Last night I eagerly logged into to Xbox Live in hopes of getting a Batman Arkham Asylum nightcap when I saw my good friends Skreesha and Phneri online and watching a movie I have never heard of.  I had dabbled with Netflix party, sharing quick 20 minute episodes of “Bullshit” before, but never an entire movie.  So, I sent a quick message to Skreesha asking what the heck they were watching.  Moments later I was invited to watch their movie in a party, with Moe joining soon after.  What followed was 80 minutes of movie fun that has to be one of the better times I have had on Xbox Live. 

The movie we were watching was “Insane in the Brain.” At first one might think that it has something to do with the Cyprus Hill song of the same name; however nothing could be further from the truth.  “Insane in the Brain” is a spoof of both zombie movies and the “blaxploitation” films of the 70s.  For those unfamiliar with these films, they were known for their (mostly) all-black casts, over-the-top blatant sexuality, and bloody violence.  Movies such as “Superfly” and “Foxy Brown” featured tight, scanty outfits , tailored 70′s-style suits, big afros, sex, violence, drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes, and, let us not forget, the tricked-out “pimpmobiles.”  As popular as they were, they soon faded largely due to pressure by the NAACP.  

It is this cultural icon that director Chad Hendricks pays homage to in this horror-comedy.  The movie opens as several zombies (four to be exact) rise from the grave proclaiming their need for “Brains, more brains.”  The zombies find a party at a pimp’s house and start killing hookers.  It’s then that we realize that these zombies aren’t looking for brains so much as they are looking for a good piece of ass.  As the hooker body count rises, two cops arrive in a black Cadillac to investigate.  Detectives Sloan and Goldie are dressed in iconic 70s garb including platform boots, and a big afro with a comb!  The detectives interrogate the hos and soon realize that they are dealing with a group of horny zombies.  After much consternation, and some beer and weed, they come up with a grand plan to eliminate the menace!  Detective Sloan leans a funky cheer as he, his partner, and a bunch of hos attack the graveyard.  Classic!

 The film was produced for only $10,000; and you can tell by the way they recycle shots and re-use the zombie mask and gloves the monsters wear.  It was very cheesy, but unlike many bad movies, this one never takes itself seriously.  The dialogue is straight 70s and reminiscent of “Undercover Brother.”  The film provides a bucket full of laugh-out-loud moments that were only enhanced by the MST2K banter of our Netflix party.  All of us sat and tried to outdo one another with a witty comment about the dialogue or sparse sets.  In short, it was a simply awesome!

 After the show we all sat and looked for other bad movies that we could enjoy such as “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus,” or “Tokyo Zombie.”  But alas, I fear that whatever we decide to watch next, it will pale in comparison to the experience provided by this film.  So with Halloween approaching, and our need to enjoy all things zombie, grab a friend or two online or in your living room and give “Insane in the Brain” a look.  It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

George Romero seems to be able to sneak these movies out without telling anybody. Wasn’t it just a year ago that Diary of the Dead came out? Either way, Survival of the Dead is apparently finished and touring the festival circuit, which means it should hit DVD in about a week. Ok, maybe not, but I doubt it’ll play anywhere outside of the indy theaters.

So remember those AWOL National Guard pricks from Diary of the Dead? They are apparently the stars of Survival. They hear about an island off the coast where people are safe from zombies and decide to check it out. Of course, by the time they get there shit has hit the fan as rival clans are conflicted over what to do with the zombies. One faction wants to blow their brains out, while the other wants to find a use for the zombies while they attempt to find a cure. Stuff happens, brains are eaten, and blood is spilled.

Survival supposedly has a bit of a western feel to it, something you can make out from the above trailer. The reviews seem to be a bit mixed, but that’s how it seems to go with Romero’s movies these days. I enjoyed the hell out of Diary, but I can see how some folks have problems with it. I’m sure the same will be true of Survival. To me, it’s just good to see the zombie master working his craft.

In what is quite possibly the best news for zombie fans in years, Variety reports that AMC is working on adapting The Walking Dead for a television series. The series is being developed by writer/director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), and Gale Anne Hurd of Valhalla Motion Pictures.

Why is this great news? Simply put: The Walking Dead is the pinnacle of modern zombie tales. Robert Kirkman’s series is consistently gritty, authentic, and oftentimes heartbreaking. And while gory zombie kills are plentiful in The Walking Dead, it’s really a story about human interaction and what would happen if everyone on Earth was in a fight for survival.

According to Variety:

Joel Stillerman, AMC’s senior veep of programming, production and original content, said the project appealed to the cabler because of “the quality of the storytelling” in Kirkman’s work. The series will stay faithful to the tone of the original novels, he said.

“This is not about zombies popping out of closets,” Stillerman said. “This is a story about survival, and the dynamics of what happens when a group is forced to survive under these circumstances. The world (in ‘Walking Dead’) is portrayed in a smart, sophisticated way.”

Stillerman noted that the cabler’s annual “Fear Fest” movie showcase around Halloween is one of AMC’s most popular programming events of the year.

“We’ve got an audience that loves this kind of material,” he said.

I’ve been dreaming of a television adaptation for ages now, but always assumed that if The Walking Dead did make it to the small screen, it would be via HBO or Showtime. However, given AMC’s recent track record with Mad Man, and having a high-caliber writer like Frank Darabont, my hopes are high.

Article By: Ryker XL
As I scoured the booths at my local Spring comic book convention in search of “Walking Dead” trades, I found this little novel by James Farr called “Xombie.” On a whim I picked it up for light reading on flights for work. I honestly wasn’t expecting much from this little book, and yet I will full admit to being very surprised by it. In the end Farr’s tale is both fun and dare I say heartwarming (something I never thought I would ever say about a story concerning zombies).

The premise is a unique one. What if a zombie was self-aware and even had fleeting memories of once being human? What would that zombie do, where would he live, and most importantly, what would he do if he heard the cries for help from a lost six year old girl?

Thus is the lot of Dirge, a conscious zombie purely content to live the remainder of his existence near a graveyard. His days are spent listening to old records and taking care of his zombie dog “Cerberus.” One day his peace is interrupted by a young girl named Zoe who has been separated by her parents in an evacuation. In that moment we see the human part of Dirge slowly come to the surface as he struggles with how he should respond to the situation. Ultimately he grabs his trusty shovel (which he affectionately calls “Faust”) and zombie companion and goes to kick some zombie ass!

What follows is a fun, action filled journey as Dirge and Cerberus make their way through a zombie wasteland in an attempt to reunite Zoe with her parents. Along the way we see the relationship between this zombie and a little girl grow; and more of Dirge’s humanity rises to the surface.

The end of the book is simply fantastic and all the while I was thinking to myself, “this would make a great PIXAR or Dreamworks movie.” While we wait for the powers to be to recognize the awesomeness of such adventure, you can watch Dirge’s adventures in an animated Flash movie on DVD. There are also rumors that Farr is in negotiations on a script for a live action version of “Xombie” as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The exciting zombie fights are coupled with tender moments between Dirge and Zoe as she begins to see her rescuer as more than the monster that the rest of the world see’s. Which does beg this question, if a zombie risks his existence to save a little girl, is he really a monster after all?

We first talked about Zombieland months back when it was first announced, but now we finally have a trailer. And as is the rule around here, we must post any and all zombie-related news that comes are way. The movie appears to be a comedy, or zomedy, if you will, which is cool with us. So without further ado, here is the trailer for Woody Harrelson’s Zombieland…

Zombieland Trailer

SPOILERS…..obviously.

Walking Dead #60

Written by: Robert Kirkman

Art by: Charlie Adlard

The BIG 6-0. 60 is most notably the time in your life when you start to lose your hearing, and your eyes start getting worse, along with your driving skills, and you go hobble your way into your huge, boat sized Cadillac and break off the odometer at 25 in a 45 mph zone while heading to your local Walgreens and buy some of those huge, wrap around glasses that look like some kind of virtual reality visor. Yeah, its those years when retirement homes scare you, along with all that new fangled technology, and don’t even talk about those young punks with their “raps” and “skateboards”. But you know what isn’t getting old? The Walking Dead.

60 issues in, Robert Kirkman hopes to bring back the original antagonist of the series: zombies. While most of the series has been about the fact that the zombies aren’t the worst thing roaming the land, issue 60 tries to convince us that they are still a contender.

Last issue, we finally caught a glimpse of the “herd” of zombies heading after our intrepid heroes. Rick & Co. could defend against a group of zombies with little to no effort, but a herd comprises of thousands of zombies. Not a walk in the park.

So in this issue, we witness our car-less heroes running from the herd, trying desperately to get back to their loved ones in time to warn them of the incoming danger. While not the most illuminating issue of the series, this issue does help emphasize the immediacy of the undead flock.

I have always said that the issues that deal with the more humanizing aspects of the story are my favorites. Issues where the characters are just sitting around trying to gather some shred of hope while being surrounded and confronted by acts of horrific violence and sanity breaking situations. This issue still brings that to the table. One character in particular gets this in spades.

So all in all, this issue doesn’t reveal a whole lot, but it does hint at the herd arc coming to an end, but not before a little preview at the end of the book. With preview pages with phrases like “”The dead do not stalk” and an accompanying picture of shadowy figures hiding in the trees right above some of the main cast.

Yeah, I don’t really need to tell you about the art and the writing because it is just so good. It’s just a given with this series.
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Article By:Snowball

As a non-practicing Christian/practicing agnostic, every year around this time I am filled with quandary as to what exactly possesses people to celebrate Easter. Lets face it, we all know its a bit crazy, right? The idea that once a year we should all hide colored eggs and eat chocolate bunnies because 2000-some-odd years ago, a man who claimed he was the divine offspring was martyred and then three days later rose from the dead. Normally I wouldn’t knock an excuse to eat bunnies – chocolate or not – but divine zombies? Just seems a little nonsensical.

In honor of Zombie Jesus Day, I rented Resident Evil 5 because as a Zombie craves brains, I crave disappointment.

Anyway, I wasted my morning (so that you wouldn’t have to) searching the inter-web for entertaining shit that had to do with Zombie Jesus. Here is a brief list/description of some of the stuff I found. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Zombie Jesus Is Back – Apparently this movie won some awards at an indie film fest I’ve never heard of. I love B horror movies, but this one looks like a D+.

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/491107 – A brief look at one man’s prophetic vision. Remember: Zombie Jesus loves you. Click the “watch this movie” button.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDENmSJIlMI – “Judas Iscariot you taste of betrayal” The Passion of Zombie Jesus is kind of a swing and a miss, still funny enough to check out… Highly blasphemous. But if you’re even considering any of these links I don’t think that will going to bother you too much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAdOpYmI1iY -If you enjoy the creation process, here’s a video of somebody sketching a “Sweet Zombie Jesus”. The end result is worth sitting through the music. SHIT! there’s a mute button?!

http://newworldodour.co.uk/live/archive/sweet zombie-jesus/ – Top 5 ways to kill Zombie Jesus. Though I don’t necessarily agree with all their tactics, I’ve got to say at least there were using their BRAAAAIIINS when they came up with the pros and cons to each scenario.

And of course, the almost definitive source for Zombie Jesus information:

Zombie Jesus Wiki – This just says everything I was thinking and more about Zombie Jesus. Definitely worth checking out.

Astute reader, David, sent us a link to this little piece of comic goodness. I’m under the impression that the webcomic is called Tom the Dancing Bug and can be found over at Salon.com. While I’m not familiar with the webcomic itself, I can appreciate anything having to do with zombies and anyone who can tie them into our current economic situation.

So, here it is, Day of the Zombie Banks!

I’m a pretty lucky guy in that I don’t sit around fantasizing about killing my boss in creative and unusually painful ways. As a matter of fact, my boss is a great guy who I could see myself hanging out with were it not for that boss/grunt relationship. We talk movies, music, and pop culture, swap CDs and movies, and generally have a pretty amiable relationship. He knows of my zombie obsession and has initiated conversations about the undead with me on several occassions. Today, he gave me this: the What Would a Zombie Do? folder, and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen in quite some time.

The front of the folder (left) is a spinner for you to determine what a zombie would do in any given situation. Aside from my personal favorite (Reek), the responses include Moonwalk, Plod, Rise from the Grave, Moan, Devous Flesh, Force Entry, Congregate, Eat Brains, Drool, Hunt the Living, and Decompose. That pretty much covers it, I would think.

The inside folder flaps are seen below. Most useful is the zombie conversion chart…

The WWZD folder is made by Accoutrements and can be purchased at Archie McPhee for the low-low price of $4.95.

The Walking Dead # 59

Written by: Robert Kirkman

Art by: Charlie Adlard

Zombies? What are they good for? Absolutely nothing.

It’s been a strange ride in Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead”. I mean strange by the fact that most of the time, the real bad guys aren’t even dead. The zombies have mostly played second fiddle to the real flesh eating enemies; the living people around you. For the last 58 issues, Kirkman has solidfied this concept. But in issue 59, it is starting to change.

Accompanied by their new found friend and Rick’s former neighbor, Morgan, Rick and his son Carl along with the other newest member, Abraham, are on the road coming back from Morgan’s house, when they decide to go to the police station that Rick used to work at. Before going in to gather supplies, the group witness another side to Morgan. He is obviously on tilt and the group senses that he may be the next problem in a long line of problems. So, not only do they have to worry about being snacked on by zombies, but now they have to be careful around Morgan. We have already seen that he is little twisted in the past, being unable to kill his zombified kid and just letting him loose and all.

But the end of the book does bring up the next big shit storm. Abraham once spoke of a “herd” of zombies. A herd is basically a huge ass group of zombies that just roam around chomping on people. Well, it didn’t take long until we finally get to see one, and oh shit, is there a ton of them!

The herd is obviously going to be the next arc in the series, and it will bring the undead menace back into the forefront of the story. Obviously, some big things are gonna be a happenin’ soon.

As far as the writing and art goes. Stellar. And I really don’t need to elaborate. This is just one of those books that is always great and I can’t ever really think of anything bad about it.

I’m strangely disappointed by that fact…
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