Any child of the 1980’s will remember the ominous free-will-challenging Choose Your Own Adventure books. The paperback young adult series would pose readers with daring options and decisions such as “Will you head down the dark stairs?” or “Will you follow the spirit through the woods?” With a selection made, the book would then give direction as to where the decision would take the reader and, on a specified page, they would either continue the story or meet certain doom. In today’s rush of the undead, we are once again faced with choices that may lead to death and even worse.
Author Max Brallier’s Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? is an engaging and enjoyable addition to the literary world’s shambling corpses and starving cadavers. In the storyline’s beginning, you begin as an average twenty-something that discovers that the world he knew is gone and replaced by mass hysteria and the growing awareness that people are not eating each other but zombies are. Within several pages, you must begin making choices as how to best survive the world as it is pulled down around you by rotted hands and snapping jaws. You meet other survivors, some of whom will lead you to one of many pages where your end is quickly spelled out. You can freeze to death. You can be shot. You can fall to your death. You can wait without any hope of survival. You can tragically find yourself one of the undead and, of course, you can be devoured by hordes of zombies. But only if you make the wrong choice and there are 100 paths and 50 endings to choose from.
Brallier does a good job of keeping a pace to a book where the reader truly sets the tempo. You will feel a rush to make a decision and even more urgency to find out where you option has taken you. Readers will doubt new allies and worry about what is behind the door they have selected to open. Some choices lead to obvious consequences while others are fairly surprising. Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse will also make you want to read it repeatedly to see how far your choices can take you. Fans of the zombie genre will feel even more challenged to use their know-how and their “I would never do that” and see how well they would survive. The writing is tight and the descriptions of the undead clawing for your flesh are graphic and well done.
As the book cover states “The Choice is yours…” Getting your hands on a copy of Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse is not only an easy decision but one that should be made quickly.
To win a copy of "Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse" and see if you would, email your name and address to survive@zombiesandtoys.com. Winners will be selected at the end of the month!
Action figure workhorse Jakks Pacific is releasing a line of toys based on Disney’s latest Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stanger Tides. What makes this cool is these four inch figures will come with a nifty little black light “reveal” which will reveal their darker side. That’s right, kids. Yer off the edge of the map. Here, there be monsters.
Now, I’m not sure if this is more a glow in the dark thing, or if Jakks will use special UV ink on the toys. Either way, “moonlight” shows them for what they really are. Each single figure will come with its own black light accessory, as well as all of the Legend Pack figures, and the Queen Anne’s Revenge playset. The characters I found from this first series include Angelica (Penelope Cruz), Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Gibbs (Kevin McNally), Jack (Johnny Depp), and some random pirate from the Queen Anne’s Revenge (Mark Smith).
From my old WWF (yeah, that’s what we called it back then) days, I came to know Jakks as more of a quantity over quality kind of toymaker with their wrestling superstar action figures. From what it looks like, we have the same guys at work here. Details will be passed over in lieu of quicker presentation on the shelves of Wal-marts across the country. Still, with price tags from $7.99 for the singles, they might be worth looking at.
I have been holding on to these little guys for months waiting for the right moment to give them away. What we have is a set of zombie miniatures courtesy of Studio Miniatures. You will receive a complete set of the first three hordes for a total of 51 zombie figures PLUS an additional set of survivors! This is a package worth nearly $200!
These arrive unpainted in hardshell VHS tape case packaging. This is one of the coolest ideas I have seen for horror collectibles packaging.
To enter, email your name and address to studiominiatures@zombiesandtoys.com. To qualify, you must also include the name of your favorite Studio Miniature survivor. So go have a look and enter our contest. All entries must be received by the end of March. Same contest rules apply and a giant "thank you" to Studio Miniatures.
Recently, Z&T came into possession of a book. At first glance, it seems to be nothing more than a few random scribbles; but, read on and you’ll see that there’s actually a funny story to how this thing came to be. Hang in long enough, and you may even learn a little something.
I was lucky enough to end up with a physical copy of the 34 page paperback and a short conversation with the artist, William Lebeda. During our brief chat, he told me the story behind the illustrations:
“Years ago, I was working with Marvel on The Punisher remake… The art department hadn't started on the film yet, and they needed a design for a new skull logo for the front of his Kevlar body armor. So, I started drawing Punisher-style skulls on everything. At one point during the project, I started to draw really different skulls... probably as a reaction to drawing dozens of versions of the punisher one. I noticed that I was drawing skulls on everything; scraps of paper, napkins, post-its with phone numbers… all over.”
The scattered sketches were eventually collected and sorted through, which took significantly longer than he had planned. The movie was released in 2004 and the book was released in 2010. I would have to agree, that’s a long time spent organizing, digitizing, and getting ready for print; which makes the title very fitting.
Memento Mori is a Latin phrase for ‘remember to die”; or, be mindful that you will die. Artists have been incorporating the idea of eminent death into their work since the time of ancient Rome. The idea is that life is short. What we do here has got to be enough to make sure that we’re remembered long after we’re gone.
So, who wants to help Mr. Lebeda live forever? New in the Zombie Toy Store, you can pick up your very own copy of Memento Mori: a collection of drawings by William Lebeda for the low, low price of $4.99. Also, when you support Z&T, there’s always a good chance you could land some free “thank you” swag. That’s just how we do things around here. Click the link to shuffle over and snag yourself a copy. You’ll be glad you did.
William has also been kind enough to offer a few copies to our readers! If you would like the chance to win a free copy of Memento Mori, email your name, address, and picture of a skull to skull@zombiesandtoys.com. We are going to make this one easy. To enter, you can submit any picture of a skull that you find interesting. For a better chance of winning, submit your own skull creation. William will hand pick his favorites to win a copy of his book! Winners will be announced at the end of March. If you purchase a book and are later selected as a contest winner, we will refund your purchase price or send you the additional book. For inspiration, here is a skull I drew:
This week, we conclude Chad Hunter's story, The Lazarus Effect. We hope you have enjoyed the debut of our new feature. If you are interested in having your story posted on Zombies & Toys or if you would like to illustrate an upcoming feature, email jason@zombiesandtoys.com with your ideas. We hope to continue sharing readers' stories with each other.
While The Lazarus Effect has concluded, this will not be the last you see of Chad. He has quickly become a staple contributor here and we will bring you more of his stories in the near future.
We all know zombies can sell cars. But what about candy? Starburst candy will soon find out as their latest commercial star is none other than a zombie.
Recently, a trailer for an upcoming video game hit the interwebs and caused some excitement. We first brought to your attention the zombie game, Dead Nation, last July. The concept and screenshots were enough to make me giddy but this new video seals the deal.
Dead Island leaves you on a paradise island vacation spot when the dead rise. A "sandbox" game, this free-roaming first person game has you exploring the entire island. There is one little twist I recall reading before that leaves me questioning how the end result will turn out. In Dead Island, you have the ability to transform yourself into a zombie temporarily. I also recall hearing that the characters have "layers" which result in realistic physical damage as you strike the walking corpses. Due for release sometime this year, rely on Zombies & Toys to continue bringing you updates.
If you are new to the site or to the zombie movie genre in general you might have missed my earlier review of The Italian Zombie Movie parts 1 & 2 posted here. As I stated in my full review, this is such a great movie to watch if you are willing to turn off your brain and enjoy a movie for zombie fans made by zombie fans. I had the great distinction of being able to interview the Writer/Director/Producer, Thomas Berdinski, to see what kind of insight he could give us into the inner machinations of his mind and some behind the scenes news about the movie.
Zombies & Toys: If you were bitten, would you want to be shot or left to change?
Thomas Berdinski: I would definitely want to be undead for a while. Why not? There's plenty of time to be totally dead later. I also like playing as a zombie when I play “Left 4 Dead” with my 11 year old nephew. He beats me whenever we play anyway, so at least this way I have an excuse!
ZT: Any favorite zombie movies/books/games?
TB: Wow, that would be almost too many to list! I'll start with the movies that inspired me – “Zombi 2” by Lucio Fulci, “Burial Ground” by Andrea Bianchi and “Cemetery Man” by Michelle Soavi. Zombie books that are high my list include “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Jane Austin and Seth Graham-Smith, “Dead Beyond the Fence” by Brian Kaufman and “Eaten Alive! Italian Cannibal and Zombie Movies” by Jay Slater. As for games, I don't have time to play as much as I'd like, but “Left 4 Dead 1 and 2” and “Dead Rising 1 and 2” I enjoy playing with my nephew.
ZT: If we were to make a toy of you, would you be a zombie or survivor? What accessories would you come with?
TB: I would want to be a survivor; in fact, I'd want you to make a toy out of the character I often play at conventions when promoting my Italian Zombie Movies: Sascratch! Sascratch is the half-human half-Sasquatch offspring of a Bigfoot from the year 25,000,000 A.D. (when the Sasquatches and humans finally resolved their differences and started to breed...) He travels through time hunting zombies and promoting The Italian Zombie Movie. Accessories would include his zombie bite-proof cape, his man-purse filled with Italian Zombie Movie DVDs, futuristic guns and ammo and his ultra-hip Time Travel glasses...
ZT: You have described this miniseries as "the first no-budget horror/sci-fi/comedy miniseries to give audience what REALLY made the European zombie genre of the 80's so entertaining". That being said, what are some of your favorite zombie movies that Europe has given us?
TB: I like different movies for different reasons. What I was referring to there was the rampant sexism (and even misogyny) that was so commonplace in European horror movies in the 80s which is so pathetic and politically-incorrect today that it is often laughable! The movies that I found the most sexist/misogynistic would probably be “Burial Ground”, “Patrick Still Lives” and “Hell of the Living Dead” but there are plenty of others! I based a lot of the ridiculous sexist dialog in my movies on those films. I'd never seen another movie that parodied the sexism of European horror movies – that's what I think makes our zombie movies the most unique. Outside of that, some of my favorite Euro horrors include “The Beyond” by Fulci, “Suspiria” by Dario Argento and “The Blind Dead” series by Amando de Ossorio.
ZT: How did you go about creating all the guts and gore for the movie? I guess what I am wondering is if any of the guts were edible?
TB: Most of the juicier stuff was created by our special effects guru Joe Tardani; who I've known since childhood. Somewhere along the way, he learned how to make fantastically realistic intestines out of hanks of sausage casings, Jello, stuffing mix, bread crumbs and Kool Aid. Not only are they edible, but they taste sickening sweet (thanks to the Kool Aid and Jello...) His actual ingredient ratios, etc., are a big secret, but I think our guts look much better than the guts in most gory movies I've seen (and they cost a lot less to make too!)
ZT: What for you was one of your favorite scenes from the miniseries?
TB: That's a tough one because we had so much fun making these movies... I have to say I really enjoyed the scenes between the sexist oaf Ruggerro (Dan Grams) and his (unbeknownst to him) Succubus girlfriend Maria (Laurie Beckeman). The scene where they get trapped in the car by the blinded zombie is a favorite, as is the scene where the eggs magically fall from the sky; signifying (at least in Ruggerro's mind) the apocalypse. Also, every scene with the alien characters (myron Erickson and Terry Madden), especially when they battle “the first living dead machine” - that was fun to shoot and to watch. Bruno (Jeff Bromley) and his Michigan Militia cohorts (Keith Zahn and Chuck Alderink) had some funny chemistry, especially when you know the actor who played Bruno is a former Navy Seal. I still get a little sad when Katriona (LaShelle Mikesell) the psychic gets killed by the zombies in the garage. The flying head sequence was a blast (Christy Mack). The Queen of the Zombies (Kathy Price) was always a hoot, on and off camera... Sorry, I just can't decide!
ZT: I saw a tagline stating "The Biggest Laughs - The Grossest Effects - The Lowest Budget", if I may ask, how much was the budget on this movies?
TB: We are a no-budget movie. We didn't raise any money at all. Everyone involved was a volunteer and provided their own costumes, make-up, props, even software and computers in the case of the technical folks involved. Of course, we had to pay for things like sausage casings and latex, but we would just do that with whatever cash we had in our pockets and go from there. We shot this movie week-to-week, shooting two-three scenes each month until it was finished; solving effects problems as they arose with whatever we had on hand. The biggest expense was hard drives to store all of the DV footage on. I probably spent $4000 on hard drives (over the 4+ year shooting schedule! - It's hard to schedule volunteers who are also soccer moms, soccer dads, soccer kids!)
ZT: How many eggs were utilized in the egg scene?
TB: Now that's something I've never been asked before! Most of the eggs weren't real eggs at all but were plastic eggs from the local hobby store. Plastic eggs are reusable! We did throw about 2-3 dozen real eggs at Ruggerro and his car (it really was his car!) but the vast majority of them were plastic, so probably 60 or so of those. There were also digital eggs falling from the sky – perhaps a million of those!
ZT: Will we be seeing any more ACME products in upcoming projects?
TB: Definitely – Looney Tunes is an uncredited inspiration!
ZT: What was one of the hardest scenes to film?
TB: Probably the scene where the dozen or so zombies are attacking Ruggerro around the trailer and at his car. Unlike most zombie movies which splatter a little blood and flour on the faces of their zombie extras and call it good, our zombies have full latex masks on ala “Burial Ground”. And once the actor put on that latex mask, it had to stay on until the shoot was done – otherwise the mask fell apart. The masks had very small eye and ear holes so there was very little air circulating into them. Also, the small ear and eye holes made it difficult to communicate with the actors. Add to that, the 80 degree weather that evening and you had a very difficult situation to direct. All that said, I think it was one of the better scenes in the movie, maybe because the actors playing the zombies really did feel near death?
ZT:What got you interested in the zombie movie genre and horror movies in general?
TB: It's funny – I started making movies when I was 8 years old. I was really into Japanese giant rubber monster movies at that time, so I was making my own versions of Gamera, etc., plopping live snapping turtles on my train board. Anyway, one afternoon I saw my first zombie movie – “Horror Express” - with Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Telly Savalas on one of those “Chiller Theater” shows. I was probably 10 years old? Well, it got me really excited to make a zombie movie, so I got my friends together and we set up this amazing miniature train wreck (which I am still amazed by today) that was going to be the source of the zombies. We got everybody all covered in blood and started filming a bunch of 8-10 year olds rising from the wreckage of the train. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I never finished that movie. I kind of think I've been purging those demons ever since!
ZT: I have to ask, were the two aliens in the movie inspired by many sci fi movies from the 50's and 60's?
TB: Actually they were inspired by characters in two very obscure episodes of Star Trek – The Original Series: “Return to Tomorrow” and “Savage Curtain”. The episodes are completely unrelated. It's fun - I've had Trek fans come up to me at conventions and tell me they recognized the homage we were paying to that great TV show.
ZT: Are there currently any plans for a third part to the Italian Zombie Movie as the trailer near the end of the mini-series teased?
TB: Yes, Part 3 is in pre-production right now. My plan is to start shooting this spring. Fortunately we've made enough money on Parts 1 & 2 that we will actually have a budget for this one (!) which will allow us to perhaps bring in a “name” actor or two and have more special effects. The good thing about Part 3 is you will not need to see Parts 1 & 2 beforehand. It starts where Part 2 leaves off, but it is an entirely new story.
ZT: What is next for you, a great director/writer?
TB: I'm nowhere near a great director/writer (hope to be someday!) but I do have more projects in the works. Part 3 is the next biggie, of course. We're already shooting effects for that one and I'm still working on the script. I am also considering entering a short horror film competition where all of the filmmakers are given the same plot, but they get to do whatever they want with it. I also have a pretty ambitious sci-fi that I've been dreaming of forever. Hopefully that will start to come to fruition once Part 3 is completed.
ZT: Would you consider yourself to be more like Ed Wood or Sam Raimi, when it comes to your approach to film making?
TB: From what I've read about both, I'm probably more like Sam Raimi. I really like to do everything when I make a movie. I write the script, pick the actors, produce the movie, direct the movie, edit the movie, write and perform the music, play some of the roles, do the effects – I love every aspect of movie making. This is what I've read Raimi was more like in his earlier years. Now that he has $100 million budgets, he delegates. I probably would still try to do everything!
ZT: What is your dream project, if you could make a movie with an unlimited budget?
TB: If I had all of the money in the world to make a movie I would remake that Japanese giant rubber monster movie classic “War of the Gargantuas”! I just loved that movie. And I would do it just like they did – with amazing miniatures, guys in rubber monster costumes, real explosions – nothing would be digital at all – I would make it a 100% homage to the amazing Japanese kaiju filmmakers!
ZT: If anybody wants to help out with your future productions how may they do so?
TB: The best way to reach me is via Facebook at “Thomas Berdinski” or “The Italian Zombie Movie”. You can also email me at diretto@italianzombiemovie.com. We’re always looking for talented, energetic people to help with our crazy movies!
As I said before, this was a very fun interview and shows just how in tune with the movie Tom is. If you haven’t yet seen this movie you can find it in our very own store by clicking here. Trust me when I say that you will not be disappointed with this movie. It is one of the next sleeper hits and is a must own if you are a fan of classically humorous and gory movies.
At the beginning of this month, we got the lead out. We unloaded everything that we knew about PvZ merchandise. In that article, there was a very interesting little tidbit from Garth Chouteau, VP of Public Relations for PopCap Games. He told us that there was no “official” merchandise on the market, other than the game and the zombie figure that came with the Game of the Year edition. That put a little damper on things, but then he went on to say that they were being overrun by companies wanting licenses to produce official goods. One of those companies may have scored a headshot.
As seen at Toy Fair 2011, Screenlife Games, makers of the hit Scene it? franchise, displayed a concept of their newest creation. According to Gamers.com, the paradigm was so fresh they didn’t even have time to get it on the brochures. Plants vs. Zombies has spread from the digital into the tangible world of paper and plastic.
The details we were able to dig up are that it will be a two to four player brawl where up to forty plant cards and eighty Zombie cards battle it out to see who will be kings of the front lawn apocalypse. The game will be played by rolling dice and drawing cards to see which Zombies will drag themselves onto the board next and which valiant photosynthesizer you may place to defend the home turf. As a twist, you’ll be able to manipulate the other players’ lawns during play, which makes the game a little more fun and a whole lot more competitive.
We’re hearing that this could hit the market as soon as autumn of this year, and there’s a more than a survivor’s chance in suburbia that we’ll have it stocked in the Z&T Toystore as soon as we can get our hands on it. We’ll see what we can work out. Until then, keep checking back and we’ll keep unearthing the details.
UPDATE: Luigi has returned from the dead to join Yoshi, Princess, and the Toads! KodyKoala has done another amazing job in bringing us this Zombie Luigi! I would say that this is possibly his best work desiccating the mushroom kingdom.
From KodyKoala:
Up for bid is a Custom Luigi Zombie Figure by Kodykoala (me!) The figure stands about 6 inches and comes with a circular stand. I used a vinyl Luigi that I picked up at the local Walmart and I drained the life out of him. This will be the last zombie that I make for a while, so grab it while you can.
Bidding is on right now at eBay. My bid is $16 (USD), which makes me the highest bidder as of this writing. You only have until February 22, 2011 18:48:48 PST to come up with the cash, so get the lemonade stand fired up and mix in that little somethin’ to keep the neighbors coming back. Get in on this before it’s too late!
On second thought, out bidding me would cost seventeen whole dollars and it is probably out of your price range. Maybe you shouldn’t check it out (please?). I wouldn’t wanna get your hopes up (right?).
“In this corner, from Raccoon City…” Resident Evil’s favorite sons face off with comic book spandex
Chad Hamilton
Fireballs? Check. Razor claws? Check. Shotgun and Desert Eagle? Double-check. Fans of the tried and tested fighting series, Marvel vs. Capcom, can now rejoice. The ultimate in pixel pounding, two-dimensional take downs is back! With newly defined graphics, over-the-top super moves and fan boys’ dream of characters, is Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (MvC3) going to rock the two worlds? Or will it doom them and the series once and for all?
With a thinly veiled storyline involving Marvel Comics’ supervillain Doctor Doom and Resident Evil’s antagonist Albert Wesker, MvC3 brings superheroes, supervillains, succubi and giant robots together in battle. While zombie fans will recall the surprisingly formidable Jill Valentine in previous incarnations, they will initially only find Chris Redfield and Wesker himself as options to play. Valentine is reported to be available later via downloadable content. Comic fans will enjoy playing as Spiderman, the Hulk, Wolverine or Captain America to name a few. Capcom players can get into the armor of Arthur from Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Ryu from Street Fighter and an ensemble of other characters from the company’s repertoire.
The graphics are beautiful. From Redfield’s ginormous biceps to Wesker’s sleek leather uniform, the look and style of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is worth pausing the game just to enjoy the look. Resident Evil fans will quickly notice the background for the level where your team of three characters must battle their opponents in the laboratory of TriCell, Resident Evil 5’s evil corporation. When combos are chained, they literally shatter the glass holding areas of Lickers crawling in the background. For that extra touch of zombie, the level of Ghosts ‘n Goblins features sharply generated undead that old school Nintendo players will recognize. The sounds are full of enough crashes, clashes and splash page effects to put players in the panels of their favorite comic book. However, many of the glib and enjoyable sound bites are lost amidst the roar of repulsor rays and flamethrowers.
Gameplay is well done. While previous versions in the series featured complicated maneuvers, MvC3 allows for some simple and quickly performed attacks. Wesker’s hyperspeed assault is good but watching Redfield unload nearly every weapon from the RE arsenal is worth saving up the combo meter. He hits the unsuspecting foe with the shotgun, several handguns and the crowd-pleasing, undead clearing rocket launcher.
Zombie factor?
MvC3 has a low zombie factor. There was initial discussion by the game’s developers to include Tyrant and Nemesis from Resident Evil’s first and third entries. However, there was concern that the nature of the monstrosities would have led to a more mature rating for the game. Hopefully, with the inclusion of Jill Valentine, the developers will also bring back her ability to summon a shambling or flaming T-virus corpse. With that having been said, MvC3 is still a worthwhile go regardless if you’re looking for brains, adamantium or a fight to the finish.
Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Release date: February 15, 2011
We are working on making some changes here at Zombies & Toys. We will be adding some content and regular features much like the weekly continuation of our zombie fiction. We are working with Web Voodoo (suiting, right?) to make ZT easier to navigate and a better resource for you, our readers. From day one, ZT has always been about bringing you the latest undead news and happenings even if it meant sending you to another zombie site to read more.
Well, now is your chance to let us know what you would like to see. A dedicated area for game news? An archive of movie reviews? Categorized links to external sources? An archive of zombie toys? Eliminate the contests? (just seeing if you were paying attention... who doesn't want free zombie stuff?) Do you prefer your updates in the current blog format? Or should we not change a thing?
This is your chance to be heard and get what you want from a site that you're a part of. Because, if you are reading this, you are a part of the Zombies & Toys community. I encourage you to email me directly at jason@zombiesandtoys.com or post a comment here. As a way to thank you for contributing your ideas, we will randomly select several comments and emails at the end of the month to win some Zombies & Toys swag as well as some other goodies we have laying around on our prize shelves!
Make sure to catch this week's installment of The Lazarus Effect by Chad Hunter...
“Mom resurrected. The reanimate turned around, reaching for us. We screamed. God, I can still hear the shouting, still feel the crushed doors that wouldn’t open…Our moth—the revenant, it crawled closer.” The officer had stepped in and replaced the man reliving the boy’s terror.
What do you get when you take a literary classic and add a spattering of zombies? What if we add a dash of ninjas and ancient martial arts? You get a re-imagining of the classic, Pride and Prejudice, written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Only now we have zombies, or “unmentionables” as they are very frequently called, take over the quaint countrysides of Regency-era England. For anybody who has read the original, you will find many similarities between this re-imaging and Jane Austin’s original.
This is a novel that essentially follows the four Bennet sisters, now trained in the ancient martial arts, and their trials and tribulations. Essentially the story begins with the sisters’ mother searching for wealthy suitors to marry her daughters. Mr. Bennet, on the other hand, spends his days training the girls to be a fearsome zombie-fighting army proficient in martial arts as well as a weapons use.
The girls are by no means tomboys either. They are civilized ladies who maintain their proper social standing who happened to be trained in zombie fighting techniques. In fact, there are even parts where the girls debate carrying a musket for defense because even though it brings safety, it is considered unladylike. This is definitely a novel where civility versus defense is a common debate.
With everything being said thus far, it is important to note that this novel's biggest downfall is that is not lite reading. PPZ still maintains the classic reading of the original and demands a lot of patience to get through. Not that this is a bad thing, but definitely worth mentioning. Grahame-Smith is definitely doing justice to the source material here and there are few disappointments. There are also some wonderfully morbid illustrations scattered throughout this great novel.
If you have the time and an interest in Victorian zombie stories that include ninjas and martial arts, then you are definitely in for a treat. There is enough presented here that truly sets this as a novel of its own and not just a rewrite of the original with the word "zombie" thrown in where necessary. This is a book that begs to be read, especially with the announcements that casting for the movie adaptation has begun. Quirk Books and Grahame-Smith have truly captured lightning in a bottle with a novel that is so well-written that many English teachers are even introducing this story into their materials. Find this book and read it when you get the chance, you will not regret it.
If you have watched a movie in the past year, you have probably noticed that Hollywood is going full force with remakes and reboots. There is now news coming from the LA Times that the Stephen King chiller, Pet Cemetery, is in the pipes to be remade. The 1989 movie was a phenomenon that left many unnerved with some very graphic images and themes. It told the tale of a zombie-raising cemetery that afflicts a family moving into small-town Maine.
Matthew Greenberg, the writer for the great adaptation of “1408” is set to turn in his script for a new version. Details, aside from this, are very limited as the plans are just starting to develop. However, there is news that executives at Paramount have put out word that at least two representatives in the agent community are seeking a high-level director for the material. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this becomes a remake along the lines of greats before such as Dawn of the Dead and doesn’t fall into obscurity like the Nightmare on Elm Street remake.
Word is starting to come out that amid a sea of remakes another is on the verge to set sail. Rob Tapert, a longtime producing partner of Sam Raimi, told the Detroit Free Press a few weeks ago that Sam Raimi is looking to remake his notorious 1981 horror film, The Evil Dead. Tapert said the Raimi “wanted to see The Evil Dead remade for a proper theatrical experience.” Details are very sketchy at this point with scripts just beginning to be looked at. This is quite a treat for fans as talk has been edging recently towards a continuation of the series onto an Evil Dead 4. Now it looks like we will see a remake with Raimi more than likely producing. Keep checking back with us as we announce the details on this story.
It’s The Devil’s Rejects meets Mythbusters when Ghostworks LLC. presents Night of the Little Dead; starring Bill Moseley, Adam Savage, Penn Jillette, James Hurley, Erica Taylor, Gary Morgan, Aye Jaye and Martin Klebba. The film will follow two big-city boys, Dave-O (Jillette) and Dan (Savage), as they travel to a small Wisconsin town to do some Dynamite Fishing. What they don’t know is that the city has buried a dark secret; a train-car full of mini cadaverous monsters who went maniacal years ago, and had to be disposed of. Long story short, an ill-placed explosive brings these fellas to the surface, where they begin their living mutiny all over again.
As for a release, Dread Central caught up with co-director Frank Ipolito and quoted him as saying, “We’d like to premiere it at (this year’s) Comic-Con, so we are going to try to meet that submission deadline. Also, we have a pretty good relationship with National Lampoon, so they may distribute it on iTunes like they did with Dracula’s Daughters vs. Space Brains.”
A quick trip over to the Comic-con International homepage shows the next con in ‘Frisco in the beginning of April, and the big show in San Diego in late July (21-24). Which show, specifically, he’s speaking of we can’t be sure. If I were a betting man, though, I’d put my chips on the July date. Don’t forget to check out the video below and head over to their Facebook page to drop them a line. Remember: it’s the little things that get ya.
If you follow the horror community you will recognize After Dark Films, the geniuses behind the Horrorfest series of movies. For the past few years they have released 4 sets of 8 movies each showcasing much of the upcoming talent in the horror world. This year they are starting a whole new set calling them the After Dark Films Originals. One of the movies being released under this series is the aptly named Re-Kill. The film was originally slated to be released alongside the other films in the series, but has now been pulled back in order to give it a mainstream theatrical release. Details aren’t available at this point as to what the exact date will be but the trailer and international poster below really shows us how great this movie will be. The plot synopsis as provided by After Dark Films is as follows:
Set five years after an outbreak, a zombie menace is supposed to be waning. But the brave men and women of R-Division, who find and destroy the undead, are seeing signs of a second Outbreak which humanity may not survive. The footage about the men and women of R-Division and their grim, dangerous but essential job of exterminating re-animated humans, was shot the week previous by an embedded journalist during a long, deadly day. Only the film survived.
Just in time for lovers’ day, artist Matt Busch is hard at work to bring us series three of his Hollywood-is-Dead line of movie poster reanimations. Series one of Busch’s work included 2009’s authorized reproductions of all six Star Wars movie posters with his “decrepit vision”. Since then, he’s created an Online gallery, Hollywood-is-Dead.com, with over 30 posters, including Scary Rotter, Toy Gory and Breakfast is Tiffany.
This time around, Busch is presenting nine new posters with a special “date movie” theme sure to please the lady in your life this time of year. Beginning February second there will be one new poster released for purchase every weekday, including Beauty and the Feast and Twilight Series: Eek Lips! The last piece of the puzzle will fall into place on February 14th.
When the time comes, take the ride on the link above and grab one of the posters for that special someone. What better way is there to say “I’m just dying to be with you” in so few words? Happy Valentines Day, you Zombie crazy lovebirds.
How have I never heard of this guy before? Meet vinyl toy artist Kody Koala, a self-proclaimed “nerd’ who spends his free time playing Nintendo and making amazing custom vinyl toys. The specific toy that brought Koala to my attention was this outstanding Zombie Yoshi toy:
Sadly, the toy was sold on Ebay and bidding ended about a month ago (again, how am I always the last to know?) the lucky winner having to shell out only 162 bucks. This is such a deal because the artist doesn’t hardly ever sell any of his stuff like this; instead focusing on refining his talents and creating a personal collection. However, this isn’t the only time he’s combined Super Mario and Zombies, two of my favorite things of all time; behold!
You can find images of most of his stuff over on his Flikr page, and I’d also recommend checking out his personal website.
Mail Order Zombie is the award-winning zombie movie podcast produced and co-hosted by Derek M. Koch, aka Brother D. Mail Order Zombie has reviewed over 280 movies since 2008. MOZ recently announced the nominees for their 3rd annual Dead Letter Awards with Zombies & Toys in the running for Best Zombie Website!
We at Zombies & Toys are honored to have been nominated. We work hard to bring you the latest news, exclusive content, and chances to win free zombie items. This is all for fun and a chance to pay it forward to you, the readers, with whom we all share this common interest. If you enjoy what we bring to you, please take a moment and vote for Zombies & Toys by following this link.
Mail Order Zombie announces the nominees for the 3rd Annual Mail Order Zombie Dead Letter Awards on February 12, 2011. Since 2009, the Dead Letter Awards have honored the previous year's best in zombie movies and media, and this year's list of nominees reflect the best in zombie entertainment from around the world. Nominated movies like La Horde (The Horde), Rammbock (Siege of the Dead) and E'gad, Zombies! join films like Zombieland, Death of the Dead and ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction in the movie categories highlight ingthe worldwide diversity of zombie cinema. In addition to film, the Dead Letter Awards also honors books, videogames, comics and zombie-specific websites, as well as individual achievement in zombie media by presenting The Shambler, a lifetime achievement award (previous Shambler recipients are George A. Romero and Tom Savini). The Fresh Meat Award is awarded to the best newcomer to the subgenre (previous Fresh Meat Award winners include Patrick Devaney, creator of the Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead television program, and Wes Young & Ryan Goff, directors of the short film Dead Exit).
The 3rd Annual Mail Order Zombie Dead Letter Awards will be announced March 10, 2011, during Mail Order Zombie #158. Bands scheduled to appear during the Dead Letter Awards ceremony include The Dead Elvi, Toxic Zombie, The Riptides, The Consortium of Genius and Buck 65.
If you were a child of the 90s or know someone who owned a Super Nintendo, you will no doubt have heard of the game, Zombies Ate My Neighbors. The tagline for the game reads, “It happened one typical night in suburbia; Two best friends amongst a sea of teenage angst battle for safety against the mysterious uprising of neighborhood zombies.” This was a game that you could play thousands of times and not get bored with. We have learned that a screenplay, written by John Darko, exists. The film is looking for financiers, although reports are suggesting that all is going well. The movie is a coming of age story that will borrow from the game. Everything points to this being an independent production. So far, Darko will be producing with April Wade and Ahmed al Baker. Look for more details soon.
Jet Black Berries have a new video available for your viewing pleasure! Many of you will recall hearing Jet Black Berries on the Return of the Living Dead movie soundtrack.
If you enjoy the video, email your name and address to jetblack@zombiesandtoys.com for your chance to win a copy of their latest CD, Ghosts. We will select one winner at the end of March.
What does it feel like to kill the same guy twice in one week? Joe Ledger knows. His swat team hits a terrorist juncture in a warehouse where all hell breaks loose. He ends up putting four men down in the sting and still manages to drag his shredded buddy, Jerry, back outside after his shield gets torn up by a Chinese QBZ-95. The strange thing about the ordeal isn’t that he had to shoot somebody. He’s Baltimore P.D. He’s used to that. It’s that there were only twelve dudes in the room when they kicked it down; but, there were thirteen when it was all over. That last guy is the only one which caught him off guard; the sicko actually tried to bite him. When thirteen makes a move for one of his partners, Ledger puts two rounds from his .45 into the guys back.
Fast forward a few days and Joe gets nabbed by three goons in suits and shades. They throw him in a car and drive him about 100 miles down the road to a building he’s never seen before. They leave him in a windowless room to wait a couple of hours and then send in the boss. Mr. Church, they call him. He’s hard as a hammer and pulls no punches. After a few minutes of interesting dialogue, and a few cookies, he gives Ledger his “audition”.
In a room similar to his interrogation room, sits a man at a table. Joe simply has to go in, subdue the guy, and walk out. Simple, yeah? Not by a long shot. The moment Ledger gets close, the man springs on him; number thirteen. The guy should be in a box buried under a nice field of fresh cut grass right now; but, he’s snappy as a spring chicken. After one of Maberry’s marque throw downs, Ledger finds out exactly what Mr. Church wants with him. There’s a new face behind global terrorism, and they’re looking to release a Prion disease, which they call Seif al Din; or, Sword of the Faithful, at a conference in D.C. The disease is a combination of fatal familial insomnia and some naturally occurring aggressive parasites which cause the dead to rise… hungry. They plan to set the world on fire and dance in the shadows of its destruction.
This book is what got me into reading Maberry. The reason I picked it up, back in ’09, is because I was in the market for a new zombie book after The Zombie Survival Guide and I’d started to hear buzz about this Jonathan Maberry dude. He’d won multiple awards, including the Bram Stoker award for best first novel, and he was an 8th degree black belt in Jujitsu. I figured I’d give him a try; It was a great decision.
Patient Zero is the first book of real-world fiction novels about Detective Joe Ledger (followed in 2010 by The Dragon Factory and in 2011 by King of Plagues). The things in the book aren’t real; but, the situations are too close to science fact to ignore. There’s even a flyleaf disclaimer at the beginning of the book to which lets readers know no matter how real it sounds, it’s not… yet. Expect violence, picturesque brutality, sexual themes, language, and everything that goes with it. Definitely not for the kids.
Sadly, Zombies are only the theme of the first book; the second dealing with Genetic Splicing and Eugenics and the third to deal with a remix of the Biblical plagues. Still, you’re gonna wanna pick these up. You won’t regret it.
Don't forget to read our review of Rot& Ruin and enter to win a copy!
