Zombie fans across the pond will be gathering this fall for Zombiecon – a 3 day convention of “Blood Filled Madness”. This is a fan-run event filled with 3 days of zombie makeup tutorials, zombie movie screenings, zombie games, and even zombie prom night. They’ve managed to score several interesting guests, including Charlie Adlard of Walking Dead fame.
Don’t forget to check out our convention listing page for information on other horror conventions!
For most of us it’s a long weekend, and if you’re a New Yorker, it could mean a long weekend of drinking with some of your zombie pals. A semi-regular event, the NYC Zombie Crawl is taking place this Sunday, May 25th in Brooklyn. Things kick off at Duff’s Bar, then move to Passout Records, and finally the night ends with a “Zombie Sideshow”.
Now, I know many of our readers live in the NYC area based on the free stickers we’ve sent out, so if you’re in the area check it out and send us some pictures!
You can’t have a good zombie movie without convincing looking zombies, and when you talk about zombie special effects, one man stands above the crowd: Tom Savini! He defined the zombie “look” with his work on Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Day of the Dead (1985), and is also an accomplished actor in his own right (usually playing either a biker or a deputy sherrif). Savini has a passion for special effects makeup and has penned several books on the subject. He even teaches an associate degree program in special effects makeup.
Recently he’s been busy acting with appearances in Grindhouse: Planet Terror and the upcoming Lost Boys 2: The Tribe. He’s also a regular of the convention circuit and is easy to meet and talk to. Tom Savini, the ZRC salutes you for your outstanding work in zombie films!
Zombie Walk Detroit will be once again hosting a Zombie Walk, this time in Greek Town, Detroit.
Last year, the Zombie Reporting Center showed up and created a little video which you can view here. The ZWD staff does an EXCELLENT job coordinating these events so it is not to be missed! It also happens to fall on same day as the Red Bull Air Race so hopefully we’ll see some out of town zombies as well!
This month’s contest is a variation of the old desert island question:
What one weapon would you bring to the zombie apocalypse?
I’d bring my one-handed sledge. While not as conventionally versatile as Jef’s Fubar, my sledge would take care of me best, from what I have readily available if something happened today. I could use it to gain access to properties, aid in construction or demolition, or just simply crush a zombie’s skull with it. And just to make the apocalypse a little more fun, I’d make everybody refer to it as Mjolnir…
What would you bring to the apocalypse? We’re making it interesting and saying NO GUNS. No one wants to hear someone go on and on about the specs of their Glock 9mm with a laser scope or their AK-47 with the carbon fiber stock. We’re taking it one step further and requiring that you send us a photo of yourself with your weapon to ensure that you actually have it. So, don’t write about your 12 foot spear or prosthetic arm with the interchangeable chainsaw, mace and flamethrower attachments unless you actually have one. Besides why would you want to take a fantasy up against zombies?
We’re looking forward to your submissions!
George A. Romero’s Diary Of The Dead comes to store on DVD today! Diary of the Dead is a filmabout a crew of film students shooting a horror movie that end up in the thick of a full on zombie outbreak. Instead of heading for the hills, they decide document all that they see. George A. Romero considers this movie to be a “reboot” of his storyline as it does not follow his other releases where the outbreak has happened and society has broken down. Instead it begins where the original, Night of the Living Dead began, on the first night of the outbreak.
The DVD include such special features as:
Zombie Reporting Center reviewed this film upon it’s release back in February and has been waiting for it’s DVD release ever since. If you didn’t get the chance to see it’s limited theatrical release, now may be your first chance to catch the master at work!
While you’re out picking up Diary Of The Dead, pick up a copy of the 40th Anniversary Edition of George A. Romero’s Night Of The Living Dead, which also hit stores today. It’s been restored and re-mastered under the direction of George A. Romero himself and has a whole slew of special features, like:
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 Mulberry Street (2006) Directed by Jim Mickle.
IS: They’re not technically zombies, but other than not being dead, they have all the same effects as zombies – they become infected when they’re bitten, they have a singular motivation for human flesh and there are mobs of them making it necessary to hole up and protect yourself from being bitten. Not technically a zombie movie, but zombie movie in spirit.
IS NOT: They’re rat people, not zombies, plain and simple. This is not a zombie movie, but another infection movie.
Now it’s up to you, reader. What do you think? Mulberry Street: Zombie Movie Or Not?
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