace ideology. These are the vampire/zombie people that were originally conceived by Richard Matheson in his book, I Am Legend.
I see now where the new I Am Legend movie drew most of its inspiration from. The urban setting, the basic plot line with Robert Neville saving the world with his blood just before dying a martyr’s death, the halfway love interest with a child, etc.
The Omega Man and the recent I Am Legend simply weren’t successful in telling the story of Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend the way Last Man On Earth starring Vincent Price did.
Stay away from Charlton Heston in this one. About the only thing I found entertaining was the inappropriately happy music that played as the soundtrack.
If you insist on watching, look for these three things:

• Listen to what Lisa says to Robert when they first meet. It’s a hint to his end.
• Look for the Alanis Morissette look-alike in the surviving human clan.
• The Ω in The ΩMega Man looks like headphones

But I recommend curling up with a cup of tea and some cookies, and reading Richard Matheson’s book instead.

Back to back brilliance

Movies (Double Feature) • GRINDHOUSE • PLANET TERROR / DEATH PROOF • 2007
It was important to me that I review these movies together because the mood of the the two films together along with the fake trailers is part of the art. Quentin Tarantino has explained that it’s about the experience of the grindhouse double feature that he was raised on. I’m a television buff, so it was an entertaining and educating experience to know why these films were put together this way. Truth be told, I’ve seen Death Proof as a stand alone as well; and though I still loved it, there was no comparison to seeing the two together in the theater last year. Watching them together again for only the second time on cable, I was smashed! This double feature is a box of Raisinets sprinkled in your buttery popcorn.
Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror) and Quentin Tarantino (Death Proof) team up well, and though the movies have very little in common aside from a few nods to each other using the same actors and similar characters, they work together like ice cream on cake. The formula is à la mode, and I hope we see this team-up again.
Be ready for some serious splatter gore that goes way over the top in Planet Terror. I got super thirsty when those watermelons were exploding all over the place. I was suddenly in the mood to open a can of cherry-pie filling too. Rose McGowan is absolutely brill in her portrayal of the go-go dancing stand up comedian, Cherry Darling. Her quivering lips and teary face at the end of the opening credits were straight out of exploitation films of the 70’s. She played in both films, with completely different roles, and convinced me in both the lost heroine who faces adversity, and the blond girly-girl who faces the dashboard.
Kudos th Stacy Ferguson (Fergie) too. I wasn’t sure what to expect from her presence originally; but her short screen time along with what I am sure was excellent direction gave her the opportunity to shine.
The soundtracks were appropriately balanced. My favorite part to note was the section in Planet Terror where our old friend Kyle Reese from The Terminator (Michael Biehn) shows up as the sheriff. The music turns reminiscent of the 80’s synthesizer music we hear in the original Terminator movie, and similar sci-fi/action movies of the time. It was a better nod than the typical Wilhelm Scream. The other note (and I always love QT’s soundtrack compilations of buried treasures) is the scripted mention of a great song to close your eyes to and swing your head (perfect for crashing your car). The song, Hold Tight by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch (get it right) was that momentous scene and song combination that Quentin Tarantino is famous for.
The girl power theme in Death Proof was unmistakable. You’ll get choked up after the thrills and kills when vengeance pays a visit. I was introduced to several new heroines to idolize. Not to take away from the perfection of Rosario Dawson and her excellent delivery of all QT’s lines (and that her character’s name was Abernathy), but Rose McGowan, of course, is the most famous. That’s why I was happy to see QT wasn’t afraid to make fun of her a bit. Pay close attention to the scene when she’s “driven home.” There will be a close up of the duck hood ornament on Stuntman Mike’s car. Immediately afterward we see a comparison of McGowan’s scrunched ski-slope nose. It was especially cute.
This review has gone on too long. I hope it’s somewhat cohesive. Last thing: Don’t watch these pictures without the trailers. You would hate to miss teasers for Machete, Werewolf Women of the SS (a fake film by Rob Zombie), Thanksgiving, and Don’t. Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t!

PS. Who is Chris Simonson, and is he another one of those Waiting for Godot references?

Zombies are a girl’s best friend

Movie • ZOMBIES OF MORA TAU • 1957
First things first. The old lady in this movie has a Great Dane very much like the one I neglected to mention in in The Undying Monster a few days ago. I made a point to omit my fascination with its presence because there really wasn’t much point. Now I’m wondering if Great Danes were the Rottweilers of yesteryear. We’ve seen Doberman Pinchers and German Shepherds as the ‘bad’ dogs, but I’m wondering if these Great Danes were considered ‘good’ dogs.
Back to business… I believe the Twilight Zone first aired in 1958, but I think there may have been a radio show earlier than that. Anyway, the opening crawl (which isn’t crawling, so is it a crawl at all?) read as follows:
In the darkness of an ancient world -- there is a Twilight Zone between life and death. Here dwell those nameless creatures who are condemned to prowl the land eternally -- the walking dead.
I found the use of that term interesting. I’d love to hear from you on this.
This has to be the first movie where zombies walk under water, and they did a terrific job. Zombie sailors are protecting a treasure of sunken diamonds off the coast of Africa, and many expeditions have died and “undied” trying to retrieve them.
I loved the cast that felt right out of Hogan’s Heroes. The heroes and their hussy were in direct contrast with the old lady and her snowflake great-granddaughter. Of course they had to give the sailor girl attitude. That was the excuse for subjecting her to spousal abuse. We were meant to dislike her. After all, someone has to join the zombies. By the way, the zombies are super-thug sailor zombies apparently made of steel! They just don’t go down. You go, zombies!
Even if you don’t like the movie, it’s worth seeing the Titanic / Ben Kenobi ending. Trust me.

Astounding Tales of Broads and Monsters

Book • Comic • THE CLAWS COME OUT • Pat Lewis • 2007
Why is the monster always the enemy? It’s great to see girl power in a book about monsters, but just once I’d like to see the monster come out as the winner. Bad date = monster? I suppose by definition, a man who tears people to shreds because they hit on his date would be a monster; but why should he be a vampire? Pat Lewis, have all vampires treated you this poorly? Maybe you should get out more. There are plenty of fine, upstanding vampires in the world.
The host of the book is Lily St. Evil. She’s got a similar personality to another horror host I know. If you can’t guess by her first panel, you have no business reading this book. She pulls off all the silly puns I love, and she holds the book together the way fly paper can hold lots of marshmallows (I’ve gotten 42 stuck - how many can you get?).
My favorite story was Abominable. It reminded me of Creepshow somehow. Zombie Trouble showed the most promise for me. Ms. Abigail, the fortune teller was a brilliant character. I’d love to see more of her. The ending, however, reminded me too much of Zombie Honeymoon. Must be serendipity that I should read this book on the same day I saw Zombie Honeymoon.
The art was fantastic. I don’t know if he Pat Lewis has ever acknowledged this, but his style looks a lot like Bill Watterson’s (Calvin & Hobbes). I’m going back for seconds after my next cupcake.

Sleep-walking horror

Movie • I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE • 1943
Producer Val Lewton gets a Mulligan on this one. The zombie genre had not yet been established other than with a few ignorant ideas about Voodoo. These zombies aren’t hungry, they’re sleepy and boring. Other zombie movies of this time period succeed only in making zombies look silly and unscary. At least there were a few characters here who looked nightmare-worthy.
The story was pretty much Jane Eyre set to West Indies Voodoo. The only cringing happens when you hear the “jungle drums at the sugar mill.” If not for the great music and some early krunk, the native sets would be way too stereotypical. Lost fans might notice something that looks like a Dharma logo on the door at the ceremonies.
See you soon. I’m heading to the sugar mill for some good music and tasty treats.

True romantic horror

Movie • ZOMBIE HONEYMOON • 2004
I've fallen in love with this couple. At first I thought I was wasting my time. This movie took itself way too seriously, and would have worked better as a dark comedy. I was glad to be watching with a tray of brownies and tall glass of chocolate milk.
Then it occurred to me. This movie is a romance. The writing was poor, but Tracy Coogan played her part as the broken hearted bride brilliantly. What would you do if your new husband, the man you love ate your friends and your travel agent? You cry and cry, but you love him unconditionally. Even if you’re a vegetarian, you accept that your husband now prefers a tasty noggin over bell peppers.
What the movie was missing was wedding cake. Through the entire hour and a half, I didn’t see a single dessert.