So, last week I blogged about the lack of imagination and message in franchise horror movies. I said that, essentially, franchise horror is the “safe choice,” which is what makes it so popular. I also claimed that I don’t really “get” the appeal of franchise horror movies. For the most part, this is true. While, like many horror fans, I enjoy the “ride” predictable horror movies provide, I still require some kind of moral question, or a good reason behind the violence on screen. Otherwise, I feel like the movie just isn’t worth my time.

Perhaps that’s why, in the entirety of my experience watching horror movies, there is one particular subgenre that, although it’s one of the most formulaic, manages to consistently present a message along with massive amounts of gore. That subgenre is the zombie movie.

Ever since George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” kicked everything into messy high gear in 1968, the zombie has come to represent more than just an undead cannibal corpse lusting after brains. The zombie is the perfect blank slate for horror movie symbolism. It can represent just about anything you want. The zombie has been used to represent consumerism (“Dawn of the Dead,”) suburban complacency, (“Shaun of the Dead,”) racism and fear of the other (“Night of the Living Dead,” “Land of the Dead”). Romero has said of his films, “My movies are about other things, and zombies are just an annoyance.” In a zombie movie, it’s not the zombies that are actually the important thing. What’s important is the human drama created by their presence.

That human drama is the characteristic that, in my mind, makes the zombie movie so cool, as well as easy to replicate. Zombie movies follow a formula that is tailor-made to create moral dilemmas and human tension. Generally what happens is this: Zombies attack. The main character, in an attempt to escape the carnage, falls in with another survivor, or a group of survivors. After barricading themselves into a makeshift stronghold, the group tentatively starts forming connections. But there’s always at least one jerk that ruins it for everyone else. Arguments and accusations start flying, someone gets bitten, everyone gets conflicted over whether or not they should kill said bite victim. After waiting too long to make a decision (they always wait too long, instead choosing to discuss the ethical implications), the bitten friend or relative comes back to life, at which point all the outside zombies somehow find a way to infiltrate the stronghold, where there is the Final Showdown. At this point, there are usually two outcomes: a) everyone dies, b) the two characters with romantic chemistry survive to (we can only assume) repopulate the earth.

See what I mean? Yes, you can probably figure out from moment one of a zombie movie what’s going to happen and how, but the dynamic that emerges when anxious people with differing points of view are boarded up in one room and asked to work together or die can be just fascinating to watch.

Whenever I’m asked to convince people as to what makes zombie movies a genre worthy of attention, I give two examples: “Dawn of the Dead” (Romero’s original), and “28 Days Later.” Both are excellent representations of zombie movies at their political and morally thoughtful best.

“Dawn of the Dead” strikes me as the most politicized of Romero’s catalog. The consumerist tone is clearly presented from the moment the protagonists set up camp in the shopping mall. At one point, looking over the undead mob congregating outside the mall, one character, Peter, muses, “They’re after the place. They don’t know why, they just remember. Remember that they want to be in here.” Romero is presenting his audience with the notion that, as consumers, people are sheep. We want stuff, and lots of it. We don’t know why, we just know that we want it. In another scene, the whole group of survivors goes hog wild in a department store, excited that they can now appropriate anything they could possibly need or want for free. The mall is their haven. After a while, of course, as is the fashion with zombie movies, everything falls apart. But while it lasts, the situation seems pretty nice.

“28 Days Later” is, in my opinion, about as good a movie as you can find in either the zombie subgenre, or the horror genre as a whole. Generally speaking, director Danny Boyle’s movies can be pretty hit-or-miss, but his horror movies and psychological thrillers tend to be right on the money. His first film, “Shallow Grave,” presented audiences with a moral dilemma if ever there was one, and “28 Days Later” does exactly the same thing. Essentially, the audience is given this horrible apocalyptic situation, and two different ways that people choose to survive in that situation. We could take the moral high ground, with Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson, and realize the importance of maintaining human connection in a mostly-abandoned world. Or, if straight-up ruthless survival sounds better, we can side with Christopher Eccleston and his sexually frustrated soldiers. Of course, Boyle sends the message that the way of Eccleston and co. is basically the road to self-destruction, but you can’t help but feel a little bad for the guy. He may have acted horribly but, in the end, he was only doing what he thought was right.

Zombie movies may be formulaic. They may be easy to set up. But, unlike so many other subgenres, they have the potential to make an audience think. We laugh at the zombies trying to force their way into the mall in “Dawn of the Dead,” or the zombie carnival in “Land of the Dead” because these things are absurd. But, if we consider what these characterizations are meant to represent, how absurd do they make us look? Zombie movies are, at their most basic level, an opportunity for a director to turn the camera back on his audience and say “Look. These guys are us. They are what we have become.” If they want to throw a gallon or two of red corn syrup around for emphasis, then so much the better.

Grim Fandango

Developer: Lucas Arts

Year: 1998

Genre: 3D Aventure Game

Themes:  Death / Mystery / Crime / Romance / Aztecs / Film Noir

“Manuel, are you in love with her?”

 “Love? Love is for the living, Sal. I’m only after her for one reason. She’s my ticket out of here.”

Impending Doom

Adventure games have always been very difficult to produce. Engaging the audience in a narrative which requires minimal contributions in terms of actual playing necessitates the need for holding attention. Lucas Arts is renowned for generating some of the finest additions to this genre, including the still thriving Monkey Island series, Sam and Max Hit the Road and Day, Full Throttle and Day of the Tentacle to list a handful. In the 90s with the continual release of thrilling action games such as Doom and Quake, the adventure genre was rapidly losing its appeal. People wanted to play more interactive games, not read sheets of text.

In an effort to revive the genre that was holding on for its very life, Grim Fandango was released in 1998 as a 3D adventure game. It takes place in the strangest of settings yet, the land of the dead, a sort of purgatory the departed have to pass through in order to reach eternal rest.

“It’s just your apperance, it’s a little a imtimidating…”

Players assume the role of Manny Calevera, a travel agent for the Department of Death (DOD), working to provide the deceased with transportation to the ninth underworld of eternal rest. It appears that this mirror world is very similar to modern society with those more comfortable with staying in the land of the dead building cities to suit such a lifestyle. Manny seems interested only in “paying off his debts” by working at the DOD, it appears those that led morally honest lives are able to receive tickets on an express train taking them straight to the ninth underworld.

“That compass on the handle will sure come in handy!”

Grim Fandango begins with Manny expressing his distress for having lousy clients, professing the belief that it won’t lead him anywhere. He intercepts one of the premium clients from his malevolent co-worker, Dom and things turn strange. He is unable to provide the woman, Meche with transport on the number nine despite her flawless life record. Meche leaves the DOD and begins walking towards the ninth underworld through the dangerous regions of the land. Those that can’t obtain tickets must brave its challenges on a four year journey.

It is revealed that corruption is taking place in the DOD and Manny escapes the organization with the help of Salvador, a resistance leader who is aware of the situation at the DOD. With nothing left for him at the DOD, Manny begins his own four year journey in search of Meche, believing she’s his ticket out of the land.  The story explodes into action, taking Manny to different locations. Each section of the game takes place on the Day of the Dead and each time significant events unfold.

Manny travels with his bear-resembling demon friend, Glottis a garage mechanic who lives for speed. Together they hunt for Meche, taken to several cities each with architecture similar to Aztec structures. The game takes on a very classic style of film noir with clear inspiration from Casablanca. This is made obvious through the attire and attitudes of others. Further to this there’s a clear emphasis on orchestral jazz music that just sounds perfect for each setting, some traditional folk music is also there. I genuinely believe that this combination of amazing artwork and delightful music takes Grim Fandango in a spectacular direction. It could be said that this alone would be enough for people to purchase this game and just walk around experiencing these epic settings.

Use Liquid Nitrogen on Dynamite

I’ve already outlined the story, and very briefly at that, however it’s what makes the game shine. Manny is hell bent on finding Meche and each time he’s placed in a situation where he’ll briefly encounter her and then proceed to give chase. This is where many of the puzzles begin to emerge.

 An example is when Manny fools the dock master, Velasco into believing one of his ensigns has died so that he can secure a spot on his vessel. Players will more than often have to think outside the box to solve these somewhat obscure puzzles. Your life is made easier with hints attained from talking to characters. Generally Manny might have to employ items in his rather bulky inventory to achieve this; it’s surprising how useful the scythe he carries is.

“Manny! You have to hear about my new coat system!”

In addition to their hints many of the lands’ citizens will talk to Manny about their lives in general. This is the backbone for comic relief in the game and it’s pulled off with ease. It’s a very dry sense of humor which anyone can enjoy, sometimes just listening to Glottis speak made me laugh, particularly his song about his beloved “Bone Wagon.” You’ll find yourself milking every piece of speech; the voice acting is just incredible.   

I have to apologize for sidetracking from the story again. To summarize it’s a suspenseful tale overall, perfectly balanced. Never too corny, never once dull, never less than amazing. I’m going to admit this right out; this is the first video game story that left me in tears at the end. It’s a thing of beauty. Last thing to say about the narrative is that there’s a collection of short cutscenes. They’re done impeccably, retaining that noir feeling and providing many laughs, one being the one that made me cry.

Not that way!

Thus far I’ve just conveyed one positive after another (Tim Schafer is a genius after all), were there really any negative aspects? Well unfortunately yes and this one will affect players the moment they take control of Manny. It is in fact the controls that lead me to complain, they’re pretty frustrating. This was the first time Lucas Arts made a 3D adventure game and many FPS gamers will mope about having to move and turn with only WASD, I think the camera also had a major impact, sometimes causing Manny to travel in a different direction altogether when pressing S to move backwards. Fortunately I think this didn’t last long in adventure games, Escape from Monkey Island is the only other game I can think of that had controls like this and the latest Monkey Island is 3D with pointing and clicking.

 I don’t think this is a seriously game breaking feature overall. It’s more of the only way they could work in Manny’s model with the scenes, I remember being disappointed with Myst and some of the Zork graphic adventures because you could lay an eye on who you were controlling.

Closing Remarks

Grim Fandango is my favorite adventure game and I strongly agree with other critics that this is the best adventure game ever made. The art direction, music, characterization, puzzles and story is well beyond anything produced today and will be for a long time. During this year’s Day of the Dead I actually loaded Grim Fandango up and played through it in one sitting as my own way to celebrate. It is on my top ten list for video games and I believe everyone should experience it.

 Before I conclude I just wanted to remark that before you sprint to the stores to grab the gradually dwindling copies available make sure you read some of the FAQs about running it on Windows XP / Vista, because it’s extremely problematic to operate on modern PCs, sometimes you’ll also have to use Software rendering.

 Score 100%

 Recommended Level: Year 2 – Rubacava (yes, the whole thing)

 Why No Video Review? – My system doesn’t do it justice (software rendering)

 Pros

 + Mind-blowing art direction

 + Memorable Music

 + Revived Adventure Games

 + Tear-bringing Story

 + Hilarious Dialogue

 + Various Cultural References and Noir Themes

 + Enjoyable Puzzles

 + Glottis!

 Cons

 - Controlling Manny is similar to moving a puppet on strings

 - Does not perform well on modern PCs

 - Puzzles in Year 3 are sometimes completely bug ridden

Let this statement absorb into your mildly retarded to intelligent mind(s):  Shaun of the Dead is a perfect movie.  From second zero until end credits, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg created a masterpiece.  Name me a scene in that film that they could have cut out… yup, shut up.

Centering a film around zombies in the last ten years is a simple way to start a movie, which has become the center of much critiquing and BITCHING from fans and fuckers alike.  Yeah, I will admit that screenwriters, producers, and directors need to adjust their attention a little in the genre of horror, but how easy is it to get an idea, name, or message out into the mass populace through the invention of zombies?  Easy as a girl named Breezy (ask me later).

“Rom-zom-com” was a genre coined by Shaun of the Dead.  It’s fucking silly, but I allow it.  A romantic-zombie-comedy is something we all wish we thought of first, but alas, we didn’t.  Closest pick that could be lumped into this genre is Zombie Honeymoon, but that flick is a bummer to say the least (rent it though).

George A. Romero is a man that horror buffs tip their hats to because whether you like it or no, he brought zombie films into the mainstream and did it well.  Some of his films look a little dated – for the obvious reasons – with all the undead cinema flooding the market now, but Shaun of the Dead took the schematic of rotting men and women lumbering about and feeding on human flesh infused humor, heart, and headshots.  In my opinion Romero has been rolling down a slippery slope of guts and flesh since Land of the Dead, but after watching Diary of the Dead I got a feeling the man needs to put the camera down and start penning some screenplays or producing projects that are up his gore soaked alley.  His new picture Survival of the Dead has the potential of bringing him out of this mass grave of shitty zombie movies, which he has directed himself into, but sometimes you just gotta pass the torch and move on.  Let’s get back on topic though, shall we?

Edgar Wright is one of those writers/directors who knows what he loves and it isn’t afraid to create something that is merely an homage to those things with a little something else added to it.  His sitcom Spaced even has a subtitle track on the DVDs entitled “Homage-o-Meter” that simply references anything within the realm of film, music, literature, and a bunch of random shit because that’s what compromises majority of the show.  Genius?  A little less, but leaning more towards prophetic.

The sappy – but good kinda sappy – that is strategically placed amongst the fart jokes and disemboweling in Shaun plucks on the heart strings so well because there usually isn’t a need for it within the genre.  Your typical horror fan that forks out $6.50 for Saw 23 (currently in pre-production) doesn’t need emotional substance within the film as long as the violence grows exponentially with each severed Achilles tendon.  Yet, when Bill Nighy – playing the stepfather – “death bed” confesses how hard it’s been raising Simon Pegg, I know I started welling up the first time I saw it.  And don’t get me started about the Mexican standoff involving Shaun’s mother.  Reservoir Dogs, you have now been trumped.

We’ve all seen plenty of slashers and the such where you can pretty much wave a finger at majority of the players and figure who’ll be letting out a sigh of relief right before the end credits roll and who’ll be dirt-napping ASAP.  Now if you can actually write a decent character then flesh them out as the camera rolls on them – whether they get the axe or not – we’re at least feeling for them as they attempt to survive through three acts.  But if you watch any trailers for movies within the last 10 years, Hollywood loves to show us EVERY FUCKING THING THAT’LL HAPPEN WITHIN 93 MINUTES condensed to a two and a half minute stream of clips, especially every dumb breeder that’s gonna fall on a dick or knife in I Know What You Did Last Summer With Your Dirty Mouf .  I remember watching the Episode I trailer in ninth grade and being so pissed off because it was obvious that Qui-Gon eats it.  Once again, thank you Mr. Lucas for perverting nearly everything that was holy during my childhood.  Sorry… I get kinda angry most of the time when I go off on tangents.

Every character in Shaun fits into at least one stereotype or more, which works as long as you give them a soul.  The token black guy wouldn’t be such a disposable character in cinema, but when does the “black friend in the group” ever get more than five lines that aren’t silly or just jive.  Stereotypes and cliches in movies work – especially in genre films – because it can create a familiarity with the audience that is comforting, but the fun and talent comes when the write and/or director abuses that comfort and throws you into oncoming traffic.  Sometimes you’re taken from your idea of what is safe and sure in your life or simply lead down a path you didn’t see coming.  I wouldn’t say that Shaun is abound with twist, turns, and surprises, but when you take the idea of the “bumbling idiot” (Pegg) and give him a family, friends, wit, and then hordes of zombies to bash his way through, you start to give two shits about him.  Stir in that drama I was talking about from before and what do you get?  A damn fine character.  Now let’s throw a bucket of blood over the whole mess and you we got ourselves a right good film.  Now me personally, I just need a rack of $7.99 failure ribs from Safeway and some Simply Apple Juice, then I’m in fat kid Heaven.  Moving on.

Shaun of the Dead may not be on the highest of cinematic plains, but for a film that panders to gore-hounds, drunks/stoners, those who still think farts are funny (real Americans), and people who hate bad kissers, it’s a work of art.  It’s a movie that reminds me of why I still love all the sentimental bullshit John Hughes put out or why constantly quoting the Cohen Borthers three bowling alley burnouts never gets tired.  It brings me back to why I shielded my  five year-old eyes from Carpenter’s shape-shifting alien in the Arctic or how Landis made someones dead bestfriend the funniest aspect of London.  Simply put, it’s a movie that makes me love movies.

‘Tis the season! With the end of the decade and Halloween approaching, now’s the best time to torture your soul with the best horror this decade has to offer. Now, please, forgive me. The horror genre, like everything else, is getting blurrier. It’s hard to tell just what exactly is a horror film these days. I attempted to honor the genre, while keeping a clear opinion of what the best are. Enjoy!

10. 30 Days of Night

It was either this or Zombieland. A) You already know and love Zombieland. B) This is a comic site! I have to mention the adaptations when I can. 30 Days of Night could’ve easily been mediocre. An essential part of the book’s success was Templesmith’s art. Having said that, this movie looks pretty damn good. Snow always feels epic. 30 Days of Night is well-acted and well-made. It manages to naturally stretch Niles’ novel, making it, in some ways, better. To those of you who vomit at the sight of sparkly, beautiful teenage vampires, watch 30 Days of Night. These are just about the ugliest vampires ever filmed, and that’s a good thing.

9. Land of the Dead

I would’ve loved to re-watch this one, but I figure I have to get this out before Halloween. Romero’s return wasn’t as earth-shattering as we may have liked, but there’s plenty of merit here. For one thing, Land of the Dead looks great and features actors who can actually act. For another, Romero still manages to scare us with creatures who aren’t all that scary, providing uniquely gory deaths for his decent actors. And what would a Romero Dead flick be without some social commentary? With “Fiddler’s Green,” he managed to capture both the atmosphere of rich nations, who live in luxury while many still live in hell-holes, and of a post-post 9/11 world. While we sit comfortably, discussing American Idol, the evil is still lurking, and, perhaps, evolving.

8. The Mist

Ok, it’s kind of a zombie movie with bugs, but that’s different, right? In fact, thanks to the titular mist, the creatures can be grand and epic, without looking too cheesy. We’ve got some great actors here: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Toby Jones. They help elevate the material. Frank Darabont, the director of The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, completes his King trilogy, and it’s a lot of gruesome fun. This being a comic site, I have to mention Darabont’s Walking Dead TV involvement. If you want to see if he’s right for that adaptation, this movie will give you a clue.

7. 28 Days Later

Again, I would’ve loved to re-watch this. I even rented it, and I will watch it, but I’m a slave to this post. Danny Boyle was a good director before Slumdog Millionaire. I swear he was, and this film is part of the proof. I mentioned in my introduction how the horror genre has gotten blurry. Indeed, this film helped start that, with many rabid fans crying, “These aren’t zombies!” Well, whatever they are, they’re scary as hell. 28 Days Later has many impressive, grim shots of a destroyed London. It has great performances from the then-newcomer Cillian Murphy and the always-fantastic Brendan Gleeson. This may have helped splinter the zombie genre, but at least it’s pretty damn good.

6. Shaun of the Dead

This movie hammered home what George Romero has known since the 70’s: zombies are hilarious! They’re such boring monsters. In this film, we can barely tell them apart from the boring humans, maybe that’s just because they’re British. Shaun of the Dead is hilarious, but it also manages to touch upon the important elements of zombie movies, such as banding together, social commentary, and that wonderful gore.

5. Drag Me to Hell

I don’t want to oversell this, but Drag Me to Hell is arguably Raimi’s best film. We’re back to Evil Dead 2, with the perfect mixture of terror and comedy. Christine isn’t as lovable as Ash. She’s not really meant to be. However, Alison Lohman is a perfect horror heroine. She has the innocent looks and a wonderful scream. Amongst the laughs and gasps, this movie teaches us some very valuable lessons. Never deny an old gypsy! And never dig up a body in the worst storm of the decade!

4. Grindhouse

Yeah, it’s one film, damn it. Funny thing about this being on a “best” list, it’s trying so hard to be bad. That said, this is probably the most enjoyable pick on my list. Ok, so Deathproof isn’t much of a horror film, even though hot girls are getting hunted and slaughtered by a badass Kurt Russell, but Planet Terror is horror all the way, in the vein of a Carpenter flick. You’ve got the babes. You’ve got the gore. You’ve even got the great actors, like Bruce Willis! And if you’re not at least a little scared of testicle harvesting, I don’t know what to tell ya.

3. American Psycho

Finally, a slasher movie where the murders don’t matter, even within the context of the film! Bateman’s murders are an expression of his boredom and vanity. Mary Harron took this material and made it an exploration of male insanity, rather than just Bateman’s. You’ve all seen these guys. They’re on Wall Street. They’re trying to sell you something. They might even be firing you. American Psycho documents masculine squabbles in deliciously, horrific detail. Perhaps, most chilling of all, the film asks, “What if these assholes really are killing, and, with wealth & power, their mess is wiped clean?”

2. Antichrist

I was mugged by God. That was my initial reaction to this film. True of almost every great film, on the first viewing, we’re not really sure what we’ve seen. This movie’s depth is so endless, it threatens to swallow you whole, taunting you to disregard it as Eurotrash. What I am sure of is the bravery of Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsburg, who follow Trier’s insanity to the end. Trier is a madman, as most great directors are, and his images, no matter how shattering to our senses, are fully realized here.

1. Sweeney Todd

The bloodiest musical, Burton’s possible best, and indeed, the greatest horror film of the decade. Burton stays faithful to the original tale, as well as Sondheim’s music. Depp and Carter are dressed like 30’s horror stars, paying homage to both the genre and the original film. I never felt Sondheim’s music should be gloriously sung, no matter how talented Angela Lansbury is. These songs are sad and personal, and though Burton’s cast aren’t singers, they are actors, and they deliver their tunes in the best possible way. You won’t find any prancing or choreography here. Sweeney Todd is a dark, terrifying tragedy that will slash its way into your nightmares as efficiently as Mr. Todd’s razors.

For more comic goodness, go here.

My Zombieland post comes a little late. So sue me.

It’s a big claim to call a zombie movie original. But Zombieland is.

Why are there no zombies in this picture?

Before The Night of the Living Dead, zombie films were about voodoo-possessed people. NOTLD, along with its sequels Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, invented the flesh-chomping brain-dead modern zombie.

Despite spawning many knock-offs (the Return of the Living Dead series is supposedly the best of these), you know it hadn’t hit the mainstream until there was a Simpsons parody.

Dial Z for Zombies, the third segment of Treehouse of Horror III (1992), is also noticeable for popularising the fallacy that zombies crave BRAINS! (which really doesn’t make sense: how would they get through the skull?)

Despite some ambitious but flawed low-budget entries, the zombie sub-genre grew stagnant until 2004’s funny and successful Shaun of the Dead.

George A. Romero (the ‘A’ stands for ‘a fucking genius’, according to Tarantino), the master of the undead, is in the middle of a comeback with a triple whammy of Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, and the as of yet unreleased Survival of the Dead (previously Island of the Dead). He is also producing the remake of his film The Crazies. None of these have exactly been critically acclaimed, at least not on the same scale as the originals.

You see, it turns out it’s hard to make a good zombie film.

Which is what Zombieland does so well. It doesn’t bend the rules in a crazy new way, as many have tried and failed at, it just takes what tropes service the story and out-of-handedly rejects the rest.

Zombieland is very hard to pin down, especially in the zombie genre, which often makes heavy-handed political or social points to the point of their undoing. And it’s all the better for it. You feel it says something potent, about humanity maybe, but it’s not possible to articulate in terms other than the movie’s.

Seriously, don’t spoil any of this movie for yourself (and that includes checking out IMDb). I went into it without knowing much other than the title and that it was good.

I really want to see a sequel or TV show (which it was originally written as).

I give it an A+7*** out of 10. Because I can’t say no to Woody Harrelson (or Abigail Breslin – she’s a great actress with a great career ahead of her).

If, like me, you are interested in this kind of thing and are so inclined, you can download the screenplay here. Just make sure to see it first.

I reckon pound for pound the Misfits are my favourite punk band, so when I got this press release through I got a little bit excited. Plus, check out Arthur Suydam’s artwork!

ALL-NEW MATERIAL FROM THE MISFITS ARRIVES HALLOWEEN ‘09

PRE-ORDER AND GET IT A MONTH BEFORE IT ‘LANDS’ IN STORES.

 The legendary Misfits return with 2 brand-new, soon-to-be-classic songs marking the first new original material from the certified-gold selling horror rock icons in a decade! The release also marks their first new studio recordings since 2003’s billboard chart topping “Misfits Project 1950” covers album. The Ltd. Ed. 12-inch LP maxi single showcases an incredible new cover painting rendered by Arthur Suydam (of Marvel Zombies fame) who has ferociously rendered the Misfits world famous “Fiend Skull” icon in homage to the zombie films of George A. Romero. The artwork is appropriately suited as both new songs (“Land of the Dead” and “Twilight of the Dead” written by Misfits founding member Jerry Only), were inspired by the acclaimed director’s living dead series.

The first pressing on clear red vinyl is a limited edition of 1,000 pcs guaranteed to feed the collectible frenzy with Misfits fiends while supplies last! Look for the ‘Fits (Jerry Only Bass/Vocals, Dez Cadena Guitars and Robo Drums) on tour throughout North America now – late December ’09 where you can expect to hear both new songs performed live in concert. Starting October 30th, (Devil’s Night at the Starland Ballroom in NJ), Fiends will have the chance to pick up a special clear orange vinyl tour edition of the 12-inch (also limited to 1,000 pcs worldwide), while supplies last. The clear orange vinyl pressing will be on sale exclusively at live Misfits shows and will not be available in stores. The clear red vinyl edition is available exclusively from our online Fiend Store and the Misfits Records online store. Pre-order now and have it in your fiendish hands over a month before it ‘lands’ in record shops!

All online orders will ship by or before, but no later than Halloween. Both songs (“Land of the Dead” and “Twilight of the Dead”) will be available individually for digital download (@ only $0.99 per track) on iTunes and other digital music providers starting October 27th… Happy Halloween Fiends! www.misfits.com

episch.

Last week saw the UK release of the new Woody Harrelson movie, Zombieland. I’d seen the trailer a few months ago on YouTube and was quite excited by the prospect of a new zombie film. I love zombie movies but my problem with the Genre is that it’s really difficult to do right (REC) and really easy to  mess up (Day of the Dead remake). With Zombieland marketing itself as part Horror/ part Comedy I was sceptical to say the least. I really enjoyed the trailer but was worried that it had shown the best parts of the film. I’m glad to report that my doubts were blown out of the water by a great movie.

Horror & Comedy rarely go together too well and as much as I enjoyed Shaun of the Dead, it didn’t contain too much horror. Again, another good film made by obvious fans of zombie movies but I thought that by the back end it was struggling for direction. Fortunately, Zombieland doesn’t suffer from this. whilst being genuinely funny throughout it managed to raise my pulse in a few places and the fairground finale was a fitting end to a quality movie. With that in mind I’m going to revisit some of the best zombie flicks of the past few years…

In a time where Romero, the father of the modern zombie seems to be losing it (Diary of the Dead was awful and by all accounts Survival of the Dead is ready to get panned upon release) it’s good that a zombie movie can be made well. Technically, the zombies in the film aren’t actually undead but infected (a ‘la 28 Days Later) and so aren’t the stumbling slow zombies of Romero’s flicks but the Olympic-sprinter style creatures of the Dawn of the Dead remake.

I really like the faster zombies and full credit has to go to Danny Boyle for their conception. Although some european horror films of the late seventies and eighties had running and even talking (WTF!) zombies, it was Boyle who gave us the all running- all biting zombies of 28 Days Later. In an interview shortly after 28 Days’ release he explained that after watching Romero’s films he couldn’t understand why characters got caught of by a zombie slowly shuffling across the floor. Quite right he is too, Romero’s zombies catch people because they have strength in numbers but surely if you were in a wide open space you could easily evade a couple of dozen of them?

With the birth of the 28 Days zombie you had a whole new type of threat; not only did the infected want to bite you; they would smash through windows and sprint down streets to get to you. In making the infected run it quickened the pace of the whole film and as a viewer you were constantly on edge for the characters because of the threat that any second an infected could burst on screen to take someone down. Danny Boyle has been accused over the years of plagiarism because of 28 Days but to be fair to him, he’s always been upfront about his inspiration for the film. He cites Day of the Triffids first and foremost and this makes sense with the whole Jim waking up in hospital weeks after a catastrophe only to find out that the world has been fucked in the eyes.

For me, the reason the film was so scary was because of its setting. Being shot in London brought the horror to life in the UK. It’s easy to watch films made in other countries and not connect with the settings. As much as I loved Romero’s Dawn & Day, the terror didn’t resonate with me as much as seeing Boyles’ undead steaming down a rural street. I think another influence for the film must have been Dario Argento’s Demons.

Demons is an Italian Horror film directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Dario Argento. I found this film by accident around ten years before 28 Days had been released and there are striking similarities between the two movies. I’d just like to say now that if you enjoyed 28 Days then please try to get hold of a copy of Demons, it’s well worth an hour and a half of anyone’s time. Being a film from the mid-eighties it can be a bit cheesy in places but delivers a few scares even now, over 20 years after it was made. The story follows a group of strangers who have been invited to a special screening of a horror film in a theatre in Berlin, Germany. Whilst the film is playing a woman scratches her face on a prop mask and is soon transformed into a grotesque blood crazed Demon. Every time the Demon scratches someone they become infected and quickly turn into a Demon. The film follows the fight for survival inside the theatre.

It’s a really good movie and if you do watch it, take note of the quick ’turn time’. I’m sure thats where Boyle got the idea from. In Demons, once a person is scratched they have next to no time before they ‘turn’ which is also very much the case with 28 Days. For any horror buffs reading this who have also seen Demons 2, the chase up the London towerblock staircase in 28 Days has obviously been borrowed from the staircase chase in this film by Mr Boyle. 

Two years after 28 Days we were graced by Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake. Initially I was screaming sacrilege! when i realised that someone had dared to touch one of my all time favourite zombie movies. Fortunately, Snyder’s vision for the remake far exceeded any expectations I had and the end result is one hell of a rollercoaster of a movie. I’m of the mind that there is no such thing as a bad zombie film (Poor – yes, but not bad) and so I sat down in my local cinema (with only one other person in the whole of the screen) for the first performance on the release date of Dawn. 100 minutes later I sat with my Jaw open amazed by the movie i’d just seen.

Every good film should have a good beginning and even now I think that the Dawn remake is one of the best openings for any movie I’ve seen and I could love this film purely on the merit of the first 10 minutes, never mind that the next 90 are equally as good. The tension of the bedroom/ bathroom scene was phenomenal and I loved the shots of the devastated Milwaukee once Ana escaped her home. The refreshing thing for me was actually getting to see the destruction caused post ‘outbreak’. It’s something that is very rarely seen in a zombie movie largely due to budget constraints I suppose but it’s what zombie fans want to see the most. Too many films shy away from that aspect of the zombie genre and it was done fantastically by Snyder. And one final reason to love this film (as if you needed one) is because Ving Rhames’ character is BADASS. ‘Nuff said.

Next up was Land of the Dead. It’s said that no-one does Zombies like George Romero and judging by Land, they’re absolutely right. After a 20 year hiatus the big man returned to give us a pretty damn good zombie film. For those who don’t know, Day of the dead was originally supposed to have a radically different story from the one of the 1985 movie. Due to massive budget constraints Romero was forced to alter the setting to an underground missile silo and he was also restricted on the amount of undead shown in the movie. His original vision of a world overrun by zombies didn’t quite pan out the way he had intended.

It was with great relief that the $15 million budget got put to good use, Romero gave us a great action flick with a few scares and jumps along the way that although not on a par with 28 Days or Dawn was nevertheless a cracking film.

The reason I enjoyed Land so much was due to the casting. In Keeping his tradition of using an African- American in a major role, Romero introduces us early on in the film to ‘Big Daddy’ who, unlike previous …of the dead films is not the hero but rather a would-be leader of the zombies. Big Daddy is a great character played superbly by Eugene Clark and at times during the film you actually feel for him and his zombie buddies. I was surprised by Asia Argento, I’d only ever seen her in xXx alongside the big man, Vin Diesel and in Land I really enjoyed her character even though I couldn’t help thinking that she should be way hotter than she actually is. Both John Leguizamo & Robert Joy’s characters were great but its Simon Bakers character that made the film for me. Rather than your usual protagonist who shoots first and asks questions later, he brings an assured quietness to the role and I really liked that aspect of the film.

I’m not sure about Romero’s vision of zombies ‘evolving’ – we had Bub in Day Shooting a pistol and in Land Big Daddy manages to fire of a clip from a semi-auto rifle, it doesn’t sit too well with me. I prefer my zombies to be savages that can’t think. That’s what makes zombies scary for me. The thing is, it’s Romero and he invented the zombie movie so in my eyes, he can do whatever he wants. Top marks goes to Dead Reckoning shooting fireworks up at the sky to keep the zombies occupied – genius!

Which brings me nicely onto the most recent zombie film that I really enjoyed, [Rec]. For those who don’t know, Rec is a spanish horror film released in 2007 that is another ‘infected’ movie with a good splashing of the occult, it’s filmed from the point of view of a female reporter and cameraman for a tv station who are following a team of firefighters during a night shift. Over the course of the evening they are called out to a block of apartments to investigate a disturbance and it is in this apartment block that the story is told.

The infected in Rec are fast savages and combining that with the handheld camerawork really ups the pressure stakes This makes for a very jumpy film with a final 10 minutes that will creep the pants off you. Rec was remade as a carbon copy in the states last year under the name Quarantine but if you get a chance, give the original a go – you won’t be disappointed!

So they’ve been my favourites of the past few years, in the next twelve months we will have Romero’s Survival of the Dead, [Rec 2], Plan 9 from outer space and who knows, the rumour mill states that Danny Boyle is considering a return to what he started with 28 Months later. Maybe not the best year for zombie films but it goes to show that the genre isn’t as dead and buried as industry critics would like to think.

theoriginaljj

Meet the Flish, the monster from Book Four!

I’m having a blast writing this one. There is a mixture of total make believe and an actual historical figure or two. No one you’ll learn about in school, unless you’re taking Depraved Serials Killers of the 20th Century 101! And I really think you’re going to like the Throw Aways. What are Throw Aways? You’ll see!

Just saw Land Of The Dead last night, the latest from zombie master George A. Romero.  First off I enjoyed it.  I would rank this third out of his four zombie movies.  Dawn of the Dead is first, Night of the Living Dead is second and Day of the Dead is his weakest.  First of all let me say that I do not find Zombie movies very scary anymore.  There are just too many of them lately that the novelty has worn completely off.

But one thing has been lacking out of all these latest zombie movies, and that is actual flesh eating.  Everybody seems to have forgotten that Zombies need to eat the living.  That’s all they wan to do.  Its what drives them.  Romero makes sure that we see all kinds of flesh being ripped up and eaten.  In fact I can’t believe this was simply R rated.  Its one of the goriest flicks to get a wide release in a decade.  

The story falls right in to the already built up world that Romero left us in.  This is one of the last remaining cities for humans.  The zombies have taken over the world.  The rich live in an Utopian type society in sky scrapers, while the poor live in a wasteland below.  There are designated groups that go outside the cities walls to get food, supplies and booze.  They travel in a massive tank like vehicle called Dead Reckoning. 
These zombies are quite different though.  They seem to be evolving as a zombie named Big Daddy, gathers his troops and finds his way towards the city. 

I enjoyed the gruesome violence and the dark atmosphere, as well as all the political satire that Romero’s movies always contain.  This time I just wish that there was a little more to the characters and the story.  But I had a fun  time seeing zombies rip people apart and eat their insides.  Oh, and thank god they couldn’t run.  These are the good zombies.  The kind that lurch around, and usually travel in packs.

Yeah, so we’ve all seen them on the merchant and drooled over their stats…

But now we get to drool over their artwork too!

Enjoy!

~Gaar

The first part of this will be all the “Back” items from the five-piece Accessory set that drops in the Tomb of the Vulture Lord.  These have some of the coolest artwork in the game in most cases.

The second part will be all the Mythic weapons and items that you can purchase after clearing not just the Tomb of the Vulture Lord, but also finishing off the infamous World Boss and being lucky enough to receive the Mythic token from the PQ bag.

For these items, it appears all the artwork is divided into types of weapons/items.  A few classes do have unique artwork due to having fairly unique items (ie: Charms), but most are shared.

They are all very well themed in my opinion…and finally Dwarfs have a sexy shield.  hehe

The Back Items

(If you’re unsure of what constitutes the actual artwork for the Back, compare it to Warlord armor pics for each class to see the difference.  In some cases, it’s hard to tell as it fits so seamlessly with their armor sets.)

Archmage

Black Guard

Black Orc

Bright Wizard

Choppa

Chosen

Disciple of Khaine

Engineer

Ironbreaker

Knight of the Blazing Sun

Magus

Marauder

Rune Priest

Shadow Warrior

Shaman

Slayer

Sorcerer

Swordmaster

Squig Herder

Warrior Priest

White Lion

Witch Elf

Witch Hunter

Zealot

The Mythic Items

One-handed Axe

One-handed Hammer

One-handed Sword

Two-Handed Axe

Two-handed Hammer

Two-handed Sword

Bow

Disciple of Khaine Charm

Engineer Gun

Squig Herder One-hander

Black Guard Two-hander

The Shields

The Staff

Witch Elf One-hander

Witch Hunter Gun

Warrior Priest Charm

Zealot One-hander

Zealot Charm

Several British agents have been murdered and James Bond is sent to New York in order to investigate their mysterious deaths. Mr. Big, who is self producing heroin, comes to his knowledge. During his journeys, he meets Tee Hee, Baron Samedi and Solitaire.

(James Bond (Roger Moore) wears a Rolex Submariner)

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Land of the Dead (2005)

In a world full of zombies and survivors who barricaded themselves inside a walled city in order to keep out the living dead, a group of survivors must find a way to stop the evolving zombies from breaking into the city.

(Cholo, John Leguizamo, wears a TAG Heuer wristwatch)

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Knocked Up (2007)

(Ben’s dad, Harold Ramis, wears a Panerai wristwatch)

Wild Hogs (2007)

Four middle-aged men decide to take a road trip from Cincinnati to the Pacific in order to get away from their lives which are leading them nowhere. Taking their motorcycles, these “Wild Hogs” tear up the road and eventually stop in New Mexico for a drink not knowing that the bar belongs to the “Del Fuegos”, a mena gang.

(Woody Stevens, John Travolta, wears a Breitling watch)

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Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)

The murderous Bride is back and she is still continuing her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill, and taking aim at Bill’s younger brother Budd and Elle Driver, the only survivor from the squad that betrayed her four years earlier.

(The Bride, Uma Thurman, wears a Counterfeit Rolex Daytona)

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Super cool, creepy castle!

Okay, it doesn’t seem like a big jump from last Monday, but I picked a setting that requires some research on my part. I needed a large, creepy castle in the Southeast, and I wanted to use a real location. Where am I going to find one of those? Turns out, the Biltmore Mansion fits the bill perfectly.  I’ve never been there, so it’s required me to scour the internet for blogs, guides, pictures, and articles.  I hope to actually get to visit soon.

In light of the newly released Zombieland hitting theaters today.  The Horror Lot would like to pay tribute to the man who made zombie movies possible. 

To most of us, the 1970s and the 1980s were the golden age of the horror genre in film and even literature.  This span of two decades saw the rise of horror writer Stephen King, who gave us Carrie, Salem’s Lot, Pet Semetary, and The Shining.  It also brought forth the next generation of great filmmakers who pushed the envelope of what people were willing to watch on the screen.  Ask Craven, Hooper, and Cronenberg just how great this period was for horror films.

But this period may never have risen if it wasn’t for the bold work of one man in the rural wasteland of western Pensylvania.  George A. Romero. 

After graduting from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 1960, Romero worked for a short time on commericals, until one day he and some friends put in $10,000 to create their first feature length horror film, 1968’s Night of the Living Dead.  The door into the gruesome, gorified horror films to come had been opened by Romero.  Night of the Living Dead is one of the most celebrated horror films of all-time, inspiring numerous sequels–many written and directed by Romero–and redifined what a zombie is in film.

For years, zombies were believed to be the cause of voodoo and other carribbean beliefs and myths.  A great example is the 1932 film White Zombie, staring Bela Lugosi, who plays a voodoo master asked to transform a woman into a zombie through magic.  Romero changed the perception of zombies with his black and white masterpiece.  It was the first horror film to have an African American lead, played by Duane Jones, and Romero’s use of gore effects insipred a new generation of horror masters, including award-winning special effects and makeup artist Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, Creepshow, From Dusk till Dawn).

Scene from Romero's 1978 Dawn of the Dead

Following a string of other films, such as The Crazies and Martin, Romero returned to his Dead films with the 1978 masterpiece Dawn of the Dead.  His latest installment of the Dead series capitalized on the increase in violence and gore that had since been exploited from his original Dead film.  By 1978, Wes Craven and Tobe Hooper unleashed a new wave of violent films, such as The Last House on the Left and the Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which took what Romero started and increased the effects and violence once again.  This, in turn, pushed Romero, who with the help of a new, young special effects wizard also from Pittsburgh named Tom Savini, went ahead and made Dawn of the Dead one of the rare sequels that can be considered better than the first film. 

Scene from Diary of the Dead

Since then, Romero went on to create Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, and recently, Diary of the Dead, combined with the previous films, has become the greatest collection of zombie films ever made.

From a horror fans standpoint, Romero’s emergence in 1968 opened the door to the great cult genre films we have today.  Night of the Living Dead became more than just a great horror film, it became the turning point for the future of the genre.  Before Romero, horror films consisted of cheap special effects giving us giant gila monsters and laughable costumes.  The genre had reached a peak, and Romero showed us there was still more to go. 

As horror movie directors go, many fans and movie-goers don’t seem to give Romero the credit he deserves.  Just because he didn’t give us iconic horror monsters like Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers or Leatherface, doesn’t mean we should take away what he has done.  Many of us look at zombie films today and laugh.  They have been turned into horror comedies, such as the newly released Zombieland.  But it is important to remember that all the gore, trance-like walking, and salacious appetite for human flesh, all come from Romero.  His vision allowed future movie directors to move away from the cheap-suited monsters that had become the basis for the genre into the relm of reality.  The idea that humans could become the monsters.  Where your own brother goes from loving you to wanting to eat you. 

Romero is the father of the golden age of horror films.  And no matter how we percieve zombies today, they are still a major part of this genre of film.  We may have turned zombies into horror comedies, but that may just mean that we once again reached a peak.  Just like in the 1960s.  The genre is waiting for its next George A. Romero. 

Watch the original 1968 trailer for Night of the Living Dead:

This happens a lot at film festivals: You intend on seeing a film (let’s say THE INVENTION OF LYING). But you go to the wrong theater. Then you figure you’ll see CREATION or GET LOW as an alternative. But since it’s too far to walk or the film’s running time is too long and timing-wise you absolutely cannot miss George Romero’s SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD…you wind up ducking in to see a Spanish/Colombian film called RABIA.

And you have no idea what the movie is about.

Because film festivals can be fun when you know how!

So, just as I sit down and settle in to accept my mystery movie fate, I tune in to a conversation about script development straight out of THE PLAYER taking place in the seats behind me. “I loved the first draft. The middle drafts lost the comedy, but it’s so hard to be funny when you’re dealing with character and structure.” “But the book is SO funny. It’s like joke, joke, joke.”

Yes, I’m sure it is. Too bad those damn characters and three act structure prevents your writer from being funny…

Finally, the film starts. Directed by Sebastián Cordero, the film also has Guillermo del Toro as a producer. However, there are so many names of producers and executive producers on this thing that I thought for sure my name was up there too for a moment.

Anyway, the film begins with a little post-coital pillow talk with a Colombian couple, José Maria and Rosa. It’s all afterglow billing and cooing until the “How many girlfriends have you had?” and “How many boyfriends have you had?” question comes up. Because José Maria, uhhh…not so much with the sense of humor. Then as he walks her to work, a couple guys in a repair shop make with the eyes and what have you. So, naturally, on the way back he beats the living crap out of them.

Make that no sense of humor and some hot button issues about “his girl”, capped with a nasty temper. Trifecta! It’s like we’ve got the Colombian version of Mark Wahlberg in FEAR.

Now, Rosa is a maid for a very well off couple living in a house so big there are literally rooms and parts of the house that people forget are there. This comes very much in handy after José Maria punches the construction foreman and accidentally kills him after the man fires him for beating up the first guy. Powder keg angry dude just can’t catch a break.

What are you going to do with a problem like José Maria? In Rosa’s case, you become pregnant and not-so-blissfully unaware that he is hiding in the rich people mansion you live in. Watching you and your charges, ever ready to pounce on a drunken relative making a pass or sexually assaulting you. Like an overprotective, getting hairier by the week and month, ghost.

To its credit, the film delivers a nice balance between the ever-present threat he poses to everyone in the house but Rosa and his own misunderstood, poverty-ridden and isolated situation. While it doesn’t entirely succeed, there is an effort to aim for the tragic versus the full-on thriller aspects of the story. And, there is a legitimate effort to steer away from simple cat and mouse suspense and thrills, in favor of a more real and humane dilemma the two protagonists face. Ultimately, however, I found it somewhat slight.

Time to bring on the zombies!

George A. Romero’s SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD picks up with some rogue military characters from his last outing, DIARY OF THE DEAD. Which is an interesting and cool idea. “Hey, I wonder what happened to those guys?” “Well, let’s make an entirely different movie where we follow THEM!”

And we do. To a place called Plum Island, Delaware dealing with its own private little zombie problem. You see, the island has been home for generations of two feuding Irish families, the O’Flynns and the Muldoons. And now the zombies have become caught in the middle of a bizarre custody battle as the O’Flynn patriarch wants to kill each one of them and the Muldoon patriarch wants to pen them up until a cure can be found.

After Muldoon gets the upper hand and kicks O’Flynn off the island (without even a hint of a tribal vote), O’Flynn posts what amounts to a travel brochure ad online to lure the living or anyone that still has Wi-Fi his way. The military group takes the bait and after some zombie aided fighting and mayhem, O’Flynn is back on his way to reclaim his island and take on Muldoon.

So what are we looking for in a Romero “Dead” film? New, fun and innovative ways to kill zombies? Check. At least one case of someone showing poor zombie survival etiquette of getting infected but not telling anyone until it’s practically too late? Check. Tons of dumbass human behavior inspiring you to root for zombie comeuppance? Check. At least one case of someone becoming a human buffet line? Check. Message about the dead being just like us only literally trapped in our daily routine and with an unappealing pallor and/or gaping wound somewhere? Big check. And, of course, it wouldn’t be complete until some disgruntled guy turns a shitload of zombies loose on everyone because he’s dying and what does he care anymore? Right?

Romero hits all of the notes he’s required by zombie law to deliver in SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD, but it’s all at the service of so much silliness. First off, if anything was more lethal than the zombie virus, it would be the dinner theater Irish brogues thrown around between the two patriarchs. And, at some point a twin is revealed so we can have the human/zombie mirror effect for reals before the entire thing devolves into a shootout at the It’s Not Okay to be a Zombie Corral.

So, as I weigh all the good versus the bad and the entertaining versus the dubious, I have to think this is a step back from DIARY OF THE DEAD. This film strikes me as being closer to LAND OF THE DEAD in that the sheen of unreality makes it difficult to either get caught up within the dread of the moment or have any connection to the central characters to inspire concern for their well being. Not a total loss as there is clearly still more than a twinkle in Romero’s eye as he maps these things out. Unfortunately, we need a lot more than that by this point.