Zombie Movie topic from Monday's show...

[CambriaBurning]

I was thinking about this randomly... and I've come to the conclusion that the only way zombie's make some sort of sense is if they're supernatural, rather than some type of "virus".

That's why Dawn of the Dead (newer version) threw me a bit... they wouldn't attack the dog. It's a mammal, why would they differentiate it? If it's some crazed animal virus that makes them want to kill, and have a desire for flesh, why would it make a difference?

The supernatural element makes more sense because it's the living dead trying to kill everyone and eat them, rather than some virus where human meat suddenly is the only meat they want.

Thoughts?

[JimBeam]

Well would they have eaten the dog if they were still " human " ?

Probably not.

Now you could argue that they wouldn't have eaten another human either.

In many of the movies they are considered to still be human but with a rotting brain which may cause them to attack.

It was said in one of the movies ( the original Day Of The Dead I believe ) that while they eat it's not for nourishment but more because they know they " have to ".

Also keep in mind that in Romero's world they never explain how/why it's happening.

It's left up to the viewer to decide if it's supernatural ( no more room in Hell ) or if it's a virus.

[midwestjeff]

I like to think that they are jealous of the living. Their sadness at knowing that they were once human comes out in delicious, brain devouring rage. Doesn't work for all zombie films, but some.

[LaBoob]

It was said in one of the movies ( the original Day Of The Dead I believe ) that while they eat it's not for nourishment but more because they know they " have to ".

True... they're not even digesting the flesh, it's just sitting in their stomachs until it rots so much their stomachs explode. It's an obsessive need to consume the live flesh, blood and brains of fellow human beings, because that's what they're lacking.


The dog thing is weird because I've seen plenty of movies with zombie dogs too.

[CambriaBurning]

Well would they have eaten the dog if they were still " human " ?

Depends on what country the zombie's from... :tongue:

[JimBeam]

One movie which I just read about the other day, which I don't recall seeing although I thought I had seen every 80's zombie movie ever made, had a premise that due to a radiation leak the " zombies " needed to devour human flesh/blood in order to replace the red/white blood cells that they lost from the radiation.

I'm drawing a balnk on the name but I'm sure it was Something Of The Living Dead.

[donnie_darko]

i like marvels take on zombies, they only desire human flesh because their own is in decay, and that eating another zombie is simply eating dead flesh so of no interest.

[JimBeam]

City Of The Walking Dead

http://www.1000misspenthours.com/reviews/reviewsa-d/cityofthewalkingdead.htm

[bobrobot]

I was thinking about this randomly... and I've come to the conclusion that the only way zombie's make some sort of sense is if they're supernatural, rather than some type of "virus".

That's why Dawn of the Dead (newer version) threw me a bit... they wouldn't attack the dog. It's a mammal, why would they differentiate it? If it's some crazed animal virus that makes them want to kill, and have a desire for flesh, why would it make a difference?

The supernatural element makes more sense because it's the living dead trying to kill everyone and eat them, rather than some virus where human meat suddenly is the only meat they want.

Thoughts?

The real Haitian zombies were slave labor for the plantations, poisoned by a hypnotic drug cultivated from a native puffer fish. then in a semi~conscious state they endure a dramatized burial & exhumation ceremony which brainwashes them into thinking they have died and become the zombies of the Haitian cultural mythology. They give up on life, literally, they seek no help, no human contact, they are ashamed of what they have been brainwashed into believing they have become, monsters. So the zombie slaves believe themselves to be supernatural which is pretty amazing, it's perfect mind control!!! Wade Davis' book, "The Serpent & the Rainbow" is very informative, but also kinda boring & dry, & it bares NO resemblance to the film of the same name, which I really like!!!

In films, I'm partial to the movies of the Zombie craze of the 1930s (which extended into the 40s). They seldom explain the origin of the zombies, they are just part of the landscape & they are little more than very frightening slaves. The flesh eating zombie is the invention of George Romero w/ 1968's Night of the Living Dead, YAY George!!! The Italians went crazy w/ the zombie cannibal films for decades, ironically, those films are referred to as "Spaghetti" Zombie films, they should at least be spaghetti & meatballs (& I don't mean they should have Bill Murray in them).

Anyway, I'm w/ you, the supernatural makes EVERYTHING more fun!!! & I can't get enuff of the old movies, the new ones seem to get worse w/ every film made, now they even make Vampire films where the Vampires behave like Zombies, traveling in groups, etc... And I also hate the action film element that gets infused in these films, stupid Hollywood types have ruined Science Fiction w/ the action type plots & characters too...

What were we talking about???
OH YEAH!!!
The Supernatural Rules!!! Supernatural Zombies in fact & fiction


http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa218/Brandon_Blair/WhiteZombie.jpg
http://www.classicscifi.com/images/posters/zombiesofmoratau.jpg

[AnnoyedGrunt]

In Night of the Living Dead one of the zombies eats a bug off a tree. I suppose you could argue that it wasn't for food but just a zombie version of swatting an insect.

In the Italian classic 'Zombie' one of them ignores a perfectly good topless diving girl to take a chunk out of a shark. However, in that one the zombies seemed more interested in hurting people than feeding.

In Return of the Living Dead one of the zombies says that being dead hurts and that eating brains stops the pain for a while. You might argue that Humans are the target since the brain is much larger than that of a dog.

[JimBeam]

It's only in the Return series that they specifically eat brains.

As far as " Zombie " goes I think the underwater zombie was going after the girl when the shark came and tried to eat him ( at which time I think he bites the shark ).

[MisterSmith]

Part of the horror is based on that we don't know why the zombies act the way they do, much less how they were created.

The supernatural aspect has never made a lot of sense to me, mainly because it seems like a cop out; you don't know why it is happening so it must be supernatural. Some type of a virus or alien parasite has always made more sense to me (logically anyway).

I can't remember where I read it, but somebody came up with the idea that the brain becomes a type of super-organ and the rest of the body is not necessary. If anybody can point me in the right direction on this, I would appreciate it. Maybe "The Zombie Survival Guide?"

[CambriaBurning]

Well, I'd much prefer not knowing to the "virus" explanation.

[CambriaBurning]

Haha... what a coincidence, this just shows up on my Gmail Ticker while I was checking my mail:

http://www.lostzombies.com/

[Mike Teacher]

Its simple and explained in the movie by that minister played by Ken Foree in I forget which one: we turned away from God, we Fornicate, we have Man on Man sex...

When there is no more room in Hell, the Dead will Walk the Earth...

We filled Hell. No more room.

[MadMatt]

Its simple and explained in the movie by that minister played by Ken Foree in I forget which one: we turned away from God, we Fornicate, we have Man on Man sex...

When there is no more room in Hell, the Dead will Walk the Earth...

We filled Hell. No more room.

I must politely disagree. I have been to New Jersey and there is still plenty of room left.





:tongue:

[bobrobot]

Its simple and explained in the movie by that minister played by Ken Foree in I forget which one: we turned away from God, we Fornicate, we have Man on Man sex...

When there is no more room in Hell, the Dead will Walk the Earth...

We filled Hell. No more room.

http://www.fearzone.com/content/images/large/large-128.jpg

[Slumbag]

I like to think that they are jealous of the living. Their sadness at knowing that they were once human comes out in delicious, brain devouring rage. Doesn't work for all zombie films, but some.

I've never thought of it like that. They kind of just rip them to pieces, and stuff some in there mouths, almost like it's out of anger. Like, they're so pissed that they will even eat a little bit. I always thought they would eat people for sustinance, but in a Dawn of the Dead type situation, they really didn't have anything to eat for days and still lived. They just wanted to kill the humans in the mall, and make everyone a zombie.

Great point, man.

[barjockey]

It's only in the Return series that they specifically eat brains.

As far as " Zombie " goes I think the underwater zombie was going after the girl when the shark came and tried to eat him ( at which time I think he bites the shark ).

I';m watching "Return" right now and not only are there brain eating Zombies but lots of naked punk chicks. At least they were hot back in the 80's:smoke:

[barjockey]

now "House of 1000 corpses" is on. Love cheap horror
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