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

[DjfunkmasterG]

Was popping into the TWD forum and read some comments from other members who are tired of the same old thing instead of doing something new... and I had replied that every time someone has changed a rule or mythology, we as fans have had an issue with it, but, complain that nothing new is being brought to the table, but when something new is brought, it is handled so poorly we can't help but just stick with what we know and love. So I am asking you as zombie horror fans what changes would you like to see... and I will let you know first hand that I am definitely interested in reading your thoughts and opinions and if some good stuff is brought to the table and it can make a great movie, I will write a treatment and give everyone credit for their ideas used.... Maybe calling it THE HPOTD ZOMBIE PROJECT (Of course it will have a more... "of the Dead" style title, but maybe this is an area we can all brain storm and see what comes of it. What do you guys think?

[randomness]

Flying Zombies

[bassman]

Personally....I think there's nothing "new" that can or should be brought to the zombies. The zombies are what they are and they don't ever really change unless, like random up there mentioned, you start giving them superpowers. That's why it surprises me when people say TWD is nothing new. It's never really been about the zombies, it's about the characters learning to survive in a world overrun with them. That seems to be exactly what TWD is doing, so I see it as being completely new. New walks of life coming together to fight to survive, or in most cases....fight each other. That's what made Romero's trilogy great and that's what is making TWD great. It's never been about the zombies. It's about the people. So yeah....nothing new can really be brought to the zombies. It's about the new living characters, their surroundings, their struggle to survive, and their struggles with each other.

[Mitchified]

Clearly, zombie movies need more Mitch. Shameless plug go! http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?18012-New-Work-for-Critiquing In all seriousness, instead of giving zombies superpowers I would love to see little tweaks that make a very small percentage special. For example, in my books I have a zombie variant called a Piper, which emits a sort of whistling sound that causes typical zombies to follow it due to their attraction to the sound. This creates roving groups of zombies twenty to thirty strong. So while the Piper is different, it's not like "SMOKER!" different. Tweaked more than empowered.

[Philly_SWAT]

Personally....I think there's nothing "new" that can or should be brought to the zombies. The zombies are what they are and they don't ever really change unless, like random up there mentioned, you start giving them superpowers. That's why it surprises me when people say TWD is nothing new. It's never really been about the zombies, it's about the characters learning to survive in a world overrun with them. That seems to be exactly what TWD is doing, so I see it as being completely new. New walks of life coming together to fight to survive, or in most cases....fight each other. That's what made Romero's trilogy great and that's what is making TWD great. It's never been about the zombies. It's about the people. So yeah....nothing new can really be brought to the zombies. It's about the new living characters, their surroundings, their struggle to survive, and their struggles with each other. Well, I can't really say it any better than this, so I'll just say "ditto that".

[Trin]

I want to see intelligent zombies having zombie babies, then one of the zombie babies is retarded, even for a zombie, and the other zombies all shun that baby zombie and the zombie parents, sparking a zombie class struggle, culminating in the humans taking back over by blowing them up in some gratuitous way. And one of them is black. (I agree with Bassman too - get interesting with character and setting, not zombies)

[DjfunkmasterG]

Clearly, zombie movies need more Mitch. Shameless plug go! http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?18012-New-Work-for-Critiquing In all seriousness, instead of giving zombies superpowers I would love to see little tweaks that make a very small percentage special. For example, in my books I have a zombie variant called a Piper, which emits a sort of whistling sound that causes typical zombies to follow it due to their attraction to the sound. This creates roving groups of zombies twenty to thirty strong. So while the Piper is different, it's not like "SMOKER!" different. Tweaked more than empowered. Ahhh so your zombie is Stubbs the zombie? Like the video game?

[Mitchified]

If you mean Mitch, then no, they're basically nothing alike. Mitch doesn't really control anything around him except for what's in his path, he's more like an observer than anything else. If I had to compare him to someone I'd say he's more like a really screwed up (um, and dead) version of John Travolta's character from Pulp Fiction. Half the conversations he has with Jefferson are basically conversations I've had with friends over the years, heh. His personality is completely different from Stubbs, too. He doesn't want to lead an army or find his lost love or any of that crap, he just wants to watch the world burn. When I worked out his character I wanted a total anarchist that had a good time doing what he does. At the core he's also incredibly cruel and sadistic. Plus I don't recall Stubbs ever holding a meaningful conversation. Granted it's been years since I played the demo for that game, but still. If you mean the Piper, it isn't even aware that it's calling a group to itself. It's not any smarter than your average zombie, it just makes the whistling sound instead of moaning. It's just an aberration.

[JDFP]

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.

[deadpunk]

Was popping into the TWD forum and read some comments from other members who are tired of the same old thing instead of doing something new... and I had replied that every time someone has changed a rule or mythology, we as fans have had an issue with it, but, complain that nothing new is being brought to the table, but when something new is brought, it is handled so poorly we can't help but just stick with what we know and love. So I am asking you as zombie horror fans what changes would you like to see... and I will let you know first hand that I am definitely interested in reading your thoughts and opinions and if some good stuff is brought to the table and it can make a great movie, I will write a treatment and give everyone credit for their ideas used.... Maybe calling it THE HPOTD ZOMBIE PROJECT (Of course it will have a more... "of the Dead" style title, but maybe this is an area we can all brain storm and see what comes of it. What do you guys think? This type of thread always reminds me of why I have such a love/hate relationship with this genre. The reality is that fans of zombie related works are simply never staisfied because, as zombie fans, everyone of them has their own survival plan already made-up. The dissatisfaction isn't really about TWD not being anything new, at its heart it is really just a knee-jerk reaction of stating: Thats not how I would have done it. Heres a prime example: Romero wanted to focus on re-establishing society/civilization with LAND. To do this, he incorporated money. Of course, he did. A monetary system has to be present in a society. (Whether that system is paper money or a bartering system as shown in THE BOOK OF ELI) Yet...how many times did we hear, on this forum alone, how stupid the concept was? It wasn't stupid, it was necessity of the piece, but... That's not how I would have done it. I'm with bassman in regards to the fact that it isn't the zombies. It's the survivors. But, you'll never please all of the people all of time.

[Trin]

I don't think anyone disagrees with re-introducing money. The disagreement was how it was done. A lot of people would say the same about zombie intelligence, running zombies, etc. Make it work, make it believable, make it awesome... people will dig it. Do it poorly and people will hate it. Same goes for TWD. The same tired out scenarios will be received very well if done very well.

[Legion2213]

Proper professional military would do me. We see tiny glimpses of them at the end of "Shaun of the Dead" & "The Zombie Diaries". As for money, I don't see how it would work, if somebody offered you one milllion dollars cash for your guns, ammo, first aid gear and survival supplies in a zombiegeddon scenario, you'd laugh at them. People would barter services and usefull supplies IMO. Any money would have to be re-printed/re-invented as there would be masses of the old stuff floating around, it would be worthless in a "new society" when anybody could pick the stuff up in any house, shop or even the street.

[krakenslayer]

Change the scenario and rules however you want, or don't change a thing, it's the author/screenwriter/director's choice. As long as its good, I'll be happy. But at least try to give it a new spin from a story perspective, with interesting and novel characters and situations. Oh, and it helps if you have something to say.

[general tbag]

With alot of zombies stuff there a few areas i always found missing. The goverment side while a outbreak happening.I fail to believe with all those military underground tunnels and or resources the goverment would just fold.They are after all prepared for nuclear and or biohazard attacks. Second if the ole" virus"leaked out. The question really why zombies exist, why the dead get up and feed.And myself I wish it dive into " theres no more room in hell"scenario.Id like to see a different explanation than comets, viruses, or something. Maybe it just is a act of god for judgement? I really think if a writer did his research the whole antichrist , judgement and 1000 years of peace could be written into a good zombie script.

[bassman]

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. Same for the military. Most likely the COULD handle it, but if they handle it in a movie/show/book/whatever, it would make for a very short and boring story... It's like the old "well why didnt that character just do THIS?!?" In real life...sure, that would be great. But in a story it draws it to an end and takes all the fun out of it.