The Walking Dead Teddy Bear girl: life-size statue available for pre-order

Matt Boiselle

 
   Are you a fan of The Walking Dead ? Are you looking for that unusual collectible from the show to add to your stash of goodies ? Or do you just want that one item to stick in your doorway that will inevitably result in extensive therapy sessions for your children or mailman ?

   Entertainment Earth is currently taking pre-orders for the anticipated September 2013 release of a life-sized statue depicting the teddy bear zombie girl that Sheriff Grimes dispatched so quickly in the first episode of the first season of The Walking Dead. Although such a quick demise suffered for this little cutie, she has been forever linked to the unparalleled success of the hit AMC show. This awesome reproduction stands 55 inches tall and comes equipped with sound and motion sensors which will trigger multi-directional movement and sound clips ! Price stands at 219.00 for this statue and will ship in September 2013 - so pony up the bucks and get ready to scare the CRAP out of your guests this Halloween ! www.entertainmentearth.com

First trailer released for The Dead 2: India

Matt Boiselle

    With the insane success on the home theater market for The Ford Brothers' first zombie movie released in 2010 titled: The Dead, about the perspective of an outbreak in the African countryside, comes the Ford's latest entry, The Dead 2: India, and we have the trailer right here !!

   The story follows American engineer Nicholas Burton and his desperate attempt to make it across a zombie-infested wasteland smack-dab in the middle of India to rescue his pregnant girlfriend Ishani Sharma. He enlists the aid of street-smart orphan to help him navigate the busy streets in a 300-mile trek that at points seem literally impassable. The zombies look to have the same creative makeup as the ones in the first movie, so it would seem as if this will act as either a continuation piece, or a storyline that runs parallel to the events in the first movie. While there hasn't been a definitive release date put out to the public just yet, all we have to set our eyes on is this killer trailer, so watch on and delve into the madness that is The Dead 2: India.

Crisis Zero: World War Z PSA

Matt Boiselle

   
      It appears that the marketing campaign for World War Z has officially hit full stride with it's latest creation of a public service announcement warning the world's population to ready itself for "Crisis Zero". The fictional Global Health Agency has released a 90 second video encouraging a New World Order to combat the upcoming zombie plague and all that it threatens.

   The video appears to cater to residents of the U.K. right now - when U.S residents check this out they are re-directed to the World War Z website, but that could potentially change as the North American release date nears. If you want to get a good look at the UK site, check out their link - www.crisiszero.com/uk/ - they also are heavily involved on the social sites as well, but the best way to get started is to involve yourself with their main site, and prepare yourself....for there will be no warning.

German man invents zombie-killing crossbow

Matt Boiselle

    Crazy ? No...inventive and obviously prepared for the upcoming apocalypse ? Without a doubt !! Joerg Sprave, host of The Slingshot Channel on YouTube, has created a weapon out of spare M-16 parts that will not only act as a killer line of defense against the undead, but a weapon that would make any survivalist green with envy.

   This modified crossbow, powered by a large rubber band, will be able to propel bolts at an alarmingly powerful (and extremely silent) rate. This awesome slaying tool is only in its initial phase of creation, as Sprave promises to to more tweaking and hopes to have a multi-fire version in the future - check out his YouTube video below for a more intricate look into this weapon of undead destruction, and prepare to save your pennies for a down payment !

   

Max Brooks: "World War Z - movie only in title and that's it"

Matt Boiselle
 

    With the impending release of the much-hyped Brad Pitt zombie film, World War Z, many moviegoers have pondered whether the movie will be just like the book or not. According to the man responsible for the multi-million copy selling author Max Brooks "only in title, and that's it" - sharp and decisive words for the man who put the idea in motion, many believe.

    Brooks was recently interviewed at Mansfield University about the upcoming movie, and while he knew they were going to rewrite it, he understood that there would also be a million changes made from book to celluloid. All one would have to do is check out any news items on this film and read multiple reports of script changes and re-shot scenes, but if the truth is entirely infallible, will it all be worth it when all's said and done ?

  Brooks had been invited to read the script after it's initial shooting, but he refused
"I said: Why would I read this? This is not the movie you're going to make," Brooks said. "You're going to do rewrites and re shoots. That's what happens when you make a giant movie.
"My attitude is if you haven't invited me in to contribute, then fine. Go make the movie you want to make and I'll see it when it comes out." - at least he is taking a hard-line stance on his decision, and I honestly cannot blame him for that in any instance.

   Brooks main concern is that fans of the book could potentially see some of their favorite moments changed drastically or removed completely once they check it out in theaters. He simply offers fans to " treat both the book and the movie as two separate things." - So the question here is, are you going into this with a wide open mind, willing to accept change....or will you beat this movie down for its potentially radical swerving of the storyline ?

Wanna write using zombies as your letters & words ?

Matt Boiselle

    
    Perhaps it's just me, but I'm sure that we (as students in Kindergarten) were NEVER taught the alphabet using the undead. We had some pretty cheesy looking inflatable 2 ft figures scattered around our classroom (A to Z) called "the alphabet people" that were enough to scare the crap out of me as a 6 year old, so I cannot even fathom as to what psychological damage these would have caused...okay what MORE damaged could have been caused...

    Art Director Avery Oldfield and creative technologist Jack Inscoe have created two different font generators that will not only let you use zombies to spell out your online writing, but they also have llamas for available use as well....yes, I said llamas. You can try out both at either www.zombiefont.com or www.llamafont.com - I've tried the zombie site and gotta say, it's never been more fun using the dead as your vocabulary minions - check them both out and enjoy !

Zombies on Grimm

by Dorothy Emry

Even if you don't watch NBCs Grimm on a regular basis, you might want to give it a try this coming Tuesday, May 14th 10/9c. Why? Zombies will be roaming the street of Portland in the new episode called "The Waking Dead." Here's the episode's preview:





Not a Grimmster? If you need some background info before you watch head over to NBC's Grimm pages to learn the basics, watch a few episodes, and check out the exclusives like the cool creature profiles.

Detention of the Dead: zombies staying after school ?

Matt Boiselle

   Anyone that has gotten into trouble (past or present) in High School and was forced to suffer the indignity of detention probably wished ANYTHING would happen in order to make the time spent behind closed doors more interesting. A fire alarm, a rousing game of paper football.....a zombie outbreak.....wait....
WHAT ??

    Attacking your TV screens in On-Demand format this June 18th comes Detention of the Dead - a comedy that will fuse both troublemaking teens & bloodthirsty zombies in a movie that would have made The Breakfast Club run and hide under their desks for certain. Director Alex Mann has put together a story of a group of deviants spending time in High School incarceration when their solitary time becomes undead dinner time as some of the classmates turn into stark raving mad flesh-eaters. Boasting a line up that consists of Alexa Nikolas (The Walking Dead), Christa B. Allen (Revenge), Justin Chon (21 and Over), and Max Adler (Glee) - this movie will hopefully possess the ability to entertain on a zom-com level, but only time will tell - hit the video link for the trailer and judge for yourself.

    

The Walking Dead: Season 4 - time to go to zombie school !

Matt Boiselle

    Is it creeping in your veins yet ? Making you feel as if you are ready to start clawing at your skin until you get clumps of wet, bloody flesh under your fingernails ? Are you jonesing for that ever-elusive fix of anything pertaining to The Walking Dead: Season 4 ? Then settle in, fellow zombie minions, and behold at the great special FX creator, Greg Nicotero as he acts as Headmaster in a class that will hone the skills of any walker wannabe.

   Have you dreamed of becoming one of the shambling, stumbling, roaming undead that patrols the vast expanses of the insanely popular Walking Dead TV show ? Well you can't be just any common zombie with a limp and a shuffle, no no no !! You must participate and study the ways of the re animator Shaman himself in hopes of perfecting your ambulatory aptitude. The Zombie school is held each year before initial filming on that season's show begins, so that there are no "unschooled" undead to speak of, so click on the video link, and maybe you can learn a thing or two, and who knows, by the time next season rolls around, you could have the stuff to put on display for The Walking Dead: Season 5 !

The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black: novel trailer

Matt Boiselle

    Any die-hard e-readers out there looking for that latest book that will make your blood run cold, and give you the feeling as if a hand beyond the grave is assisting you with the turn of each page as you read by candlelight ? The latest novel by Author & Artist E.B. Hudspeth will take you back in time to the year 1870, and put you front and center with Dr. Spencer Black, the son of a "resurrectionist" (fancy title for a grave-robber), and his scientific (and slightly skewed) hypothesis - what if the mythological creatures of yesteryear, such as mermaids, minotaurs & satyrs, were the true evolutionary ancestors of all mankind ?

    This fascinating proposal is split up into two books, while the first is a fictional biography of Dr. Black, the second - entitled The Codex Extinct Animalia, which acts as a sort of reference guide that details all mythological beasts including dragons, centaurs, Pegasus & Cerberus. All are rendered in finely intricate black and white illustrations, which clearly depict the scribblings of a certifiable lunatic. If you are currently weighing whether or not to give this a read, feel free to check out the teaser trailer for the book itself below and click the pic at the top of the article to be taken to QuirkBooks website, it will be available on e-format May 21st for $24.95, and promises to be a head-first dive into the gray matter of a man who should have been locked behind bars long ago simply due to his maniacal thoughts....or should he ? We here at Zombies and Toys will be posting a review of this in the near future so be on the lookout as soon as it is made available.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_6bBAvpzGbY

(REC)4: Apocalypse - Latest Teaser Poster has been unleashed !!

Matt Boiselle

  Fans waiting to press the (Rec) button in order to watch some infected goodness will be overly pleased with the release today of the teaser poster & trailer for the latest installment of the Spanish-Zombie series - this one titled (REC)4: Apocalypse - and this one looks to be shedding some serious blood, and will focus on a main character from the first movie itself.

    Angela Vidal, the reporter who piggybacked the fireman into the apartment building in (REC), has mysteriously re-emerged from the structure, apparently unharmed. Unknown to her rescuers, she still carries a strain of the infection in her bloodstream while she is carted off to a remodeled oil tanker acting as as a quarantine facility, in order to serve out a mandatory waiting period for any and all survivors of the catastrophe.

   Feel free to check out the teaser trailer below for a little sneak-peek at the chaos that will ensue, and as always, stick tight here to Zombies & Toys for all the latest news on this killer sequel.

        

Playstation 4 - Taking Gaming to the Next Level

Matt Boiselle

With the announcement of the new playstation 4 comes all of the spec information, and the PS4 is sounding like it's going to be a massive step up in the gaming world. Sony have announced their plans to make the PS4 into the first gaming social network with lots of great features allowing you to share your experience with others. It will have an eight core CPU, 8GB of storage, a multiplayer, voice chat and a store and also an online browser feature. From this online browser within the game, you will be able to search for games and stream them from online. Sony have also revealed that you will have the opportunity to stream games and try before you buy, only downloading once you are satisfied. You will also be able to share the streamed games to let your friends try. The interface is much more user friendly and incorporates the ability to chat your friends and get comments from them as you play. You can actually download music tracks from the internet browser and start playing them straight away. There will be a share button on the controller so that you can instantly send the game to your friends and show them how you are doing. Gaming won't be the only entertainment you have access to either with Sony announcing that netfix will be involved. The ability to stream and download online games could allow gamers to download more online casino games as there is only one on the PS3. Casino games are a massively popular marketplace in the gaming world and have proven to be gaining pace both online and on mobile devices from sites like www.iphonecasino.co.nz. With games like online slots having movie themes and actually collaborating with film makers to make much more elaborate and video game style graphics, it will be interesting to see what the PS4 will be compatible with and if gamers will be able to get access to all of the games they want.

Zombieland Mini-Series Now Playing on Amazon Instant Video

Todd Jepperson

So, remember when we told you that Zombieland was written as a 23 part mini-series? Well, there was some whispering that FOX Studios was working on the project, but they dropped it pretty quickly. There was then a rumor that Amazon.com was getting into the production business, and that Zombieland was one of the frontrunning projects they were going to use to unearth their new studio. We held our breath.

Well, we’re breathing again, because today Amazon.com’s Instant video service just posted the trailer and the pilot for the whole world to see. The biggest change we can see so far is that the “star-studded” cast has been replaced by a less well known, probably far cheaper, ensemble. The next big change, from the trailer anyway, is that there’s no mention of Tennessee’s quest for twinkies. Not. One.

There are still the “rules” of Zombieland, and those should be pretty good to follow. Also, the  “zombie kill of the week” looks like a solid addition.

Check out the trailer below, and then take a ride over to Amazon.com to watch the FREE pilot episode. Come back here and let us know what you think!

Should we start calling him "General" Brooks ?

Matt Boiselle

    We all here in the good old USA can rest assured that we have the strongest military forces in the world, and when certain trouble arises we know that our branches of defense will rise to the occasion and protect the country that they love so dear....but when circumstances occur that may not be of the normal...well, that's when the BIG GUNS need to be called upon to step forward and issue their guidance.

   The U.S. Army recently had a hurricane response rehearsal this last week at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, and recruited the services of Max Brooks, author of the wildly popular World War Z & The Zombie Survival Guide, to come in and speak to the leaders about preparation for varying disasters. Brooks, who has a massive following in the military, spoke at length about proper preparation techniques in advance of differing catastrophes, including a zombie apocalypse. He isn't a stranger to addressing the armed forces, as he has already headlined two different speaking engagements with the Naval War College regarding similar issues. " you have young people being interested in being prepared, being 'tricked into' taking care of themselves, really, because even if the zombie apocalypse does not happen, they will be ready for the next hurricane or next disaster," Brooks said - and who better to lead us in to World War Z, than the man who penned the book on it !

State of Emergency: DVD review

Matt Boiselle

   In the pantheon of zombie outbreak movies, pacing can be a sure-fire killer (no pun intended). If the movie is propelling too fast, you can feel as if it's almost passing you by without a hint as to what the heck is going on..too slow.. and you are trying to keep from getting whiplash in an attempt to prevent yourself from falling asleep....and that is where State of Emergency has us trapped.

   When I first had heard about the upcoming release of this film, I immediately hunted down the trailer and honestly was really excited about what was laid out before me. Simple storyline - we follow the lead character Jim (played by Jay Hayden), who in flashbacks has the perfect happy life with his fiancee in an idyllic small town. Unfortunately, things begin to take a downward swirl when the nearby chemical facility suffers an unforseen explosion, sending mass quantities of toxic smoke pluming into the air, and poisoning the locals to the point of where they have become slow (almost still) fragments of their former selves, until they get someone in their line of sight, and then it's time to go to the races, baby !

  Jim, who now finds himself alone due to the death of his not-to-be bride, is helped to safety by Scott (Andy Stahl), who with his girlfriend Julie, and another charmer of a female (Alex), are holed up in an abandoned warehouse with numbers of the recently infected outside, and a military that seems to be running in circles. The movie does have its strongpoints, don't get me wrong - the overall gloom and doom aspect is heavy in a visual sense - you can almost feel the life has been literally sucked out of the small town after the inital catastrophe, and the feeling of lonliness will envelop you, while the pseudo-zombie townsfolk are generally creepy with their dead-red eyes staring a hole into your skull, and then traveling at breakneck speed towards you with an influence of rage that hasn't been seen since the 28 Days movies. The kills, while low in quantity are impressive - head shots from a scoped rifle over hundreds of yards away still give that gorehound splatter that we all know and love, and the makeup detail of the infected, while simple in nature, isn't overdone, which adds to the realism.

  NOW - the true murderer of this movie is the extremely slow pacing in which dialogue between characters, and long, drawn out gazes into open fields will make you feel as if you're running in hot asphalt. Character development is essential to any movie, but come on !, we're in a friggin zombie movie here ! If I wanted to hear someone whining about why they thought they were a lousy daughter, I'd tune into Dr. Phil ! Gimme that sweet blood and guts that I crave ! At best I can tell you that this is at least worth a cheap rental, simply due to the notion that it should be watched for its sweeping scenery and creepy denizens. Other than that, if you are planning on making this a purchase....contact your wallet and declare a State of Emergency.