Blog of the Living Dead

Official "Night of the Living Dead LIVE" Coverage with George Romero Courtesy of UnDeadTV

2013-05-18T11:10:00.001-04:00

Blog of the Living Dead recently had the pleasure of working with young Toronto filmmaker MJ Allard and his Youtube Channel "UnDeadTV." We first met at the 2012 Toronto Zombie Walk, and had promised to keep in touch. Our first collaboration has been covering the "Night of the Living Dead LIVE" stage production, which is just wrapping up its successful inaugural run in Toronto (the show actually wraps up this weekend, so pick up your phone right now and reserve your tickets: 416-504-7529.)

UnDeadTV's full video spot for "Night of the Living Dead LIVE", with MJ Allard, featuring Executive Producers George A. Romero, John Russo, Russ Streiner; Director Chris Bond; Producers, Chris Harrision, Phil Pattison, Marty Birthelmer; and cast members.

"The Walking (and Talking) Dead" — A "Bad Lip Reading" of The Walking Dead

2013-05-03T18:56:00.002-04:00

"...I always wanted a Wookie, and I found out
they weren't real..."

A show's popularity can often be measured by the number and variety of pop culture references it has in late night comedy skits and funny online parodies.

Today, with media being churned out online by the boat-load, and with a show as popular as "The Walking Dead," you can't swing a disembodied arm without hitting one.

Blog of the Living Dead has played host to a number of these over the past few seasons (see a small catalog of these at the end of this article). But I have to say the following video, by the now-famous "Bad Lip Reading" creator is one of the most brilliantly hilarious spoofs I have seen to date!

In reference to this video, Robert Kirkman himself has tweeted:
"This is my new favorite thing in the world. Sorry, my family."

"Night of the Living Dead LIVE" Talks with UndeadTV

2013-04-30T12:26:00.000-04:00

Blog of the Living Dead has teamed up with Michael-John Allard and UndeadTV to capture some moments behind the stage with the creative forces driving "Night of the Living Dead LIVE," including Executive Producers George A. Romero, John Russo, Russ Streiner; Director Chris Bond; Producers, Chris Harrision, Phil Pattison, Marty Birthelmer; and some of the wacky cast.

Here's is a teaser trailer. Full video coverage coming soon!

In 1967, Roger Ebert watched "Night of the Living Dead" at his local Saturday Afternoon Kiddie Matinee

2013-04-28T23:50:00.001-04:00

On January 5th, 1967, the late great film critic Roger Ebert, then 26, having really just begun his writing career as a film critic, saw "Night of the Living Dead." He commented that although he admired the movie, he decided to write a review of the audience reaction rather than one of the movie itself.

This is an enlightening excerpt from the article that he wrote a week after seeing the film at his local Saturday afternoon kiddie matinee (an article which is very telling of the times).
____________________________________________

"There were maybe two dozen people in the audience who were over 16 years old. The rest were kids, the kind you expect at a Saturday afternoon kiddie matinee. This was in a typical neighborhood theater, and the kids started filing in 15 minutes early to get good seats up front. The name of the movie was "The Night of the Living Dead."

I went to see it because it's been a long time since I saw my last horror movie. I vaguely remember some stuff from the 1950s, like "Creature from the Black Lagoon" or "Attack of the Crab Monsters." They were usually lousy, but it was fun to see them.

But that was 10 years ago. Since then, there's been a lot of talk about violence in the movies, and it seemed about time to see another horror film. The audience for horror movies is mostly drawn from children and adolescents. They usually play in drive-in or neighborhood theaters, and by tradition they're the most frankly violent kind of films. "Night of the Living Dead" seemed like a reasonable choice; it was selected by the National Association of Theater Owners as "exploitation picture of the month."

Well, the kids came early, as I said. There were a few parents, but mostly just the kids, dumped in front of the theater for the Saturday matinee (admission 40 cents). A lot of kids were racing up the aisles on urgent missions, and other kids were climbing over the backs of seats, and you'd see a gang of kids passing a box of popcorn back and forth. Occasionally some kid would get whacked by his big sister because he wouldn't shut up.

There was a cheer when the lights went down. The opening scene was set in a cemetery (lots of delighted shrieks from the kids), where a teen-age couple are placing a wreath on a grave. Suddenly a ghoul appears and attacks the boy and the girl flees to a nearby farmhouse. The ghoul looked suitably decayed, with all sorts of bloody scars on his face, and he walked in the official ghoul shuffle. More screams from the kids. Screaming is part of the fun, you'll remember.

Ebert goes on to describe the plot of the movie, and finishes with...

... (Ben) is shot through the forehead by the deputies. "That's one more for the bonfire," the sheriff says. End of movie. (If you want to read Roger's complete review, check it out HERE!)

He continues his observations...

The kids in the audience were stunned. There was almost complete silence. The movie had stopped being delightfully scary about halfway through, and had become unexpectedly terrifying. There was a little girl across the aisle from me, maybe nine years old, who was sitting very still in her seat and crying.

I don't think the younger kids really knew what hit them. They were used to going to movies, sure, and they'd seen some horror movies before, sure, but this was something else. This was ghouls eating people up -- and you could actually see what they were eating. This was little girls killing their mothers. This was being set on fire. Worst of all, even the hero got killed.

It's hard to remember what sort of effect this movie might have had on you when you were six or seven. But try to remember. At that age, kids take the events on the screen seriously, and they identify fiercely with the hero. When the hero is killed, that's not an unhappy ending but a tragic one: Nobody got out alive. It's just over, that's all.

I felt real terror in that neighborhood theater last Saturday afternoon. I saw kids who had no resources they could draw upon to protect themselves from the dread and fear they felt.

Censorship isn't the answer to something like this. Censorship is never the answer. For that matter, "Night of the Living Dead" was passed for general audiences by the Chicago Police Censor Board. Since it had no nudity in it, it was all right for kids, I guess. This is another example, and there have been a lot of them, of the incompetence and stupidity of the censorship system that Chicago stubbornly maintains under political patronage.

Censorship is not the answer. But I would be ashamed to make a civil libertarian argument defending the "right" of those little girls and boys to see a film which left a lot of them stunned with terror. In a case like this, I'd want to know what the parents were thinking of when they dumped the kids in front of the theater to see a film titled "Night of the Living Dead."

The new Code of Self Regulation, recently adopted by the Motion Picture Assn. of American, would presumably restrict a film like this one to mature audiences. But "Night of the Living Dead" was produced before the MPAA code went into effect, so exhibitors technically weren't required to keep the kids out.

I supposed the idea was to make a fast buck before movies like this are off-limits to children. Maybe that's why "Night of the Living Dead" was scheduled for the lucrative holiday season, when the kids are on vacation. Maybe that's it, but I don't know how I could explain it to the kids who left the theater with tears in their eyes."

Check out the complete review HERE!

"Night of the Living Dead LIVE" Our Review -- It's AWESOME!

2013-04-26T23:08:00.002-04:00

So I got to the theatre just before the show started. I sat in the front row, left of center.

The "old" radio sitting in the "living room" on the stage is pumping out mono hits from the era. The stage itself has the cool bluish hue of a television screen. As the audience settles in, it doesn't take long to feel submerged.

Everything about this is the late 60s. The monochrome feel of the stage, the music on the radio, the furniture styles, the ads projected above the set.

The play starts with Johnny and Barbra in the graveyard, paying respects to their father. At least Barbra is. Johnny is more concerned about his gloves and getting back on the road. The familiar cemetery obelisk from the film is there, and of course, soon after, the ghouls. Johnny "bites it" early and Barbra escapes to the farmhouse. The siege begins, to the familiar strains of the haunting chords famous in the movie (and the style of the time).

The stage is broken into three distinct areas of storytelling. The main stage is of course the inside of the farm house. The other areas play host to various scenes that take place outside. The top left shows, among other things, live TV News reports, while the bottom left of the stage holds a glowing heap of burning bodies guarded by a Sheriff, and an area that is used to drive a huge part of the story (especially in the second act).

With some clever lighting changes, the staircase on the left side of the stage ingeniously doubles as the staircase to the top floor, and the staircase down into the cellar, transforming the set from a living room to a basement.

The creators of Night of the Living Dead LIVE have taken details from the movie and have recreated them in so much crazy, PAINSTAKING detail-- that it is assured to satisfy even the most steadfast fanatic. Darryl Hinds resurrects the late Duane Jones with his spot-on portrayal of the heroic Ben. Gwynne Phillips is equally good as the beautiful and mostly catatonic Barbra. Mike "Nug" Nahrgang is truly awesome as Ben's foil and grumpy downstairs antagonist, Harry. And Dale Boyer shows her Second City chops as both the seriously stern Helen, and the vapid flighty Judy (who's character is more than hilarious). Andrew Fleming, perhaps the only voice of reason among the group, nails Tom and with it, the boyishly simple logic that the character brings to their terrifying predicament. And finally, Trevor Martin is perfect as rough-around-the-edges Chief McClelland, the unconsciously racist redneck sheriff who acts as the glue to the various mini-acts.

So after nailing these details right down to the climactic scene, complete with a dead body being tossed onto the heap of burning undead corpses, the creators have then allowed themselves the latitude to take the story into completely uncharted territory!

Which is where the second act comes in!

Our Interview with George A. Romero and "Night of the Living Dead LIVE"

2013-04-24T23:48:00.005-04:00


George A. Romero chats with Blog of the Living Dead and UndeadTV

There are few people in the world who embody a movie genre like George A. Romero. When you have reached the pinnacle that Romero has reached, it stops making any sense when you try to make comparisons.

George Romero is one of the Executive Producers of the new Toronto stage production "Night of the Living Dead LIVE" from Nictophobia Films (sharing these duties with other famous Night of the Living Dead alumni John Russo and Russ Streiner).

So here is George. We met him in a condo in the heart of Toronto (which he calls home. The city, not the condo). George is crazy-tall and lanky. I commented on his height, and he apologized. He's relaxed and going full tilt at 74 year old. He is vibrant and a consummate professional. So we tried to be. For his sake.

In this interview excerpt, George talks about the new stage production, the original alien idea for NOTLD, the preferred explanation for his zombies, new work (sort of), The Walking Dead, Lollipop Chainsaw, Call of Duty, and the scariest thing he's ever seen live.

And George ultimately answers why it's worth resurrecting something that is almost a half a century old.

"Zombieland" The TV Series: Our Review -- You Decide its Fate!

2013-04-20T17:47:00.002-04:00

"Zombieland," the Amazon pilot has been released to the public! It is available for viewing or download FREE of Charge: HERE!

This is only a pilot, and does NOT guarantee that the show will be picked up and turned into a full season. As with the other Amazon TV Series pilots they have developed, you the viewers can decide whether or not this show will live on, by voting.

For a nip of instant gratification, here is the trailer:

The series' writers (and Executive Producers) Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, who also wrote "Zombieland" the movie, had this to say about their new series:

Back in the sunny days of summer 2005, we sold a spec television pilot to CBS called Zombieland. In one of life's great disguised blessings, CBS decided not to move forward. So it gave us the opportunity to expand the script to feature length, and it became the movie that we are extraordinarily proud of. Unfortunately, for various reasons, we weren't able to make a theatrical sequel. But we've recently been granted another blessing; Sony Pictures Television and Amazon have afforded us the opportunity to realize our original vision: zombies on the small screen. It was always our intent to follow our lead characters - Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock - on weekly adventures across the United States of Zombieland. Now, at long last, we've been given that chance.

Amazon is the perfect home for Zombieland. The executives have allowed us complete freedom to execute our vision, down to the last furious f-bomb and bloody baseball bat. Our pilot, which will stream free of charge, features four brilliant actors - Kirk Ward, Tyler Ross, Maiara Walsh, and Izabela Vidovic - in the roles made famous by Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin. Our original cast left a tremendous, indelible mark. But we have every confidence that you'll fall in love with the new cast, too. It bears mentioning that Kirk Ward was our original inspiration for the character of Tallahassee. We literally wrote the part for him in 2005. His take on Tallahassee is very different from Woody's, but equally wonderful to watch.

The most rabid fans of the movie may doubt whether we can recapture lightning in a bottle with this series. All we ask is that you give us three minutes. If you aren't entertained by the time the pilot's opening titles roll, we won't begrudge you searching for another show. That said, it's our firm belief that you'll stick around for the entire pilot. If enough of you do, Amazon will green-light Zombieland to series. So get out there and cast your virtual vote... and we'll start bringing you those Zombie Kills (Chills, and Thrills) of the Week!

Source: Zombieland Facebook.
________________________________________________________________________________

"ZOMBIELAND (2013 Amazon Pilot)" OUR REVIEW

The series pilot begins pretty much where the movie leaves off, with the group working their way through what's left of civilization. The rules-to-survive-by are still here. All the characters are still here. Columbus and Wichita have already gotten together and already broken up. Oh, and the series creators have introduced a new voice-only character: a miraculously alive On-Star employee, that the show uses as a mechanism to push the crew along from one location to the next in their search for survivors, as they begin their trek across the country.

So, here's the thing. Going in, I tried everything in my power to divorce my memory of the original movie (which I loved) from my expectations (with more than a little bit of trepidation). Truth be told, it's taken me years to perfect this self-imposed amnesia, with varying degrees of success.

I am happy to say that I succeeded in doing this pretty early into the pilot (especially after the awesome opening five minutes), which is still a pretty amazing win for the creators Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. While Kirk Ward (the new Tallahassee) does not attempt to pull a Woody Harrelson out of his hat, the other three characters (Tyler Ross, Maiara Walsh and Isabela Vidovic: Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock respectively) pretty much channel the original movie's characters.

The ultimate question is whether or not any of that is important. When I first heard that they were finally getting around to making a TV Series version of Zombieland, I remember thinking that they shouldn't try and replicate the characters from the film. The people who will watch the TV series with the harshest critical eyes will, of course, be the rabid fans of the original characters. Why even attempt to duplicate Woody Harrelson's standout performance with someone who isn't Woody Harrelson? It seems the creators had pretty much the same idea. There are flashes of the original Tallahassee here, but for the most part, he's a new character.

The dark humor from the movie is here, thanks to writers Wernick and Reese, who penned the movie (and who had originally written it for television, in the first place). A running gag that is guaranteed to continue is that of the assured gruesome death of all of the hapless survivors shortly after the group finds them. It's is a fun way to keep the group at five, giving us both something to anticipate and squashing any potential increase in cast members. Because this is not network television, there are plenty of F-bombs delivered (even from cute-as-a-button Vidovic (Little Rock)), and some truly awesome (almost to the point of being cartoony) gore.

Mrs. Pepa, Bubby
before she puts on her face.

Clocking in at around 27 minutes, it hits all the right notes for a pilot. There are a few moments of "sitcomishness," but overall, it is fresh and fun (if maybe just a little bit fluffy. We are truly desensitized when we can no longer call shotgun-propelled brain matter blasts edgy anymore). Put your preconceptions aside if you want to enjoy this for what it is, and what it will hopefully become: a new, fast-paced half hour comedy serial with zombies, and with a whole lot less brooding than that other TV show with zombies.

You may also be interested in:

"Zombieland" -- The TV Show! Pilot Experiment from Amazon

Zomblogalypse: Blogging,Brains,Beans and an Interview: How three idiots survived the Zombie Apocalypse

2013-04-18T18:59:00.002-04:00

Yep, it's the zombie apocalypse.

We've been told that the Internet is designed to withstand a nuclear holocaust. Apparently, it's also designed to withstand a zombie apocalypse. Case in point.

The world has ended as expected, in a zombie apocalypse, leaving only the strongest, the smartest and most tenacious of humanity to survive. And also Miles, Tony and Hannah.

Aside from having to dodge the odd shuffling dead person during food "raids", not much has changed. Once the surprise of the apocalypse has worn off, boredom once again represents one of the largest threats to their lives, and perhaps with that, their sanity. Enter the "Zom-BLOG-alypse."

"Apocalypse 1. Everyday life: 0."

"Zomblogalypse" is a zomcom (or as they describe it, a zomedy) Youtube sensation, garnering thousands of views and tons of rabid fans (many of them actually alive)! The British web-series revolves around three flat mates (a girl and two boys), who spend the apocalypse hanging out, knitting, planning their vacations, having tea, and video-blogging. Despite that, or because of, it turns out to be a real scream (pun intended) to watch! In fact, the series is at its funniest when the stories revolve around standard life situations sprinkled with the living dead, who are mostly just annoying.

Interview follows...

"The Bowling Dead" - Undead Hordes of Zombies Against One Man, his Balls and an Interview!

2013-04-17T00:37:00.000-04:00

In the post apocalyptic setting of The Bowling Dead™, the world is overrun by undead hordes of zombies, all governments have fallen and there are few survivors, but one such survivor is Jimmy Skidmore, a rebellious loner who has discovered that weaponized bowling balls and beer are the only effective defence against the zombies. In The Bowling Dead™, one man stands in the way of the complete annihilation of the human race. One man and his…balls.

On November 29th, 2012, Slant Six Games Inc. out of Vancouver, BC., announced the release of The Bowling Dead™, a free-to-play, zombie bowling game, universally available for iOS devices and coming early 2013 for Android.

Tuomas Pirinen is the Game Director for Slant Six Games, and more specifically, The Bowling Dead.

Tuomas has over 16 years of experience in games design, both in the field of video games and traditional pen-and-paper design. Early in his career, Tuomas was responsible for writing the rules of the Warhammer Fantasy Battle 6th edition. He was the creator of the Mordheim tabletop game/RPG for Games Workshop creating some of the most enduring IP for traditional games and video games. For last twelve years, Tuomas has worked for variety of video game companies including: Electronic Arts and Ubisoft as well as several independent studios as Lead Designer, Design Manager, Design Director and Game Director. His video game credits include Need for Speed series, Sudeki, and Driver: San Francisco amongst others.

Interview follows...

Night of the Living Dead LIVE -- Coming into the Home Stretch! Rehearsals Rehearsals!

2013-04-15T18:47:00.001-04:00

Nug Nahrgang begins the transformation
to Karl Hardy as Harry in Night of the Living Dead

With only two weeks to to go until the premiere of "Night of the Living Dead LIVE" stage adaptation of George A. Romero's classic horror tale opens in Toronto, we thought we'd share shots taken behind the scenes as the team "deads" it up!

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE is starring Second City Alumni Darryl Hinds and Canadian Comedy Award-winners Mike “Nug” Nahrgang (Evil Dead: The Musical) as well as Dale Boyer, Trevor Martin (Evil Dead, the Musical, Just For Laughs All Star Gala with John Cleese), Gwynne Phillips (half of the award-winning sketch comedy duo, “The Templeton Philharmonic”) and Andrew Fleming (The Russian Play, “Omega”). It is being directed by "Evil Dead -- the Musical" creator, Chris Bond.

"Night of the Living DEAD" is being Executive Produced by George A Romero, John A Russo and Russ Streiner.

The Sensitive Zombie -- Have our Zombies Gone Soft?

2013-04-15T12:02:00.002-04:00

I'm pretty sure "Warm Bodies" didn't trigger the entrance of the sensitive zombie, but we've noticed a whole slew of this paradox beginning to crop up since that movie came out.

Zombies have been on top of the pop culture heap for quite a while now; even, some might argue, supplanting vampires as the go-to creature of choice to anthropomorphize the horror we see in society and the world today. That being said, zombie culture as social commentary is, by no means, new.

So, after being demonized for so long, it's refreshing to see a softer, more sensitive beastie shuffling our way. Maybe we'll stop looking at the undead with so much derision, and least of all, pity. Perhaps we'll see them with sympathetic and even empathetic eyes instead.

Does that of course, bring sympathy for the devil, and is that a good thing? Perhaps the genre is maturing. As we all know, nothing should be truly black and white. Unless it's the original "Night of the Living Dead."

Let the heart-string yanking begin...

Zomblogalypse -- Three friends. One flat. Some zombies.

2013-04-12T12:11:00.000-04:00

Blogging and Brains and Beans: How three idiots survived the Zombie Apocalypse.

The cult British web series Zomblogalypse, produced by York-based MilesTone Films, has set sights on the big screen, launching an IndieGoGo crowd funding campaign to cover pre-production costs on a feature length adaptation.

Launched as a piece of zero-budget, webcam-shot fun in 2008, the series is set in the months after a worldwide zombie apocalypse, applying a healthy dose of British humour to the adventures of three incompetent survivors more interested in video blogging than survival techniques. Over four years it picked up hundreds of thousands of views online and a dedicated fanbase including genre legends like effects guru Tom Savini, Walking Dead comics artists Charlie Adlard, SFX Magazine and zombie film directors Marc Price (Colin) and Dominic Brunt (Before Dawn).

"Cure" A Strandville Series Book Review

2013-04-11T14:49:00.000-04:00

Belinda Frisch's "Cure" the first novel in her new zombie tale series takes place inside the claustrophobic confines of a hospital and research center. The Nixon Healing and Research Center is "the playground for the maniacle Dr. Howard Nixon, whose medical research has him dabbling in the undead and has the women of Strandville disappearing."

From the outside, the good Doctor appears to be working on (b)leading edge science and medicine, in the hopes of discovering a cure for a mysterious virus-like ailment that is rendering its victims more dead than alive, with horrific zombie-like attributes. But there is something sinister going on, as the female population begins to disappear from around the center. It will only be a matter of time before the good Doctor's megalomaniacal tendencies catch up with him, and the sheer magnitude of the atrocities that he is committing and creating get exposed.

But along the way, innocent lives hang in the balance, and the hospital has become a prison.

When the story kicks into high gear (which isn't far in), it is riveting, with enough blood and gore to choke even the most ravenous zombie fan! There is no shortage of stomach-churning fun, all gleefully described in the finest detail by the writer.
________________________________________________________________________________

Reid pointed to a solid metal bone saw hanging by its handle from a hook on the wall. "Hand me that, would you?"

Zack took it down and slid it across the counter. Whatever was about to happen, he's recently seen worse. Still, the prospects made him squeamish.

"You have to make the pieces smaller to fit in the microwave." Reid held the frozen limb and sawed throught the slushy tissue and bone. Flecks of bloody skin caught in the saw's teeth and spattered Reid's uniform. He put the pieces in the microwave and hit the reheat button. "Normally you hit this button for one minute. Bigger pieces take longer and reheat seems to work."

Like a breakfast burrito. Zach tried for emotional distance.

The skin bubbled and hissed. A boil erupted from between the big and second toes and burst, splattering the microwave door. Zach breathed through his mouth to avoid the smell, but the air moving around his throat strengthened the urge to heave.
________________________________________________________________________________

Frisch had me caring about the characters early on, and even more so as I progressed through the story. She painted a picture of desperate people willing to do desperate things for just one more chance at a normal life, or at least a chance at a life without pain. Unbeknownst to them, they had only opened the door to a different kind of pain and horror at the hands of an impassive (and intentionally and cleverly ambiguous) madman and the nightmare he was unleashing.

Frisch's first in the Strandville zombie series is a fun read, and definitely recommended. Also, the second in the series "Afterbirth" is on sale now!

"Cure" can be purchased through Amazon in the US HERE and in the UK HERE!
"Afterbirth" can also be purchased through Amazon in the US HERE and in the UK HERE!

Have I got your attention? Want to receive a FREE digital copy of Belinda Frisch's "CURE"? Email contests@BlogoftheLivingDead.com, and we will select 5 winners!

"Evil Dead (2013)" -- Big on Blood, Short on Creep -- Movie Review

2013-04-07T11:58:00.000-04:00

Let's just throw the discussion of whether or not The Evil Dead is a zombie movie out the window with the blood-bath water right now (mixed metaphor intended). It's a discussion for another article.

This is a review of the "rebirth" of The Evil Dead, simply called "Evil Dead." Blessed by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell, it's from a completely new filmmaker, Fede Alvarez.

SPOILERS AHEAD

"Zombieland" -- The TV Show! Pilot Experiment from Amazon

2013-04-06T17:00:00.000-04:00

I'm loving where the "television" industry is heading! A few posts ago, I expounded upon the virtue of streaming video, and how it is forcing large television networks to change the way they do business.

Streaming video, as I mentioned, is nothing new. But it has only been in the last year or two that "streaming video into the average family home" has become a true reality (with both ultra-highspeed internet and the blurring of computers and television). And with that, comes a bunch of new players on the scene-- like Youtube, Netflix and Amazon, to name a few.

Television is Dead, Long Live Television!

Netflix has recently announced the creation of NEW "Arrested Development" episodes, which will "air" in May (EEEHA)! They have also developed completely new and original content ("Lillyhammer" and the really great "House of Cards" with Kevin Spacey). This has got to have grabbed the big networks' attention (CBS, NBC, Fox), as everyone scrambles to find viable business models. It feels pretty sweet to have a brilliant and intelligent comedy like "Arrested Development" brought back from the dead after being unceremoniously buried by Fox and a fickle viewing audience. It is reported that all 14 episodes of the new "Arrested Development" will be released at the same time, in May of 2013. New business models indeed!

And speaking of being "brought back from the dead," Amazon has decided to jump on this streaming bandwagon with it's own content-- and this one is in the form of a series (episodic) version of the 2009 hit movie "Zombieland", that starred Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone.

Pilot Experiment from Amazon

The "Zombieland" show cast is as follows: The part of Tallahassee will be played by Kirk Ward (The Island), Maiara Walsh (Desperate Housewives, Switched at Birth) is cast as Wichita, Tyler Ross (Milkshake) will play Columbus, and Izabela Vidovic has the role of Little Rock.

One might think that all the hubbub surrounding this show would ensure it's survival, or at least launch. But in the world of entertainment governed by money and profit, Amazon (new to the original content game) is still taking cautious steps forward. Amazon will be releasing all of the pilots it commissioned of shows that might be picked up (which include a number of comedies, only one of which is "Zombieland") for viewers to vote on. Only the top rated pilots will be turned into actual full seasons, so Zombieland is NOT guaranteed to survive. Amazon is allowing viewers, in essence, to play TV Executive, giving it (as a collective) the power to kill or green-light a project -- truly a first in the industry! The Zombieland pilot will be airing mid April.

A little history about Zombieland (the movie) reveals how this story was destined to play on TV all along. Zombieland was written as a television pilot during the mid-2000s boom in zombie-related properties, by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. They eventually rewrote their TV script as the feature film we know and love today.

The Walking Dead -- Season 3 Finale & Glen Mazzara Leaving

2013-04-05T18:50:00.000-04:00

As the 3rd season of The Walking Dead faded to black on my video screen, I felt a certain sense of sadness.

Sure, the finale was touching and poignant. Sure I am going to have to wait until fall for Season 4 to begin. A year with a summer and most of an autumn in between. And sure, a whole lot of interesting story-lines have just wrapped up, to only be revisted in re-runs and video downloads.

But I think that I am most sad about the departure of the show frontrunner Glen Mazzara, and all that it represents. Mazzara was interviewed this morning on CBC's Q, with Jian Ghomeshi. In it he talked about taking the reins of one of the hottest shows on TV, after creator Frank Darabont was fired by AMC. He described himself as the "Rick Grimes" in the AMC/Walking Dead shuffle that seems to have plagued the show.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Brilliant Interactive Zombie Art Speaks Volumes!

2013-03-30T17:23:00.001-04:00

We were recently approached by an artist with a totally unique web-art project.

You really have to try this baby out to fully grasp how amazing it is!!! He calls it "Zombie Index." The artist's name is George Pfau.

My words can not adequately describe this piece, so I will let George explain it:

"Zombieindex.us consists of a zoom-able drawing, a collection of names of people who inspired the drawing, and a network of links embedded inside the pronouns I, we, you, me, and us. The website explores the ever-expanding breadth of zombie and zombie-ish possibilities. Many of the figures are sourced from artworks, movies, videogames, comics, and the web. Emphasis is placed on the amount information needed to portray a humanoid figure, and thus figures range from detailed and recognizable, to iconic stick figures, or from black-and-white outlines to rendered colorful paintings. Zombies provide a fascinating middle-zone between alive and dead, individual and group, inside and outside. Therefore, my hope for this website is that it can be a celebration of inbetween-ness and the grotesque without necessarily glorifying violence."

Where is "Zombie?"

"I spent about a year making the drawing, bit by bit. I grew up drawing, and was always particularly inspired by Martin Handford's Where's Waldo books. Each little scene contains something funny or odd or awkward. Additionally, the drawing was inspired by the idea of the ever-growing zombie horde, expanding to grotesque proportions. I've been thinking a lot about the threshold that connects and divides an individual from a group.

The visual ideas I've been thinking about involve the amount of information necessary for a figure, or human, or zombie to be recognized. So, I've included a lot of variety in this regard: from stick figures, to blobs, to outlines, to full color renderings. Lots of the images are invented, but many actually recognizable, and nameable, as in depictions of Michael Jackson, or Tarman from Return of the Living Dead, etc. I'm interested in how zombies cross over from named individuals, to unnamed, skinless, animate cadavers. So black outlines, dotted lines, and blurry colored edges are all things I've been experimenting with to portray bodily surfaces in varying degrees of legibility. Sometimes the color and the outlines don't match up, like in plenty of kids' coloring books.
________________________________________________________________________________

Wander around the web-canvas, click to zoom in and out, and flip to the "Names" tab to find the "links" to every zombie site that spawned these creations! ZombieIndex.us
________________________________________________________________________________

The "Names" Tab shows "Links"
to all the Zombie sites

I've been slowly digging deeper and deeper into the world of zombies, and trying to notice whenever that word gets attached to other ideas throughout news/media/pop culture, so I've been keeping a pretty big archive of links. In 2010 I graduated from the California College of Arts with an MFA, and in my final year, wrote a thesis about zombies, painting, inbetween-ness, identity, and stereotypes. This was the launch pad for the artwork that I've made for the last few years.

I see the idea of the zombie being applied to so many different things throughout our culture and see the meaning of that word shift from one manifestation to the next. In each movie or game or novel or whatever, different sets of rules get applied to the zombie, often contradicting previous incarnations, I think this is exciting too. Instead of trying to pin down this "zombie" that is totally in-flux, mutating, and spreading virally, I'd say that I'm along for the ride however it evolves.

I think of the site as a hub of information and possibilities. Because the word index is usually at the hub of most website urls I thought it would be appropriate. Also the .us I say as "us" instead of "U.S." as a way of getting at the idea that we are all zombie-ish in our own way. I think we can learn a lot about ourselves, our identities, our humanity through the lens of the zombie."

Wander around the web-canvas, zoom in and out, and flip to the "Names" tab to find the "links" to every zombie site that spawned these creations! Zombieindex.us

Cast of "Night of the Living Dead LIVE" in Toronto Announced!

2013-03-28T09:12:00.000-04:00

Darryl Hinds plays "Ben"

The Best of Toronto’s Sketch Comedy Community

Dare to Scare as They Head up the Cast of

George A. Romero’s

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE

At Theatre Passe Muraille

April 26 – May 19, 2013

__________________________________________

Christopher Harrison and Phil Pattison, Co-Creators of the stage production of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE are pleased to announce that Second City Alumni Darryl Hinds and Canadian Comedy Award-winners Mike “Nug” Nahrgang (Evil Dead: The Musical) and Dale Boyer, will team up with Trevor Martin (Evil Dead, the Musical, Just For Laughs All Star Gala with John Cleese), Gwynne Phillips (half of the award-winning sketch comedy duo, “The Templeton Philharmonic”) and Andrew Fleming (The Russian Play, “Omega”) at Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Avenue in Toronto.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE is directed by Christopher Bond (Evil Dead, The Musical, A Little Bit Zombie) who was also the director, co-creator and co-composer of EVIL DEAD, THE MUSICAL.

In 1968, George A. Romero premiered his little independent monster flick, Night of the Living Dead, and now Romero along with Harrison, Pattison, and Marty Birthelmer of Nictophobia Films bring Toronto audiences NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE. Previews April 23-25, opens April 26 and closes May 19, 2013. Media night (April 26, 2013) Tickets are available at Theatre Passe Muraille Box Office or online at www.NIGHTOFTHELIVINGDEADLIVE.COM.

“The intimate relationship between horror and comedy is a result of a visceral tension driving both,” said Co-Creator Christopher Harrison. “Who better to deliver finely calibrated laugh-a-minute-and-scream-the-rest-of-the-time performances than the celebrated cast we have assembled for this play.”

“Really looking forward to seeing this show come to life. Great to see that our film is still inspiring creativity 45 years later,” said the legendary George A. Romero.
________________________________________________________________________________

Told in the intimate setting of Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE brings audiences into the famous 1960’s farmhouse where six strangers are trapped, surrounded by the undead. Ben (Hinds) has just saved Barbra (Phillips) who has witnessed the gruesome death of her brother. Delirious with grief, she is unable to help Ben who is trying to turn the house into a fortress when Harry (Nahrgang) and Tom (Fleming) burst up from the basement, announcing that Helen (Harry`s wife)(Boyer), Karen, their sick daughter who needs immediate help, and Judy (Tom`s girlfriend) are also taking shelter there. Tensions rise as they debate the best way to protect themselves against an onslaught of zombies, but they soon realize that it may not be possible to survive this night of the living dead. ________________________________________________________________________________

Gwynne Phillips plays "Barbra"

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE is co-created by Christopher Harrison (Devil’s Night, The Man
Who Loved Flowers) and Phil Pattison (Devil’s Night, The Man Who Loved Flowers), who are also producing the project with Marty Birthelmer (the upcoming The Mummers) through their production company, Nictophobia Films and executive produced by the legendary George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead and Survival of the Dead), Russ Streiner (best known as Johnny (“They’re coming to get you, Barbra”) in the original horror classic), and John A. Russo, co-author of Night of the Living Dead.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE, is written by playwrights Trevor Martin (Patch Town, A Little Bit Zombie), Canadian Comedy Award winner Dale Boyer (Second City, “Live from the CenTre”) and Christopher Bond, with production design by Lindsay Anne Black (My Mother's Lesbian Jewish-Wiccan Wedding), choreography by Stacey Maroske with sound design by Richard Feren, costume design by Claudia Kada (Mein Kempf, Evil Dead: The Musical), makeup design by Christina Spina, lighting by multi-award winner Michelle Ramsey (Helen’s Necklace, My Mother's Lesbian Jewish-Wiccan Wedding), Special FX design by Carlos Henriques (Death Race, Witchslayer Gretl, Red: Werewolf Hunter) and music by Juno Award-winner, Mike Trebilcock (The Tenant, Reid Coolsaet: Road to London) and Jamie Lamb (Monkey Toast, Ken Kostick & Co.).

"Trott The Zombie" -- the Campaign

2013-03-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

Trott -- a new member of the UnDead

We featured the first in a brilliant webseries of the adventures of "Trott the Zombie" last year, and the response was overwhelming. People love Trott. Now Trott needs you!

Be Part of the Kickstarter Campaign-- CLICK HERE! Campaign ends May 5th!

This epic 8 part WebSeries follows the adventures of Trott The Zombie. As the world around him crumbles and burns, Trott struggles to adjust to his new role as a menber of the Undead.

Action. Emotion. Gore. Tears and Zombies.....Lots of Zombies!!!

Trott was your everyday well mannered young man with his whole life in front of him, that is until he was unjustly savaged by a member of the undead. As everyone knows, once bitten by a zombie it's safe to say your goose is well and truly cooked, and young Trott was no different; he too turned into a member of the undead. His corpse rose and shuffled on to a new existence. There's just one hitch... Trott isn't adjusting to the transformation too well. As a young human man, Trott was a success in practically everything he turned his hand to. Trott The Zombie however..still has a lot to learn.

"Fist of Jesus" -- a Living Dead take on the Lazarus Story

2013-03-25T15:33:00.000-04:00

In a few places in this blog, we have touched on the subject of Biblical references to the "living dead" and resurrection. We can see a direct correlation, even when many just don't or just don't want to.

Case in point. The story of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus Christ. Watch this crazy OVER-THE-TOP short film and help these talented filmmakers make the feature film they dream of, "Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem." Donate to the cause at: www.fistofjesus.com

You may also find these articles interesting:

The Very Last Supper
Are Zombies a Blasphemous Riff on the Rapture?
Be Kind To Zombies – How Religion Hijacks Society

Brand Spanking New "World War Z" Trailer!

2013-03-23T11:46:00.001-04:00

With "Evil Dead" chewing up the undead screen, our insatiable appetite for flesh looks to the summer. And the tastiest morsel dangling out there has got to be "World War Z." We have shown you trailers, and fake trailers, and behind the scene footage in an attempt to satiate that appetite.

And, here is just one more morsel, in the form of a whole NEW trailer... as we lead up to the release of "World War Z" on June 20th, in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and June 21st in the rest of the world.

Follow the latest in development at www.worldwarzmovie.com.

"Daddy, what does Martial law mean?"

Mainstream Directors Who Started their Careers Making Zombie Movies

2013-03-18T01:57:00.001-04:00

Horror movies, and more specifically zombie movies have had a pretty rough time gaining respect over the years. And, to be perfectly honest, it is a reputation that it rightly deserves, in many cases.

With the constant parade of bubblegum horror and constant sequels and rip-offs, it is no wonder that many people have become jaded. Like fast food, it has created a whole generation of sedentary movie goers that don't know horror from a hole in their head (even if there's a knife handle sticking out of it). And, as so many movies push only the technological barriers (can you say CGI blood?) instead of the terror barrier, few people know that many famous directors got their movie making careers started by making the lowly and completely under-appreciated zombie movie.

Discovery News tells us Why we're Obsessed with Zombies

2013-03-16T19:01:00.000-04:00

During the full tidal force of a societal obsession, be it Beanie Babies, Tickle-Me-Elmo or Justin Beiber, there eventually comes a swell of dissension, as a saturation point is reached. Beanie Babies, Tickle-Me-Elmo, Justin Bieber, and now zombies?

The media has alluded to society reaching this point with zombie culture many times in the past couple of years, and while I think that moment is coming, I know it's not here yet. Into a breaking wave, people will dip their toes at different times, but all are eventually drawn to the siren of the sea. Some will tread water, and some will jump right back out. Some will get sucked into the under-tow. This ambivelence will extend this particular obsession, as people who are not initially interested start asking "What is all the hubbub about?" As it is with Justin Beiber. "What is all the hubbub about?"

Anthony at Discovery.com takes a look at the more salient theories behind this obsession, and why it's happening now. Yes, even while we obsess about Justin Bieber.

Disclaimer: Anthony does not at any time discuss anything about Justin Bieber. I will leave you to make the obvious conclusions yourself.

Night of the Living Dead LIVE -- AUDITION CALL ... March 18

2013-03-15T16:16:00.004-04:00

AUDITION NOTICE *NON-UNION CALL*
GEORGE A. ROMERO’S
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE
Directed by Christopher Bond
Presented at Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto, Ont.

Casting Call

TOM/VINCE – (male, 5’7-6’ 21-28): Tom is the young local boy. He’s warm, polite and always ready for action. He’s the optimist and often the voice of reason in the group. Vince is the Sheriff’s sidekick. A liberal minded thinker, obedient but observant. Must be handsome, fit and have strong comic skills. He also must have ability to play multiple roles, sing and move well. Stage combat experience is preferred but not required.

BARBRA – (female, 5’5-5’10, 23-30): Barbra comes undone when the zombies attack and find herself in a perpetual state of shock. She is vapid, spacey and childish. She’s the dead weight in the group. Must be attractive, fit and have strong comic skills. She also must have ability to play multiple roles, sing and move well.

Contract

This is a Paid Non-Equity Contract for 8 weeks. Rehearsals begin Thursday April 4 th. Previews begin on Tuesday April 23rd with the show running until Sunday May 19th.

Audition / Where?

Auditions will be held on Monday March the 18th from 9am to 3pm at The Second City Training Center at 70 Peter St. Lower Level. Call backs will be the same day from 3pm to 5pm. Auditions are available by appointment at casting@nightofthelivingdeadlive.com

Prepare a song (please bring sheet music in the correct key for accompanist) and sides will be available to review at the audition. Also, please watch the 1968 film and familiarize yourself with the character(s).

"Evil Dead (2013)" -- A Rebirth from the Producers of the Original Classic

2013-03-09T15:38:00.000-05:00

Reports from the SXSW Festival in Austin Texas: "Evil Dead (2013)" truly lives up to its hype-- with Collider.com tweeting that "there must be a shortage of fake blood in Hollywood, because Evil Dead used it all!"

UPDATE: Read our review HERE!

"Evil Dead" is Relentless

Sony Pictures set the world-wide launch of the "rebirth" of Sam Raimi's 1981 horror film Evil Dead for April 5th, 2013, but excited SXSW fans have already gotten an early heeping helping of gore at this year's festival.

The original movie centers on five twenty-somethings who head up for fun and frivolaty in a cabin in the woods, only to be met with the horrors conjured up from the Necronomicon (the Book of the Dead). This one doesn't lose the cabin or the book, but introduces some new characters and a new reason for being there-- the detoxing of one of its occupants.

Newcomer Fede Alvarez was brought on board to direct the remake after Raimi and producing partner Rob Tapert were impressed by his short film “Panic Attack”. Diablo Cody ("Jennifer's Body" and "Juno") was then hired to revise Alvarez’ and Rodo Mendez's original script.