zombiefreak.com

The invite said, “Bring a Yoga Mat, Dress Like a Zombie” …we had no idea how many real zombies would attend. Inspired by the book The Zen of Zombie. Directed by Jason Wishnow. - http://www.zenofzombie.com

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J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of the sci-fi series Babylon 5 who has also become a popular comic book scribe in recent years, announced yesterday that he is writing the screenplay adaptation of the zombie book World War Z for Paramount. The Max Brooks novel, which was optioned last summer by the studio for Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B, is subtitled An Oral History of the Zombie War.

“You all know the novel World War Z?” asked Straczynski of his audience during a New York Comic-Con panel on Friday. “I’m adapting that for Paramount. For Brad Pitt potentially — we’ll see what happens. He might be the star in it. So things are going very well for a TV guy.”

[more at source: IGN]

I just finished reading this book. It wasn’t a bad execution of a very cool idea. Although I’m partial to Max Brooks first offering, The Zombie Survival Guide I enjoyed the story. It would be cool if zombies were brought this far into the mainstream. The genre might finally explode.

I’m a Bard Pitt fan to begin with (although I hated Troy). The fact that he and his company are even willing to look at making a zombie flick makes me appreciate him even more.

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[source University of Western Ontario]

I was reading the zombie entry at Wikipedia and noticed this:

The Epic of Gilgamesh of ancient Sumer includes a mention of zombies. Ishtar, in the fury of vengeance says:

Father give me the Bull of Heaven,
So he can kill Gilgamesh in his dwelling.
If you do not give me the Bull of Heaven,
I will knock down the Gates of the Netherworld,
I will smash the doorposts, and leave the doors flat down,
and will let the dead go up to eat the living!
And the dead will outnumber the living!
It will be awful!

The Epic of Gilgamesh is believed to have been written between 2750 and 2500 BC! I didn’t realize the whole concept of zombies rising up to devour the living was as old as possibly the most ancient written text on Earth. The idea was chilling 4500 years ago and is no less disturbing today. If it was written then, it is most likely even older than that. One can only speculate.

What does this tell us? Zombies as a story device are not going away any time soon.

I can’t say I’m disappointed. This is zombiefreak.com after all.

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Renegade Motion Pictures has acquired the rights to the popular zombie novel AUTUMN. Production begins the summer of 2007 and Renegade has decided to sell 25% of the movie to the fans with investments starting at $20. AUTUMN, by David Moody is the first in a series of novels about a post-apocalyptic world following a sudden viral epidemic. The series has developed a cult following on the internet and Renegade wants to give the already established fans and the future fans a chance to own part of the film, which will also include part of the film’s future profits.

Director Steven Rumbelow explains that they are not just selling shares, “…we are selling packages that include shares, which are designed to be immense fun for the fans. With 75% of the film’s budget being financed through traditional means, we wanted to try something new, something to involve indie audiences in a new way.” He goes on to say, “Everyone involved with the production of AUTUMN is committed to the fact that this is unique and very different from your standard zombie flick. It is more about human nature and the silence following devastation rather than knocking heads off zombies. The fans of the AUTUMN books know this and I think it sets us all a little bit apart.”…

[more at HorrorMovies.ca]

I love the idea of being able to invest in a zombie film for as little as $20 (probably all I can afford right now). I don’t really care if the film makes me any money It’s just fun to be involved in getting a film made at all. While watching the movie I could say, “Hey! My $20 could have paid for the donuts and coffee from craft service those three zombies ate before this scene.”

Here’s a synopsis of Autumn the novel from the author’s website:

In less than twenty-four hours a vicious and virulent disease destroys almost all of the population. Billions are killed. Thousands die every second.

There are no symptoms and no warnings. Within moments of infection each victim suffers a violent and agonising death. Only a handful of survivors remain. By the end of the first day those survivors wish they were dead.

A small group of desperate people take shelter together in a village hall on the outskirts of a large city. Too afraid to venture out into the infected world, their shelter becomes a prison and the frightened group begins to splinter and crack under the emotional and physical pressure of the inexplicable situation.

Terrified and trapped without electricity, water or supplies, the survivors exist from hour to hour.

Then the disease strikes again. And all hell breaks loose.

I’ve never read David Moody’s Autumn novels, but they do sound like something I’d enjoy. I think I’ll download the first book for free from the author’s site and give it a read. The site says that a free audio version of the book is going to be released in March. That’s cool too.

If I like those then I can purchase and download the other three Autumn books for on $13.00.

Looks like I have some reading to do.

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I was searching for zombie news to post and came across this interesting article:

Attack of the Gay Teen Zombies: An Interview with Geography Club’s Brent Hartinger
by Michael Jensen, February 5, 2007

Brent Hartinger made a splash with Geography Club, his 2003 gay teen novel about a group of kids who start a secret high school gay-straight alliance, then give it the most boring name they can think of, the Geography Club, to keep others from joining. A sequel, The Order of the Poison Oak, followed in 2005.

Hartinger, a contributor to AfterElton.com (and the partner of this writer!), is back with another sequel to Geography Club. Called Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies, and it’s actually two-books-in-one. Read the first “book,” Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies, which is told from the point-of-view of gay boy Russel, then flip the book over and read the second “book,” Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies, which is told from the point-of-view of Russel’s bisexual best friend Min. The two books together are the story of when Russel and Min get jobs working as an extra on a zombie film being shot in town…

[the interview and the rest of the article at AfterElton]

I guess as this is outside of my realm of experience, I didn’t realize there are novels directed toward gay teens let alone zombie related novels directed toward gay teens. Anything that makes a teenager (which it is hard enough being) feel like less of a freak for living a gay lifestyle has to be a good thing.

I grew up with a few people who could have had a hell of a lot easier time in their teens with this kind of novel. Perhaps someone else will be saved some grief by this. Nice work Brent Hartinger.

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Ah yes! A bunch of my favourite things all rolled up into one. The Ramones, a zombie theme and a Stephen King book and movie. I guess Johnny, Dee Dee and Joey were not buried in a Pet Sematary as we have yet to see them live their lives again. Too bad. I miss the Ramones.

The first time I Pet Sematary read book gave me such an acute case of the heebie jeebies that I had to sleep with the lights on. Even though Pet Sematary, the book, was far better than the Pet Sematary, the film, I enjoyed the movie regardless. Fred Gwynne a.k.a. Herman Munster as Jed Crandall was superbly creepy with his thick Maine accent. The youngster, Miko Hughes, who played Gage Creed had the best lines in the film:

• movie rating: 7.5/10
• book rating: 8.5/10
• song rating: 10/10 [Gabba Gabba Hey!]

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