Key films and directors & Historical overview of the Zombie Genre

1. Key films and directors & Historical overview of the Zombie Genre Jamie Cortez

2. ZOME EXAMPLES OF ZOMBIES! A zombie is a creature that appears in books and popular culture typically as a reanimated dead or a mindless human being.

3. Why are zombies even popular? • It seems weird to be a fan of something so naturally grotesque representing death, violence and evil, does this make us fans of the zombie genre mentally disturbed? • One explanation from a sociologist view could be along these lines“The attraction of some to the zombie and the genre of films in which they appear represents an inner desire to place blame for society’s misgivings on the establishment, i.e. big business, big government, etc. and use the zombie as the most logical outcome if the establishment were to be left unchecked by a complacent population.” • Obviously, there are alternatives as to why it has such a big fan-base , since monsters in the like are a very much a feat of man’s imagination to create something very creative and possibility escaping the monotony of every day life.

4. The first instances of Zombies • The first zombies are nothing like they are known today and were present in films such as White Zombie (1932) and Revenge of the Zombies(1943)

5. White Zombie is considered the first feature length zombie film. A sequel to the film titled Revolt of the Zombies opened in 1936. Modern reception to White Zombie has been more positive since its initial release. • White Zombie is considered to be the first feature length zombie film and has been described as "the archetype and model of all zombie movies“ • Whereas ‘Revenge of the zombies’ was less than favourable, boasted as a fun monogram horror movie with a cheap budget.

6. Modern Zombies • The birth of the modern zombies came in the form of a small budget black and white film titled Night of the Living Dead (1968), written and directed by George A. Romero. • George Romero completed the film on a $114,000 budget, and after a decade of cinematic re-releases, it grossed some $12 million domestically and $30 million internationally. • On its release in 1968, Night of the Living Dead was strongly criticized for its explicit content, but in 1999, the Library of Congress placed it on the National Film Registry as a film deemed "historically, culturally or aesthetically important". • Night of the Living Dead was cited by many as being a groundbreaking film, although it is not the first zombie film, Night of the Living Dead is the progenitor of the contemporary 'zombie apocalypse' sub-genre of horror film, and it influenced the modern pop-culture zombie archetype.

7. The Zombie ‘golden age’ • Zombie films with the help of Romero’s direction from ‘Night of the Living Dead’ took off in the eighties. With now cult-classics including Dead and Buried (1981), The Evil Dead (1982), Zombie Island Massacre (1984), Day of the Dead (1985), The Return of the Living Dead (1985), Night of the Creeps (1986), Evil Dead II (1987), The Dead Next Door (1988). • Characteristics and conventions of ‘zombies’ began to form from these films and became the staple of the zombie genre such as: • Zombies are not cannibals, they only feed on humans • The way to kill a zombie is a head shot by a weapon preferable a gun . • They are still not very intelligent

8. 2000 - Present: Zombies in the present • Zombie films today have been very successful and some are already considered influential and have even generated a cult following. Strong examples include notably Land of the Dead (2005), Dawn of the Dead 2004 (2004), and Shaun of the Dead (2004).

9. Shaun of the Dead

10. “Shaun of the Dead illustrates how do you get a guy to see a romantic comedy...Just add zombies.” • Shaun of the Dead directed by Edgar Wright is a horror parody movie • Shaun’s(protagonist) life is so routine, he does not notice the fact that over night London has become infested with flesh eating zombies! Once discovered, Shaun sees the zombie-fest as an opportunity to save the day and prove himself to Liz(girlfriend) by standing up for himself for the first time in his life. • There are also a couple of sequences in this film that pay homage to the highly influential ‘Night of the Living Dead’ among other films: • The road sweeper operator’s radio plays a news bulletin about a space probe that entered Earth’s atmosphere and broke up over England. • Shaun and Ed watch a news report in which the anchorman says exactly the same phrases as the TV reporter in Night of the Living dead • Ed yells into the phone “Were coming to get you Barbara.” • Near the end of the film, Shaun and Liz are channel surfing and come across the “Fun Dead” program. The music that is heard in the background is the shopping mall music from the original Dawn of the Dead.