Necrophagia - Season of the Dead (1987)

Lately I've been craving that wonderful classic death metal sound: lo-fi, airy, punishing, delicious to my ears. While hunting for retro acts, I stumbled across Necrophagia recently, a veteran (since '84!) death/thrash outfit hailing from Ohio. Immediately I was hooked.

The intro begins with some acoustic teasing, and a smattering of dark ambient to get you in the mood. Then, lock up your daughters, get your white Nike hightops and torn acid washed skinny jeans, because from then on it's all 'eavy.

However, in lieu of what you might expect from the band's name and the album art, we have surprisingly byzantine guitar work and lyrics that do not disappoint. Take the opening stanza of "Forbidden Pleasure":

Taking away your scared life
in many ways I shall describe
suffocation decapitation or twist of the knife
nihilsm reigning deep inside

Vocalist Killjoy of, well, countless projects has a conversational, nearly spoken word delivery which lends an interesting facet to Necrophagia. I'd pick out a few favorite tracks, but honestly they are all memorable enough for me to suggest that you just check out the entire album if you're in the mood for some classic horror death metal goodness.

"Ancient Slumber" progresses from the conversational style of singing to a ghoulish growl that sounds very similar to Nocturnus. In fact, this album sounds a lot like their (IMHO) masterpiece The Key, only of course not sci-fi themed.

Anyway, this album packs enough quality riffs and atmosphere into its duration to satisfy any death metal fan. Highly recommended.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10] (necronomicon, book bound in flesh, source of all that is evil!)

http://www.myspace.com/necrophagiaofficial

Zombieland (2009)

I'm hoping Zombieland is the last gaggle of flesh-eating corpses we'll see on the screen for some time. I don't say this because it's bad, on the contrary, it's a lot of fun, so much so that I left the theater smiling and asking myself "Okay, what more can they do with this genre? Best to end on a high note." Zombieland is essentially the American answer to Shaun of the Dead, a film that has comedic elements but still manages to be one of the best post-apocalyptic zombie films ever crafted (though it lacks for much horror).

*SHAMBLING, BRAIN-STARVED SPOILERS AHEAD*

First, the opening credits to the film are the best I've ever scene for this genre, badass scenes of battle vs. zombies set to "For Whom the Bell Tolls". How cool is that? The film follows the journey of a quartet of survivors after this universe's version of the zombie apocalypse. Columbus is a geek, an ex-WoW player who creates a system of personal rules through his use of logic and pop culture reference to avoid a grisly death at the hands of the undead (sort of a Zombie Survival Guide with legs). He is played by the awkward Jesse Eisenberg (of Adventureland, essentially the Michael Cera who does not suck). Tallahassee is a redneck zombie asskicker played by Woody Harrelson, and by asskicker, I mean this guy revels in the creative destruction of zombies. He'll even forsake guns against a small number of the undead to destroy them each with a separate weapon (in one fantastic supermarket scene). Wichita and Little Rock (played by Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) are a pair of young sisters and con artists who have also somehow survived, though one extremely idiotic decision late in the movie makes me question how. Emma Stone is obviously there as the 'cool girl' love interest counterpart for Eisenberg (much like Kristen Stewart in Adventureland). She gets a few decent scenes, but it's the typical 'the world has ended but I look great in my eye shadow' Hollywood casting. I did like Breslin but she doesn't do a whole lot in the film, and I almost would have preferred some cooler survivors to round out Columbus and Tallahassee (the older woman who wins the 'zombie kill of the week' in a quick scene by rigging a piano to drop on a zombie pursuer would have been fantastic).

The four travel around to various locations in their quest for 'home', kicking some ass along the way. There's a nice cameo used in the film, though you are given more than ample warning (it works for the film, but it wasn't nearly as thrilling as others had told me). What I really enjoy is that the film tries its best to avoid most cliches of this genre (with the exception of the Eisenberg-Stone relationship which had my eyes rolling). The zombie fights are fun and what few effects they use are well placed and work seamlessly. The gore is bone crunching and satisfying. When they're fighting the zombies in the amusement park the film actually uses the location to its advantage. Shotgun + roller coaster + lotsa zombie slayings? Check. Tower of terror to escape zombie horde? Check. Reverse shooting gallery? FUCKING AWESOME. The music throughout the film is quite good, it gets the blood racing. The dialogue is genuinely funny. The constant use of Columbus' rules (text flashes across the screen) had me in stitches.

I honestly have very few nitpicks for the film. As mentioned earlier, the film could have benefited from another more interesting survivor in its ensemble (the stone sour Stone was meh). Also, in a film which displays just how obviously the zombies react to provocation (through sound, etc), the decision to 'turn on' an amusement park by the two girls at the end was quite idiotic and contrary to the survival instincts I felt these characters portrayed early on. But alas, this same decision led to some great actions scenes.

That the best zombie films in the past decade are comedies is quite telling. Zombieland is no masterpiece of cinema, and not quite enough to match Shaun of the Dead in the humor division, but it's the most fun I've had at the theater in months. I highly recommend seeing it with some friends or even bring the girlfriend, mine is not a horror/zombie buff but she had a blast regardless.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10] (fuck this clown)

http://www.zombieland.com/

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Looking at the title, Shaun of the Dead is obviously a zombie film parody, but the great thing about it is that it is better than the vast majority of zombie flicks out there. Written by Spaced alums Edgar Wright (also directing) and Simon Pegg (starring), with numerous others appearing in the cast from that memorable, short-lived UK sit-com. The film revolves around Shaun (Pegg), distraught electronic shop employee seemingly stuck in a dead end job, with a girlfriend growing tired of his repetitive barfly social life (among other things), and tension at home between his best friend Ed (Nick Frost) and his other flatmate, Pete (Peter Serafinowicz). One night, things erupt for Shaun. It's just his shit luck that at this same time the dead are rising in London.

The film is riddled with pop culture references of all kinds, a la Spaced, usually revolving around other zombie films, Spaced itself, or various Star Wars movies. However, where that show had frequent flashback/fantasy sequences, Shaun of the Dead moves through at a steady clip. Clocking in at 99 minutes, it's only a little over an hour and a half, and yet it feels nothing like that, not dragging at any point and leaving you wanting more after the credits are rolling. Performances are good all around. Sarcastic comic/actor Dylan Moran puts in a memorable and hilarious performance as Shaun's girlfriend's friend's flatmate (phew) David, cast wonderfully.

Spaced and Shaun of the Dead both have a particular charm about them that is hard to put into words, combining dick and fart jokes with clever gags that connect seemingly normal comments to later incidents, as well as the fact that the movie is shot beautifully, with two identical extended steadicam sequences coming to mind. Shaun travels all the way from his flat to the corner store and back -- once as things are normal, and the second during the midst of the zombie invasion, with Shaun oblivious to this, hung over. As for action, there is plenty of it, as well of course hilarious and disgusting gore.

Shaun of the Dead is just all around executed to perfection as a zombie spoof, and it's unlikely that if you are reading this blog you haven't seen this movie. However, if you haven't, what the fuck are you waiting for? Find it, watch it, enjoy.

Verdict: Epic Win [10/10] (you've got red on you)

http://www.shaunofthedeadmovie.com/

Max Brooks - World War Z (2006)

Root beer?

I must admit that I have a very slim working knowledge of the zombie in any fictional work of length. I realize they are a common component in fantasy and even some science fiction literature, but as a genre unto themselves I am only accustomed to seeing them on the screen. Thus, Max Brooks has written the only zombie novels I've actually been exposed to. His 2003 Zombie Survival Guide is the perfect set-up for this fictional undead holocaust, and provides much of the groundwork and advice you will see many of the characters following throughout.

World War Z is presented as a series of interviews with civilians, military personnel, scientists, economic figures and even a mercenary turned bodyguard. These interviews were conducted throughout and in the wake of the Great Panic, the Zombie War, in which a mass outbreak of the undead infected the world (supposedly starting in China) and destroyed what I'm guessing to be roughly 2/3rds of the world's population. What Max Brooks does really well here is presenting a wide range of perspectives on the social and moral implications of this nightmare. The political commentary which is presented throughout the novel is hardly subtle, many of the points hit home and could apply to our own global situation today.

The spotlight here is on the characters interviewed. The horror of the living dead is revealed rather piecemeal through their tales, but accurately portrayed as an antagonist of juggernaut proportions for the initially unprepared world. These zombies are hardly original, clearly based in the mythology of Romero and other films. But Brooks does add some fascinating touches. The zombies 'moan' to hone in on prey and alert other zombies. There are living humans who suffer a sort of Stockhold Syndrome derivative, in which they become 'quislings', those who have psychologically condemned themselves to exist as their tormentors, the zombies. Pretty cool, no? I also enjoyed the LaMoEs (Last Man on Earth syndrome) survivors who were also mentioned, a witty pop reference with an actual realistic application in the universe of World War Z.

It is clear Brooks put a large amount of research into this. Characters and settings from around the globe are accurately depicted. There are only a few nagging stereotypes which I didn't enjoy, primarily the 'samurai revival' of Japan (i.e. Shield Society). But much of the fiction is hyper realistic, this COULD damn well be a real zombie post-holocaust. From the technology to the very believable progress of the undead and realistic reaction of civilization, to the technology developed and the eventual strategies used to take the planet back. Writing this tale from such a complete world perspective was a wonderful idea and forced it to stand out from its film peers, which generally tend to focus on the isolation of only one region.

The language is adequate, the interviews are organized into solid pseudo-chronological arcs which cover the outbreak, the war and the aftermath. There are many cross-references within, which only add to the realism of the scenarios. I did feel that too many of the characters possessed the same 'voice' as they were being interviewed, but this may have been intentional to relay the grimness of the situation.

At any rate, how many other successful zombie novels have you people read? Do any others of note even exist? If so, I haven't read them, and for that reason I'd say everyone should check this out. It's not quite a masterpiece, and I may never read it again, but all horror, disaster and in particular zombie purists would be remiss in not giving it a read.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (a lot more goes into making root beer than you'd think)

http://maxbrooks.com/