Dawn of the Dead: Zombies on the Rise!

My friend Kevin texted me tonight with the plan to make cupcakes.  With his love of Whole Foods (sarcasm) he was not able to get the supplies for the cupcakes.  I have to ask what store does not have funfetti cupcake mix.  In the end the two of us ended eating store bought cupcakes, taking a walk to Best Buy and cursing at them for lying about their store hours (Best Buy is a terrible store), and watching another thriller Dawn of the Dead (2004).

Dawn of the Dead is of course a re-make of George A. Romero's 1978 film with the same title. Romero's vision of a world haunted by the living dead aka zombies started in 1968 with Night of the Living Dead.  Ten years later came one of the best cult classics of all time, and this left an indelible mark on the horror genre.  I like the original and the re-make of this film they both highlight a world with no where to turn as society destroys itself.

 Zombies are all the rage these days.  The Walking Dead is a hit television series, the highest rated show on AMC. The Walking Dead takes this genre and on a weekly basis gave a raw and dark portrayal of zombies in a way no television show ever has done.  The creator of this show, Frank Darabont (no long the a  producer) took this subject matter to the small screen for the first time from a graphic novel and produced six episodes that were some of the best television in 2010. The Walking Dead returns with another 6 episodes starting on October 16th, and will have another six episodes air starting February 12th (how romantic).

There are also a number of films that cover the genre in an ironic way, like Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Zombieland (2009). Shaun of the Dead tells the story of a young bloke trying to get his life together and win his ex-girlfriend back, but has to deal with a zombie apocalypse too.  The wonderful director Edgar Wright directed this film and wrote it with star Simon Peg and made zombies hilarious.  Zombieland chronicles the adventure of Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) as he tries to avoid zombies, but also gives the audience helpful tips on how to survive a zombie attack.  With Bill Murray playing himself as a cameo in this film, this zombie movie also bring the laughs and creates a fresh look at combatting the living dead.

I was glad my friend picked Dawn of the Dead, because I think this is one of the few films that lives up to the original, and helps aid in creating quality film making.   I was surprised (and forgot) that Zack Snyder directed this movie.  Snyder has become far too over the top with films like 300, Watchmen, and Sucker Punch, so watching this movie reminded me of his vision for this genre (I had to mention this). I like that this film sparked a trend that allowed smart well made films to discuss the current problems within our society, and how things can spiral out of control.  In a month filled with horror,      zombies represent the threat of a world gone bad by its own doing.