What NEW MATERIAL do you as zombie fans want in movies or TV shows?

[Legion2213]

I dunno tbag, I like my zombies to be mysterious, you get into all kinds of trouble when you pitch a religious angle...or any explaination to be honest. I love the start of Dawn 04, that government guy is being quized by the press, his answer to everything "we don't know"...when the government say that, it's probably time to start soiling your pants. Have you seen "REC" by the way...they use the demonic possesion angle in that.

[wayzim]

I agree with Bass about the characters. Zombies are zombies, man, don't try to complicate them. They are what they are. (And they don't run, damnit!). I would like to see a zombie idea that focuses on the president though. Where he/she goes and how he/she deals with the situation ("Night of the Living West Wing Dead" if you will). Extra credit points if you could get Martin Sheen for the role. A story about how vampires would react to zombies. Because this is important and should really be addressed. Will a zombie bite affect a vampire? What if a vampire bites a zombie? See, this is important to know. EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, an interesting story would be if a way was "discovered" to turn zombies back into conscioussness again. Of course they'll stlil be dead, but they have their former memories and consciousness back they didn't have after they became zombies. That would be nifty. j.p. A few writers have attacked this question, myself included. 'Preservation of a Species.' (HPOTD Fiction )dealt with an effort by vampires to save their food supply, after a Zombie Holocaust has ravaged most of Mankind. Of course, there is a twist as to the True Nature of the Three Groups. There's a writer on the Fiction Forum pimping his some novel (Something Roses, I think. )which has a similar theme, with the addition of an alien force controlling the Zombies. Maybe Googling will turn up more. Wayne Z Thirty vampires against hundreds, perhaps thousands of the others, hoping to snatch the food from their rightful owners. But with full mental faculties and lightning quick reflexes, even a few of the night hunters held the advantage... Preservation of A Species (The Short Story )

[Mitchified]

There's always the happy medium in zombie fiction: explain what started the whole thing, but make it so that it's impossible to do anything about it. Maybe the technology just isn't to the point where anything can be done, or maybe everyone that could have done something about it is dead. If a pathogen is completely rewriting a person's DNA from the ground up, for example, good luck on getting that taken care of even if you learn what's happening.

[JDFP]

Another concept that would be interesting to see that I don't recall being addressed previously... Most of the "higher ranking" government officials and their family will find a way to reach underground bunkers like Greenbrier and other safety places where years worth of food are stored. An interesting story (that really wouldn't even require zombies) would be regarding one of these groups of people in an underground bunker somewhere (similar to "Day" but a much larger group of people) and their children born in the bunker. What would be really interesting would be the day that they decide it's "safe" to return back into the real world again many years later (say 10+ years later) and discuss their return to a world that was ravaged/destroyed by the zombie apocalypse. That would be fascinating, me thinks. Honestly, you wouldn't even need zombies in it other than the rotted/decayed remains of the once zombies that have almost all "died" off from rot. j.p.

[Legion2213]

Another concept that would be interesting to see that I don't recall being addressed previously... Most of the "higher ranking" government officials and their family will find a way to reach underground bunkers like Greenbrier and other safety places where years worth of food are stored. An interesting story (that really wouldn't even require zombies) would be regarding one of these groups of people in an underground bunker somewhere (similar to "Day" but a much larger group of people) and their children born in the bunker. What would be really interesting would be the day that they decide it's "safe" to return back into the real world again many years later (say 10+ years later) and discuss their return to a world that was ravaged/destroyed by the zombie apocalypse. That would be fascinating, me thinks. Honestly, you wouldn't even need zombies in it other than the rotted/decayed remains of the once zombies that have almost all "died" off from rot. j.p. That would be like "Day" meets "The Road" and Invites "Mad Max" along for the ride. Or it could turn out like "The Last American" and these people would find they are the only living beings left on the planet. There is a new comic series called "The Last Zombie" which is based on that sort of thing, the zombies are all dying out (well, wearing out) and some military guy is looking to head across country to find his wife.

[AcesandEights]

Another concept that would be interesting to see that I don't recall being addressed previously... Most of the "higher ranking" government officials and their family will find a way to reach underground bunkers like Greenbrier and other safety places where years worth of food are stored. An interesting story (that really wouldn't even require zombies) would be regarding one of these groups of people in an underground bunker somewhere (similar to "Day" but a much larger group of people) and their children born in the bunker. What would be really interesting would be the day that they decide it's "safe" to return back into the real world again many years later (say 10+ years later) and discuss their return to a world that was ravaged/destroyed by the zombie apocalypse. That would be fascinating, me thinks. Honestly, you wouldn't even need zombies in it other than the rotted/decayed remains of the once zombies that have almost all "died" off from rot. j.p. This reminds me of the 'bird's eye view' of the apocalypse I've always wanted from someone who happened to be ensconced in one capacity or another on board one of those jets they use for Continuity of Government purposes (Not Air Force One though).

[DjfunkmasterG]

Another concept that would be interesting to see that I don't recall being addressed previously... Most of the "higher ranking" government officials and their family will find a way to reach underground bunkers like Greenbrier and other safety places where years worth of food are stored. An interesting story (that really wouldn't even require zombies) would be regarding one of these groups of people in an underground bunker somewhere (similar to "Day" but a much larger group of people) and their children born in the bunker. What would be really interesting would be the day that they decide it's "safe" to return back into the real world again many years later (say 10+ years later) and discuss their return to a world that was ravaged/destroyed by the zombie apocalypse. That would be fascinating, me thinks. Honestly, you wouldn't even need zombies in it other than the rotted/decayed remains of the once zombies that have almost all "died" off from rot. j.p. Funny you mention Greenbrier, some of Deadlands 3 was written with that in mind.... Lonnie Martin and I tackled that subject 3 years ago when penning the script together... we dropped it in favor of taming down the budget because I never felt like I was ever going to be able to raise the $1,000,000 needed to get it rolling, but the very original Deadlands 3 script, originally Deadlands 2, had scenes within Greenbrier.

[LouCipherr]

I disagree. The more the phenomenon is left unexplained, the better. The moment it's explained and they can start figuring out a way to handle it is the moment they're not scary anymore.. I agree with this 1000%. I've always said, what made characters like Jason, Freddy and the like no longer scary is when the camera started following them around instead of the characters. It's what you don't know that frightens you. Not the other way around.

[Danny]

How about not yet another thing about people stranded in a building arguing? romero did it half a century ago and its been beaten down so for its come up in china. That and the whole virus and trope of the 'bite' scene has gotten so fucking old by now.

[Sammich]

I would like to see a zombie apocalypse movie from government's point of view as they try to cover up then progess to futily try to contain an outbreak as society eventually falls into chaos. Show the arrogant senators and congressmen hiding out in the underground shelters while trying to maintain their lifestyles by making ridiculous demands for things like caviar while the regular citizens are getting eaten outside. Military and law enforcement increasingly deserting their posts. Stuff like that.

[Gryphon]

EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, an interesting story would be if a way was "discovered" to turn zombies back into conscioussness again. Of course they'll stlil be dead, but they have their former memories and consciousness back they didn't have after they became zombies. That would be nifty. j.p. Have you ever read GAR's comic, "Toe Tags?" That happens in there. The main character is a zombie science-student who was killed and partially eaten, and his professor injects him with a serum that prevents his brain from decaying, restoring his personality.

[MinionZombie]

Interesting you should mention this; one of the things I want to do sometime is get someone who kicks ass at 2D computer animation - like motion comic stuff - and put together an animated short (10 to 15 minutes) based on one of my short scripts that I wrote a while back, by the name of "The End" ... the purpose of the script being to define the look of "zombie epic", at least how I imagine it to be. I'd love to be able to do that - a passion project sort of thing, and put it online and try to gain attention in a viral manner - for it to be a showcase for my writing and directed, and the animator's skills. Finding such a person (or persons) who'd do it for free, and be reliable enough to actually do it and not just half-ass it and leave it unfinished, is a problem though. But like I said, one of the outcomes would be a great way to 'show off' our skills and ideas - you don't get paid for passion projects after all, usually at least.

[hadrian0117]

I too would love to see a zombie holocause from "the authorities" perspective. I also think a "War of the Worlds" type movie of fake news coverage of a zombie holocause; it'd start out with the first few confused reports (like of a rash of strange serial killings) and end when society's to far gone for even rudimentary media to function. You could do either straight newscasts (where the audience only sees exactly what in-universe viewers see) or include behind the scenes stuff with the journalists and support staff et al trying to deal with all the shit that's going down and keeping the station functioning. It'd also be interesting to see something from the perspective of all the scientists who'd be pressed into studying zombies and frantically trying to figure out what the hell's going one. Including behavioral research with "live" specimans. We saw a little of that in Day, but I'm talking about setting an entire film in a fortified lab. They'd be relatively removed from the chaos, but resupply problems would gradually be getting worse and worse until everything collapses. I wouldn't have them lose contact with the outside world thouge. Thank's to modern satelite communications they'd remain in full contact with other outposts around the world; none of whom could actually do a single thing to help (other than moral support and data sharing) them. And there's always the option of a mockumentary being done from the perspective of survivors long after the initial zombie outbreak/averted holocaust where we "won" in the end and civilization is recovering (in other words World War Z

[Sammich]

I too would love to see a zombie holocause from "the authorities" perspective. I also think a "War of the Worlds" type movie of fake news coverage of a zombie holocause; it'd start out with the first few confused reports (like of a rash of strange serial killings) and end when society's to far gone for even rudimentary media to function. You could do either straight newscasts (where the audience only sees exactly what in-universe viewers see) or include behind the scenes stuff with the journalists and support staff et al trying to deal with all the shit that's going down and keeping the station functioning. There was something like this in the extras section of the Dawn 04 dvd with Richard Biggs as the reporter.

[MoonSylver]

This. 'CUZ THIZ IZ TEH NEW HOTNESS YO!!!11ONE!