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The (Un?)Dying Art Form of the Zombie Movie
Fans of the markets-in-everything approach to culture will appreciate this piece on the decline of the B-horror industry by the Atlantic's Josh Green. Apparently it's still possible (at least with a little substitute teaching on the side) to make a living as a zombie-movie actor. Still, as with many professions, it's becoming increasingly difficult to survive:
Like journalism and domestic auto manufacturing, low-budget horror is being buffeted by forces beyond the current recession. After thriving in the 1970s and ’80s, the B-movie industry went into decline in the ’90s, when Hollywood studios began stealing its audience by emphasizing fantasy, sci-fi, and especially horror. Movies like Saw and Hostel have become major-studio franchises. Whether this is good or bad was a running debate. “The benefit is that established actors are not afraid to go into the genre,” said Jaume Collet-Serra, who directed Paris Hilton (that pillar of establishment Hollywood) in the teen slasher flick House of Wax. On the other hand, a sheer love of craft—an allegiance to authentic B movies—leads many aficionados to reject Hollywood fare for the likes of Zombie Farm. To these fans, Jed is not simply an inbred cannibalistic hick but the noble practitioner of a dying art form.
Reason's resident zombie expert, Tim Cavanaugh, wrote about the
politics of zombie movies here, and praised the thoroughly underrated Land of
the Dead here.
|8.12.09 @ 3:11PM|#
My bastardization of a Star Trek quote on a zombie
thread has inspired a friggin' brilliant idea: A new Star
Trek movie where Kirk comes back as a zombie. And by Kirk, I
mean William Shatner.
Oh, man, that would so rule.
|8.12.09 @ 3:21PM|#
a friggin' brilliant idea: A new Star Trek movie where Kirk
comes back as a zombie.
Nope. You'll get four GI Joe sequels and a
"re-imagination" of The Karate Kid.
|8.12.09 @ 3:22PM|#
Maybe it was intentional, NutraSweet.
Land of the Dead sucked. That is all.
This is true. Romero lost it from Bruiser on. It happens,
and was to be expected, but it does suck.
B-movies still exist, they just go straight to DVD. They are mostly
awful, and there are a few gems. Just troll the horror section at
your local video store and you'll see all of them. Or peruse
Netflix.
Warty|8.12.09 @ 3:24PM|#
I just looked up Bruiser. Romero made a movie with the Jerry Only Rip-Off Fake Misfits? WTF?
Ed|8.12.09 @ 3:24PM|#
Looks like Zombies are coming back to life. Walking Dead to be
made into a TV series via AMC. Should be pretty good
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007161.html?categoryid=10&cs=1&nid=2248
|8.12.09 @ 3:28PM|#
Actual SyFy movie description:
A military defense network rebels and turns an army of deadly cyborgs against humanity.
Title? The Terminators.
|8.12.09 @ 3:29PM|#
* Zombie Kirk: Braaaains! Braaaains!
* Zombie Kirk: I'm a zombie, not a diplomat.
* Zombie Kirk: You didn't really think I was going to eat his
brains, did you?
Spock: I thought you might.
Zombie Kirk: You were right.
* Zombie Kirk: I have never questioned the orders or eaten the
brains of any representative of the Federation. Until now.
|8.12.09 @ 3:37PM|#
"To these fans, Jed is not simply an inbred cannibalistic hick
but the noble practitioner of a dying art form."
Say what? Is the cannibalism real?
robc|8.12.09 @ 3:46PM|#
SugarFree,
Off topic local news: Liquor Barn has been purchased by a Canadian
company.
Mike Laursen|8.12.09 @ 3:55PM|#
Is it wrong that I totally want to see Henry Waxman chairing a Congressional inquiry into the decline of the B-horror industry?
|8.12.09 @ 4:12PM|#
When they make a movie about Hit & Run commenters, who
will play who?
Only I have the range to play myself.
Dagny will pay dearly for this.
I'm sure she does, every day. That's what being Canadian is all
about.
I just looked up Bruiser. Romero made a movie with the Jerry
Only Rip-Off Fake Misfits? WTF?
The movie is horribly disappointing. Highly not recommended.
Naga Sadow|8.12.09 @ 4:13PM|#
Good question, Pro Lib . . . Steve Zahn would make a good Naga. At least, personality wise.
Jozef|8.12.09 @ 4:13PM|#
When they make a movie about Hit & Run commenters, who
will play who?
I will be portrayed by Brad Pitt.
Anyway, speaking of the survival of the genre - Zombie
Strippers were fun, and I can't wait to see Dead
Snow (nazi zombies!).
Shorter Suderman|8.12.09 @ 4:23PM|#
When the crap I peddle here doesn't hold sway, there's always zombies.
|8.12.09 @ 4:36PM|#
I would be played by Queen Latifah.
But Queen Latifah is a man. Why would he be playing you?
Ralph Macchio.
Outsiders Macchio or Entourage Macchio? Think
carefully.
Naga Sadow|8.12.09 @ 4:48PM|#
SugarFree, you clown. You have to pay attention to his acting. Steve Zahn starts out gender confused in the beginning but eventually saves the day and gets a hot chick. The very definition of win/win.
|8.12.09 @ 5:10PM|#
Dude, the Vicodin is mandatory. I don't mean that Laurie has to act like he's taking it--he'll actually have to gulp it like pretends to on House. Only then can he achieve the true essence of Episiarch.
|8.12.09 @ 5:23PM|#
Ska,
Well, Laurie portrays a crotchety, drug-popping doctor on TV. Epps
plays an angry doctor that works with Laurie's character, who is
often at odds with him. With this experience, they are well
situated to play the similarly situated Episiarch-SugarFree
characters.
Soon to be a major motion picture.
|8.12.09 @ 5:32PM|#
I don't mean that Laurie has to act like he's taking
it--he'll actually have to gulp it like pretends to on House. Only
then can he achieve the true essence of Episiarch.
Why not just give me the Vicodin and have me play myself then?
|8.12.09 @ 5:48PM|#
I debated suggesting Rowan Atkinson for you, but he lacks the drug experience. The Blackadder Atkinson, naturally, not the Mr. Bean version.
Craig|8.12.09 @ 5:55PM|#
The B-movie industry declined because Hollywood started making B-movies, only Hollywood thought they were still making A-movies. It's been a slow couple of years.
|8.12.09 @ 8:28PM|#
Is it wrong that I totally want to see Henry Waxman chairing
a Congressional inquiry into the decline of the B-horror
industry?
Wouldn't a B-horror movie of Henry Waxman chairing an inquiry into
Congressional decline be better?
|8.12.09 @ 8:37PM|#
Actor to portray me in Hit n Run: Liam Neeson
Actor to portray me as a zombie: Richard Burton
Solanum|8.12.09 @ 8:54PM|#
Looks like Zombies are coming back to life. Walking Dead to
be made into a TV series via AMC. Should be pretty good
Excellent. I just pre-ordered TWD vol 10 from amazon, which is
supposed to come out this Saturday.
|8.12.09 @ 11:08PM|#
I see none other than Steven Adler in the credits for a
forthcoming title 'Dahmer vs. Gacy'...seems that Dahmer could take
the old man ??
Amazing...not a Casper van Dien reference with all these B-movie
references. The selection on SyFy seems to try really hard to fill
the genre...but those might be closer to C-movies
Art-P.O.G.|8.13.09 @ 3:03AM|#
I think Lightspeed Champion could portray me if he were willing to gain weight for the role like Jared Leto did to play Mark David Chapman. OK, maybe not that much weight. Hell, all the musicians are acting these days, anyway. Or are all actors recording albums?
Art-P.O.G.|8.13.09 @ 3:21AM|#
Sugarfree, Omar Epps is too busy playing Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to play you.
|8.13.09 @ 8:22AM|#
Fools. Tyler Perry will play us all. No one we know will see the movie, and it will gross $435 million.
|8.13.09 @ 9:01AM|#
John C. Reilly, SugarFree. It's so you.
But I'm free of that dumb expression he always has. And I favor
German more than Irish.
Really, a whole lot of real people look like me but few actors.
This is on purpose.
Art-P.O.G.|8.13.09 @ 9:13AM|#
Sugarfree,
I figured you weren't homely like him, but I thought it would be
for the best if you did have that dumb expression on your
face all the time. Alas, it was not to be.
It is hard to find an actor who really looks like any random
person. It's uncanny when it happens.
coyote1284|8.13.09 @ 2:57PM|#
I personally like some of the recent offbeat zombie flicks (like "American Zombie" and "Zombies Anonymous") that show revenent persons as people whom have merely maintained a form of life after initial death as opposed to the feral zombies commonly depicted. In "American Zombie" reanimation is caused by a virus that only becomes active after a violent death, but despite having a constantly festering wound and no recollection of ones past life, one does not neccessarily have to consume human flesh (they even have a Vegan zombie.)
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