eating the livestock

[SRP76]

Imagine what you want, but it is stated over and over and over in both Dawn and Day of the Dead that they don't eat anything but human meat. Where? Was it mystery meat, though? I thought it was made pretty obvious that it was meat from the newly dead soldiers. So it's still kind of warm and what not.. Just because the viewer knows what's in Bub's bucket doesn't mean he does. All he sees is Logan bring in a pail from parts unknown.

[bassman]

Just because the viewer knows what's in Bub's bucket doesn't mean he does. All he sees is Logan bring in a pail from parts unknown. I know that, i'm just saying that he probably ate that because it was fresh meat. I got the impression that Logan had JUST cut it off of the soldier. Which is why the soldier is right by the door in the freezer when Logan is gunned down. I don't think he would've reacted the same with the beef treats or a t bone steak...

[krakenslayer]

Where? Dawn of the Dead - Dr Millard Rauche: "They feed ONLY on warm human flesh" Day of the Dead - The whole "Beef Treats"/dead soldiers debacle that formed a major impetus for the breakdown at the end. I'm sure there are numerous other times where this is pointed out, but I can't remember off-hand. But that's enough evidence for me anyway, I see strong suggestions for "human only" and pretty much noting against, I see no reason to doubt that Romero was trying to establish this as part of the mythology. Just because the viewer knows what's in Bub's bucket doesn't mean he does. All he sees is Logan bring in a pail from parts unknown. So Dr Logan was cutting up those dead soldiers and feeding them to Bub because he was just... mean? Of course not! He needed to reward the zombies for good behaviour but couldn't find anything else they would eat - they knew by taste/smell that it wasn't human - this was his whole motivation for using the dead soldiers. This is, in turn the reason Rhodes goes haywire and everyone dies.

[LoneCrusader]

I don't think zombies have the ability to taste. I mean, do they? They can barely feel at all. Seems hard to imagine that their taste buds would still be sharp. I don't think they'd know the difference between warm bloody beef in a bucket or warm human flesh in a bucket. And when the scientists on the TV say they only go after warm human flesh, how would they know? That's only what they've seen them go after. I don't think the scientists at that point had time to conduct experiments on them. And plus, we learn so many things from species of animals and such that already exist. Imagine all the things the scientists didn't know/could learn about zombies, which was a relatively new "species". IMO, I think they'd eat a cow if they saw it. But I think they get more aroused/excited at the sight of humans.

[bassman]

God I hope they don't taste what they eat. Those intestines are probably pretty ripe...

[krakenslayer]

I don't think zombies have the ability to taste. I mean, do they? They can barely feel at all. Seems hard to imagine that their taste buds would still be sharp. I don't think they'd know the difference between warm bloody beef in a bucket or warm human flesh in a bucket. And when the scientists on the TV say they only go after warm human flesh, how would they know? That's only what they've seen them go after. I don't think the scientists at that point had time to conduct experiments on them. And plus, we learn so many things from species of animals and such that already exist. Imagine all the things the scientists didn't know/could learn about zombies, which was a relatively new "species". IMO, I think they'd eat a cow if they saw it. But I think they get more aroused/excited at the sight of humans. Let me say it again... THE ZOMBIES WOULD NOT EAT ANIMAL MEAT IN DAY OF THE DEAD, THEY WOULD ONLY EAT HUMAN MEAT, THEREIN LIES THE WHOLE CRUX OF THE PLOT!!!! Loud enough?

[LoneCrusader]

Let me say it again... THE ZOMBIES WOULD NOT EAT ANIMAL MEAT IN DAY OF THE DEAD, THEY WOULD ONLY EAT HUMAN MEAT, THEREIN LIES THE WHOLE CRUX OF THE PLOT!!!! Loud enough? think they can really tell the difference between warm cow guts and warm human guts if they saw it?

[Philly_SWAT]

Just because the viewer knows what's in Bub's bucket doesn't mean he does. All he sees is Logan bring in a pail from parts unknown. Yeah, for all Bub knew, the pail originated in the hometown of the "Masked Assasin"... Dawn of the Dead - Dr Millard Rauche: "They feed ONLY on warm human flesh" You must take the context of this comment. Dr. Millard was specifically differentiating between them eating humans and each other. He was not making a comment one way or the other about animals. The idea is that the zeds do not have "warm flesh", hence they do not attack each other. I'm sure there are numerous other times where this is pointed out, but I can't remember off-hand. But that's enough evidence for me anyway, I see strong suggestions for "human only" and pretty much noting against, I see no reason to doubt that Romero was trying to establish this as part of the mythology. I say any "human only" evidence that you quoted was about the "warmth" of the meat, not the type. In Night a zed eats a bug, in Night 90, one eats a mouse. So Dr Logan was cutting up those dead soldiers and feeding them to Bub because he was just... mean? Of course not! He needed to reward the zombies for good behaviour but couldn't find anything else they would eat - they knew by taste/smell that it wasn't human - this was his whole motivation for using the dead soldiers. This is, in turn the reason Rhodes goes haywire and everyone dies. I think they knew by taste/smell/whatever that it wasnt "warm" or "fresh". Canned meat is definitely way different than fresh, even to us among the living. I don't think the scientists at that point had time to conduct experiments on them. And plus, we learn so many things from species of animals and such that already exist. Imagine all the things the scientists didn't know/could learn about zombies, which was a relatively new "species". IMO, I think they'd eat a cow if they saw it. But I think they get more aroused/excited at the sight of humans. Agreed. We are not offered any suggestion that "scientists" have done any proper experimentation/studying techniques at all. If any, we can see chaos reigning. THE ZOMBIES WOULD NOT EAT ANIMAL MEAT IN DAY OF THE DEAD, THEY WOULD ONLY EAT HUMAN MEAT, THEREIN LIES THE WHOLE CRUX OF THE PLOT!!!! The crux is that they would only eat warm/fresh meat, is what I take from it. There was no warm meat to be had, except from the humans. think they can really tell the difference between warm cow guts and warm human guts if they saw it? ' I wouldnt think so. Could any of us tell if we went to a fine restaurant, and they had a good chef prepare a quality meal with lots of spices, sauces, etc, and it was really human meat we were eating? I doubt it.

[krakenslayer]

The crux is that they would only eat warm/fresh meat, is what I take from it. There was no warm meat to be had, except from the humans. They didn't have a microwave in the bunker? Or rats for that matter?

[Philly_SWAT]

They didn't have a microwave in the bunker? LOL, I dont think the zeds would use a microwave! But even if they could, I dont think microwaves old meat would taste like fresh meat.

[krakenslayer]

OH OH! AND!! ...at the start of Land of the Dead: Riley (on radio): Find anything? Mouse (leaving an abandoned store): I wouldn't touch the fish... It would appear from this line and from the condition of the shops that the zombies have not been tempted to eat the meat in the stores.

[Thorn]

I hate to agree with Kraken again because it will inflate his ego but... According to the original Dawn of the Dead script, and Professor Millard Rauche they consume only warm human flesh. They will not eat cold dead meat. If a human were to heat it in a way to mimic recently killed victims then maybe... but I never saw this explored. In all the movies Zombies will generally not consume non-human meat. They might try other forms of food like the bug and the rat. We see this clearly in Day of the Dead, when the scientists try and fail to feed them "beef treats", and in the original Day script where alligator meat is also rejected. Also the gator that is walking out the bank in Day is left alone, it is not a zombie gator it is just a gator and they do not bother it. If they wanted to eat it they could. Now you might argue it is cold blooded but it's temperature fluctuates based on environment. I dare say it looked like a warm day to me. No I think they want to eat humans, will experiment with other creatures out of "curiosity", or primal hunger but only human flesh will do. Just my thoughts.

[Trin]

I really cannot see any way that the zombies would go after livestock. If the zombies were okay eating livestock then people would've figured that out quickly enough. It would not have gone unnoticed. The entire strategy would've changed. You just toss a pile of meat in the road and when all the zombies converge on it you blow them away. The biker gang, for example, had been surviving on the road for months. Surely they would've seen about every zombie behavior out there. If the zombies could be distracted with a cow then the obvious way to invade the mall is to drop a couple cows off in the parking lot and when the zombies go after them you walk right up to the mall and go in. So I'm just not buying the whole livestock thing. The mere fact that we never see it happen isn't enough. If it were going on then the landscape of the entire movie would've been different. I mean, how stupid would it be if GAR puts a group of people in his next movie who use cattle to lure the zombies away from the people? It would diminish the credibility and intellect of all the previous movies if the solution to the problem were that simple.

[krakenslayer]

YES!!! Now that I have Thorn and Trin in my "ZOMBIES FOR HUMAN FLESH ONLY" campaign I am unstoppable!! UNSTOPPABLE!!!!

[Thorn]

YES!!! Now that I have Thorn and Trin in my "ZOMBIES FOR HUMAN FLESH ONLY" campaign I am unstoppable!! UNSTOPPABLE!!!! LOL. That is a great point too Trin, you would figure that a bunch of cattle ranchers would drive a whole heard of steer through town to distract the zombies and as they fall on them to consume them the ranchers pick them off. It would have totally changed the movies.