Shuffle, Shuffle, Moan, Shuffle, Groan, Scream, Run!!!

There seems to be myth perpetuating within horror that’s gathering speed at a frightening rate. On some levels it’s affecting the genre and passing off perfectly sound films as trash. This myth tries to affect the way writers, producers and directors come about their ideas and the way they transfer them to the page and ultimately the big screen. So, what is this argument? Zombies have set rules.
 
I’m not saying zombies don’t have rules, no not at all. It is screenwriting 101 that the universe you create must have rules that you abide by. However, the rules your zombies endure should be set by you and you alone. Have your zombies shuffle, have them run, have tearing up the road on a Harley Davidson just be sure you set the rules and you stick to them.

The rules that many believe to be gospel are long standing, dating back to George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”. These rules are only in place because Romero dared to challenge the existing, tired premise of what a zombie was though. Before Romero zombie didn’t crave flesh, most never killed and they were rarely actually dead. Pre-Romero zombies were brain dead plantation workers, zombified by a bokor.

Romero stripped the zombie subgenre down to its parts before rebuilding it into something new and relevant to the culture of the period. Romero, in an act not unlike the cadavers in his films, killed the genre, resurrected it and watched it take over the world. It was bold move but it revolutionised zombie cinema and now Romero is synonymous with the undead.  

Now it seems that anybody who tries to do the same is torn to shreds and cast asunder by the same people who praise Romero, often “fanboys” who would gladly shuffle off the end of the earth if George told them to. 

Now I admire Romero and what he did for the genre but am I the only person who sees the hypocrisy in this argument? How can people praise a film maker for being daring by turning a tired format into something new a fresh, yet write off anyone who tries it subsequently?
I have read numerous articles and blog posts in recent weeks declaring that zombies have run (or at least shuffled) their course, that they aren’t nearly as entertaining or terrifying as they once were, more shambolic than shambling. 

So, maybe it’s time that zombies evolved into something to cause us terror again because the truth is the audience has evolved too. The “Dawn of the Dead” remake and Charlie Brooker’s “Dead Set” showed how terrifying fast moving zombies can be and how much more relevant they are to our culture. In a new fast moving world of fast food, instant downloads, on demand TV and anything just click of a button away maybe it’s time our zombies picked up the pace a bit or run the risk of being left behind.

An Introduction

Welcome my friends. Step into my humble, online abode.

Please, pull up a chair.

Now we’ll begin.

I have spent many weeks debating what the subject of my posts should be before settling on the on the spine-tingling world of macabre that is horror.

My wife has informed me that a good blog should start with an introduction, this is mine.

Firstly, a little bit about me. I’m 24 years old, a father to a beautiful boy, a husband to a gorgeous woman and a horror fan. I live in the outer pits of hell, where everyday is toil and the fire and brimstone is replaced by freezing winds and ice…it’s also known as the South Wales Valleys.

 

View from my window in the bleak midwinter - a horror of sorts.

I think I first became addicted to horror at the age of 3 when I sat with my brother to watch ‘Duel’. I know many will argue that ‘Duel’ is a thriller and not a horror film but for me the line between the two is skeletal and often fractured. I think I will post about that subject in the near future.

This blog will mostly be centred on the celluloid world of horror films (or movies for our American friends) though it shall occasionally stray into the Devil’s box (TV) and written word.

Also, some posts may occasionally stumble exhaustedly into the world of sci-fi should the subject have enough terrifying elements to make it worth while.

I would like to point out at this stage I am a horror fan but not the font of all knowledge. Some people know the genre inside and out, that isn’t me. I don’t know ALL the ‘Zombieland’ rules. I don’t know what Alfred Hitchcock ate for breakfast. I don’t know George A. Romero’s mother’s, cousin’s, dog’s name. If you want pointless facts then it is best to look elsewhere but, if you want views, news, reviews and something which may amuse, then come on in…the water’s fine.