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Zombie sightings

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AWESOME article in this month's (March 2011) Gentleman's Quarterly (GQ)! Its called "Zombies, as American as Apple Pie" by Zohar Lazar. Highly recommended!

The article is mostly about how awesome AMC's "The Walking Dead" is, but the author makes a number of very interesting observations about zombies, as well as covering a brief history of zombies in literature and film. I won't quote the entire article, but here's a little excerpt from the opening paragraph...

The day I get fed up with zombies will be the day I become one, and I know I'm not alone. Sinatra's voice, the electoral college, random squads of flesh-muching post-humans with Heinz 57 facial makeovers - these are the indigenous relics we all know will endure until Alpha Centuri scientists get busy sorting out our idea of fun. We're in hock to Europe for vampires, werewolves and Frankenstein's monster, but sorry world: Shaun of the Dead or no Shaun of the Dead, we own this turf. Ravenous dorks in bloodstained Dockers and cheerleader togs are as American as Adam's-apple pie.

The article goes on to say that though there were references to zombies in literature prior to George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead," really, what we know about zombies was invented by Romero right here in the USA back in 1968 on a shoestring budget... the author does get pretty deep in his analysis, for instance...

If vampires are a fantasy of elitism - a riff on decadent old world aristocracy - the zombies in their "we are ex-people" way, are the sickest possible parody of a Jeffersonian-style egalitarianism.

Break that one down psych majors with a political science minor!

But the majority of the article is not as academic as that, it is peppered with great lines like...

Never stop being thankful that the zombie equivalent of "Twilight" would be "Dinnertime."

and

The reason zombies can't jump the shark, is because they ARE the shark, baby.

and

With Hummers, weaponry and whole supermarkets up for grabs, the pilfering scenes in zombie movies are capitalism porn that outdoes any shopping-spree montage in a chick flick.

and

We have met the enemy and he is us. Now hand me a baseball bat.

Ok, I promised I wouldn't quote the whole article.... so go get this month's copy of GQ and check out pages 117-118. You won't regret it. There's some great stuff in this article and I'd really like to discuss some of the finer points of the story with some fellow enthusiasts.

Dr. Evil Zombie

P.S. Yes, I subscribe to GQ. If you want to pick a fight with me about it, PM me and I'd be happy to explain to you exactly why "every girl's crazy bout a sharp dressed man."
 
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On a side note... Dr Evil reads GQ?? I think I'm in Love!!!!

Love you too Technovapir!!!

ZOMBIE_LOVE-1.jpg
 

technovapir

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This did get me wondering ... Do you think the ghouls will have the capacity to form zombie relationships and clan affiliations? I am envisioning a whole new Zombie Bridezilla TV reality show...?

Or, a new season of "Survivor-Zombie Island" would be good too...The hoard has spoken!!
 
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whynotvap

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It's not so much 'gore' that gets an "R" rating (have you watch the Lord of the Rings movies?!?) so much as dialog and situations that some secret society decides isn't appropriate. If you get a chance, watch "This film is not yet rated". It came out in 2006 and ruffled more than a few feathers with the MPAA. I can't do anything but agree with them considering one of my favorite films "Clerks" was originally given an NC-17 rating! No nudity, no blood, just dialog that they found 'disturbing' and 'foul'. Words! Explode someone/thing and so long as it doesn't have RED blood, you can get a PG-13, you can even get away with brief nudity (very brief!) and keep a PG rating (Dragonslayer, a DISNEY film no less!), but discuss some aberrant behaviors and you're locked out...

So basically, I tend to shun PG-13 'horror' since it normally restricts the artist concept and/or panders to a teenage mall mentality of 'scarey'. /rant :D
 

CES

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It's not so much 'gore' that gets an "R" rating (have you watch the Lord of the Rings movies?!?) so much as dialog and situations that some secret society decides isn't appropriate. If you get a chance, watch "This film is not yet rated". It came out in 2006 and ruffled more than a few feathers with the MPAA. I can't do anything but agree with them considering one of my favorite films "Clerks" was originally given an NC-17 rating! No nudity, no blood, just dialog that they found 'disturbing' and 'foul'. Words! Explode someone/thing and so long as it doesn't have RED blood, you can get a PG-13, you can even get away with brief nudity (very brief!) and keep a PG rating (Dragonslayer, a DISNEY film no less!), but discuss some aberrant behaviors and you're locked out...

So basically, I tend to shun PG-13 'horror' since it normally restricts the artist concept and/or panders to a teenage mall mentality of 'scarey'. /rant :D

PG-13 and horror are a bit incompatible...and other than the support group, it looks like they're trying to blend CSI with zombies substituted for vampires in the tired "they're here but in hiding" concept

Badly paraphrased quote from something i read years ago- hopefully the irony comes through

Sex is not criminal, watching it is. Violence is criminal, watching it is not
 
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