Why are we into this?

[Yojimbo]

I have been into zombie films since I first saw NOLD as a little kid in the early 70's. It was edited for television broadcast and was interrupted by too many commericals, but I was throughly frightened and at the same time exhilarated by NOLD. Later, when DOTD came along in 1978, I found myself obsessed with that film. Since it was an "unrated" film, once my mom found out about the major violence that was in it she forbade me to see DAWN. I did manage to get the novelization and the soundtrack, and a friend gave me a copy of the poster book in the meantime, but it wasn't until later and videocassettes began being rented that I managed to somehow get my hands on a betamax rental copy of this film. ZOMBIES "We are Going to Eat You" came out at about the same time and I freaked over that too!

In my time, when kids were into Star Wars and Star Trek and D&D I was into zombies. It wasn't all horror films that struck me in this fashion (there were some I liked but none struck the chord with me that NIGHT and DAWN did) Many of my friends thought it weird that I was always talking about zombies, a teacher once asked my folks if there was some trouble going on at home because I wrote a zombie story for an english assigment. Later, in high school, I did a paper on GAR and NOLD which also got me strange looks from my schoolmates. In fact, I always thought that my interest in zombies was unique, but I largely felt alone in my obesession with things zombie. It was not until I stumbled across zombie webpages and began posting and corresponding with others that I realized that I was not alone in this.

In 04, my wife and I went to the Comicon over in Monreoville (BTW: I remember seeing some of the current HPOTD members there!), and had the pleasure of listening to a panel discussion that included GAR, Savini, Christine Forrest-Romero, David Early, etc. One of the questions that was asked at that time, and one that has stuck with me was posed to Romero by another fan who asked "Why are people so attracted to zombie films like DOTD" I would have liked to have heard Romero's answer, but Early jumped in and fielded the question (bless him) giving the answer that these films were like a roller coaster, allowing people to get a thrill without actually facing danger.

OK, so maybe that has something to do with it, and that does make sense, but if that was the case -for me at least - then this would translate over to nearly all well made horror films, which it does not -- again at least in my case.

So, I believe there must be something more to this fascination with the zombie film, though I can only shrug at what the basis for this fascination is. In this regard, I am curious to hear what the zed-heads and HPOTD veteranos would say about this.

What is it about the zombie films (of GAR and others) that attracts you? Why do we like zombies? Why are we fans of this particular phylum of the horror genre?

I appreciate any response and any insight that you all might have about this!

[Danny]

Well im not a fan of zombies exclusively but the whole apocalyptic scenario movies i just find really entertaining/ horrifying in the "what if?" kind of way.
I guess it stems from the fact that even when i was a kid i figured that most movies either end with the problem resolved or appears that way till a cliffhanger appears for the inevitable sequel. Yet with these kinds of films theres no chance of help coming for you, the end of the worlds allready happened the films are just about people trying to make it in an impossible situation rather than the typical run from point A:isolation to point B: safety.
its the uncertainty i guess thats appealing, the story could go either way, look at land and night two very different endings but both about the same situation, a seige of undead. So you know your paying for a sci-fi or horror flick, but its a welcome change that you have no idea how the story could end.

[SRP76]

I also like many movies (horror and otherwise).

But, as for the zombie flicks, it started at a young age (7 or 8), around 1984. You could rent VCRs and VHS movies at the time, and my family did that. My aunt enjoyed horror flicks, and she chose something called "Dawn of the Dead" to watch, and we watched it.

More than anything, my reaction was "Holy SH*T!!". With the close-up bites, and graphic headshots, I was shocked. I wasn't a thin-skinned little Sesame Streeter, but I had never seen anything like this. Other horror movies I had seen (like Friday the 13th) had some gore, but this was just on a whole different level.

Seeing that, I thought it was the coolest thing ever.:lol:

The fact that the characters were doing something I would like to do myself also went far to get this movie over for me. I didn't give a crap about summer camp; now, running hog wild in a mall? Oh, hell yeah.

That was the first zombie flick I saw. All the rest followed, as I got my family to rent every one I could find (I was under the impression that all zombie movies were like this; boy, was I disappointed).

...and that's how it started.

[MaximusIncredulous]

I think the foulness of the phenomenon combined with the horror of being eaten alive is what makes it attractive(?). Same thing that attracts people to accounts of people being eaten alive by bears, sharks, etc. but with the added kick of that horror being administered by rotting, hideous corpses.

There's also the fascination of seeing people who were like us reduced to this singular drive of eating but showing glimpses of what they once were at times. Of course that only works when some effort is put into giving the living dead this quality, as Romero does with his living dead.

Then there's the drama of the survival of the few against the monstrous hoards that wish to do them in. Failure means a fate worse than death, to borrow the tag line from Day.

The gore is also a factor. Zombies are not very fastidious eaters, as we all know, giving way to a mess which can be quite nasty at times.

So all these elements combined and properly executed make for endless fascination for this genre of film.

[clanglee]

I was about 8 years old, And my parents were having one of their beer and daquari nights. "Dawn of the Dead" was on HBO, and they were gonna let me stay up and watch it (alchohol can have that effect on parental skills). Also, My mother always loved horror movies, so she was as lax about them, as I am to my daughter. (she is getting to like horror movies as well) I watched all the way until Miguelito bites the woman on the stairs, and ran from the room in fear. My parents found the whole experience wholly amusing. Instead of going to bed tho, I sat on the stairs out of my parent's sight, and watched the whole movie.

I had nightmares for months.

After that, for some reason, I was hooked.

Why zombie movies tho? I guess it has to do with their accessability. Anyone could be a zombie. Friends, relatives, neighbors.. . . Any one of them could come at you. Also, the whole "fear of the mindless masses" thing. And biting. . . it's just plain creepy.

Good Thread Yo!!

[ProfessorChaos]

yojimbo, thanks for givin' me a pat on the back about my sense of patriotism and duty(in another thread), i've added you to my buddylist...which brings about my point about what has attracted me to the dead films:

you're a smart dude (like most of us here), and have got the ability to reason, and most humans are completely ignorant. zombies, to me, are symbolic of ignorance, and a select few of us are above that level (at least, i think we are, given the fact that we all love these films, which says something about us:cool:)

as i said, aside from a few good people, this world is full of mindless idiots. not many are able (or willing) to make a stand against the stumbling morons of society and hold our own. for those of us who do, we rufuse to assimilate into a world of britney-spears loving transvestites, oj simpson fans, and all other sorts of people who are dimmer than our dear old-dead-buddy bub.

it's us against them, and it is a fight that we must win. otherwise, we'll just end up walkin' around like somnambulists , no better than your average goon aimlessly wandering around the malls of america (blowin $ on materialistic things instead of eating people, though), tryin to break into other peoples' houses (usually trying to take what doesn't belong to them instead of eating the homeowners), etc.

it's about the independent thinking, basic reasoning, and moral behaviors that so many have lost somewhere along the way...true, there are lots of living characters in the dead films who have their flaws at times, but look what usually ends up happening to them:skull:

and c'mon, when have you not encountered some asshole and thought, "dude, if only you were a living dead fu*k trying to eat me and i had a shotgun..." (you can fill in the rest)

[Neil]

http://www.homepageofthedead.com/baps/romero_trilogy.html

This article was originally written for a college newsletter, but was never actually published. It later appeared in the Throttle Box's Night of the Living Dead (look in the Bits and Pieces section).

I've seen it asked dozens of times over the years, almost like some sort of exam question, "What is it about the Romero Trilogy that makes them so enduring?" I don't think there is an answer, at least not a single all encompassing one. Why? Because people simply connect with different aspects of them. For example, on a simple level I've seen people say Night of the Living Dead's low budget black and white appearance is one of its major attributes, while others seem to find this very same quality a reason to dismiss it.

I've also seen people relate each of the three films to the state of society in the era in which they were made. One classic example of this is the analogy that the zombies in Dawn are simply a comment on western consumerism, that we are in fact zombies simply wandering around shops and malls. I personally think this may be reading too much into the films. Certainly some aspects and comments of the society and world in which they were made in come through in the films, but I think by definition most films somehow reflect the society of their time and I don't see the dead trilogy as being any different. In fact in some ways George Romero almost seemed to steer clear of commenting on society. Typical examples are the heroes of his three films. Females are shown in a positive manor, unlike the typical scantily clad women who trip over and scream wildly at the approaching monster. Leading men include many black actors but Romero always seemed to refrain from any real comments on racism, another very clever and positive step.

Another issue often mentioned regarding the dead trilogy is their "gore". This currently seems to be treated as a dirty word, as if it somehow demeans the films, that by enjoying them you simply see nothing more than the gruesome effects. This stereo type seems to have been built up by the many unimaginative horror films that probably owe their very existence to the Romero trilogy. Night of the Living Dead introduced the world to gruesome effects, instead of cutting away from scenes, it actually shows them. In many horror films that followed they seemed to revolve around nothing more than pushing the gore envelope as far as they could and this has done the genre a disservice. People now have the tendency to tar all films showing these sort of effects with the same brush and forget that like any effect or style it can be used well or badly, intelligently or unintelligently, imaginatively or unimaginatively. In Romero's films the gruesome effects are a very important part of the films, not the most important part, but without them the films would lose a large amount of their atmosphere.

In answer to "the exam question", if I had to try and pinpoint a single quality of the films that is the key reason why people get "hooked", it would be their believability. By this I mean it only requires a small "leap of faith" to accept Romero's universe as a possibility. If you can accept that for some unknown reason, be it natural or supernatural, the dead are rising, you have taken the only step necessary to appreciate the true scale of the ensuing nightmare and apocalypse shown in his trilogy.

However, possibly a more social explanation is that this holocaust is an equaliser. Upper class, lower class, rich, poor, old and young are all in the same nightmare fighting for survival, where the only thing of real value or importance is remaining alive.

If you wish for a more philosophical definition why people are so enthralled in Romero's horrific dead trilogy and why they are so enthused in seeing the world crumble and humanity dying, it could be that you only appreciate life by appreciating death. That by watching Romero's films, in the safety of your own home, you can experience the extreme worse end of the scale, maybe allowing you to appreciate the other end a little more!

[C5NOTLD]

What is it about the zombie films (of GAR and others) that attracts you? Why do we like zombies? Why are we fans of this particular phylum of the horror genre?

I appreciate any response and any insight that you all might have about this!


It prepares us for the coming day when the dead will actually walk the earth!

Muh ha ha

:dead:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h213/I_cant_stand_this/thhahaha.gif


[url]In answer to "the exam question", if I had to try and pinpoint a single quality of the films that is the key reason why people get "hooked", it would be their believability. By this I mean it only requires a small "leap of faith" to accept Romero's universe as a possibility. If you can accept that for some unknown reason, be it natural or supernatural, the dead are rising, you have taken the only step necessary to appreciate the true scale of the ensuing nightmare and apocalypse shown in his trilogy.
!


I agree - The believability is a major factor. Combine that with the fact that many people fear the coming of the inevitable death in their own life and in a zombie film death literally comes after you.

[Legion2213]

First of all, I like apocolyptic themes, zombies, nuclear war/global plague/disaster aftermath, I just love that stuff.

But the real draw to zombies is the fact that they can be killed without mercy or a second thought...by that, I mean if you kill "enemy soldiers" or even "alien invaders", they are still living beings, with hopes dreams, fears and all that stuff.

When you snuff out a zombie or plan what you would do to fight them, it is "clean", no need to concern yourself with any moral implications (if you see where I am coming from).

[Yojimbo]

Wow! Awesome!

Ever since I joined, I have been consistently amazed by the intellect and eloquent insights displayed by the ghoul fans in their respective posts here at HPOTD and the responses to this post have not been an exception, and in fact are exceptionally insightful.

Time and again I find that zed-heads collectively are among the most uniquely interesting people I have ever had the pleasure of "speaking" with online and off.

[Danny]

yeah, ive rarely seen a member on a forum like this turn out to be a "lolz i pwn joo f@g n00b!" troll, hence why i frequent this more than the usual gameing ones.

[ProfessorChaos]

yeah, i'm a member on a couple other websites, and some members there have over 30,000 posts, most of which are just something like one of the following examples:

1. "lol"
2. "n00b"
3. "pix?"

websites like that are usually filled to capacity with idiots who can barely spell. i come to this website to delve into intelligent conversations. this is my fave website, primarily cuz of all you cool mofo's:

VRbjGrkKTm8

[SRP76]

Look no further than the ages on the members' info fields for the reason why. For the most part, this site is "older" than most others.

A large percentage of people here came from a time when you actually had to be able to read and write, and form a coherent thought or two, to graduate high school.

Many other sites are filled with the 12-to-16 crowd....and education doesn't seem to be working as well nowadays.

[Danny]

very true, im 19 and theres only around, i dunno, 5 or 6 people younger than me on here, So its still got all that immaturity horror fans never seem to grow out of, but without the teeny bopper need to prove there "man hood" to people theyll never meet.

[axlish]

When I was around 10 years old, I began watching everything that had anything to do with horror. I became fascinated with everything about it, the effects, the scares, and of course, the nudity. Night of the Living Dead was at the counter of every grocery store, and on every video store shelf, but it was obviously a black and white movie, and I had no interest in that. Silly me.

One evening on USA Network, Night of the Living Dead was aired. I turned it, but came back because nothing else was on. I was bored for a few minutes, but it started to get interesting, and I stuck with it. When the Russo zombie entered the house, I was genuinely frightened. The music was so damn eerie, the atmosphere so bleak and horrific, the mood so serious. I hadn't experienced horror like this before, I was hooked. I bought a cheap copy of the film on VHS, and became a fan for life.

Fast forward a year or two. I had scoured the local video stores of all horror films. All except for Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead. I had been burned too many times by awesome artwork fronting for crappy Italian horror by Fulci, Mattei and others (which I grew a massive appreciation for later in life, but that is another story). Dawn of the Dead didn't even attempt to hide the fact that it looked like a cheapo Italian gore fest, it advertised it right on the cover. Eventually I succombed to its charms, or lack thereof, and gave it a rent. It was odd to say the least, and very gory, but I wasn't overly impressed with it. About midway through, I began to assume that this was a sequel to Night, but neversolidified that knowledge until years later. At the end, I noticed the name Tom Savini in the credits, and that harkened me back to a documentary that I had seen earlier titled Scream Greats, that I enjoyed a great deal.

Years passed, my love for Night stayed. Around the age of 16, a girl I was seeing at the time started talking about Dawn of the Dead, and we began laughing at the mall muzak, and before long, we had rented it and were having a great time. This was the true beginning of my fandom for Dawn. This time, I realized how much shopping malls had changed. The sights and sounds of that beautiful mall reminded me of some of my first memories in life, being dragged around the mall with my mom, bored to tears, listening to that godwaful muzak. Just looking at those old stores/clothes/signs brings me right back, and gives me that strange feeling of comfortableness, if that is even a word. This is really why I love Dawn so much.

Day of the Dead offered nothing to me. I have never been a fan.

[wyvern1096]

Another thought. Could one of the attractions be the feebleness of the individual zombie? There is not much you can do against a vampire, werewolf, or alien invader--baring luck or an inventive script writer. Zombies are a monster many of us could see ourselves surviving against.

[ProfessorChaos]

Day of the Dead offered nothing to me. I have never been a fan.

In the words of Sheila Broflovski:

"What,what,what?"

Day offered you nothing? Hmmm.....:rockbrow:

Oh well, to each his own, I guess.

[Danny]

im not too keen on it but the whole logan and bub side story was a bit of brilliant writing, like frakenstein meets somethign frmo the outer limits.

[axlish]

im not too keen on it but the whole logan and bub side story was a bit of brilliant writing, like frakenstein meets somethign frmo the outer limits.

OK, you got me there Hellsing, the Logan and Bub relationship shines like a beacon from the depths of dispair. Their screentime together is magical.

[DEAD BEAT]

I have been into zombie films since I first saw NOLD as a little kid in the early 70's. It was edited for television broadcast and was interrupted by too many commericals, but I was throughly frightened and at the same time exhilarated by NOLD. Later, when DOTD came along in 1978, I found myself obsessed with that film. Since it was an "unrated" film, once my mom found out about the major violence that was in it she forbade me to see DAWN. I did manage to get the novelization and the soundtrack, and a friend gave me a copy of the poster book in the meantime, but it wasn't until later and videocassettes began being rented that I managed to somehow get my hands on a betamax rental copy of this film. ZOMBIES "We are Going to Eat You" came out at about the same time and I freaked over that too!

In my time, when kids were into Star Wars and Star Trek and D&D I was into zombies. It wasn't all horror films that struck me in this fashion (there were some I liked but none struck the chord with me that NIGHT and DAWN did) Many of my friends thought it weird that I was always talking about zombies, a teacher once asked my folks if there was some trouble going on at home because I wrote a zombie story for an english assigment. Later, in high school, I did a paper on GAR and NOLD which also got me strange looks from my schoolmates. In fact, I always thought that my interest in zombies was unique, but I largely felt alone in my obesession with things zombie. It was not until I stumbled across zombie webpages and began posting and corresponding with others that I realized that I was not alone in this.

In 04, my wife and I went to the Comicon over in Monreoville (BTW: I remember seeing some of the current HPOTD members there!), and had the pleasure of listening to a panel discussion that included GAR, Savini, Christine Forrest-Romero, David Early, etc. One of the questions that was asked at that time, and one that has stuck with me was posed to Romero by another fan who asked "Why are people so attracted to zombie films like DOTD" I would have liked to have heard Romero's answer, but Early jumped in and fielded the question (bless him) giving the answer that these films were like a roller coaster, allowing people to get a thrill without actually facing danger.

OK, so maybe that has something to do with it, and that does make sense, but if that was the case -for me at least - then this would translate over to nearly all well made horror films, which it does not -- again at least in my case.

So, I believe there must be something more to this fascination with the zombie film, though I can only shrug at what the basis for this fascination is. In this regard, I am curious to hear what the zed-heads and HPOTD veteranos would say about this.

What is it about the zombie films (of GAR and others) that attracts you? Why do we like zombies? Why are we fans of this particular phylum of the horror genre?

I appreciate any response and any insight that you all might have about this!

Why does a dope fiend suck cock for crack?:eek:


Somethings are just better left un said!:D

[acealive1]

most of us are in it basically cuz hollywood sucks and we wanted somethin other than a girlie chick flick. others wanted a break from reality,and thats what movies are...so why not go overboard ya know?

[Danny]

*virtual five* damn straight.:cool:

[DruNewp]

I too love post apocalyptic stories in general, and there's no better way of dealing with this than a zombie flick.

the first dead film I saw was actually Day of the Dead. I was about eight, and thought the effects were the coolest thing EVER. I'd go to the local video store and beg with the guy to let me rent Dawn of the Dead, and he finally caved. I couldn;t get enough. I went back and tried to rent Night, but wasn't able to. My "hook-up" had quit. Good for me, because I ended up having an easier time buying it at Target.

I had almost forgotten about the films until I was about 16. I rediscovered them you could say. Ever since then, I've been re-hooked.

I love the non cgi effects the films have. The real asthetic quality that amazed me so much as a child still gets my blood boiling.

Also, I love Romero zombie films so much for his use of the zombie as a catalyst for social commentary. The slow threat of a dumbed down mass seems more scary to me than any serial killer, and singular monster. It's the massive numbers working together. You can hide from a Jason or Mike Myers, but a whole neighborhood of zombies? Good luck!

[MissJacksonCA]

I love zombie movies... and as a girl growing up it wasn't easy to indulge in them so I overcompensate now by watching them everywhere... lately i've begun to bring my laptop to the laundry room to watch them there since Telomundo doesn't do it for me... a lot of people are creeped out by my love for zombies and that's okay... they just dont get it...

A zombie world is unlike most others horror movies are set in... its not one or two or a small family of killers coming after you... its like virtually the entire world is going to come after you... and you can't really hide and expect to ride it out like its temporary... your only option is to fight back but its not a matter of a few swift blows to several people its a constant barrage of attackers coming after you and its like you have a million in one chance at survival ...will you survive?

For me I enjoy the movie because for me that's what life feels like... like people are constantly coming after you and you can either give up hole up and die or survive...

Buuuuuut then there's also the scare factor of zombies. Sure its not likely that you're going to get shot, stabbed, choked to death, or bludgeoned to death... but what's more horrific than that? Being eaten alive by another person. During initial stanges of zombie infection its hard to tell that they're zombies approaching you and lets face it... how often do people randomly approach you for whatever reason and you allow them to because they may be asking for the time of day, directions, etc? But zombies make it scary to be approachable. Even still zombies make it scary to let people you know and love approach you because heck if they've turned are you going to let them eat you? Are you going to put them out of their misery? Keep them as a pet til there's a cure for whatever they have?

In a lot of ways (IMHO) zombie movies can determine who you are... are you going to kill everyone to save yourself? Are you going to save everyone you can? Will you focus on and attempt a cure or an understanding of whats happening? Perhaps you'll just hole up and hope for it to all go away. And of course with zombies running amok the justice system and police will be hard pressed to maintain law and order and then how will you behave? Loot the stores? Seize your chance to take off where Leonard Lake and Charles Ng left off? Will you take it upon yourself to police over the people around you? Those are generally things that most horror flicks dont or can't touch on because the world in those movies isn't the same as in zombie flicks.

I just floggin love zombie flicks!

[Yojimbo]

most of us are in it basically cuz hollywood sucks and we wanted somethin other than a girlie chick flick. others wanted a break from reality,and thats what movies are...so why not go overboard ya know?

Right on, Ace.

What the hell is up with that BTW? All hollywood produces nowdays seems to be geared towards preteen girls.



In a lot of ways (IMHO) zombie movies can determine who you are... Those are generally things that most horror flicks dont or can't touch on because the world in those movies isn't the same as in zombie flicks.

I just floggin love zombie flicks!

MJ, you rule!

[capncnut]

Here's something I wrote a-ways back:

When I was a young child in the late 70's, I was a total horror nut. By the age of 5, I had seen a majority of the Hammer films, owned a lot of vampire/werewolf books and used to make my own skull masks from crappy Fisher Price-type moulds. By the time I reached the age of 7, I had already graduated to the more heavyweight movies like The Omen and The Exorcist...

One day in 1983 my mother came in from work and gave me two unexpected gifts. A book on 50's and 60's horror comics and a MASSIVE book on horror movies. I studied the movie book with great interest and soon became familiar with a lot of gruesome titles. At the back was a section that compiled every known horror film into a chart and rated them out of 10. There was only 4 titles that got the glorious 10 out of 10 rating - Dawn of the Dead was one of them. Hurriedly I flipped through the pages to find images of the movie and eventually found a large picture of Lenny Lies with a machete through his head. Tugging on my mothers dress, I showed her the picture and said "Can we rent this?"

The next day, my mother took me to the local 'mom and pop' video store (for Blockbuster never existed in those days) in treacherous snowy conditions. We spoke to a guy called 'John' and asked him if he had the movie. He did and we rented it for the night. Two weeks later we returned the cassette! 'John' seemed geniunely pleased that I enjoyed the movie and made a deal with my mum, "Look love, you settle up what you owe for the rental and your boy can keep the tape." She settled up and I got to own the best zombie movie ever made!

When I first saw Dawn, it physically and forcefully blew me off my chair to the back of the room. I watched it 2-3 times a day and knew the film word for word within a couple of weeks. I totally fell in love with the adventure of it all and the idea of having a large shopping mall (which were very uncommon and impressive in those days) to yourself was the ultimate mindblower! On my 10th birthday my mother even sent me a fake telegram from all 4 characters of Dawn wishing me a happy birthday, and that when I was old enough I could join them at the mall and help them kill zombies for real...

There is no zombie film that rivals Dawn (maybe Night of the Living Dead every now and then). Everything from it's gripping story to the pulsing soundtrack and immense gore is absolutely perfect. I never even thought about it's blatant attack on consumerism until many years later.

Fast forward and here I am; 34 years of age and still fanatical about the damn thing. It lights a fire in my heart every time I pop the DVD in the disc tray. It's such a romantic experience for me that even now (after watching the film around 1000 times - I stopped keeping an official count years ago) I still throw myself heart and soul into the story whenever I put it on or catch it on television. I'm absolutely in love with it and all 3 versions are going in the incinerator with me when I kick the bucket. :D

[DVW5150]

Here's something I wrote a-ways back:

When I was a young child in the late 70's, I was a total horror nut. By the age of 5, I had seen a majority of the Hammer films, owned a lot of vampire/werewolf books and used to make my own skull masks from crappy Fisher Price-type moulds. By the time I reached the age of 7, I had already graduated to the more heavyweight movies like The Omen and The Exorcist...

One day in 1983 my mother came in from work and gave me two unexpected gifts. A book on 50's and 60's horror comics and a MASSIVE book on horror movies. I studied the movie book with great interest and soon became familiar with a lot of gruesome titles. At the back was a section that compiled every known horror film into a chart and rated them out of 10. There was only 4 titles that got the glorious 10 out of 10 rating - Dawn of the Dead was one of them. Hurriedly I flipped through the pages to find images of the movie and eventually found a large picture of Lenny Lies with a machete through his head. Tugging on my mothers dress, I showed her the picture and said "Can we rent this?"

The next day, my mother took me to the local 'mom and pop' video store (for Blockbuster never existed in those days) in treacherous snowy conditions. We spoke to a guy called 'John' and asked him if he had the movie. He did and we rented it for the night. Two weeks later we returned the cassette! 'John' seemed geniunely pleased that I enjoyed the movie and made a deal with my mum, "Look love, you settle up what you owe for the rental and your boy can keep the tape." She settled up and I got to own the best zombie movie ever made!

When I first saw Dawn, it physically and forcefully blew me off my chair to the back of the room. I watched it 2-3 times a day and knew the film word for word within a couple of weeks. I totally fell in love with the adventure of it all and the idea of having a large shopping mall (which were very uncommon and impressive in those days) to yourself was the ultimate mindblower! On my 10th birthday my mother even sent me a fake telegram from all 4 characters of Dawn wishing me a happy birthday, and that when I was old enough I could join them at the mall and help them kill zombies for real...

There is no zombie film that rivals Dawn (maybe Night of the Living Dead every now and then). Everything from it's gripping story to the pulsing soundtrack and immense gore is absolutely perfect. I never even thought about it's blatant attack on consumerism until many years later.

Fast forward and here I am; 34 years of age and still fanatical about the damn thing. It lights a fire in my heart every time I pop the DVD in the disc tray. It's such a romantic experience for me that even now (after watching the film around 1000 times - I stopped keeping an official count years ago) I still throw myself heart and soul into the story whenever I put it on or catch it on television. I'm absolutely in love with it and all 3 versions are going in the incinerator with me when I kick the bucket. :D


Now THATS a very good story Captn!
I believe that previous posters have hit the issue pretty accurately.
Chaos, Hellsing...
Like Barbara says in NOTLD '90, " They re us,"
"Whats that?"The good 'ole boy asks with bewilderment.
"We' re them, & they are us." She replies,straight to the point.
I think that symbolism helps GARs films.
Another demension.In Land, skyflowers (I believe), were symbolic of how neo-cons, 'W' supporters are hypnotized by blind patriotism.
I am facinated by GARs films for many reasons.
How did they cut off that guys arm?
How did they remove that guys head?
Oh sh!t, that bite on that womans arm(Dawn 78, it the hallway in 107) was so real looking.
On the surface there is the initial shock. Then as you watch it more, theres more & more subtext.
"We're them, they're us.":elol:

[Danny]

When I first saw Dawn, it physically and forcefully blew me off my chair to the back of the room. I watched it 2-3 times a day and knew the film word for word within a couple of weeks. I totally fell in love with the adventure of it all

everyones got a childhood movie like that huh?, mine was the '88 transformers movie, i watched that like everyday fo a year when i was 5, my mom actually destroyed the tape becuase she was sick of the transforming noise and 80's hair metal:lol:

Though i got it on doov'de a while back for 90p in music zone.;)

[ProfessorChaos]

On my 10th birthday my mother even sent me a fake telegram from all 4 characters of Dawn wishing me a happy birthday, and that when I was old enough I could join them at the mall and help them kill zombies for real...

dude, your mom kicks ass.

[Yojimbo]

When I first saw Dawn, it physically and forcefully blew me off my chair to the back of the room. I watched it 2-3 times a day and knew the film word for word within a couple of weeks. I totally fell in love with the adventure of it all and the idea of having a large shopping mall (which were very uncommon and impressive in those days) to yourself was the ultimate mindblower! On my 10th birthday my mother even sent me a fake telegram from all 4 characters of Dawn wishing me a happy birthday, and that when I was old enough I could join them at the mall and help them kill zombies for real...


Fast forward and here I am; 34 years of age and still fanatical about the damn thing. It lights a fire in my heart every time I pop the DVD in the disc tray. It's such a romantic experience for me that even now (after watching the film around 1000 times - I stopped keeping an official count years ago) I still throw myself heart and soul into the story whenever I put it on or catch it on television. I'm absolutely in love with it and all 3 versions are going in the incinerator with me when I kick the bucket. :D


As I said before, brother, I thought I was the only one obsessed with this film until I stumbled across you fine folks. And like Cap said, your mother is a diamond!