Rotting Flesh

by Mike
(Philadelphia, PA)

Dear Zombie Master,

I am relatively new to the whole horror movie genre, though I am enjoying it so far. My question is this, which I'm sure you have heard before, but I did not see in the Q/A:

Among the many types of zombies I have read about here and seen on film, there are the already dead zombies that occur when whatever is infecting the people kills then and then reanimates them. Since they are dead they appear to begin decomposing. While some of this may come from zombie induced injuries before death, they still appear to go much farther than simple bite wounds. If they are indeed rotting, how is it that they are capable of any movement at all, much less running and attacking people?

Anonymous, but you can call me Mike

Mike (if that is who you say you are),

I first want to commend you for paying attention and welcome you to the wonderful experience that is the horror genre.

In the early days there was a question remotely along these lines but it deserves a revisit.

Your thought process is totally logical and there is the rub. What happens when you apply logic to a zombie film? You get a scene like the one in NOTLD 1990 when Barbara finally leaves the house knowing that she can walk right past the zombies with no problem. Now, when everyone else realizes that the zombies are slow, weak, and decaying bodies then there wouldn't be to many movies about our beloved zombies because they wouldn't be that dangerous or even scary now would they.

That is why we must accept what we don't necessarily find logical. It becomes a necessary evil that adds volume to the zombie genre. It's one of those "rules" that I am willing to see bent in order to keep the zombie films coming.

Any way, when the zombie war begins we will be able to see first hand whether or not the hypothesis has been correct. I for one will stay well armed and let others do their experiments and testing.

Good hunting and aim high,

The Zombie Master