Matt Darst's Blog - Posts Tagged "zombies"
"Dead Things" and Themes
Faith or Science? Although debated for hundreds of years, the partisan roar has grown deafening during this election cycle. Some days, scientists can be heard above the din. Other days, worshippers shout the loudest. The pendulum swings back and forth as, I think, it is probably meant to do.
What would happen, though, if a pendulum swing was halted at its peak by some freak event? What if there was no equilibrium? That premise fascinates me, and it drives the themes of “Dead Things.” I call them the 3 S', or Sociology, Science, and Source.
SOCIOLOGY
Nearly twenty years after a zombie plague, the balance has permanently tipped. Government has ceased to be and the church has filled the vacuum. In this new world the church-state has absolute power...and we all know the corruptive value of absolutes.
SCIENCE
I can think of no better backdrop for a journey of discovery than a land where medicine, astronomy, and technology have been subverted. It is this world that led me to the coin a new term for the zombie condition--“necroanthrophagism” or, literally, the dead eating their own--and attempt to answer some basic zombie questions. For example:
• If death is a process, at what point is that process hijacked by zombification?
• How would a pathogen escape our immune system, thwart the blood-brain barrier, and take over the brain?
• Why don’t zombies decompose? And how is it that they can groan without working lungs?
• Is “zombification” new, or does it have historical antecedents?
• Does zombification, in some form, exist in the natural world? (Short answer: yes!)
SOURCE
"Dead Things" stays true to George Romero’s original vision of transmission. In his “Night of the Living Dead,” there are two paths to becoming a zombie: natural death or fluid transfer through a bite. Most modern films (save for "The Walking Dead") skip over the former route of transmission, focusing almost exclusively on transmission through infection.
I think science may hold the magical secret to these seemingly incongruous methods of transmission. My hope--fingers crossed--is that “Dead Things” pulls the rabbit out of the hat.
What would happen, though, if a pendulum swing was halted at its peak by some freak event? What if there was no equilibrium? That premise fascinates me, and it drives the themes of “Dead Things.” I call them the 3 S', or Sociology, Science, and Source.
SOCIOLOGY
Nearly twenty years after a zombie plague, the balance has permanently tipped. Government has ceased to be and the church has filled the vacuum. In this new world the church-state has absolute power...and we all know the corruptive value of absolutes.
SCIENCE
I can think of no better backdrop for a journey of discovery than a land where medicine, astronomy, and technology have been subverted. It is this world that led me to the coin a new term for the zombie condition--“necroanthrophagism” or, literally, the dead eating their own--and attempt to answer some basic zombie questions. For example:
• If death is a process, at what point is that process hijacked by zombification?
• How would a pathogen escape our immune system, thwart the blood-brain barrier, and take over the brain?
• Why don’t zombies decompose? And how is it that they can groan without working lungs?
• Is “zombification” new, or does it have historical antecedents?
• Does zombification, in some form, exist in the natural world? (Short answer: yes!)
SOURCE
"Dead Things" stays true to George Romero’s original vision of transmission. In his “Night of the Living Dead,” there are two paths to becoming a zombie: natural death or fluid transfer through a bite. Most modern films (save for "The Walking Dead") skip over the former route of transmission, focusing almost exclusively on transmission through infection.
I think science may hold the magical secret to these seemingly incongruous methods of transmission. My hope--fingers crossed--is that “Dead Things” pulls the rabbit out of the hat.
The Book Trailer...Almost
I created and posted a book trailer for Dead Things...well, almost.
What started off as a book trailer--an A to Z guide to the zpoc--quickly took on a life of its own. With each letter and overly simplistic graphic, the vision changed, leaving me with a warped little read-a-long called "A is for Apocalypse."
You can watch it (viewed best in 720p) on youtube here.
Although the images are, admittedly, simplistic, I think they lend a nice children's book vibe. The graphics and the rhymes really made this little video a lot of fun to create. I decided against using a music tract so as not to interupt the reader's rhythm.
Can you find the references to some of the genre greats, including authors David Moody, Joe McKinney, and Iain McKinnon? Watch for a nod to George Romero as well!
Lessons learned:
- Prezi is great presentation tool for projects like this. It, and a number of screen capture tools, are free and easy to use.
- You don't have to spend a lot--or any--money to do something like this. And even if "A is for Apocalypse," ultimately, looks a bit cheap, I had a lot of fun doing it.
I hope you read and, should you enjoy, feel free to share. Thank you!
What started off as a book trailer--an A to Z guide to the zpoc--quickly took on a life of its own. With each letter and overly simplistic graphic, the vision changed, leaving me with a warped little read-a-long called "A is for Apocalypse."
You can watch it (viewed best in 720p) on youtube here.
Although the images are, admittedly, simplistic, I think they lend a nice children's book vibe. The graphics and the rhymes really made this little video a lot of fun to create. I decided against using a music tract so as not to interupt the reader's rhythm.
Can you find the references to some of the genre greats, including authors David Moody, Joe McKinney, and Iain McKinnon? Watch for a nod to George Romero as well!
Lessons learned:
- Prezi is great presentation tool for projects like this. It, and a number of screen capture tools, are free and easy to use.
- You don't have to spend a lot--or any--money to do something like this. And even if "A is for Apocalypse," ultimately, looks a bit cheap, I had a lot of fun doing it.
I hope you read and, should you enjoy, feel free to share. Thank you!
