Zombies for Zombies: The Play & Werk Buk Trailer

The Play and Werk Buk: the next book in the Zombies for Zombies 

family of fine products. Puzzles and storiez and gamez for brainz!

Read my review of David P. Murphy's preceding book, Zombies for Zombies.

Dead Genesis (Review)

Dead Genesis  (2010)

Writer / Director: Reese Eveneshen

RATING:
4 / 5 zedheads



The first five minutes of Dead Genesis hits like a machete to the stomach that leaves you standing wide-eyed and clutching at your unspooling intestines. In Dead Genesis, you will see things you've probably never seen before in a zombie film.

Dead Genesis manages to be an effectively shocking, introspective, artfully shot, and at times satirical new addition to the zombie genre despite the fact that it is an independent film with all the budgetary and production restrictions therein. Out of adversity, however, comes victory, and Dead Genesis hits one clear out of the park. Yes, at times the message is too forceful and the supporting characters are too hammy, but Dead Genesis overcomes it all to become one of the best independent zombie films I've ever seen.

A face like a dog's breakfast only a mother could love

Written and directed by Reese Eveneshen, Dead Genesis takes place seven months after the dead rise to feast on the flesh of the living. Society has managed to avoid total destruction -- the army is still operating, capitalism struggles on, and a new media network has been established -- but many cities have been abandoned to the chaos of the undead. In this nightmare scenario, an amateur documentarian named Jillian Hurst (Emily Alatalo) sets out to make a film about the DeadHeads: one of the many citizen zombie hunting groups that patrol the cities and rural forests as part of what is commonly called "The War on Dead." Among the DeadHeads is their beleaguered leader Krovin (Colin Paradine) and his second-in-command,  the silent and lovely but deadly-effective Cricket (Erin Stuart). Although Jillian is not an outright supporter of the war, she plans to make a pro-war documentary to show the heroic work of the DeadHeads in their fight to protect America for the lost, scared, and confused people back home. What she finds, however, is that the DeadHeads are not the heroes she expects. They're as lost, scared, and confused as everyone else -- even more so as they struggle day-to-day on the front lines of brutality and moral ambiguity. 

Something tells me these particular DeadHeads are not music lovers.

Dead Genesis is a film with a message about the soul-crushing effects of violence and brutality, but it's also a satisfying film for zombie gore and carnage. Like the works of George A. Romero, Dead Genesis has a contemporary message about violence in society and how we objectify our enemies and one another. Predictably, the film is therefore more about character dynamics than plot. Unfortunately, this can lead to some narrative drag at the mid-point of the film. Thankfully, though, the message does not supersede the story or the action unlike in some of Romero's recent heavy-handed fare. I love a zombie film with a good message and metaphor, but gore hounds too will find a satisfying offering of fleshy violence and gut-munching in Dead Genesis. In particular, the first five minutes of the film has some zombie violence that is truly shocking given the victim of the zombie attack. I will say no more.

Reach out and touch someone

The only significant criticism I have is of the acting. Our leads are quite good; in particular, Colin Paradine as Krovin is solid as a rock. Whether through talent or circumstance, Emily Alatalo also manages to convey Jillian's insecurities in a sincere and believable way. No, the worst offenders are the many secondary characters who ham it up on screen. In particular, prepare yourselves for a bar scene in which the slimy bartender Rafe (Christopher Lee Grant) is completely cringe-worthy.

For only $1 a day, you can help feed hungry zombies in need

As is common in independent film, there's some very unfortunate uses of weak CGI to fill in background shots, fire effects, and blood sprays, but they are kept at a minimum. The film compensates with some very good practical blood and gore effects where they COULD have used CGI, and I appreciate the practical approach. Also, the film is beautifully shot on a fairly steady hand-held camera. The film is very bright, very clear, very sharp, and incredibly flexible and inventive with the camera shots and angels. This is not a fly-by-night operation by a couple of friends with a camera. It's clear that writer, director, and cinematographer Reese Eveneshen has an auteur's eye for film. Keep your eyes on this young Canadian director. Dead Genesis is a showcase for the kind of real talent that is out there in independent film.

And, yes, I'm quite proud that this film is Canadian. In particular, it doesn't FEEL Canadian (many Canadian films have a peculiar taste about them that's hard to ignore). Filmed in and around Ontario, Dead Genesis will nevertheless connect with audiences and zombie fans outside of Canada.

Dead Genesis is now available on DVD. Buy your copy today.

www.deadgenesisthemovie.com

PHOTOS: The Dead and the Deadly of DEAD GENESIS

DEAD GENESIS is a new zombie film from writer and director Reese Eveneshen. Dead Genesis takes place in a world where the zombies have risen to feed of the living, forcing survivors into a day-to-day struggle with violence and moral uncertainty. Courtesy of the Dead Genesis press kit, treat yourself to a photographic introduction to the film's leads and the ravenous zombies clamoring for their flesh

JILLIAN HURST (Emily Alatalo): amateur documentarian

Korvin (Colin Paradine): Leader of the zombie-hunting squad, the DEADHEADS

Fynn (Lionel Boodlal): Loving husband and father.

Cricket (Erin Stuart): Speak softly and carries a big stick

Visit the official DEAD GENESIS website.

SPECIAL OFFER: $5 off Zombie T-shirts @ Crazy Dog T-Shirts

Nowadays, we don't just wear your passions on our sleeves, we wear them on our t-shirts. Good thing Zed Word zombie blog readers can now get $5 off all orders of zombie t-shirts at Crazy Dog T-Shirts.

DISCOUNT CODE: HALLO5

(valid for $5 off order from now through to Halloween)

I already own their WGON shirt (an obscure reference to Dawn of the Dead), but they have both obscure and mainstream zombie shirts for sale. You can show your undying love for the undead or your desire to kill'em all. Great quality zombie threads!



Pre-Order Scott Kenemore's Zombie, Ohio.

Scott Kenemore's new book Zombie, Ohio is now available for pre-order.

Known for writing zombie guidebooks such as Z.E.O: How to Get (A)head in Business and The Art of Zombie Warfare, Kenemore now offers up a comedic tale of the zombie apocalypse in rural Ohio. Jonathan Maberry (Rot and Ruin and Patient Zero) calls it a "delicious slice of undead Americana. Funny, tragic and nicely weird–it’s Monty Python meets Night of the Living Dead.”

For more information, check out Scott Kenemore's OFFICAL BLOG

Left 4 Dead the webcomic: THE SACRIFICE (Parts 1 and 2)

As much as I love Left 4 Dead 2, the original character roster of Left 4 Dead will always be my preferred team of survivors. That's why I'm completely overjoyed to read THE SACRIFICE, a gory and action-paced web comic about the original zombie killing quartet that recounts how one of the original four survivors died (players of the L4D2's "The Passing" DLC will know who).

Parts one and two of THE SACRIFICE are now online at the official L4D blog. Part three hits later this month with part four going live in October.

READ THE SACRIFICE

Brain Picking: Interview with Derek M. Koch (Mail Order Zombie)

INTERVIEW with DEREK M. KOCH

(host MAIL ORDER ZOMBIE)

When I recieved my first iPod, Mail Order Zombie was the first podcast I heard. I've been a devoted listener and minor contributor ever since. Since it launched over two years ago, host Derek M. Koch (aka. Brother D) and his co-host Miss Bren have turned Mail Order Zombie (MOZ) into a mammoth podcast touching on all zombie media. Bringing listeners interviews with celebrity and mainstream artists in the genre, MOZ has also cultivated a devoted community of listeners who actively participate in the show each week. I recently hit up Derek with some questions about the evolution of his show,the enduring popularity of zombies, and reviewing independent zombie films.

ZED WORD: For over two years, MOZ has been reviewing straight-to-DVD zombie movies as well as other zombie media each week. What keeps you motivated to find zombie content for the show on a weekly basis. Essentially, what is the Moby Dick to your Captain Ahab?

DEREK M. KOCH: The "show answer" is that SOMEBODY has to watch all these zombie movies (you and I both know there are over 500 zombie movies out there, and not all of them are good!), but the truth is, I'd be watching zombie movies on a regular basis even if I wasn't producing Mail Order Zombie. I've loved zombie movies ever since I stumbled across a VHS copy of Scream Greats, Vol. 1: Tom Savini, Master of Horror Effects while I was in junior high school. This documentary sent me back to the video store where I rented Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead (this was in the days before the remakes), and I was hooked. I've been watching zombie movies ever since. When I launched MOZ in January '08, the intention was to cover and spotlight the straight-to-DVD and independent movies in this sub-genre, but as we've evolved, we now cover all zombie movies (in addition to other zombie media), but despite the budget, the studio, the filmmakers involved, I'm always looking for the next great zombie movie for myself . . . that I get to talk about these movies on the show is a bonus! I also feel a bit like an archaeologist in that I really enjoy digging for the obscure zombie movies that may have slipped through the cracks and presenting them on the show. We'll be reviewing some titles like these during our Odd and Obscure October.

ZW: You've been a writer and a filmmaker, but what drew you to the world of podcasting?


DK: First off, I've not completely left the world of filmmaking. I imagine someday, I'll find myself behind a camera or covered with liquid latex and fake blood again. One of my favorite parts of filmmaking was editing, and podcast production has allowed me to scratch that particular itch. I enjoy assembling clips from movies, music, voice recordings, putting different audio elements together and mixing them into something new. But why did I dive into the world of podcasting to begin with? I've long been the kind of person who, when he finds something that he really enjoys, he wants to be part of whatever that thing is. It's been like that with filmmaking, rap music, comic books, horror fiction and now, podcasting. And as for my writing, I'm still writing, having had two short stories published in Dark: A Horror Anthology (one of them was zombie related) and currently working on a few other projects (some of them - surprise, surprise - are zombie related).

ZW: There's been an explosion in new podcasts in recent years, yet when you began MOZ there was already at least one high-profile podcast with a zombie focus. Did you start MOZ with any trepidation?

DK: There were actually two significant zombie-specific podcasts back when Mail Order Zombie launched - The Library of the Living Dead and The Midnight Podcast - and of course I was a little worried about infringing on anyone's turf. Dr. Pus' Library of the Living Dead was a zombie fiction podcast, and my focus wasn't going to crossover very much with what Pus was doing, but as Root Rot was already producing "the podcast dedicated to all things zombie," I knew that what Mail Order Zombie was bringing to the table wasn't entirely unique in terms of focus. I've long believed that "there's always room for one more good one," so I did my best to make sure MOZ was another "good one." Over the years, there have been comments made in the podosphere about Mail Order Zombie maybe being too aggresive in terms of advertising, taglines, etc., but the truth is, we're not here to compete with anyone directly. We never wanted to be the ONLY zombie movie podcast; we only wanted to be a GOOD zombie movie podcast.

ZW: Let's talk zombies! Many people claim that the popularity of zombies has run its course (we are, after all, in the age of Twilight). Do you agree?

DK: I don't agree. I feel that, like a lot of trends in the horror genre, the popularity of the zombie movie is cyclical, and we're in an upswing right now. Zombieland grossed over $75 million here in the states. There's a new Resident Evil movie that just dropped, at a bigger investment than one might expect for the fourth installment of a dwindling franchise since it's in James Cameron's 3D. World War Z is being adapted by Brad Pitt and company. The Walking Dead is about to hit television. I think we're in a good spot, and to have our favorite undead creatures get a little more attention, maybe taking some of the spotlight from the sparkling vampires, is a great thing. On the other side of this, there might be a LITTLE danger of zombie media becoming a bit more mainstream than some fans might like, but I'm comfortable with our favorite sub-genre getting all this extra attention. If nothing else, it's making me a bit more popular in my non-podcasting day-job life!

ZW: You review many independent films; do you feel that indie films better capture the spirit / potential of zombie films?

DK: Yes, I do. The "benchmark" zombie movies weren't studio pictures. White Zombie, Night of the Living Dead and even 28 Days Later weren't big studio pictures. I know I just answered your previous question excited that zombie movies are getting more and more mainstream attention, but I think the smaller productions really seem to "get it" a bit more. Once you start adding studio money to a project, you suddenly have more masters to answer to, whereas an independent project is less likely to have interference or direction from someone further up the financial food chain whose motivations are less artistic and more business. Movies like Deadgirl, The Zombie Diaries or Pontypool wouldn't have been made as they were if the big studios had anything to do with their actual production. Scratch that - they MIGHT have been made, but the end results wouldn't have been the same. I think it's okay to have a big budget zombie movie, but the smaller productions seem more able to get into the guts of what makes the best zombie stories - the story of the people dealing with the zombies as opposed to the zombies themselves. I know a lot of people like it a bit more than I do, but the Dawn of the Dead remake had studio money, and so much of that movie was more about the zombie money shots than what was really happening with the characters between zombie sequences. While Cousin Savini's effects were phenomenal, and he's long spoken about how Uncle Romero would ask him to design great kill scenes for the original Dawn of the Dead or Day of the Dead, the real strengths in these Romero-lensed movies are the characters and characterizations.

ZW: Who has been your favorite zombie movie personality to interview for the show?

DK: This is a tough one to answer as I've enjoyed almost all the interviews I've done for the show. The one that stands out for me right now, though, took place in Episode 123 when I spoke with Patrick Devaney, the man behind the Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead television series. I've been a fan of his work since the beginning of Mail Order Zombie, and it took us a long time to coordinate getting him on the show. He's busy producing his show and promoting it at all the East Coast cons, and the time zone difference has definitely been a hurdle, but when we finally made it work, it was less an interview and more just a couple of friends chatting it up! (That's not to downplay any of the other guests we've had on the show. I love interviewing folks, and I look forward to bringing even more interviews to the show in 2011.)

ZW: On MOZ, you actively involve your wife as a co-host, and you've built up quite the community of listeners who actively contribute to the show via voicemail or segments. Did you always hope this would happen?

DK: Not at all! It's been great having people want to contribute segments to the show on a regular or semi-regualr basis, and having the different personalities on Mail Order Zombie, I feel, gives the show a bit more depth than it would have if it was just me and a microphone. And having Bren join the show as a co-host was a happy accident! Also, at one point I was ready to can the Zombie Beat news segment, but Need-a-Nickname Scott approached me at HorrorHound Weekend Indy 2009 and said he'd like to take a crack at it, and he's been on-board ever since. I appreciate all the contributors, and while I'd still be producing MOZ on my own if everyone else had to take a break, I have more fun with everyone involved. I hope the listeners enjoy it, too!

ZW: The BIG question: How would your life be different if you were not producing MOZ?

DK: I'd be getting a lot more sleep! There are some Wednesday nights/Thursday mornings that the latest episode of Mail Order Zombie doesn't hit the listeners' podcatchers until 2 or 3 in the morning because I don't sleep until the latest episode is ready to roll out. Other aspects of my life that would be different would probably be my own writing output as a lot of the energy I give MOZ would have been shuffled into other creative projects. Also, I wouldn't have nearly as many friends; the relationships we've built thanks to Mail Order Zombie are something we cherish. One thing that wouldn't be different is the size of my zombie movie collection - I'd still be collecting them and watching them even if I didn't have a podcast to produce!

Mail Order Zombie updates every week. Visit www.mailorderzombie.com to subscribe.

WIN Dead Rising 2 for Xbox 360! 3 chances to win!

CONTEST

Will you survive the zombie outbreak in Fortune City? Find out by entering the Dead Rising 2 Giveaway! Be sure to check out tapeitordie.com to create your own weapons and submit them for a chance to get your creation featured in the next Dead Rising game!

Courtesy of Capcom, The Zed Word zombie blog is offering you THREE chances to win one (1) copy of the hotly anticipated game DEAD RISING 2 for the Xbox 360. In Dead Rising 2, you can combine items into powerful and gory combat weapons, so we've decided to offer you a combination of ways to win!

THREE WAYS TO WIN

A.) EMAIL zedwordblog@gmail.com with your Full Name, Address, and Phone Number. Subject line: DR2 contest.

B.) LIKE the brand new ZED WORD FACEBOOK PAGE

C.) FOLLOW @thezedword on Twitter and RETWEET our contest announcement.

If you combine two, you double your chances of winning. If you combine all three, you triple your chances! Don't miss your chance to experience all these brand new zombie-killing features:

*Thousands of Zombies On Screen: The undead are everywhere creating a dynamic and challenging zombie-killing experience for the player as weapons will be created to kill massive amounts of zombies at one time!

* 2-Player Co-Op: Co-op play is introduced to the Dead Rising universe for the first time as players can invite their friends to partner up with them at any time to take on the zombie massacre- tag-team style! Play with a friend and have even more fun as you lure zombies in using strategic items like a toy helicopter or a firecracker. Once the zombies have gathered, your friend can rain bullets from above or shoot at a strategically-placed gas tank to create a deadly explosion that will take out masses of the enemy. Killing zombies with a friend is always more fun!

* Terror is Reality: Allows 4 players to compete in a gladiator type show that pits zombies against a group of players in the ultimate Vs. multiplayer blood bath

* Combo Weapons: Players can combine two everyday items using duct tape to create the ultimate zombie killing creations such as the Portamower and Paddlesaw. Unlocking combo cards along the way will give players the advantage as the helpful cards will show you what items are best for combining. The more zombies you destroy using your creative combo's, the more Prestige Points you can earn which levels up Chuck along the way.

Contest will end on September 28th 12:00am (Eastern Standard Time). One winner will be drawn at random and alerted by e-mail to confirm name, address, and phone number. Capcom will mail the prize. One entry per name/address please per entry type: i.e. Email (A), Facebook (B), Twitter (C). Contest open only to residents of Canada and The United States.

Official Contest Rules and Regulations

How to Enter
Valid entrants can become eligible to win in three ways (A, B, and C):
A.) E-mail zedwordblog@gmail.com with “DR2 Contest" in the subject line and a body that includes the entrant’s full name and mailing address and phone number. Entry A is limited to single email sent from a valid, unique, individual e-mail address. Multiple e-mails including the same name and address sent throughout the contest period count as one entry. One entry per name/e-mail/postal code. Entry A counts as one (1) of three (3) unique possible entries.

B.) LIKE the Zed Word profile page before 12:00am on September 28th, 2010. Must remain in public LIKE status until The Zed Word selects the winner of the prize. Entry B counts as one (1) of three (3) unique possible entries. Facebook users will be contacted for their names, address, and phone numbers.

C.) FOLLOW @thezedword on Twitter and RETWEET our contest announcement. Must be a follower of @thezedword at the time the Zed Word selects the winner of the prize. (1) of three (3) unique possible entries

Prizes
There is a total of one (1) prize available to be won. A random draw for the prize will be made on September 29th, 2010. All valid entrants will be compiled and one entrant will be selected at random. The one (1) prize to be awarded includes: one (1) copy of DEAD RISING 2 for the Xbox 360.

Eligibility
Selected entrants will be contacted by email, Twitter direct message, or Facebook message to confirm full name, address, and phone number. Information will be shared with CAPCOM and CAPCOM will ship the game to the winner. No correspondence will be entered into except with potential winners and no private information about entrants will be kept or sold to or shared with any other party by The Zed Word. The Zed Word zombie blog takes no responsibility for the mailing and shipping of the prize.

In order to win, each selected entrant must enter the contest by one, two, or all three of the entrance options and provide a full name, address, and phone number when selected winner. Each entry (A, B, or C) counts as a unique and distinct contest entry. Entrants can be credited with a maximum of three possible entries.

Zombies in My Home Town

If the actual writing in the novel Zombies in My Home Town lacks the kind of tongue-in-cheek winks evident in this description, that would be a shame.

All Joe Jefferson wants to do is go fishing. But little does he know, three days later he'll be leading a ragtag group of survivors through a zombie-infested town. A mortician's skin treatment has done its job a little too well. Aunt Millie makes a miraculous recovery and goes on a murderous rampage, to the amazement of the mourners. Friends, relatives, the mortician, and even the televangelist, Reverend Purswell, are left to sort out the leftovers. Nobody knows what the mess is all about until confronted with the exponentially born again. As more of the recently deceased munch on the town, the police have one idea about how to confront the zombies, and the Reverend Purswell another. While everyone is engaged with tom-foolery, Officer Sandra Anderson and Joe get to the bottom of the horror, one grave encounter at a time. Not much of a first date. Will they ever get to a simple dinner and movie?

Zombies in My Home Town is written by Gary Wedlund.

Trailer Tuesday: Zombies vs. Unicorns

Zombies vs Unicorns Anthology Book Trailer from cosproductions on Vimeo.

Zombie Turns into Man: Trailer for Helsinki Film Fest

In this trailer for Rakkautta and Anarkiaa - the 23rd Helsinki International Film Festival, the zombie formula is flipped on its head as a zombie turns into a man. Beautifully shot with some of the most graceful apocalyptic urban scenes I've seen in some time, this trailer saddens me because it isn't a feature film. Whoever produced this Film Festival trailer needs to produce a full zombie film ASAP. I'm in love with this thing.

.....giving all zombies everywhere Pinocchio dreams

Kid's Zombie Hunter Costume

Now your child can go out on Halloween prepared to cap some corpses with this kid-sized Zombie Hunter Costume.

Includes:

• A blood stained jacket, shirt with zombie hunting logo (branding is important)
• Hat (straight out of the Outback Fall catalog)
• Bullet belt for easy ammo access
• Axe with bloody, severed zombie head. Now Junior can start carving his own kill count into the wooden handle. 

This Halloween, instead of indulging your child in whimsical fantasy, set them on the path to post-apocalyptic survival.

Zombrex: Dead Rising Sun (Review)

Zombrex: Dead 
Rising Sun  (2010)

Director:  Keiji Inafune

RATING:
2 / 5 zedheads



When I heard that Capcom was coming out with a Dead Rising movie, I naturally expected it to be based on the first video game, which already had a very cinematic tone and scope. Instead, the film we got -- Zombrex: Dead Rising Sun  -- is an approximately 70 minute short film with a new cast of characters. While Zombrex clearly features the hallmarks of the Dead Rising universe (or as much of that universe as can be reproduced on a low-budget production), it has something else in common with the video game series that inspired it. Like the games, the story and pacing  in Zombrex is horribly and painfully flawed. Zombrex comes out of the gate with high ambitions, but I found it consistently hard to endure.

Zombrex takes place in Japan during a zombie outbreak. In the universe of Dead Rising, zombies are slow and sluggish and can be killed with trauma to the head and brain. They transmit infection by biting their victims and infecting them with a blood parasite, but the zombification process can be suppressed with daily injections of a medication called Zombrex. While the zombies are usually easy to avoid, at night the zombies become harder to kill and their eyes glow a bright red.

In this world, two Japanese brothers George (Taiki Yoshida) and Shin (Hiroshi Yazaki) are trying to find a safe place to survive the outbreak, but they are constantly turned away from other safehouses and shelters. George, the younger brother, is also confined to a wheelchair, which limits the pair's mobility. Eventually George and Shin stumble upon what they think is an abandoned warehouse, but in true Dead Rising fashion they have to contend with a trio of homicidal factory workers fixated on killing and torturing George and Shin. Later, an infected nurse named Mary (Sei Ando) enters the warehouse, and her survival depends on finding a shipment of Zombrex to stave off the deadly transformation.

Keiji Inafune is best known as the designer of Mega Man and the producer of the Dead Rising game series. With Zombrex, he ventures into filmmaking. For the most part, given what must have been a short production time and relatively small budget, Zombrex is not a bad looking film. Sure, the zombies look really hokey and most of the action takes place in a very boring warehouse, but this is mostly forgivable. What bothered me, however, was the constant shift in point of view. Half of the film is told literally from George's POV, as in a first person shooter game. You see through his eyes, and everything is filmed in very dull colours and light. The other half of the film is shot with a third-person point of view that recounts the recent pasts of our characters. These third-person segments are quite vibrant and make good use of camera angles. Audiences get a taste of a better movie in these flashback sequences, but they're stuck occupying the head of one of its most uninteresting characters. In the dubbed version of this film, George is an indefatigable whiner; as a result, audiences spend the majority of the film starring through the eyes of a painfully irritating character and looking out at a dull warehouse. Fun times.

It's just a boring movie over all. Because Zombrex: Dead Rising Sun is dubbed rather than subtitled in North America, it's hard to judge the performances of the Japanese actors. I can say, however, that the voice over actors were really irritating. 90% of the dialogue is exposition and internal monologuing, and it gets old really fast. I couldn't even sit through all eight webisodes in one sitting.

While Zombrex stands as an interesting way to promote the Dead Rising universe, as a film it's no better than the majority of low-budget zombie schlock available in the market.

At least Zombrex: Dead Rising Sun is free online and on Xbox Live. If I had to pay money for it, I'd feel cheated. Zombrex can be downloaded in eight webisodes through the Xbox Live Marketplace, or viewed online at http://www.deadrisingsun.com/

Screamwave #20: FROM DUSK TILL DAWN

Screamwave cracks open a can of vampires in this blood-sucker themed podcast. 


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Aaron and Kris review From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). Then, Aaron interviews Karen Dales, author of the Chosen Chronicles vampire book series. Later, In Earth and Beyond, Aaron and Kris cover vampire-inspired stories from grim accounts of murder to stories of ludicrous vampire oddity.


And finally, we cap off the show with the full recording of the Evolution of Vampires panel from Fan Expo 2010, featuring Rio Youers, Alyxandra Harvey,
Kelly Armstrong, Nancy Kilpatrick, Joe Garden, and Max Turner, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.


Music by Nathan Fleet.
"Dance of Deception" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 


Feedback


206-350-7019


screamwavepodcast@gmail.com 


www.horrorinthehammer.com


Show Notes

• The Chosen Chronicles
• Richard Chase: The "The Vampire of Sacramento"
• "Vampire" peacock beaten to death by man
• Driver Crashes SUV While Fleeing Vampire (or So She Says)

Screamwave Special #3: David Cronenberg Q + A (Festival of Fear 2010)

LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH!

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The full recording of David Cronenberg's panel from the 2010 Festival of Fear at Fan Expo.

On Aug 28, 2010, David Cronenberg was the Guest of Honour at the Festival of Fear in Toronto, ON where he answered questions at a panel moderated by Rue Morgue editor-in-chief Dave Alexander. He talks about his new film, his past in horror, his childhood as a comic book collector, and his experiences working within independent Canadian cinema.

Stick around for the end of the recording to hear a surprise appearance by acclaimed horror director Ken Russell who gives Cronenberg a lifetime achievement award.

Feedback

206-350-7019

screamwavepodcast@gmail.com

www.horrorinthehammer.com

ZOMBIE 101: The Only Class You Need

Insert "Brain" Pun Here

For many college and university students (not to mention teachers like moi), it's time get back into the routine of school: buying textbooks, picking up supplies, locating classes, watching zombie movies....for credit?

Well, if you attend The University of Baltimore then, yes, you can watch zombie movies for credit. That is, you can if you are lucky enough to be enrolled in English 333 as taught by Arnold Blumberg (author Zombiemania).

According to the Associated Press:

Students taking English 333 will watch 16 classic zombie films and read zombie comics. As an alternative to a final research paper they may write scripts or draw storyboards for their ideal zombie flicks.

The university isn't the first to have a class on the undead. Columbia College in Chicago has offered a course on Zombies in popular media for years, and at Simpson College in Iowa students spent the spring semester writing a book on "The History of the Great Zombie War."

I am a college instructor too. Do I have to explain what I'd give to teach a class about zombies? I'm necrotic with envy.

Zombie Roadkill - Trailer

Recently, Zap2it posted a trailer for a horror comedy with zombie animals: ZOMBIE ROADKILL. TRAILER

"Zombie Roadkill" follows a group of college kids who run over a squirrel while road-tripping through a national park on their way to what they thought would be a fun weekend away. The squirrel is only the first sign that the park isn't your typical weekend campsite when it and other creatures come back as pissed off zombies. Thankfully, the crew happens upon a Park Ranger (Thomas Hayden Church) who may be able to help...

Zombie Roadkill is a six episode series that premieres on FEARnet.com on October 4th.

Zombieland 2 Details

I wasn't a big fan of Zombieland. It was amusing enough, but something about the film never really connected with me as other zombie comedies have.

Nevertheless, I am interested in the sequel, especially the prospect of it being in 3D. Unlike James Cameron, I feel that 3D is most befitting of horror and exploitation projects, and Zombieland director Reuben Fleischer seems to agree.

MTV News recently spoke Fleischer on the set of 30 Minutes or Less to talk about Zombieland 2 as a 3D project.

"I love 3-D" Fleischer said. "I have a hard time saying when it's not done well, because I have almost a childlike experience watching 3-D. It's just so cool to me when stuff comes out of the screen. That may sound naïve, but I really do like the way it looks."

"Obviously, animation works terrific in 3-D," he continued. "I thought 'Avatar' was a complete revolution. But I even love 'My Bloody Valentine 3-D' — the schlockier movies that are in 3-D. I think it's cool to see stuff fly at your face. The idea of zombies splattering into the lens is exciting for me. I understand Mr. Cameron's point as far as not overdoing it and not making it gimmicky. I still go for that stuff. That's the part I'm excited about."

In the MTV news article, Fleischer also said that Zombieland 2 would be shot with 3D cameras, and the story of the sequel would take place after the first film yet flashback to before the zombie outbreak and potentially fast forward into the future.

None of the Zombieland stars have made deals to appear yet, but Fleischer says they are excited to return.

Fan Expo-losion: Day 2- TOYS (Aug 28)

While I am definitely a horror fan, I am also a toy fan. In particular, a fan and collector of Transformers

This means I was obligated to swing by the Hasbro booth at Fan Expo to check out the exclusives for sale.

On the Transformers front, Hasbro was offering up the Exclusive Autobot Blaster set previously available at the San Diego Comic-Con 2010 and Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong Fair 2010.

Reproduction of G1 Blaster with Eject, Steeljaw, and Ramhorn cassettes

Also at the Hasbro booth was a cool Star Wars Hoth diorama with cut-away scenes through glass. It was like looking at an ant colony filled with Star Wars figures.

And, of course, Lego was out in full force showing off some blocky renditions of Star Wars characters Darth Vader and Jango Fett.

Fan Expo-losion: Day 2- BOOTH HOPPING (Aug 28)

Sorry for the break in my Fan Expo coverage; life and work intervened. But I'm back to give you something of an overview of the booths that I stopped at during the Festival of Fear at the 2010 Fan Expo. 

Hungry like the wolf

The first thing I had to see was The Wolf costume from Medium Raw: Night of the Wolf (review) at the Black Walk and Defiant Empires booth. Also on hand was the cast of Medium Raw including star Brigitte Kingsley and the cast of Dark Rising 2, including comedian "Nug"

Down the convention floor was an interactive booth promoting the Alien film franchise on Bluray. You could step up into one of the stasis pods from Alien and pick up a paper cut-out of a face hugger.

Who are these eerie individuals? None other than the proprietors of the Gemini Company. Based out of Brooklyn, NY, John Weisgerber's Gemini Company offers high quality curiosities, oddities, and collectibles for the darkly fashionable. On display, John had sideshow replicas cast from fetal bones and two-headed animals, fake candy corn jewelry, brain soap and more

Check out their STORE for more curiosities like this spooky Fiji Mermaid.

Right next door, I met up with the guys from ZOMBIE LIQUORICE.

 A Canadian t-shirt biz, Zombie Liquorice offers up some of the best zombie t-shirts, in my opinion. If, like me, you like your zombies gory and accompanied by copious gut munching, then you'll really dig these undead-themed vestments.

My favorite shirt, not pictured here, is of a zombie taking a bite out of a zombie. Hell yeah! Take that fang-face.

Looking for some vampires and zombies of a cuter variety? Then check out the merch from Sick on Sin.

Sick On Sin is a tirelessly operated by Jennifer Krebsz, a one-woman robot from the future programmed to make and pack orders -- with a vengeance. With comics artist Michael Lalonde (interview) designs all the graphics, the end result is Sick On Sin, an online only store of high-quality and memorable shirts, buttons, and tote bags. 

Representing Hamilton in spooktacular style was of course Gruesome Enterprises. Operated by Edgar and Lady Ligeia Gruesome, Gruesome Enterprises offers "art and gifts for dark and morbid tastes" including gift baskets that they deliver world-wide. So many goodies! I had a free sample of chai-spiced chocolate skulls that was to die for.

Also from Ontario, I stopped over at the Fort Fright booth to check out the coffin rides they were giving. Much cheaper than the mustache rides that guy was peddling in the parking lot.

Not to be missed, Charles Band of Full Moon was setting up his booth and showing off all his movies about tiny terrors and obscure, low-budget goodness.

But maybe killer dolls aren't your thing? How does competitive pillow fighting take you?

 The Pillow Fight League was on hand to drum up support for the sport. As Wikipedia will tell you, "the Pillow Fight League (PFL) is a Toronto-based semi-professional sports league centered around public pillow fights." Despite the pillow talk, I hear that these fights can get quite rough with bruises and scrapes abound.

From pillow fighting ladies to the neck-biting variety, True Blood was represented by a couple of sexy VILFS.

Vilf? I don't get --- oh. I see.

 And what's a trip to Fan Expo without stopping by The Devil's Latex booth?

Here, Steve Bellamy of The Devil's Latex shows off some of the custom hoods and masks they make in the look of a certain unhappy camper with a machete who refuses to die.

This is only a small fraction of the booths at Toronto Fan Expo. You could spend a whole weekend just visiting every booth. 

You'd also spend a whole lot of money. Start working off those credit cards now in anticipation of next year.