Friday, September 29, 2006

Zombie Dove

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Click the image to watch the Zombie Dove!

From HuffPost's Contagious Festival:

Peace is back!

And it’s pissed! No warmonger is safe anymore.

In the battle for peace, Zombie Dove will be ruffling more than feathers.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Zombie Rights March Protested by Pirates

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From BoingBoing:
The zombies' signs in the march included badly spelled slogans such as "Mairage = 1 Zombie + 1 Zombie", "More Binifits for Zombie Vets in Our Necronomoconomy", "Brains...The Other White Meat", "We're here, we're dead, get used to it!" and "Zombies Was People Too." The zombies, shouting "What do we want? Brains! When do we want them? Brains!" was unhindered by a group of pirates protesting the undead's demands for their rights.
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This totally made my morning...

No Zombie Rats for VooDoo Vince

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From Kotaku:

Ton of Clay is the blog of gamedev Clayton Kauzlaric, creator of Voodoo Vince and Total Annihilation. It's been up since August, but I've just today had my attention drawn to it by friend Stickypig, a firm admirer of Vince.

As with most gamedev blogs, this one deals mostly with the trials and tribulations of birthing a game at all, and specifically with the artist's darlings that ended up cut and mourned:

Ah, flaming zombie rats. We hardly knew ye. These were probably my favorite concept among the first generation of monsters we created for Voodoo Vince. They sort of floated around the French Quarter moaning and farting little fireballs. They were eventually cut and replaced with the Bomber Beetles. They were charming, in a bizarre sort of way, but were too lackluster and sad once we saw them in action.

Also cut was a zombie riverboat, complete with undead salty captain.

Bummer...

Soldiers of the Dead

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From Fango:
...what can readers expect from SOLDIERS OF THE DEAD? “A kick-ass military horror-actioner,” says Fusco, “with all the inherent characteristics of a siege film. A group of highly trained soldiers must find ways to repel the relentless attacks of a seemingly unstoppable enemy, while trying to find a means of escape.” More specifically, the comic is set in 1994 Haiti, where a squad of Green Berets sent on a PREDATOR-esque rescue mission to find a missing team encounter the secretive Bizango Voodoo sect. “[They are] feared for their practice of the dark arts, using zombification as a means of control of anyone who disturbs them,” says the writer. “Overrun, the Green Berets are forced to seek shelter down inside the villagers’ communal burial crypt. Here the dead are risen—not virally, but spiritually, which means ‘head shots’ don’t count. The soldiers must then try and find a way out through a labyrinth of passages while under siege by the creatures.”

Revenant's Writing Competition

From John Reppion:
How would you like to be a reporter for Revenant Magazine? How would you like some free zombie goodies? Read on!

We've got a pair of tickets for Max Brooks' Film Festival of the Living Dead (Barbican, London Nov 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th) but no-one to report on the event for us (sadly, I can't attend). What are we supposed to do? Give them away!

If you think you've got what it takes to be the Revenant correspondent at the event then we want to hear from you.

We would like all interested parties to write a short piece (200 words max) about why they feel they are the best person for the job and post it here in this thread.

FD and I will pick out the star candidate and he or she will be heading over to the film festival wearing a free Revenant t-shirt and with a free copy of World War Z (courtesy of Duckworth Publishers) under their arm. The tickets will also entitle the winner to attend a question and answer session with WWZ author Max Brooks, so you'd better think of some original questions to ask him too.

All entrants must be over 18 years of age, able to make their own way to and from the events in London, UK and must be prepared and have the necessary equipment to provide a full report on the event (including photographs, if possible).

The closing date for entries is Halloween 2006.

Permuted Press Stuff!

Win a copy of Down the Road:
Homepage of the Dead and Permuted Press have teamed up to give away 2 copies of Bowie Ibarra's zombie novel Down the Road: Special Edition. Follow the link below and answer the super-simple question to be entered in the drawing!
Last chance for Twilight of the Dead pre-order specials:
Just a quick reminder that the pre-order period for our special edition of Travis Adkin's novel Twilight of the Dead special edition will be ending October 1. Only those who order during the pre-order period receive the free companion guide and a bookplate signed by the author. It's also your last chance to grab Twilight as a combo with David Moody's phenomenal new book of a world gone mad Hater and get 15% off both books! Though we're still in the "pre-order" phase orders are shipping immediately so don't miss out.

RE: Extinction Pushed Back Again

From Bloody-Disgusting:
Sony Screen Gems has just announced that they've pushed back the release date of Resident Evil: Extinction even further! Originally announced for a September 7, 2007 release, Russell Mulcahy's film will now hit theaters September 21st. Milla Jovovich is back as Alice, and she's running with a new pack of humans, leading a caravan that's cutting through the Nevada desert on a long trek to Alaska. Hunted by the minions of the perpetually scheming Dr. Isaacs, Alice has zombies hungry for her flesh (once again) and lab rats hungry for her blood -- while Alice is hungry for only one thing: revenge.

New Rage Trailer

From Fango:
It’s been reported around elsewhere, but just in case you haven’t caught it, director Robert Kurtzman let us know that a new trailer for his movie THE RAGE has gone on-line; you can check it out here. THE RAGE stars Andrew (WISHMASTER) Divoff as a crazed scientist whose experiments with an anger virus cause both humans and vultures to become bloodthirsty monsters; scripted by Kurtzman and John Bisson, it also stars Erin (SICK GIRL) Brown, and you can meet all three at our East Coast Weekend of Horrors convention, this Friday-Sunday at the Meadowlands Crowne Plaza in Secaucus, NJ. Check out THE RAGE’s official website, with lotsa pics and info, here.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Diary of the Dead to be Shot in Ontario

From MoviesOnline:
According to our insider "Diary of the Dead" will be shooting in Ontario, Canada. You will recall that "Land of the Dead" filmed in Toronto, Canada. After "Land of the Dead", which was a major studio movie he made with Universal, the director told his production partner Peter Grunwald that he was frustrated working within the system and wanted to make another independent zombie movie, the first one in 20 years. "I was trying to convince Peter we could just run off and do it ourselves."
THR says the story will follow a group of college students shooting a horror movie in the woods who stumble upon a real zombie uprising. When the onslaught begins, they seize the moment as any good film students would, capturing the undead in a "cinema verite" style that causes more than the usual production headaches.
The movie will be produced by Romero-Grunwald Productions together with Artfire Films. Worldwide sales rights have been picked up by Voltage Pictures and the production is set to begin on October 11th in Toronto. Great news. I just wonder what will happen to the other projects George Romero is involved in, like "From a Buick 8" and "Solitary Isle" and the podcast "Zombisodes". Well, who cares, the master is back directing a Zombiemovie.

Resident Evil 4 News

From MoviesOnline:
Recently, IGN did some investigating into the rumors regarding "Resident Evil 4." The possible involvement of Ackles in the project was initially reported by Moviehole.net and subsequently by SciFiWire. IGN has stated they have learned via contacting Ackles representatives that they are unaware of any such association between the "Supernatural" star and a potential fourth "Resident Evil" film. However, I do have a correction to make. Apologies, but the title is as of yet unknown and is not in any way confirmed to be "Afterlife."

Otherwise, how Ackles' name first became connected to the project at all may just be wishful thinking or a perceived resemblance, as both fans of the star and game have made such observations (prior to this rumor getting off the ground) regarding similarities between Ackles' other characters and the character of Leon Kennedy. Though this will most likely end up another wild casting rumor as is so common in Hollywood, I still hold that Ackles would be an ideal contender for the role.

Automaton Transfusion Tickets

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From Bloody-Disgusting:
Not only do we have some major news for you people following Steven C. Miller's (interview) independent zombie masterpiece, Automaton Transfusion (review), but we've got TICKETS to the World-f-cking-Premiere! If you click here you'll be the first set of eyes to check out Miller's film at this year's Screamfest Horror Film Festival on October 18th at the Mann Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood, CA!! In addition we've been given some really amazing news ragarding the film, which can be found inside. Read on for the news and get your tickets now, they're gonna sell out fast.

Gay Zombie Movie Wins Audience Award in Baton Rouge

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From 247 Gay.com:
(Seattle, WA) -- Feature-length horror spoof Creatures from the Pink Lagoon has been awarded the Audience Choice Award at the Q2 Baton Rouge Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

Creatures from the Pink Lagoon is an irreverent mash-up of gay male melodrama and B movie madness, in which a plucky young sissy's idyllic birthday weekend is crashed by a group of libidinous gay men - turned into ravenous flesh-eating zombies by toxic mosquitoes at a cruisy highway rest stop.

Read more...

From CFTPL MySpace:

In a small town in 1967, plucky young sissy Phillip (Nick Garrison) is about to celebrate his birthday at the beach cottage owned by his best friend Stan (Lowell Deo). All of Phillip's friends are gathered for the festivities, including Stan's hunky-but-impulsive boyfriend Billy (Vincent Kovar), Billy's shy, nerdy cousin Joseph (Evan Mosher), and Randall (Philip D. Clarke), the chain-smoking, bitter queen of the bunch. Meanwhile, a horde of libidinous gay men -- turned into ravenous flesh-eating zombies by toxic mosquitoes at a cruisy highway rest stop -- are making their way towards our oblivious celebrants, eating every man in their path. With body parts washing up on shore and party guests disappearing, our heroes must find a way to stop the zombie onslaught. Will Stan keep the rotting corpses out of his spotless home? Will Joseph work up the courage to declare his love for Phillip? Can Billy keep it in his pants long enough to stay alive? And is Phillip's cheating boyfriend coming to the party to save them, or to eat them? No one is safe in this campy mix of classic B horror flicks and pre-Stonewall gay melodramas!

Rue Morgue's Double Halloween Issue

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From Bloody-Disgusting:
This Halloween Rue Morgue celebrates the inimitable Lucio Fulci via an exclusive interview with Antonella Fulci, his daughter and guardian of his estate. Plus: A Fulci filmography, a guide to his gory set pieces, an interview with composer Fabio Frizzi and more!
Click here for more...

House of Re-Animator Details

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From Bloody-Disgusting:
Dread Central got in touch with Brian Yuzna who tells them, "We are working on getting the script to House of Re-Animator. Halcyon is organizing the financing and presales."

He goes on to state that while we’ve only been hearing about the idea of Herbert West in the White House for a few years now, it’s actually much older than that; "The idea for West in the White House began as the concept for the first sequel, Bride of Re-Animator." he explained. "It took place during the Reagan years and picked up directly where the first movie left off and include a re-animated Meg. In the past few years Stuart Gordon has gotten very enthusiastic about the House idea and he and Dennis Paoli came up with a completely different version, which is funny and outrageous as well as being pretty gory."

Though most fans enjoyed the last film, Beyond Re-Animator, for it’s over-the-top gore and somewhat ridiculous situations, one thing was noticeably absent; the presence of West’s long-suffering sidekick, Dan Cain. "House incorporates what to me is the most important element of a further Re-Animator story, which is resolving the conflict between Dan Cain and Herbert West," he continued. "Bruce Abbott has been very supportive and I think he might enjoy having Cain go mano a mano with West."

BD's Automaton Transfusion Interview

From Bloody-Disgusting:
You guys asked for it, you guys got it... the first ever interview with Steven C. Miller, the Writer/Director of the most talked about independent film in years- Automaton Transfusion (review), which will have its World Premiere Wedmnesday, October 18th at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival (more info here). In the $30,000 film three teens find themselves in a town over run with zombies. Deciding to fight back, they go on a punch you in the throat, action packed, non stop ride through the city, woods, and schools. Click the link above for amazing stories on how the film was made, and what Steven has planned for us next. Visit their official website for the trailer.

ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES!

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From Fango:
First-time filmmaker Jason Murphy gave Fango the scoop on his currently filming horror/comedy tentatively titled ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES!—and for those genre fans who have grow wearisome of the “reanimated corpse” genre due to the current glut, the producer and director wishes to re-spark your interest. “I love strippers, and I love zombies, and I love Fango!” says Murphy, “So the basic premise of the film is ‘strippers vs. zombies!’ ”

The script by newcomer Tony Giordano revolves around “A drug-cure experiment gone wrong which produces a league of bloodthirsty zombies who attack a gentleman’s club, and the small band of exotic dancers trapped inside who must fight back.” Murphy says of his cast, “We have some of the hottest women on the planet, a few of whom have been featured in publications such as FHM, Maxim and Playboy!”

Lensing in Orlando, Florida, the $200,000 production has tapped FX artist Rick Gonzales, whose previous work includes this year’s zombie opus AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION and 1985’s DAY OF THE DEAD (as makeup assistant) to handle the grue. “ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES! is the working title, but we are most likely going to change it to the snappier CRACK WHORE ZOMBIES!” adds Murphy. You can check out the project’s MySpace page here.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Operation Flashpoint: Zombie Pack 3

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From OFP info:
The Farmland Mod has finaly released the Zombie Pack 3 on the BI Forums.
  • Female and Male Zombies with various faces
  • Res,East an West Soldier Zombies
  • skeletons
  • Single Bones
  • corpsed
  • various destroyed vehicles
  • Spawn Zombies and many new sound effects
  • Agnes Quill: Zombie Lovetrap

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    From Slave Labor:
    Agnes Quill is the story of a teenage detective, the haunted city she lives in, the strange cases she solves, and the ghosts who help, hinder, or just plain annoy her. Set in Legerdemain—a congested, fog-filled, cobblestone-paved Victorian city built around a cemetery the size of Central Park—Agnes’ adventures include confrontations with trapped spirits, cursed souls, possessed relatives, disappearing pets, decapitated scientists, ambitious zombies, and a mess of other supernatural oddities. Written by Dave Roman, and featuring stories illustrated by Jason Ho, Jen Wang, Jeff Zornow, and Eisner nominee, Raina Telgemeier. For more about Agnes Quill, read the press release.

    When Zombies Attack!

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    From Fango:

    Publisher Joe Venegas gave Fango the scoop and cover art on the upcoming comic-book release WHEN ZOMBIES ATTACK!! #2 (of a planned four-part series), due on shelves this November from Red Maverick Publishing. Based on the popular short film of the same name (a spoof of reality TV and undead films; see our item here), the comic features cover art by Mike Huddleston, story art by HELLBOY movie alumnus Simeon Wilkins and story by WZA!! creators Matt Rose and Chad Waters.

    “The second issue takes the comic series to a whole different level,” Venegas tells Fango. “[It’s now] full-color and packed with extras, and for the first time anywhere, fans will get an inside look into the files of the P.M.A.C.”—Post Mortem Animation Control, the group tasked with rounding up the unruly undead.


    Read more...

    Wednesday, September 13, 2006

    Hellgate: London

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    From PC News:
    If ever there was a game that will draw gasps of recognition from those who have to commute to work in the capital every day, it's Namco-Bandai's Hellgate: London. Except that you're more likely to encounter office zombies than the fire-spurting demons featured in the game. Still, if you've just fought the hordes to reach your desk in a stressed state, these spanking new screenshots might afford some consolation.

    One thing they demonstrate about the Flagship-developed action-RPG is the shield system, which allows players to deflect those flaming demon attacks. Meanwhile, it has emerged that a company called Online Game Services Inc (OGSi) will take care of Hellgate: London's online game hosting. As yet, the game has no firm release date, beyond a rather nebulous "2007".

    Minneapolis Zombie Pub Crawl Results

    From StarTribune:
    Saturday evening, he joined a horde of blanch-faced undead who stumbled through the streets of northeast Minneapolis for the second annual Zombie Pub Crawl. Arms outstretched they moaned, "Brains!" in between intelligible spats of, "Ggnnaaaghh!" But despite their best attempts to pry into cars paralyzed at intersections, scale homes and run down human prey, it was beer -- not brains -- they feasted upon as part of the festivities.
    Read more...

    People Dig on Fido

    From cinematical:
    I had two highly anticipated screenings tonight. The first was Fido, better known around TIFF as "you know, that Canadian zombie flick that's kinda like Shaun of the Dead." The film, which stars Carrie-Anne Moss and Billy Connolly, is a fable about a tiny town permastuck in the 1950s. Space dust fell onto earth years back, causing all the dead to rise, becoming hungry, flesh-eating zombies, until Zomcom came along and invented a zombie collar that makes the zombies placid and obedient. The zombies have become a slave-worker class, doing all the crap work no one else wants to do. Full review to come on this one, but it was sure a crowd pleaser at its premiere. The audience was laughing so hard around me I almost missed some lines a few times, and at the end there was much whooping and hollering.
    Another article:

    FIDO resurrects zombie genre in Canadian film

    First Review of Automaton Transfusion

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    At Bloody-Disgusting:
    I’m always waiting for that piece of pie that not only looks good, but also tastes good and sits well with me throughout the day. Steven C. Miller’s directorial debut, AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION, is that delicious slice of fresh, creamy goodness that I’ve had a sweet tooth for. If there was a zombie movie to compare this to, I’d say Danny Boyle’s 28 DAYS LATER – you excited yet?
    Read the rest here...

    Exclusive Day Remake Pics

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    From Fango:
    Screenwriter Jeffrey (FINAL DESTINATION) Reddick gave Fango a look at a zombie victim (above) and some of the ghouls themselves (below) from the DAY OF THE DEAD remake that recently wrapped in Bulgaria. “These are exclusive first pics from the film,” Reddick tells us. “I’m not counting those crappy makeup tests that found their way on-line.” Steve (HOUSE) Miner directed the new DAY, with Ving Rhames (from the 2003 DAWN remake, but playing Captain Rhodes here), Mena Suvari, Nick Cannon, Michael Welch, Annalynne McCord and Stark Sands starring; NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD 3D’s Dean and Starr Jones created the makeup FX. Look for Reddick’s exclusive two-art DAY journal, covering the project’s evolution and his own stint as a ghoul, on this site beginning this week.
    Go to Fango for a couple more...

    Win Free Copy of Down the Road

    From Creature Corner:
    We had a great response to the contest for Permuted Press' Twilight of the Dead- so they were kind enough to host another book giveaway for us.

    The book this time is another zombie novel entitled Down the Road. Written by Bowie Ibarra, it tells the story of a man whose life gets a little more complicated because of zombies....and FEMA.

    George Zaragoza just wanted to go to work and teach. But now he must face a horrific new reality: reanimated corpses attacking and devouring the living, federal agencies and military run amok, and an unpredictable civilian population surviving on their own terms.

    Southbound I-35 was once the road he took to work. Now it is a bloody trail of bodies, wreckage, and woe standing in George's way. But before George can get home, he must come face to face with a ghost from his past, a vicious truth that could prove to be his undoing.

    Can George survive the obstacles on southbound I-35, FEMA and Homeland Security, and the army of flesh-eating zombies on the verge of exterminating humanity as he travels down the road?

    We've got 2 copies for you lucky bastards- who only have to answer this simple question-

    Zombies attack! You've got to get out of your home- fast. What's the one thing you grab and where do you head?

    Send your answers HERE with your full name and mailing address. Good luck!

    For more info on the book (including an excerpt) check out its official site.

    Free Zombie Fiction!

    From Permuted Press:
    Permuted Press is sponsoring David Dunwoody's new zombie serial novel title EMPIRE! New chapters will be posted twice per week. There are 4 chapters available so far so why not head over and get caught up right now?!

    http://www.empirenovel.com

    Here's a plot teaser to whet your appetite:
    ---
    A century years after the zombie outbreak began, Jefferson Harbor is barely clinging to existence. The fractured U.S. government has withdrawn all aid from the coastal city, leaving its survivors at the mercy of the undead outside their walls - not to mention the psychopaths within. The Harbor is about to discover that everything they believed about zombies is wrong, and only a forgotten spectre lurking in their midst can return the dead to the grave.
    ---

    Be sure to sign up for the mailing list while you're there to be reminded when new chapters are posted!

    Friday, September 08, 2006

    Zombie Pub Crawl - Minneapolis - Tomorrow!

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    From Star Tribune:
    Swarming zombies have raised their profile of late, after the arrest of a little zombie fun group on a light-rail platform in July. That run-in with the law should give this year's second annual Zombie Pub Crawl in northeast Minneapolis a little more, um, excitement. 'Cause, man, there ain't nothing like the sight of a hundred waste-oids walking up your boulevard. Here's the gist: All zombie bar-goers will meet at 3 p.m. in Logan Park (corner of Broadway and Jefferson Streets) for the "undeading" (touching up any last-minute changes to zombie costumes). At 4 p.m., the horde will begin the crawl, crashing such bars as the 331 Club, Mayslack's, Jimmy's and Stasiu's. There'll be zombie specials at each. The roaming will end at Spring Street Tavern for Zombie-oke and live bands. For more info and zombie requirements, go to www.zombiepubcrawl.com.

    RE/Biohazard Commemorative Stamps

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    From Joystiq:
    In honor of Biohazard's tenth anniversary (though that was technically March 22), Capcom's beloved horror franchise has been honored with commemorative stamps in Japan. The stamps feature Rebecca Chambers, Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Ada Wong, Leon Kennedy. Also shown are stamps featuring the Biohazard logo and the S.T.A.R.S. insignia.

    We know Biohazard (which goes by the name Resident Evil in the US, maybe you've heard of it) is a hugely successful franchise, but is it worthy of stampage? We know Mario has been immortalized by Japan in stamp form, but what about Sonic the Hedgehog, who celebrated his 15th anniversary this year? Maybe his relevance has whithered as the years go by ...

    Congratulations to Capcom for receiving such a flattering, albeit peculiar, honor.

    Papuwa: Zombie Samba

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    From Krazy Gamers:
    If you enjoyed the first volume of Papuwa, then you will be happy to know that the next volume will be heading to stores within a month. On October 3, ADV Films will be releasing Papuwa: Zombie Samba. Its Volume 2 of a six series set that has gotten rave reviews on its hilarity.

    You can read up more on Papuwa: Zombie Samba below with the included description:

    There goes the neighborhood! The crazy creatures on Papuwa Island are preparing for the annual Obon festival, where their undead ancestors return to life for a giant zombie dance party. Unfortunately, Liquid’s old war buddies, the Special Battle Unit, have come to crash the party, kidnap Kotaro and send everyone’s grandparents back to their graves. If that wasn’t enough, The Ganma Army has sent reinforcements to reclaim their boss’ son -- even if it means restoring his memories and destroying Papuwa Island. Plus, the dastardly Shinsengumi have show up and aim at nothing short of Kotaro’s demise. Island life with never be the same for Papuwa and his friends. Zombies, samurai and towering bearded women await in the second, side-splitting volume of Papuwa.

    Fido's Connolly Feature

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    From The Star.com:
    Connolly admits that, "I had no knowledge of the zombie genre when I was asked to do the film, but I read the script and I loved it, so away I went. I played him as a guy, not a zombie. Just a guy who can switch from a loving, caring being to a cannibalistic death machine in the twinkling of an eye."
    Read the whole thing here...

    Already a Diary of the Dead?

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    From Creature-Corner:
    News broke a couple of weeks ago about Romero's new film- Diary of the Dead, and while most were surprised that he wasn't doing one of the many films he's already been attached to, the film being described as Night of the Living Dead meets The Blair Witch intrigued everyone.

    Strange thing is that the film has already been made... sort of.

    We were recently contacted by Michael Bartlett, director of The Zombie Diaries- which is set for release on October 28th. It does indeed sound very similar to Romero's idea..

    We wrote the script in spring 2005 and went into production June of that year. The film was inspired by a film called EVER SINCE THE WORLD ENDED which played at the Raindance Film Festival in October 2001. The idea behind that film was that a documentary crew make a film about the world after it has been ravaged by a virus - they show how people have survived and adapted.

    I really liked the idea and think most good DV films take advantage of DV as opposed to trying to make it look like film. The immediacy of OPEN WATER really worked in its favour. However I wanted to make a horror and Kevin was a horror nut who has just completed a horror feature (THE UNSEEN).

    Thus Kevin and I wrote the film about three groups of survivors. Instead of making it a 'documentary' we felt the BLAIR WITCH format worked better - i.e. people trying to hurridly document what they could for posterity. We saw a lot of areas that could be improved with this format too. For example, our film has music (which seems initially counter-intuitive but works a treat) and does not have annoying sequences with characters constantly arguing with each other. We also broke the story up and shot in Pulp Fiction style. It jumps across timelines and stories and does a pretty neat job at keeping the viewer's attention, which we felt one single story
    wouldn't achieve.

    A lot of work went into making this a believable world- as you can tell by the trailer. It definitely seems like the film has that documentary feel down pat, with a little Blair Witch thrown in for good luck. Hopefully the rest of the film will have the same bleak look, as this is definitely an interesting concept.

    Behind the Scenes Footage from Grind House

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    From Bloody-Digusting:
    If you head on over to KXAN you can check out some awesome behind-the-scenes video from the set of WeinsteinCo.'s Grind House, which is in its second half of production. Right now Quentin Tarantino's "Death proof" is shooting in Austin, Texas. Hitting theaters April 6th, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez each will direct a feature length horror tale including fake movie trailers in between both movies. Rodriguez's part, "Project Terror," will be a zombie pic, while Tarantino's section, "Death Proof," will be a slasher seg featuring an indestructible car. Freddy Rodriguez, Rose McGowan, Marley Shelton, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Michael Parks, the Black Eyed Peas' Stacy Ferguson, Josh Brolin will star in Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror."

    Wednesday, September 06, 2006

    Zombie!

    Zombie Scholarship

    From ZD Net:
    These days, physicists are often looking at scientific inconsistencies associated with strange creatures appearing in the movies. As an example, in 'Physics proves horror movies get it wrong,' ABC Science Online reports that some researchers have searched if ghosts, vampires and zombies could be more than Hollywood fantasy. Their conclusion is pretty straightforward. The idea of ghosts and vampires is inconsistent and contradictory with simple maths and physics. And the idea of zombies, if it relies on real cases, is simply a misrepresentation of criminal acts.

    For more information about zombies and 'zombiefication,' a crime in Haiti equivalent to murder, you should read this technical paper, "Ghosts, Vampires and Zombies: Cinema Fiction vs Physics Reality." Here are two links to the abstract and to the full paper (PDF format, 11 pages, 293 KB, August 5, 2006).

    Zombies are on Page 7.

    Swarmwatch

    From News 10 Now:
    If you want breaking news about the zombie hoards that are munching their way across the USA, go to www.swarmwatch.com. This faux news website is a marketing ploy made for the upcoming Xbox 360 video game Dead Rising.

    The site works because it plays more like Shaun of the Dead than Dawn of the Dead. Take the lead story on the Swarm Watch site, which is about the President's upcoming visit to the fictional town of Willamette, Colorado, and the trail of raw beef and pig parts that local police used to lure 30 percent of the zombie population away from town.

    Ken Foree Live Chat!

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    From Dead-Central:
    Well I've mentioned it before and here it is , the very first LIVE Q & A chat with Ken.

    This will happen on Friday, Sept 8th at 10 pm est (7pm west coast time)!

    What you need to do ... :

    Register at the forums if you haven't already Kens Forum

    update your flash player at the Adobe.com website or click this link:
    http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/downl...promoi d=BIOW

    Make sure you DO NOT have your pop up blockers on or you won't be able to access the chat room.

    SHOW UP !!

    Thats it... then ask Ken whatever questions you can think of ..

    I'll also be posting this on Kens forum so check there for any updates .

    First Clip from Fido

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    From Bloody-Disgusting:
    I wonder when Lionsgate is going to release that interesting looking zombie pic Fido? Last week we scored the first batch of official stills from the pic (here) and now if you head on over to MSN you can watch a clip from the film, which stars Billy Connolly, Henry Czerny, Carrie-Anne Moss, Peter Stormare, K'Sun Ray, Tim Blake Nelson and Dylan Baker. We'll keep you posted as we hear more, but I'm guessing an April '07 release isn't out of the question. Welcome to Willard, a small town lost in the idyllic world of the '50s, where the sun shines every day, everybody knows their neighbor, and rotting zombies carry the mail.

    The Rage Wraps

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    From Fango:
    Director Robert Kurtzman sent along the news the principal photography has been completed on his new feature THE RAGE, and gave Fango the first look at a bunch of new photos (see more below). “We just wrapped our four-week shoot this weekend and it went great!” Kurtzman says of THE RAGE, which he wrote (with John Bisson) and produced (with his wife Anne, Bisson, Matt Jerrams and Gary Jones) through his Precinct 13 Entertainment company. “We had an awesome cast and crew who busted their asses to help make this film a standout production. We spent several weeks out in the wilderness shooting at a waterfall and on deep-woods locations for the majority of our action sequences. Then we moved onto our stages for the interior shoot. All the major sets were built at P13’s stage as well as at several practical locations in and around Crestline, Ohio, my home town were P13 is located.”

    Monday, September 04, 2006

    Zombie: Perfect Video Game Enemy

    From Joystiq:

    The net's full of debate about the perfect game protagonist (ninjas, pirates, or robots?) but too little real debate about what makes the perfect in-game enemy.

    In comments on yesterday's post about upcoming Xbox 360 (Japan) zombie stomper Oneechanbara, Joystiq reader Gimbal posited that risen corpses may well be the ideal enemy: "Zombies, like Nazis, are the perfect enemy for video games." Zatso? What makes a perfect enemy anyway?

    The perfect enemy is...

    Megan Burns goes Goth

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    From Reuters/Billboard:

    LONDON (Billboard) - In Danny Boyle's acclaimed 2002 horror film "28 Days Later," teenage actress Megan Burns took on a population of British zombies.

    Four years later, the now-20-year-old Burns has turned to the dark side herself, reinvented as goth/pop artist Betty Curse, inspired by the Cramps, Nick Cave and the Cure.

    With an enthusiastic press already on board, UK audiences are getting an early chance to see Curse and her three-piece band during an August club tour. September support shows with U.S. horror rock act Wednesday 13 will follow.

    Curse is signed to Island Records, which has already issued two UK singles, "Excuse All the Blood" (May 29) and "God This Hurts" (August 21). A third single, "Girl With Yellow Hair," is due in November.

    The singer's debut album, "Hear Lies Betty Curse," will be released October 30 online in the UK, appropriately close to Halloween. A physical UK release is due in January 2007, with international plans being finalised.

    Island Records UK marketing manager Sarah Boorman says Curse is "targeted directly at the 14- to 18-year-olds who want a more feisty feminine alternative to the current trend towards emo-rock."

    Glasgow Philips Interview: Wanted Undead or Alive

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    From Blogcritics.org:
    In Wanted: Undead or Alive, a Union soldier on the lam and a cowboy with nothing left to lose make the mistake of crossing paths with a corrupt sheriff by the name of Claypool. Teaming up with Geronimo's "sexy niece" (played by Navi Rawat) for help, they also have to contend with Geronimo's curse, which is causing an unusual amount of nasty zombies to crop up and get in their way. I had a chance to talk with director Glasgow Philips.

    Read the interview...

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    World War Z Preview on iTunes

    From Creature Corner:
    Update! If you have iTunes you can download a free preview of this in the music store. It's alright- but for something that's supposed to be an interview it comes off much more like they're doing a reading. Thanks to Gatorboy on the messageboard for pointing this out.

    Diary of the Dead - Possible Straight-To-DVD Release

    From Bloody-Disgusting:
    Diary will be going back to the time of the initial outbreak, according to Dread Central.

    "I wanted a new set of characters and have them deal with these events as they first come," says Romero. "I also want to deal with things from a very different perspective." Romero continues, "I want to do this from a subjective kind of view with no music. You know, something really raw... so it's kind of a stylistic experiment, a low budget, under the radar kind of thing that's just sort of from the heart."

    But here's the shocker, Romero is more interested in releasing in a direct-to-video capacity instead of theatrically, although that might happen as well, DC writes.

    More 28 Weeks Later Casting News

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    From Fango:
    Variety reports that a number of actors have been cast in Fox Atomic and DNA Films' 28 WEEKS LATER, joining DAHMER's Jeremy Renner (whose casting we reported on here). Starring in the sequel to 28 DAYS LATER will be RAVENOUS' Robert Carlyle (pictured), Rose Byrne (from SUNSHINE, the upcoming sci-fi thriller by DAYS director Danny Boyle), Catherine (A SOUND OF THUNDER) McCormack, Harold (LOST) Perrineau, Imogen Poots, Idris (THE REAPING) Elba and new 12-year-old actor Mackintosh Muggleton. The movie, in which the repopulation of the decimated London is thrown into chaos by a new outbreak of the rage virus, just began rolling at the British city's Three Mills studio, with Juan Carlos (INTACTO) Fresnadillo directing from a script by Rowan Joffe.

    Friday, September 01, 2006

    World War Z Audiobook

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    From Fango:
    Random House has announced that it will release an audiobook version of WORLD WAR Z on September 12, to tie in with the publication of Max Brooks’ book under the Crown imprint the same day. Brooks’ novel, a follow-up to his popular ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE, is a “first-hand account” of a Zombie War that decimates mankind, as told by both civilian and military survivors who recount their varied battles with hordes of the walking dead. The author himself voices The Interviewer in the five-CD, six-hour adaptation, which also features a number of major actors lending their vocal talents. Among them are John Turturro and Jurgen Prochnow, who have genre experience from FEAR X and HOUSE OF THE DEAD respectively; other contributors include Henry (WRONG TURN 2) Rollins, Mark Hamill, Alan Alda, Carl and Rob Reiner (!) and many others. The WORLD WAR Z audiobook will retail for $29.95; see Fango #257, on sale in mid-September, for an interview with Brooks about the novel. And catch Brooks at the East Coast Fango con (see www.creationent.com for details).

    Diary of the Dead Script Review

    From Flixens:
    Hi everyone, Nina here. We've had a lot of zombie news in recent days, and today is no different. Below is an EXCLUSIVE preview piece where Leather Lass and Jenny From Canada double-team George A. Romero's upcoming Diary of the Dead script. Now before you go jumping ahead to feed your insatiable appetite for all things zombie, be forewarned... there be SPOILERS ahead.
    READ REVIEW...

    First Images of Ashanti in RE: Extinction

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    From Bloody-Disgusting:
    Today B-D reader RA was nice enough to send in some screen shots of MTV's coverage from the set of Sony Screen Gems' Resident Evil: Extinction, which unfortunately doesn't hit theaters until September 7, 2007. The pictures are crappy quality but they are the first ever images of Ashanti on the set of the film, which also stars Milla Jovovich, Mike Epps, Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr, Iain Glen, Debra Marshall, Ali Larter and Chris Egan.

    Milla Jovovich is back as Alice, and she's running with a new pack of humans, leading a caravan that's cutting through the Nevada desert on a long trek to Alaska. Hunted by the minions of the perpetually scheming Dr. Isaacs, Alice has zombies hungry for her flesh (once again) and lab rats hungry for her blood -- while Alice is hungry for only one thing: revenge.

    Oz Inmate in 28 Weeks Later

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    From Bloody-Disgusting:
    One of my favorite actors in Hollywood, Harold Perrineau (Oz, Lost), is ramping up his film career. The actor has lined up three film roles in recent weeks, including Fox Atomic's 28 Weeks Later, the follow-up to the hit sci-fi indie 28 Days Later. In the sequel, directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo ("Intacto"), Perrineau will play an upbeat American Special Forces pilot who documents and leads to safety the families returning to London after the viral outbreak. Read on for a pic of Perrineau along with the synopsis.

    The film picks up six months after the end of the first pic, in which a virus spreads, leaving few survivors. Special Forces is working to restore order and helping repopulate London when a carrier of the virus unknowingly ignites a reinfection. Renner will play Sgt. Doyle, one of the heroes of the sequel.

    Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's film hits theaters May 11, 2007.

    Fido Pics

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    From Bloody-Disgusting:
    Today Lionsgate provided Bloody-Disgusting with the first several official images from their zombie pic Fido, which hits theaters sometime next year. The film, which was directed by Andrew Currie, is set in a small 1950s town where rotting zombies deliver the mail. The pic stars Billy Connolly, Henry Czerny, Carrie-Anne Moss, Peter Stormare, K'Sun Ray, Tim Blake and Nelson Dylan Baker.

    I'm sure we've seen these before though.

    Zombie Goodness at East Coast FangoCon

    From Fango:

    KNB EFX Group founder-turned-director Robert (WISHMASTER) Kurtzman, actress Erin (MASTERS OF HORROR: SICK GIRL) Brown (pictured at right) and co-writer John Bisson will preview their new film THE RAGE at the next East Coast edition of FANGORIA’s Weekend of Horrors convention, presented by Anchor Bay Entertainment, to be held September 29 to October 1 at the Meadowlands Crowne Plaza Hotel (2 Harmon Plaza, Secaucus, New Jersey). Besides helming THE DEMOLITIONIST and the mad-scientist opus THE RAGE (see last item here), Kurtzman recently directed BURIED ALIVE, co-starring SAW’s Tobin Bell. Brown last appeared in SHADOW: DEAD RIOT and has the much-acclaimed THE LOST on the way.

    Other exciting early guests/programs set for Fango’s New York/New Jersey bonanza, which will run three full days, include:

    • Jeffrey Combs: Horror great from RE-ANIMATOR, BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR, BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND, CASTLE FREAK, NECRONOMICON, THE FRIGHTENERS, THE PIT & THE PENDULUM, ABOMINABLE and more

    • Robert Joy: Memorable actor from THE HILLS HAVE EYES, LAND OF THE DEAD, THE DARK HALF, FALLEN, RESURRECTION

    • Max Brooks: Author of ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE and new WORLD WAR Z (soon to be a major motion picture)

    • William Lustig: The director of MANIAC, the MANIAC COP trilogy and UNCLE SAM, previewing his new Blue Underground titles with special guests

    • Lloyd Kaufman: The Troma chief and creator of the Toxic Avenger will debut footage from his new epic POULTRYGEIST with Tromatic friends!

    • Debbie Rochon: FANGORIA Radio & TV hostess, the sultry actress’ film roles include AMERICAN NIGHTMARE, BOG CREATURES, TROMEO & JULIET, NOWHERE MAN and 100 or so more.

    • Avatar Press Panel: With editor-in-chief William Christensen, writer John (ESCAPE OF THE LIVING DEAD) Russo and artist Mike Wolfer (FRIDAY THE 13TH and JASON VS JASON X)

    You can find out more about THE RAGE here. For additional information on the Weekend of Horrors, go to www.creationent.com and watch this website for regular updates.

    Night of the Living Dorks Screening

    ...at the Toronto After Dark festival. From Fango:
    The organizers of the first Toronto After Dark film festival have announced the first titles for the event, which runs October 20-24 at the Canadian city’s Bloor Cinema. The lineup includes the Toronto premieres of Scott Glosserman’s acclaimed slasher deconstruction BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON; Greg Hatanaka’s descent into insanity MAD COWGIRL (pictured); the Pang Brothers’ latest supernatural effort RE-CYCLE; Mathias Dinter’s zombie comedy NIGHT OF THE LIVING DORKS; and Ten Shimoyama’s Asian actioner SHINOBI. In addition, Frank van Geloven and Edwin Visser’s Dutch psychofest SL8N8 (SLAUGHTER NIGHT) makes its North American premiere at the fest, and Jonny Gillette and Kevin Wheatley’s black-comic postapocalyptic saga BEACH PARTY AT THE THRESHOLD OF DEATH has its Canadian premiere. VIP passes to the festival ($99 for all 13 feature screenings) are now on sale at the site linked above, where you can also find more info about the event. More movie announcements will be coming shortly.
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