Zombie Apocalypse

[Linda Maria Vasquez]

In a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, do you think you'd be capable of surviving?

What are three things you would absolutely guard with your life? 

I'm only bringing this up because one of my favorite shows is The Walking Dead. I've been following it since it premiered Halloween night about two years ago. I'm a big fan of the horror genre, but to me... ZOMBIES are a whole other category. I've seen all kinds of zombie movies. Some are bad and some are good. What I really like is that even though the "zombie" movie is the same, the "contamination" plot varies from the T-Virus (Resident Evil), chemical spill (Night of the Living Dead),  or a bad burger (Zombieland). 

My favorite zombie movie has to be Shaun of the Dead. It's a really good British zom-com (zombie comedy) movie. 

Zombies can be great movies to watch for some, but I wonder what is the true purpose of films like these? 

• It was discussed in one of my classes that the 'zombie phenomena' happened after September 11, 2001. It sprung out of the idea of survivalism. Maybe, what people needed after a national tragedy was a genre based on the survivors of an apocalypse latching on to the hope of a new beginning. 
• Another point to make is the notion of "othering" the infected. It kind of reminds me of what could be a racial battle, where there's always a superior one (in this case, the human survivors) vs. those that don't fit or aren't like the superior (the "infected" in a zombie film). 

Do you think zombie films parallel something in the real world? 

Are they just "fun-to-watch" movies with no purpose but to entertain? 

[Linda Maria Vasquez]

Yeah, that was definitely mentioned in my class. Zombies have been around but these remakes started happening post 9/11. I would agree that the survival theme can serve to subconsciously talk about things like 9/11 and warfare. 

But you're right, todays zombies are definitely altered to pose a real threat - with their agility and velocity! 

You also make an interesting point on our culture liking what zombie films present us. 

-- Yeah, Rick is getting a little crazy! Carl is just like, "Dad, I'll take it from here." hahaha. Can't wait for the next episode.