Return of the Living Dead a Retrospective

Dave Brown

Back in 1985, Dan O'Bannon had the vision to produce a sequel to Night of the Living Dead with George Romero.  The problem was that the script was seen as too violent and too much for audiences at the time.  With that in mind he put his helm behind a rewritten somewhat less controversial script.  This is a basic retelling of the background behind Return of the Living Dead.  

This has become a movie that stands as one of the pillars of zombie movie fandom right beside Night of the Living Dead or in some cases recent movies like Shaun of the Dead. There is just the right balance of violence, gore and slapstick humor.  This was the movie that gave zombies the reasoning to know what they wanted and the means with which to get it.  Compared to the Romero zombies the ROTLD zombies were more stylized and more cunning. They were more memorable and had more personality.  

Now more than 20 years later, we are starting to see a comeback.  The newest DVD release of this classic came earlier this year when it was released by Second Sight in the U.K. This release encompasses a two disc format, with the first having the feature and a small plethora of special features. Many of these include interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.  The second disc is where the real action comes in with a two hour documentary called "More Brains: A Return to the Living Dead". If you have ever wanted to know about much of the background behind the story and everything from location scouting to the zombie makeup, this is the documentary for you. Here is a little sampling of what this edition has to offer:


• MORE BRAINS! TWO HOURS OF KILLER BONUS FEATURES
A conversation with Dan O’Bannon: The Final Interview
They Won’t Stay Dead: A Look at Return of the Living Dead Part 2
A Love Beyond The Grave: A Look at Return of the Living Dead 3
Stacey Q Live: Exclusive ‘Tonight’ music video
Even More Brains: Deleted documentary interview
Return of the Living Dead in three minutes
Resurrected Settings: The Filming Locations Today
• THE ORIGINS OF RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD – with John A. Russo
• THE FX OF THE LIVING DEAD – with production designer William Stout and FX make-up artists William Munns and Tony Gardner
• PARTY TIME – with music consultant Steve Pross and 45 Grave singer Dinah Cancer

The sound and picture quality on this DVD are just amazing and as always, the story is one that is fast paced and timeless. While some of the soundtrack may be outdated, I would argue that it does nothing more than to put you in the mood for this fast paced movie. Besides who can resist a movie where one of the main zombies is "Tar-Man".  The movie is great and the special features make this a must own for any fan of great zombie movies.  If you would like to pick this up just make not that it is Region B so if you don't live in the UK then you will want to make sure you have a region free player.  This is one movie release that you will want to get your hands on today!

King of the Undead - Arthur Sudyam

We here at Zombies & Toys had the great honor of interviewing the Zombie King of Undead art, Mr. Arthur Sudyam himself. If the name isn't familiar, the work is. How do these names sound? Heavy Metal, Batman, Tarzan, Conan, Predator, Aliens, and of course, Marvel Zombies.

Zombies&Toys (ZT): Arthur Sudyam, welcome! First things first, where did the zombie legend grow up?

Arthur Sudyam (AS): The Family is a New York family that goes all the way back to the 16 00’s when the Suydams came over and fought the Indian Wars on the Hudson to establish a trading post on the Hudson , which eventually became first , New Amsterdam, then later New York. The family owned much of what is Yonkers and Brooklyn and eventually spread out a bit locally. http://www.arthursuydam.com/about/legacy/

ZT: Your art is loved especially by zombie fans. What is your artistic background?

AS: Well, I discovered the drawings of Michael Angelo and Leonardo Da Vinci early on and there was a quality in those works that really impressed and attracted me. I wanted that quality in my work. Following graduation I was offered scholarships anywhere in Jersey however I could not find a school that specialized in what I as interested in so though I was offered work at Warren Publishing ) Creepy, Eerie, VAMPIRELLA) I went right to work for their art director, Joe Orlando at DC comics and Heavy Metal in the seventies and eighties. I struggled for year on my own and am mostly self taught in most areas . Then in nineties I discovered the school I was looking for a few blocks form my apartment in the East Village ( NYC), The New York Academy of Figurative Art . The NYAFA specialized in teaching the lessons of the great Renaissance masters in an atelier setting. There I met an instructor named Randy Mellick . I shared with him my artistic goals and he recommend that I study sculpture rather than drawing or painting , which is what I did. I worked on my drawing and painting from my Uncles old Norman Rockwell workbooks and unofficially from my mentor Frank Frazetta. Now I spend a fair deal of time with continued studies , right now I am working on my portraiture and beginning landscape studies . I consider myself a lifelong student. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbUO42Nu0xM&feature=related

ZT: Great artistic footsteps to follow in! With classic inspiration, what got you started in zombies and art?

AS: I guess that would be a love of the Horror subject matter and of anatomy. I spent a fair deal of time working with cadavers at the Hunter medical University with my anatomical studies. I still draw anatomy for further study and for relaxation.


ZT: How did Marvel approach you about Marvel Zombies?

AS: In a way the concept kind of came from the fans. I had just done some spooky covers for Marvel and one of the true great talent and managers up there up Chris Allo worked with editor John Barber , two of the great minds behind Marvel Zombies. They put me together with Kirkman to work on the series.

ZT: Besides the undead premise, Marvel Zombies was known for its unique take on classic covers. What was your overall experience zombiefing some of history's great heroes?

AS: Those were all my favorite Marvel covers . I owned all those books , that is until my girlfriend's little brother stole them out of the attic and sold them for drug money. It was my real pleasure to reinvent and straighten them out in a more sophisticated realistic painted style .

ZT: Why do you feel that zombies literally refuse to die and are popular in movies, books, etc everyday?

AS: I believe because Zombies have always been with us, in religion and elsewhere, something that in a way makes them kind of safe to dabble with...The fact that they move so slow makes them less of a threat and more fun – the fact that they can be reincarnated family or friends is what provide irony and familiarity .

ZT: What's your approach when beginning to apply horror to a movie poster or comic cover?

AS: My personal contribution I believe are introducing painted comic works to the comic field and I recreating iconic visuals in a zombie universe. I ve just expanded what I did with the Marvel Zombies old covers and applied the same concept to my favorite films and historical paintings and other POP CULTURE iconic visuals . No one is safe, ( laughs).

ZT: What are your current projects?

AS: I am usually working on about 3 or four projects at a time . Right now I am working on two of my own Zombies series that I am writing and doing the interiors as well painted work , something I started long ago and have been working on for about 10 years . Also I just finished a cover for a film noir book and am working on a large ERB style trilogy project for a company out of Texas and a few other things.

ZT: What is your most favorite zombified painting so far?

AS: I don’t know that I have any one favorite. I am very fond of some of the pop icon zombie reinventions I've done, the Clint , Baby Nirvana, Lady M and Zombie Deep covers . They are all old friends and special to me .

ZT: Are you a horror fan? If so, what's your favorite zombie movie?

AS: I am a huge old school horror fan . By that I mean horror with monsters rather than slice-em -n’ -dice movies which I have no taste for at all. I don’t find human cruelty entertaining, however I do love it when a zombie gets his just deserts , as in THE Walking DEAD TVseries. I rate zombie movies in two categories , comedy like the Return of the Dead by Dan O’bannon which is my favorite funny horror movie and the Walking Dead which is my favorite serious zombie flick. I regard the series as a movie because of its sophisticated direction writing and cast.

I was planning on putting the TV set out on the curb and not watching any TV until Walking Dead came on . The only thing I watch on TV is Walking Dead and the UFC fights. No time to waste on corporate propaganda and the rest of the fodder n' filler. Too much to work to do. Too much study to get done.

ZT: Well said, Arthur. Thank you for a great opportunity. For more of your favorite heroes returned from the dead, go to www.arthursuydam.com!

Some? Most? No, All! All Zombies Must Die review

All Zombies Must Die review

Developer: Doublesix
Publisher: Doublesix
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Release date: January 4, 2011

When the inevitable zombie apocalypse hits, what will you do? Will you run and cry like the doomed souls in the movies we watch? Or will you nut up, grab a weapon and lay down some righteous fury? These are the options before All Zombies Must Die (AZMD) and its hero, Jack.

Story
Welcome to Deadhill, a small sleepy suburbia that is suddenly overrun by the shambling dead. Jack is a gamer and slowly begins to wonder if he is in a video game himself. This fact is fine by him as he puts his skills against the endless horde of undead. Along the way, Jack runs into his ex-girlfriend who would just as soon spend time with the zombies. Jack must deal with his ex while running missions to gain weapons, supplies, etc. Along the way, Jack will meet fellow corpse-fighters in his adventure. Using the appropriate bathroom, you’ll be able to switch characters.

Graphics
The cartoony look and feel of AZMD works well with the setting and tone. While cartoonish, there is a sense of creepiness to the lonesome streets, creeping and running zombies and you’re scavenging for weapons. The different types of undead do look good as everything from SWAT zombies to Workout zombies hunt you down. Spraying your enemies with gunfire, torches and sonic weapons looks fitting but the backgrounds, over time, start to look the same.

Sound
Hearing AZMD is okay. Your characters don’t talk except for word bubbles when interacting. The zombies do moan as they should and your weapons have the appropriate crack of a shotgun and roar of fire. However, beyond some funky background music, the sound in All Zombies is nothing special.

Controls
AZMD is a dual stick controlled game. Anyone remember Robotron? Well if you do, you will adapt to All Zombies Must Die quickly. You can also use the regular buttons to cycle through weapons, items and supplies. The controls offer a standard configuration to load ammunition, locate map items and check your location. There were times when it was difficult to aim, shoot and not walk into a mob of monsters.

Zombie factor?
All Zombies Must Die has an off-the-wall, off-the –chart zombie factor. It is literally full of the undead and an endless amount of them will track you all over. While you search boxes, garbage containers and busted furniture for ammo and items, you’re racing against the creeping cadaver behind you. When you’re trying to leave an area and the little robot guardian won’t let you through, you get a slight sense of survival horror.

Conclusion
Is it the best type of zombie game crawling around out there? No. AZMD eventually feels repetitive in its layout, controls and mission. Even with the inclusion of new characters and new zombie types, AZMD doesn’t stand out in one’s memory. However, is All Zombies Must Die worth playing? Yes. It’s fun. It’s simple and it offers some challenges here and there. Several in-game jokes will gain a chuckle to gamers (the Left 4 Dead reference was pretty quick-witted.) So grab your controller, load your shotgun and fill your bug-out bag. You have one mission: All Zombies Must Die.

Aaah! Zombies! Movie Review

David Brown

We all like zombie movies and/or zombie literature, that is why we are a part of this site. In all the years I have been a fan, I have asked myself, the same question that I am sure many others have asked themselves. We all know how to spot a zombie, and how to kill a zombie, but there is one question that we always ask ourselves. What is it like to live life as a zombie, how does the world appear, and how do you go through some semblance of rational day to day life? Just when I thought that I would never get a true insight into this answer, along comes Aaah! Zombies! a great black and white / color movie that aims to answer that question and more.


Unlike movies like Shaun of the Dead, or Woke Up Dead, or even Fido, we are given a comedic view of the zombie's life from the creature we care about, the zombies themselves. To set the story, Aaah! Zombies! starts by showing old government footage of doctors administering a test super soldier serum to a soldier as the head doctor explains everything. Long story short, the serum is a failure and a few orderlies get killed. We are then given a great cartoon to correspond with the classic evolution of man, except at the end of this evolution cycle is a zombie.


With the great title sequence we are given a great comedic moment as we see the doctor cover up the barrels of serum with bulk infant formula stickers. They are then put on a transport truck which crashes and gets into a bowling aley's milk supply.  The milk, which appears neon green, and is the only color in a black and white film.  At this point, the milk is used to make some ice cream which two guys and their girlfriends eat and thus become zombies.  From here, the world shifts from black and white to technicolor and they see that the world is different.

Everything sounds odd and people seem to move very differently; Almost twice the speed that they do. They are unsure of what is going on until a military Private shows up to help them as he sees that they are having the same experience that he is. Without going into anymore details, I can say that the movie continues to what would be considered a happy ending and has lots of comedy along the way. There are limbs that come off, taking heads, and even dancing zombies celebrating after a bowling win.


The movie does a great job of showing the two worlds. The perspective of the zombies perfectly mingles with that of the humans.  The only humans who can understand the zombies and not freak out are the drunk ones. The acting is top notch in this movie and the story moves along very quickly. The only downfall of this film is that it ends. There are some great moments shown in this movie and I can honestly say that I have no complaints. If you love zombie movies and a good laugh, then look no further than Ahhh! Zombies!. This is a great movie that you will just want to eat up and watch multiple times to get all the leftovers.