A new sub genre (because some "zombie" films have no actual zombies)

[Trin]

I see what you're saying Andy. If you ask me what a zombie is my definition is closely aligned to yours - reanimated dead, feasts on the living, etc. But I also believe that the opposing opinions have merit. Someone could easily argue that Romero defined the "Living Dead" genre, not the "zombie" genre, and Romero's "ghoul" is a subset of zombie. This board is not called "Homepage of the Zombie" after all. And Romero no more set out to make zombies than Boyle did. Where I think the real confusion lies is that Romero defined a genre... and it has widely been coined the "zombie" genre... but it's not the zombie genre. He created a genre around a desperate situation where society has fallen to a mindless slew of once-human creatures. It's apocalyptic survival horror. And the creatures just happen to be zombies. So when movies like 28 Days Later and I Am Legend come along they seem like the same kind of movie and get lumped into the "zombie genre" but they are no more zombie movies than Romero's are. They have a similar vibe. For example, Dawn of the Dead and I Am Legend feel more like they belong in the same genre than Dawn and Dead Snow. Yet Dead Snow is clearly a zombie movie moreso than Legend. It's all perspective.

[Christopher Jon]

And the creatures just happen to be zombies. Correction, In Night of the Living Dead, the creatures were called Ghouls, which actually fits, undead creatures that feed on living flesh. I doubt anybody knows when or who first associated Romero's creatures with zombies but I doubt it was Romero himself. It was probably fans or the media and Romero just went with it when he returned to make Dawn of the Dead nine years later. I'm actually unsure if zombie is even said in that film. SWEET! A good excuse to rewatch it. Where I think the real confusion lies is that Romero defined a genre... and it has widely been coined the "zombie" genre... but it's not the zombie genre. He created a genre around a desperate situation where society has fallen to a mindless slew of once-human creatures. It's apocalyptic survival horror. And the creatures just happen to be zombies. This was my point earlier about the genre being larger than the creatures themselves. The genre of Zombie Films has grown and evolved. Romero introduced flesh eating in 1968, Boyle introduced rage virus in 2002 and a lot of other creative minds have brought their own take on zombies and the Zombie Genre over the years. While the creatures in many of those films and novels aren't stereotypical zombies, they all fall into the 2012, poorly named, Zombie Genre. Somewhere a Haitian witch is casting a curse on all of us. OK.... time to watch some mutha-fucking zombies in a mutha-fucking mall.

[Trin]

Correction, In Night of the Living Dead, the creatures were called Ghouls, which actually fits, undead creatures that feed on living flesh. I doubt anybody knows when or who first associated Romero's creatures with zombies but I doubt it was Romero himself. It was probably fans or the media and Romero just went with it when he returned to make Dawn of the Dead nine years later. I'm actually unsure if zombie is even said in that film. SWEET! A good excuse to rewatch it. LOL!! This is a thread where you just can't win!! I went back and forth over using the word "ghoul" versus "zombie" in that sentence. But I think that zombie is the correct word because in contemporary discussion of the Romero movies his creatures are most often referred to as zombies. And that's at the crux of my point. The genre has gotten muddled by terminology! Even Romero calls his creatures zombies now, most likely just as you've stated, because the fans and media thrust that term upon him. And of course I agree with exactly what you stated about them originally being ghouls!

[Danny]

again. you guys do this again...

[EvilNed]

The genre of Zombie Films has grown and evolved. Romero introduced flesh eating in 1968, Boyle introduced rage virus in 2002 and a lot of other creative minds have brought their own take on zombies and the Zombie Genre over the years. While the creatures in many of those films and novels aren't stereotypical zombies, they all fall into the 2012, poorly named, Zombie Genre. This, more or less. Andy says a sub-genre can't evolve. I think that's silly. Who says they can't? Even though some would disagree, this really just boils down to opinion. Ok, fine, don't put the 28 Days Later film into the Zombie genre. But to me, there's no question about it: It's there. It's a zombiefilm. Danny Boyle may have set out to do whatever he wanted, what came through was a zombiefilm. Using this logic, the Night of the Living Dead isn't a zombiefilm either, because that wasn't Romero's intention.

[Sammich]

If 28 Days Later is considered a zombie movie, then so should Warning Sign from 1985.

[AcesandEights]

If 28 Days Later is considered a zombie movie, then so should Warning Sign from 1985. Whoah, Jeffrey DeMunn was in it. Is it mid-80s bad or mid-80s good?

[Sammich]

It good and has elements which have been used in subsequent "outbreak" movies. The movie channels on satelite/cable show it every once in a while.

[AcesandEights]

It good and has elements which have been used in subsequent "outbreak" movies. The movie channels on satelite/cable show it every once in a while. Thanks, I'll make a point to try and see it.

[Christopher Jon]

LOL!! This is a thread where you just can't win!! I went back and forth over using the word "ghoul" versus "zombie" in that sentence. I'm just havin fun. I think it's a silly topic to begin with.

[Trin]

Whoah, Jeffrey DeMunn was in it. Is it mid-80s bad or mid-80s good? It's pretty good. I watch it most every time it comes on. It's small in scope compared to the world-wide stuff of Night/Dawn/Day or 28 Days/Weeks, but it's quite well done. And to Sammich's point, it is every bit as much a zombie movie as 28 Days. Or every bit NOT as much as 28 Days if that's your stance! I think I have decided on my own new personal deciding point for whether something belongs in the exalted "Zombie Genre." If I watch a movie and it makes me go Fuckin-A like Night/Dawn/Day did... it's in.

[Sammich]

There is krab which is artificial crab, so how about psumbies (psuedo zombies) for artificial zombies?

[AcesandEights]

There is krab which is artificial crab, so how about psumbies (psuedo zombies) for artificial zombies? Psumbies for psycho zombies? That works well. As for their being artificial crab...wow

[shootemindehead]

28 Days Later. Buzzzzzzzzz! Sorry, that's wrong. But thanks for playing. Did you have a good time?

[EvilNed]

Buzzzzzzzzz! Sorry, that's wrong. But thanks for playing. Did you have a good time? Funny guy, huh? But still... 28 Days Later. Thanks for the paycheck, Mr. Trebek. Party all night long! Yeah! Wake up next morning with super aids. Turns into zombie. Kills everyone.