Blogtober Day 25: Zombies

So, zombies. For the last few years, they've appeared in pretty much every form of media. I think we've reached zombie overload, much like we did with vampires about ten years ago and like we did with ghosts forever ago. I like zombies, sometimes, in fiction. It really depends how they're being used and what purpose they serve.

I know, you might be thinking, zombies have a purpose? Well, kind of. Zombies are normally just the massive horde of beings that the protagonists need to avoid. Usually, the zombies are chasing, slowly, after the humans because they're hungry. Unlike other monsters, they aren't trying to create more of their kind, they just want to eat. Usually, the zombies exist because of an outbreak, or in Zombieland's case, an infected burger. When I say "purpose" I mean how they're used, as the villain, in the story. What's the theme or message the film is trying to portray?

For example, George A. Romero's 1968 film Night of the Living Dead is viewed by many to be a reflection of the tensions in the United States during that period in history. Others see is as a criticism of government ineptitude, domestic racism and the politics of the Cold War. The zombies in Night of the Living Dead were so terrifying because, to paraphrase film historian Linda Badley, the monsters weren't aliens or creatures from some unknown land, they're us. Ben, the African-American protagonist, isn't killed by zombies at the end of the film, but by a posse of rednecks who mistake him for being one of the infected.

Other times, zombies exist just to create a post-apocalyptic world. A war, or illness, or some form of nuclear catastrophe could substitute for the zombie outbreak in the story, and the plot wouldn't change that much. These zombies tend to exist in media where a large aspect of the story isn't about trying to cure the infected, or finding some safe haven or even how the world got to this. They're a threat, but the real threat, the real tension comes from some other group of survivors posing a threat to the group the protagonist is in. Later seasons of The Walking Dead fit into this category. People such as the Governor and Negan pose more of a threat to anyone than the zombies. This is also where all the films putting forth the idea of "humans are the real monsters" exists. I don't hate this type of story, but I feel like zombies are used too often as "here's how the world ended" explanation and I'd like to see a more creative reason.

Sometimes, zombies are just zombies and the entire film is about people thrown together randomly trying to get to safety. The 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead is about a group of people trapped in a shopping mall during a zombie outbreak. These are the movies I like the most, because I watch zombie movies for zombies, not to see people do horrible things to others because they can. For as bad as the Resident Evil film series is, and how unfaithful it is to the games, the first two weren't completely awful because the plot was about the zombies, not about weird things with the Umbrella Corporation.

There are, of course, some variations in zombie media. Sometimes the zombies are fast. Sometimes characters don't need to get bitten to become a zombie. Other times, the humans are able to find a cure. There are a few movies out there where, despite being zombies, they still have thoughts and higher brain function. And sometimes, a zombie falls in love with a human and falling love makes them not be a zombie anymore (looking at you, Warm Bodies). 

So, in conclusion, I like zombies. They're cool. I think we need to take a break from them being everywhere for a while, but on the while, I can't complain.

Blogtober Day 24: Fall Activities and Trends I Dislike

As I mentioned in an earlier post, autumn is my favorite time of year. However, no season is perfect, not even my favorite one. While I like fall itself, there are some trends and traditions during fall that I just don't like. Some I find boring. Some don't fit my tastes and some I just don't like and I don't really have (or feel the inclination to give) a reason for why I dislike them. With that said, let's discuss some fall things I don't like.

Apple and Pumpkin Picking

I have nothing against apples. I like apples. I have nothing against pumpkins. They make excellent pies. Here's the thing though apple picking, going to the pumpkin patch, wandering through the fields trying to decide which one to pick. It's boring. I know some people really like it, but I don't.

Pumpkin Spiced Everything

This will probably upset a lot of people, but I don't like pumpkin spiced things. Pumpkin spiced lattes aren't actually that great. There are so many, other, better coffee drinks out there. A group of people decided they were really into the Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte and all of a sudden, everyone else should be too. Because its not just lattes anymore. Pumpkin spiced donuts, pumpkin spiced cereal. Pumpkin spiced ice cream. Pumpkin spiced pudding. Can we please stop with the pumpkin spiced madness? Please?

Hayrides

I have really bad allergies. Needless to say, I don't have a ton of fun on hayrides because I spend a lot of time sneezing. Even if I wasn't sneezing all of the time on hayrides, they kind of have no point? You just ride around in this cart? If you're lucky, the ride takes you to a corn maze or something. Otherwise, you just go from one side of a field to another. I have friends who love hayrides and I just don't understand them.

Those are the three things about fall that I don't like. There are a few others, but they're a little nitpicky and I didn't want to write a completely negative post where I mention every little thing or trend I don't like.

What are your favorite fall activities?

Blogtober Day 23: Ghosts

Unlike witches, ghosts don't serve many purposes in fiction. They fall into one of two categories. Ghosts are either evil and responsible for the misfortunes befalling the protagonists. Or, they're victims and the only way they can be free and "move on" is for the protagonists to learn what happened to them and either right a specific wrong or let the world know their story. Today, let's talk about the common plots and storylines that ghosts tend to have.

Get Out of My House!

This one is pretty straight forward. Everyone's seen or at least knows about this one. The ghost just wants to be left alone. He or she died in the house the main characters just moved into, disturbing it's rest. The story goes as follows: the ghost tries to make the new inhabitants leave, they don't succeed, the protagonists call a priest, a paranormal investigator or some other "expert" to make the ghosts leave. The ghost is usually defeated by said expert, but there's enough leeway to justify a sequel.

Evil, Evil, Evil

This ghost doesn't want to be left alone. It wants to cause mayhem. These are the ghosts that either draw people into the place that they haunt. Sometimes, it's to trap more people in the building, and create more ghosts. Other times, getting someone to enter the creepy, abandoned house might allow them to possess living, so they can be an even bigger menace.  Sometimes, they were evil in life, and they're not going to let something as trivial as dying stop them. Other times, they died so traumatically that they become vengeful spirits and need to kill. They were good once, but now, they've been twisted into something else.

"Tell The World"

These ghosts can't move on to the afterlife. Maybe they died violently and can't work through the trauma of that. Maybe they've got unfinished business they need to complete. Maybe the only way they can move on is for the truth of their death to come to light. The movie The Sixth Sense is based on this premise, although we don't know how central it is to the plot at first. In one of the later sequels/spin-offs of The Ring it's implied that Samara created the deadly tape so that her story can be shared, but that was later retconned. This category is where a lot of films featuring ghosts that aren't horror fit. Like Ghost or pretty much every kids movie with ghosts.

What's your opinion about ghosts in media?

Blogtober Day 22: Most Creative Movie Monsters

There are plenty of monsters out there. Some are good, some are bad, and some are a little bit of both. While every film needs a bad guy and thus, depending on the genre, a monster to defeat. However, not all horror monsters are created equal. Some are, for lack of a better term, boring. Vampires and werewolves and ghosts have kinda been done to death, as have zombies.

Today, I want to talk about some creative monsters, mostly in horror. Some are considered horror classics by now, others are new to the genre, but they have something in common, they're unique. As a side note, I'm using the term "monster" literally. No human characters, or characters who were once human appear on this list because they don't qualify.


Pale Man- Pan's Labyrinth\



This list wouldn't be complete without at least one Guillermo del Toro monster on it. This entire list could just be del Toro characters. While there are plenty I could choose from, the Pale Man is my favorite. There's just something about his design that gives me goosebumps. Pan's Labyrinth is more dark fantasy than true horror but this part of the film really freaked me out. 


Crawlers- The Descent



These humanoid cave dwellers that feast on humans are relatively new to horror. Still, they packed a punch. They were the perfect monsters for a film about people lost, and being hunted, in an unknown cave system.

Sam- Trick or Treat



I won't lie, I thought Sam was just a creepy kid when I started watching Trick or Treat. He's definitely not a kid, but his design made him an instant horror icon when the movie premiered. I also found his motivations to be particularly interesting. In that, he doesn't seem to have one beyond wanting people to follow the rules of Halloween. The design seems simple, but its not, and it's his behavior that makes him such a creative monster.

The Thing- The Thing



I feel like this one doesn't need an explanation. Not only was the design of the monster amazing, but the story behind it was too. Nearly indestructible, able to hide in plain sight, able to assimilate other life forms into itself. Great character design, great backstory, great monster.

Creating a creative monster comes down to a few things in my opinion, unique design being one of them. Having an interesting story/goal/motivation is another. These four creatures pop into mind when I think about movie monsters.

What are your favorite movie monsters?

Blogtober Day 21: Nightmare Escapade

Nightmare Escapade is a 2012 horror anthology book by Waylon Piercy. I first became aware of it when I was searching Amazon for horror books to read during October. Since the book is a collection of short stories, I'm going to discuss each story on its own and my thoughts, rather than discuss the whole book at once. That seems like the most fair tactic.

"No Such Thing" is the first story in the collection. It tells the story of a little boy who is out playing in the woods and sees something. He comes to believe its a monster and, regardless of what he tries to tell his mother, she doesn't seem to see it. Ray soon becomes worried that the monster is going to get him and he is terrified at the thought. This story does a good job of portraying the fears and worries of children, especially the primal fear of the dark. "No Such Thing" isn't a particularly scary story, but it does leave the reader feeling a little unsettled.

"The Terrible Stranger" is the story of a soldier traveling home who comes across a terrible stranger, as the title implies. This story, along with two others, are part of a larger dark fantasy novel the author has been building for years. On its own, "The Terrible Stranger" is one of the best body-horror stories I've read in some time. Piercy paints quite the unsettling visual as the protagonist tries to escape to freedom.

The third story is titled "The Drum". The best way I can really explain it, without giving too much away, is by saying for once, horror is happening to the right person. Ever notice how the characters in horror are either unlucky or just stupid and that's how they end up being pursued by a mass-murderer or possessed by Satan or something? This tale is a little different. Harold isn't a nice person. He doesn't stumble upon something not meant to be found, he's not in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's just a jerk and winds up angering the wrong people. I like seeing, for once, that the right person is being terrorized.

"Apex Predator" tells the story of a former police officer trying to locate a missing girl. He finds her, only to discover things aren't what they seem. She's no longer among the living and soon, neither is he. The story doesn't end there, however, and I enjoyed seeing a different take on the specific "monster" in this story.

"The Basement" is a very short story. I believe its the shortest one in the book, being only a few pages. I can't give anything away that doesn't spoil the ending, but I found the point of view for the story interesting. It's told from a different perspective than most stories in its subgenre.

"Bones" is a story that's connected to "The Terrible Stranger". They aren't directly connected, but take place in the same world/universe. It's the closest thing to the traditional ghost story in the book, albeit with a twist. Since its part of a larger story, it doesn't fully explain things and leaves a lot open-ended, but I found it amusing at least.

"The Trunk" is the closest I got to a typical haunted house story in this book. Calling it a story about a haunted house isn't fair, since the house isn't haunted, the new owner is just curious about an old trunk left in the attic. The trunk isn't imprisoning a ghost, it doesn't contain pure evil or cursed objects. Instead, it offers something much more mysterious and "The Trunk" has a very surprising ending.

"Duel" takes place in the same world as "Bones" and "The Terrible Stranger". Unlike the others, its not a horror story. It fits more under the dark fantasy umbrella. The story is a snippet of what the author has built for the world, but I'm cautiously optimistic about the directions the story could go or what could be done with the aspects I read so far.

Nightmare Escapade consists of eight stories. They're entertaining for the most part, but I didn't find them very scary. Additionally, they suffer from a length problem. They are short stories, but a few are a little too short. Their endings feel a little rushed or cut-off. An extra few pages would've made the difference between an "okay" story and a good one.

Rating: 3.5 stars