Fascination with Zombies, or with Chaos?

by Rob
(Valdosta, GA)

Hey Zombie Master,

This is more of a comment/rant I guess than a question, but you say that 28 days later is not a zombie movie, and it may or may not be, but it is a good movie along the same principal as zombie movies.

I believe there are two main types of zombie movies 1) Obscure - out - of - the - way - place/ cabin/ cemetary/ prison/ forest/ whatever-bloodbath type and 2) Post-Armageddon/virus/nuclear holocaust - fight - to - survive - Mayberry - is - destroyed type. Maybe these are just different popular movie plots, but both tie closely in with many zombie movies.

Personally I enjoy zombie movies where the whole world is destroyed and a few remaining people have to maneuver their way through this insanity grabbing M16s and raiding convenience stores living on whatever they can find, all the while fighting off flesh eating undead - scared shitless - but with a new renewed hardcoreness because they don't have to work at Home Depot anymore and get to mow down zombies and actually work for a living (HeHe).

I was just wondering if you and other people feel the same way. Is it really a fascination with zombies (don't get me wrong, zombies kick ass), or is it a fascination with chaos, and wanting to see what would happen if the world went to hell, getting drunk the whole time, and thinking about what awesome things they would do in that situation (hopefully not getting torn apart alive).

Peace,
Rob, Valdosta, GA

Rob,

You have made some good points and observations that I would like to touch on if I may.

First, I agree with you that 28 Days Later is a good movie. I enjoy a good "end of world" movie as much as the next guy. I believe, however, that the aspects of 28 Days Later that have the same principals as a zombie movie are very similar to the aspects of a zombie movie that have the same principles as a slasher movie. Similar in concept but different in follow through.

Because of this I do believe we are seeing the birth of a new sub-genre; the "not a zombie" zombie film. Only time will tell.

Second, I fear that you are limiting your options a little bit by trying to pigeon hole zombie movies into two categories. Broaden your horizons, take in a bad nazi-zombie movie like Zombie Lake, or a good Troma zombie movie like Redneck Zombies. You don't know what you are missing.

Now if I may wax philosophical, I do not think it is a fascination with chaos. Quite the opposite in fact, I personally use zombie films and horror films as a whole as a release from the every day monotony of life. Society has got us brain washed into thinking that Oprah and Dr. Phil have all the answers to life's questions, and if you don't listen to them you may just end up on Jerry Springer. We have forgotten that real honest to goodness stress actually needs an outlet. I believe that is one of the reasons for the sudden resurgence of horror movies being the cash cow at the theaters. If we all learned to allow our frustrations to be taken out by someone else on a movie screen the world just might be a better place. See, all we need to do is get more people to watch horror movies and the earth will become the Utopia that we have all been yearning for.

Oh, dude, sorry about that. Had a momentary lapse of reason there and had to come back down off of my soapbox.

Anyway, it is always great to talk to a fellow zombie fan.

Good hunting and aim high,
The Zombie Master