Technologi

The first step in deciding what are the best zombie movies requires the rather delicate matter of determining what in fact are zombies. The common short hand of calling them the reanimated or walking or living dead isn't quite sufficient. After all, vampires would thereby qualify, too. And them vampires, they ain't no zombies, no way, no how. To determine what qualifies as a zombie, we will need some rules to set the parameters.

Well, they do say that rules are made to be broken. And it's certainly true that the rules guiding conventions in regards to movie zombies have been broken plenty enough. Nevertheless, there remain some pretty enduring rules. Even many of those that have been broken have not thereby been vanished from the genre. So, while a little flexibility may be required in the application, some parameters can be usefully identified.

For purposes then of these reflections on the rules there is benefit in distinguishing between the pre and the post Romero zombies. There are both notable differences and similarities. The discussion wraps up with some consideration to standard narrative rules of the zombie movie as a predictable genre.

The Pre Romero Zombies

1. The pre-Romero zombies were usually much influenced by the voodoo mythology of Haiti's folk religion. A distinctive feature of this tradition was the notion that some master of the zombies raised them from the dead and as a consequence exercised control over their worldly actions.

2. Already in this early period it was common that zombie ambulation was characterized by slow, unbalanced motion.

3. Zombies were often associated to some kind of social collapse, issuing into an apocalyptic, nihilistic world.

4. Connected to the above, zombiism was often depicted as a form of plague.

Romero/post-Romero Zombies

5. Under the influence of Romero's vision, zombies were no longer depicted as under the control of a master-mind. Instead they become more like a force of nature - in fact something of a natural disaster. Indeed, it has become a familiar trope in zombie movies that the zombies are the product of some "unnatural" human intervention into the world -- radiation, pharmacology, etc..

6. They were now driven by an insatiable hunger to eat the living, which had (and apparently required) no further explanation.

7. Romero completely re-imagined the zombie attack as a bloody gore fest, almost lovingly depicted in graphic cinematic detail.

8. And possibly the most enduring of Romero's revision of the zombie mythology was the idea that they could only be "killed" by a skull crashing blow of some sort that damaged their brain.

9 It was mentioned above that the plague aspect of zombiism predates Romero, but he gave it another of its distinctive features with the idea that the plague was spread through zombie bites.

Stock ingredients for a zombie movie

10. Almost invariably all zombie movies require some pathetic bummer character who whom, as a consequence of stupidity, selfishness, cowardice or general all purpose inhumanity, brings the previously withheld zombie horde down upon the poor straggling survivors. This person's characteristically anti-social behavior serves the symbolic function of being the weak link in the fortifications that had previously protected a small safe space.

11. Straggling survivors, who just gotta stick together to survive. Frequently, they are composed of a solid PC diversity across ethnic, gender and age lines. All this seems intent upon representing a microcosm of human hope and futility, dignity and venality.

12. The "what's happening" factor. Always in the beginning, no one seems to be able to figure it out. Despite the rather large number of zombie movies, it always appears as though zombie movies take place in a world where no one has even seen one. And certainly no public official ever has. They just can't figure it out!

13. Zombie movies in fact are not about the danger of zombies, but about the danger of humans.

14. A reliable staple is the sad sap, unable to let go emotionally of some past intimate relation with one of the zombies. They can't quite come to terms with the reality that their former loved one is now a cannibalistic ambulating corpse. You'd think that might be more obvious.

15. A peace maker and implicit leader, who tries to pull everyone together and is usually thanked for the effort by some obnoxious jerk eventually accusingly commenting "who made you leader?"

16. And let us not forget the attractions of the love-interest. Among the ragtag of humanity there will be reliably at least one hottie of each gender. No doubt part of the attraction of zombie movies for many fanboys is the projected excitement that finally now some hot babe will have to have sex with me. I mean, the future of humanity depends upon it. As observed, though, the hotties are usually represented in both genders. So, just like high school, there's still some alpha type messing up your plans. But, hey, at least there's some faint hope, right? What's the point of a zombie apocalypse if it's not going to give you some hope to make out with a babe who wouldn't give you the time of day in study hall?

So, there you have it: the rules for identifying zombies and their movies. Next time, then, the question is posed, what are the best zombie movies , you'll be ready to rock and roll.