What Makes A BAD Zombie Film?

[Trin]

You actually mean zombies are realistic in any way? I assume you're just trying to bust my chops but you've earned a lesson in suspension of disbelief. With any movie monster you have to establish the suspension of disbelief... the parameters by which your monster will defy the laws of physics and common sense. With zombies those parameters typically do not allow the monster to exceed the human being it came from. When script writers take liberties with what their zombies can do people pick up on it and start to call BS. Vampires are a great example of suspension of disbelief allowing the monster to exceed the human. We don't question the plausibility of vampires in vampire movies. However, if a vampire were immune to sunlight or ate garlic without batting an eye we'd call BS. Suspension of disbelief is very finicky and if it is abused it can ruin a movie faster than anything.

[krisvds]

What makes a bad zombie film? Easy; Zack Snyder. (sorry)

[DjfunkmasterG]

What makes a bad zombie film? Easy; Zack Snyder. (sorry) No, that would be Steve Miner, Uwe Boll, and James Dudelson.

[MoonSylver]

I assume you're just trying to bust my chops but you've earned a lesson in suspension of disbelief. Vampires are a great example of suspension of disbelief allowing the monster to exceed the human. We don't question the plausibility of vampires in vampire movies. However, if a vampire were immune to sunlight or ate garlic without batting an eye we'd call BS. Exibit "A":

[ZombieKeeper]

Another truly bad zombie film is Oasis of the Zombies. Ugg....

[blind2d]

Ooh, I remember that one! It had almost three good minutes of zed footage (for the vaults). "Could it be... zombies?!" - Spike the baby dragon

[Darksider18]

Ive watched quite a few zombie films and i can say safely, that i hate the zombie movie cliches. For example: 1. The targetted characters turn on the tv and the only channel available is the news, typically viewing a news reporter not at all affected by the rising of the zeds and saying "do not make any attempt to reach loved ones, stay indoors and REMOVING THE HEAD OR.. DESTROYING THE BRAIN" i hate that line. Lol. Zeds have been around for years, you would think that everyone would already know this. 2. The stereotypical stupid asshole who "takes unwitting control over the group and attempts to get everyone else killed". 3. Staying cooped up in a boarded up house and somehow the zombies STILL get in. 4. That random group member that manages to hide a bite wound long enough to get turned.

[childofgilead]

In regards to 1., what makes you think that zombie movies exist within the zombie movie?

[krakenslayer]

The worst crime is bad characterisation, and you see it again and again and again, especially in low budget zombie movies. Symptoms can include characters that all act and speak the same way to the point that they are only distinguishable by their gender/race/hairstyle; non-military characters who instantly and inexplicably exhibit professional-level marksmanship when the plot requires it despite the complete lack of any indication that they have held a gun before; characters who handle the situation fine for a while only to break down and turn to jelly when the plot requires a victim; over-use of stock characters lifted from other movies (e.g. the "looking out for himself guy" who covers up a bite until the last minute, "kickass heroine" who can do backflips while reading twin UZIs, etc.); protagonists who do not have any kind of character arc over the course of the film (as a rule of thumb, in a narrative your leads should undergo some kind of change through the events of your story, otherwise the story is usually aimless); characters whose entire dialogue consists of constantly shouting, bitching and swearing; and a million other examples. I can live with having the rules of reality stretched any which way in a horror movie. It doesn't hurt my suspension of disbelief to see zombies run (as much as I dislike that aesthetically), or surviving a headshot, or whatever. It's part of the movie's set up: I accept that such things are possible in the reality of the film's universe. However, make the characters shit and you take away the viewers investment in the world you've created, no matter how believable the rest of it is. -- -------- Post added at 01:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 AM ---------- In regards to 1., what makes you think that zombie movies exist within the zombie movie? I agree. As much as I like Shaun of the Dead, I prefer it when the characters are not wise to the ways of zombie films at the outset. It's a little too meta. It's not like vampires where the origin is in ancient mythology and you can bullshit that the well-known legends have some basis in fact, the modern flesh eating zombie was made up by Russo and Romeo, and you open a whole can of philosophical worms in-universe if we imagine that George Romeo exists in the world of your zombie film. Also, even if zombie films exist in-universe, why would ordinary characters have any reason to take their rules seriously, or consider them to be anything other than fiction with a superficial similarity to subsequent "real world" events? If confronted by an alien, you wouldn't immediately rush to grab a tape of Indian Love Call just because you had seen Mars Attacks.

[Mike70]

Ive watched quite a few zombie films and i can say safely, that i hate the zombie movie cliches. For example: 4. That random group member that manages to hide a bite wound long enough to get turned. this! the "hide the bite" device is the most overused and boring thing in zombie movies. what makes a bad zombie movie? a better question might be what makes a good one since about 97% of them are total garbage. 1. any use of hand held cameras in some lame attempt at "realism." 2. the use of any piece of camera equipment that i can purchase at best buy. 3. any movie that doesn't use professional actors/crew. i have no interest in watching people play what amounts to cowboys and indians with zombies. 4. generic characters that all fit some stereotype - e.g. "the tough chick" character. 5. characters that insist on getting themselves and others killed in futile attempts to reach family members. 6. scripts that play out like an auto-write program on a computer created them.

[Christopher Jon]

I agree. As much as I like Shaun of the Dead, I prefer it when the characters are not wise to the ways of zombie films at the outset. Most people aren't planning for a zombie apocalypse, are pretty ignorant about and really don't care about zombies. Zombie nerds are a minority. As a follow up rant to that, when filmmakers do break free of the Romero stereotype and try something different, fan boys throw a fit. But back on track, bad zombie cliches: I think the big ones have all been mentioned. Character stereotypes. It's not just zombie films, a lot of films have them. Characters going from civilian to Kung Fu Special Forces Ninja. Anybody who's shot a gun will tell you it's not as easy as it looks. The Hiding my bite wounds Character along with the Even though I know somebody who's been bitten will turn into a zombie I'm not gonna let you shoot they guy who was bitten Character. Single locations are the bread n' butter of low budget film making which is why so many horror films are people trapped in a house. I feel your financial pain. At least try to make it a new or interesting location. If your film has Police or Military characters, get a consultant. I'll even do it for free. It ruins the experience when the Kung Fu Special Forces Ninjas can't even hold their weapons correctly.

[rongravy]

I'd almost disagree on the whole "you don't know how you'd do it" scenario. Once you got past the fact that all you know and are comfortable with is gizzone, I'd much rather be thrown in with a bunch of HPOTD losers than not. Make THAT a movie. At least you guys know better than just to spray a shit ton of bullets at the body... One love.

[rgc2005]

If your film has Police or Military characters, get a consultant. I'll even do it for free. It ruins the experience when the Kung Fu Special Forces Ninjas can't even hold their weapons correctly.[/INDENT] I just watched a zombie movie set in Africa. It was great except for the first plane crash scene. The equipment, ranks and discipline was all wrong and I almost turned it off.