Vroom Vroom Zombies, baby

by Steph
(BC, Canada)

Zombie Master,

There's one thing I'm curious about that you haven't really addressed. The corpses of the undead have, in recent years, sped up.

Although I don't really count 28 Days Later, the new Dawn of the Dead features crazy sprinting zombies. Land of the Dead has that mall scene (with the belly button ring? That talked ME out of getting a navel piercing, let me tell you.) I can understand why; when people go and see horror these days, they're usually looking for jumps, shrieks, and thrills. Gone are the days of Rosemary's Baby, in rolls the Ring.

You commented on the zombie genre maturing into adulthood, but I can't help but feel as though we've lost something. The audience's attention span has dropped, and rather than the slowly gathering horde, we have lame military zombies who retain parts of themselves and run around shooting guns, vegetarian zombies who continue to protect their former love interests... (Bitter about Day of the Dead? Moi?)

Don't get me wrong. I do love my jumpy horror thrills. But I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on this latest 'evolutionary trend' in our beloved genre.

Steph
B.C. Canada

Steph,

Yes, they have sped up and I am not fond of them. I agree with you that it seems as if the general audience is suffering from ADD. That is the problem though. The general audience is not made up of true horror fans. Since Hollywood is about the almighty dollar, they think they have to turn every horror film into an action film. Just look at what they have done to the vampire and werewolf. Just like those two sub-genres, the best zombie films are going to be from the Indie arena. The difference between Land of the Dead and Diary of the Dead is a good example of what I am talking about.

And don't get me started about the absolute dis-respectful travesty that was the new Day of the Dead. I am still contemplating forwarding my therapy invoices to Reddick and Miner.

Good hunting and aim high,

The Zombie Master