Dear Zombie Master: I Have So Many Zombie Questions!

by Hidde de Haan
(Rijswijk, Holland)

Hello ZM.

As the title suggests I have various zombie-related questions.

I recently got into zombie movies like a week ago and already saw about 15 zombie movies plus the amazing TV show Dead Set, have you seen it?

I would like to ask you about the senses of zombies? most zombies can see, hear and I assume taste... but what about smell? or feeling for that matter? I know the Return of the Living Dead zombies can feel themselves rot, but I'm more of the Romero-style zombie fan.

When people are eaten by zombies they come back, that's common knowledge, only is this ever seen in a movie? We see people who are bitten but never people who are really eaten (exception once again goes to ROTLD although Trash hardly had a scar after the whole deal). I mean do you ever see people come back who were really getting ripped up like Rhodes from Day of the Dead got ripped up?

Do the dead have sex and/or sexual urges? (beyond Braindead)

A few questions are about personal tastes:

Do you prefer it not to know what caused the outbreak? A lot of theories are implied in Romero's movies but none confirmed.

Whose zombie do you prefer? (Russo's, Romero's, Fulci's, etc.?)


Last question...

Please recommend me some more z-movies, I wanna make my own movie but I need some more influence. "Not a zombie" movies like 28 Days Later that still has a lot in common with z-movies and will be helpful too.

I already seen these:

Shaun of the Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Dawn of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Land of the Dead
Diary of the Dead
Return of the Living Dead
Return of the Living Dead II
Zombi 2
Dance of the Dead
Night of the Living Dead (remake)
Dawn of the Dead (remake)
Dead Set (TV-show; all 5 episodes watched)
Braindead
The Dead Next Door
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things
The Beyond
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie

I am already planning to see (some of these aren't really zombie movies):

Night of the Creeps
Dead & Buried
Night of the Zombies
Garden of the Dead
Bio Zombie
The Dead Pit
Zombie Honeymoon
Revolt of the Zombies
White Zombie
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later
The Evil Dead 1, 2 & Army of Darkness, Within The Woods
Re-Animator
The Serpent and the Rainbow
The Last Man On Earth
Things To Come
Cemetery Man
Pet Sematary
The Crazies
Tombs of the Blind

Thanks ZM!

Hidde de Haan
Rijswijo, Holland

Dear Hidde de Haan,

Wow. Slow down there hot shot. Let's see if I can answer these one at a time without losing my train of thought.

1. No I have not seen Dead Set but I do have friend shipping me the DVD's. Great concept.

2. The human senses, broken down to there most basic parts, are nothing more than sensors relaying information to the brain. By those standards, as long as the sensors are not damaged in some way, disrupting the reception between them and the brain, a zombie should have all of the functions of the five senses. Now, that being said, it does not take a lot to disrupt the information flow of these sensors to the brain so each zombie would have to be treated as an individual as to which senses they have. Of course sight and sound sensors would be the strongest but these can also be disrupted... but if you can get that close to a zombie it would do just to take of his head.

3. When people are bitten or eaten, it totally depends on whether the central nerve core is disrupted, ie. brain damaged, removed, severed, etc., as to whether or not the they will be able to return from the dead. That is why it is imperative that all dead have there heads removed and the bodies burned. (bullet to the head works wonders as well.)

4. Outside of Braindead, you would have to go to Haeckel's Tale and Dellamorte, Dellamore (Cemetery Man) to witness any and those have to do with zombie/human affairs.

5. Personally, I don't care what causes the outbreak. I just want to be prepared. Remember, perfect paranoia is perfect awareness.

6. Romero is king but Fulci is genius.

7. Your list is impressive. I would add all of the The Blind Dead Series (not just Tombs), the other two Fulci films that go with The Beyond (City of the Living Dead and House by the Cemetery), and my personal guilty pleasure Zombie Lake.

I always enjoy working with someone who has a hunger to learn. You are on the right track. Keep it up and you will join the crowd that will save the butts of all nonbelievers.

Good hunting and aim high,

The Zombie Master