Blue Sunshine: Zombie Movie Or Not?
Where do we draw the line on what is and what is not a zombie movie? We just can’t decide on our own, so every Monday we’ll post a new movie to be debated by, you, our readers and ask the question: Zombie Movie Or Not? Every Sunday we’ll post our findings and possibly strike that movie off our Zombie Movie List. The week should give you enough time to rent the movie if need be or you desire.
What every reader must keep in mind is that there are two basic types of zombie that every zombie movie based off of - the Voodoo Zombie and the Romero Zombie. The Voodoo Zombie, while not always raised by Voodoo necessarily, is basically a person, either undead or entranced, that is controlled by a person or entity for the purpose of completing tasks, often killing. Romero Zombies are basically mindless, flesh-eating undead whose bite will turn victims into zombies. Now, not all movies adhere to all of these rules, but if the basics are there, you got a zombie movie.
This weeks debate is over Blue Sunshine (1978) Directed by Jeff Lieberman
IS: The killers in Blue Sunshine are entranced like Voodoo Zombies, they mindlessly kill like Voodoo Zombies.
IS NOT: The killers in Blue Sunshine are hopped up on drugs, not controlled by anybody like Voodoo Zombies.
Now it’s up to you, reader. What do you think? Blue Sunshine: Zombie Movie Or Not?
Even though it shares some themes with Dawn of the Dead in terms of disillusioned peoples in the 70s after the era of political hypermania in the 1960s, but the people are not dead so this is NOT a zombie movie. It is horror political satire though, which might interest some people into the zombie genre.
also forgot to say why it’s not voodoo zombies: no controlling Voudon master. They’re just homicidally burned out on acid.
“IS NOT: The killers in Blue Sunshine are hopped up on drugs, not controlled by anybody like Voodoo Zombies.”
really? have you ever read about voodoo zombies? several drugs are used to create them. i’m not trying to be a dick, but c’mon, do some studying before you propose to define these things.
Masterbates, it doesn’t take much studying to know about Voodoo Zombies and the drugs that make them. The drug aspect is why this movie was brought up for “Zombie Movie Or Not?” The “IS” and “IS NOT” arguments are designed to be weak points so people can build on them and have an interesting debate. By criticizing them and not adding to the argument, you are missing the point and do come off like a “dick”, though you are trying not to.
Am I to gather that you think that Blue Sunshine is a zombie movie?
I have not seen this movie and have to see about renting it. Based on the trailer and clips I found of the movie though, I would say that this should not qualify as a zombie movie. While drugs can metaphorically make you a “zombie”, given the basic concepts of a “Voodoo zombie” and a “Romero zombie” Blue Sunshine does not fit the criteria. The killers aren’t dead, they are at times coherent, and aren’t killing to eat or turn victims into new killers. The drug that influences them isn’t spread to victims. The killers are also lacking the sort of single mindedness that is trademark to alot of undead zombies (Kill! Brains!). In one of the clips I watched the killer still had enough sense to hide after stuffing a woman into a fireplace. I would feel its safe to say that the killers are not Romero zombies.
It is a valid point that drugs are used most instances of “voodoo zombies”, especially in the most realistic of terms. Looking at the myths that frequently surround these zombies I would really include instances of supernatural/occult possession of the dead as well (brought back through possession, curses, summonings, etc) . In reality, these zombies are just perceived as dead and frequently buried alive only to be dug up later, but the superstitions would make it seem that they are literally being brought back from the dead. I would consider the zombies in Brian Keene’s The Rising and City of the Dead books to be “voodoo zombies” because the dead are possessed by outside forces. I might include the zombies from Plan 9 From Outer Space as well. Movies like Poltergeist wouldn’t count because the possessed are living. In the case of Blue Sunshine, I don’t think the killers are voodoo zombies because their is no controlling force. They are just freaking out, man. The drugs aren’t controlling them just altering their perceptions.
The only argument I could make for this movie is a third category of zombies: medical zombies. Zombies who are created/motivated by drugs/virus/mad science but aren’t necessarily “undead”. I would include the zombies in 28 Days Later. This isn’t because the zombies can run or anything, (that a pretty thin argument), but because when the zombies in it gets “turned” they don’t actually seem to die. They get infected and turn into a killing machine within seconds. I would also include the zombies in Re-Animator. I wouldn’t include Frankenstein’s monster, because he is the product of pieces of dead bodies put together and reanimated closer to a biological robot or a golem than a zombie. The killers in this movie seem to have some small hope of falling into this category, but I wouldn’t put too much into that argument.
I will hold out final judgments until I’ve seen the whole movie, but by the looks of it I would say that no, this is not a zombie movie.
I understand why this would be considered a zombie movie, but I don’t think we should include it. The whole analogy of people being zombies or the walking dead simply because they are acting mindless is pretty far away from what this site is about, at least in my opinion.
I don’t believe that this should be considered a zombie movie.