new Dead movie

[Ashmo]

Being obvious qualifies as a stupid argument in most cases, btw.

Slow zombies aren't scary on their own. HORDES of slow zombies OTOH are.

If you want running foes that eat human flesh just watch Alien or something.

It's two entirely different fears the two kinds of foes trigger: slow hordes are scary because fighting them seems futile (same principle used for swarming aliens in most modern sci-fi) -- like walls that close in on you, slowly. Running beasts are scary because they are predators and you are their prey.

Did you watch Star Trek TNG and Voyager a lot? Well, I did, and I got to say that the Borg were a lot scarier (at least in TNG) than, let's say, the stormtroopers from Star Wars, simply because you just couldn't kill them. You could kill a few, but then the rest would just polarize their forcefields or whatever and your weapons would become useless. They were slow and they didn't have ranged weapons, but if they cornered you you would likely be doomed.

I think which fear is stronger in you depends on yourself. It's an individual thing. Heck, some people find lizardmen scary.

 

[Bradylama]

Did you watch Star Trek TNG and Voyager a lot? Well, I did, and I got to say that the Borg were a lot scarier (at least in TNG) than, let's say, the stormtroopers from Star Wars, simply because you just couldn't kill them. You could kill a few, but then the rest would just polarize their forcefields or whatever and your weapons would become useless. They were slow and they didn't have ranged weapons, but if they cornered you you would likely be doomed.

Only, for Romero zombies, you can kill them. Any of them. Shot to the head and all that.

This is what made Night so scary, because they trapped themselves in that house instead of staying on the move.

 

[Marek]

running zombies: action, action, action
armed zombies: zzzzZZZZzzzzZZZZzzzz
slow zombies: menace, horror, creepy!

SuAside hit the spot there, it's not a matter of superiority, the feeling just isn't the same. With fast zombies you don't have time for fear, you don't have time to imagine the horrible death that will soon creep upon you. It's a psychological thing I think. All you have time for is a pure survival instinct. Maybe the fast ones are more effective in combat and so on, but the slow ones are way better at representing a slow and inevitable death.

My 2 cents.

 

[Bradylama]

You mean you haven't seen the new Dawn of the Dead? The zombies in 28 days later are complete pussies compaired to the ones in the new Dawn of the Dead.

They vomited blood.

What the fuck? Are you high?

 

[victor]

Yes, but you can't say that they were real zombies in 28 days later. They were infected by a mutated rage virus. Inside, they probably still had a consciousness. Maybe like very intense fever. The zombies in Dawn of the dead were actually dead (adding to unrealism, but also fun).

I agree with Bradylama that they were equally scary/cool though.


A remark though; the zombies in 28 days later don't decompose as they're not truly dead, however the zombies in Dawn do. Either way, the zombies eventually die, but take different paths. In 28 days later, they starve to death (as seen in the end). In the Dead trilogy they rot. Eventually the muscles and such rot completely down to the skeleton, making it impossible to have motor skills. Proof of this (aside from the obvious) is that the zombies look grosser and grosser further into the movie. Cause of the zombie rage in Dawn of the Dead is still unknown though, at least to me.

 

[calculon000]

With slow zombies you can just run away. If you run out of ammo, are you just going to go "Noooooooo!" for 10 minutes until they get to you?

Running zombies >>>>> Slow zombies

Retard zombies >>>>> Armed zombies.

YES!

I always wondered just how anyone could fall victim to any zombie in any of the 70's movies since they move so slow and you just have to shoot them in the head. There is no way that this type of zombie can take over the world. Also, I find that in a lot of zombie movies that it takes a ridiculously long time for the people in the movie to realize that you need to shoot them in the head.

The only time anyone ever fell victim to any zombie in, for example, the original Dawn of the Dead is:

• -There were a lot of them, in which case they would swarm you. To prevent this you just need to not be an idiot and get yourself cornered. (IE run away from the crowd of zombies)
  
  -You were somehow stuck in one place while the zombie came slowly toward you. In Dawn of the Dead, this is how that one soldier guy got bit (He was hotwiring one of the trucks and they bit his leg). Again, just don't be an idiot (or unlucky) and get stuck in one place for some reason.
  
  -Someone didn't know they were a zombie and just had to hug them or something stupid like that and got bit on the neck.
  
  -You walk into a room and they sneak up on you, which is the only way you wouldn't see them a football feild away and shoot.

I really liked the running zombies in the new Dawn of the Dead because they actually seem dangerous to me. Maybe it a thing of my generation, I don't know, but when my friends and I see people fall victim to zombies in the old 70's films it's way more corny/funny than scary.

 

[Bradylama]

Yes, but you can't say that they were real zombies in 28 days later. They were infected by a mutated rage virus. Inside, they probably still had a consciousness. Maybe like very intense fever. The zombies in Dawn of the dead were actually dead (adding to unrealism, but also fun).

True, but they did behave like zombies, which is what's really important here. Maybe not Romero zombies, but traditional Voodoo zombies aren't necessarily slow and stupid, either. Just soulless.

I made myself sad. Poor Haitian Voodoo Zombies. =(

 

[Flop]

Why would Bob tell the zombies how to shoot?

[spoilers for Day of the Dead]

The whole idea revealed in Day of the Dead was that the zombies remembered parts of their past life and Bob was (IIRC) a soldier before he died. They are not learning, they are remembering.

I read somewhere that the zombies in Land of the Dead have supposedly evolved and that Bob plays a major role in the movie. I just took that to mean that he was showing the other zombies how to fire a gun. I'm sorry I can't give you a link, but it's a long time ago I read it, and I don't remember where.

Anyway, I hope that they've revised the script since then, and cut Bob out, since the whole Bob/"smart zombies" thing is a big part of why I think that Day is such a piece of shit (besides the crappy acting and unbelievable characters). If they haven't I think we may be in for another crapfest.

However, I'm not quite sure if agree with you that the zombies in Day can't learn. Bob is domesticated by the doc and the part about him being a former soldier is pure speculation.

Btw, how come nobody's mentioned the running zombies in the Resident Evil movies? They are pretty fucking scary, in my opinion. Or not.

 

[SuAside]

*snip*

oh look at the big macho man!

now you're forgetting a couple of things:

1) guns, ammo & marksmanship (unless you're a gung-ho survivalist militiaman, you'll be short on all accounts. yes i myself can handle a pistol quite nicely, however i dont own one nor would i know where to find one really quick, without involving a 10km trip. something tells me the local cops wont just turn theirs over) -> probably need to take the zombies out HtH.

2) fatigue (how long do you think a human can keep on running? zombies don't sleep. if you lock yourself up, zombies will probably be swarming over the place when you wake up, IF you wake up) -> humans have to set up barricades, to be able to sleep (even then it's a gamble).

3) supplies (food & such) -> Romero zombies rot & don't really need food, humans do. i think i could last less than a week at home if i ration my meals & stuff. i don't think the zombies drop dead after 1 week...

4) human nature -> man is weak & petty. stick a group of humans together & you'll always have tensions/problems/fights. it seems almost impossible to round up a group of humans without having a few idiots ruining it for the rest of them.

 

[Carib FMJ]

Well SWA is correct about the human nature thing. In the end the zombies are driven by share hunger. And they have numbers and not only that, they can spread the disease within less thenm say, six hours.

Not only that, The world was taken off guard, and within less then 24 hours the world nearly fell.

I could cut it, but food would be top.


1) I own a gun, and well, its a Family tradition for us to learn to use them. So I am fairly safe.

2) Please, the zombies would basically starve me out.

3) Zombies don't sleep and probably would last till the flies strip them down.

4) Also wouldn't zombies slow down after a while, I mean rigamortis and well basically the breaking down of the boy?

5) Humanity would band together, but trust the world to degrade to a post apocalyptic state of mind.

6) Unless you got some sort of fort with food to last you for years, well kiss your ass good bye.

 

[victor]

The best thing is;

Get armour. Medieval armour that is. I have yet to see a zombie bite through any. Even kevlar might do.

Bunker up with tons of food that lasts long. Canned stuff in particular.

About 100 bottles of water and a urine recycler.

A high two-level house with all doors severely barricaded, not even letting the air in.

A flat roof so you can snipe, sunbathe...

Guns. Sniper rifles and submachine guns, heavy machine guns in particular. Also explosives.


now you can last months, maybe even years.

 

[calculon000]

oh look at the big macho man!

now you're forgetting a couple of things:

1) guns.

2) fatigue.

3) supplies.

4) human nature

Ok, you're right on point's 1, 4 and sort of on 3.

• 1. In Shawn of the Dead, we saw how difficult it is to find a gun. (Even though the movie wasn't serious, it still demonstrates it)
  
  2. If you are dealing with fast zombies, you're screwed. If you are dealing with slow zombies, then just bring a ladder with you and climb onto any rooftop to sleep. I find that not enough people in slow zombies movies realize they can't clime up ladders. You point about it being swarmed when you wake up still stands though.
  
  3. On 28 days later we saw how much food there is left lying around when everyone is dead. If people have a chance, they will probably loot it all though, and I guess this wouldn’t serve as a long term solution though.
  
  4. Agreed.

Consider this though, how can zombies cross oceans to take over the whole world? On 28 days later they just quarantined the UK, which is what I suspect would happen to any body of land a zombie plague broke out on.

 

[The Vault Dweller]

I love this thread.

Okay I would like to know exactly HOW the zombies find people. If for example none were after you and you hid underground would with enough supplies could you last 'til they "expire"? If one found out by smell would the others know automatically? Like if one band of zombies were killed by you would all the others swarm to your are though they were niether there nor in contact with the zombie group you killed?

: ,
The Vault Dweller

 

[calculon000]

I think that if they see you, they will follow you until they cannot see you anymore. In the new Dawn of the Dead, they seemed to be a little more intelligent then slow zombies and if they knew you were in a building, they would hang around until they saw you leave.

Having human bodies, I don't think they could find you via smell or any other sense that a human wouldn't normally use, and humans use mostly sight for information.

 

[Starseeker]

Flop, and Suaside make a good point.

RE 2, and 3 are good examples of what may happen in a zombie situation in any town. Most people didn't know what's going on until they turned, and the cops couldn't decide on what to do until it's too late. The interesting thing here is that all the barricades prevent people from using cars effectively. You might be able to run through 10 zombies with a car, but what about 100? The more probable mode of transportation to escape is either air(choppers) or something faster than regular cars like a train. It's assumed that the characters (who are cops) have pilot training, otherwise, you are still screwed because you don't know how to fly the damn thing.

Most supplies are fairly limited, even though they didn't deal with food in RE, you do have to use medical supplies. And most things you find simply don't work unless you somehow fixes them. That makes a lot of sense to me. What's the chance of something working if there aren't any people around to keep it working?

Well, anyway, I might still go watch the movie.

 

[Zaij]

Heh. Interesting thread.
Check this out. http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/zombiesurvivalguide/
The second I find this in a shop, it's mine.

Guns would be a problem in most countries (In Australia, everything is pretty much banned) which would also rule out ammo, so the best thing you could do is go to a medievil museum and get yourself some chain mail and a broad sword.

As for sleeping, just find a 2 storey house and destroy the stairs with an axe or something. If you're in one of those prefab villages (you know, the ones some company makes millions of in one area) you might even be able to make boards across to your next door neighbour and do the same thing.

Supplies are everywhere - the problem is food that hasnt gone stale. Not everyone keeps 600 cans of baked beans in their house. Best thing to do would be go bush, deep bush to a place that not many people leave. Find a small town. (by small, I mean 60 people) and just try and live with them until the whole thing blows over, if it does.

Human nature - I don't even want to touch on this.

I find that fast zombies wouldn't be that special, nor likely. Babies have to learn to walk and that takes time, running would take longer. Who says that zombies would remember how to walk/run?

Zombies probably rely on all of their senses equally (yes, this is practically straight out of that link ) so it'd be hard not to make noise that they wouldn't detect.

Hmm... I think I'll hire the living dead trilogy tonight.

 

[PsychoSniper]

Hmmmm, seems like I need to see 28 days later, sounds like it could be intersting............



Personaly, I like the origonal day of the dead. It has that post apoc feel to it.

 

[calculon000]

Zombie survival advice.

Here's my advice for dealing with slow zombies to rebuild civilization:

• 1) Pick one city on the continent or general area.
  
  2) Get as many survivors and weapons over there as you can.
  
  3) Kill all the zombies in this one city.
  
  4) Get everyone to build a build a high-ass cement wall around the city or something strong enough to keep hordes of zombies out indefinitely. Guard construction teams heavily. Make sure you also surround the farmland you will need to support your population with the wall too. Have airlock-style triple gates at every entrance, with a guard post on each end of each gate, for a total of 6 per entrance.
  
  5) After the wall is established, send out heavily armed teams in any vehicles you have around to find any aircraft (preferably helicopters) fuel, and technology that would help you rebuild civilization.
  
  6) Repeat steps 1-5 with the next city.

Guns would be a problem in most countries (In Australia, everything is pretty much banned) which would also rule out ammo, so the best thing you could do is go to a medievil museum and get yourself some chain mail and a broad sword.

True, but you have to know a friend who has a lot of guns. Like me. 8) (I live in Canada)

As for sleeping, just find a 2 storey house and destroy the stairs with an axe or something. If you're in one of those prefab villages (you know, the ones some company makes millions of in one area) you might even be able to make boards across to your next door neighbour and do the same thing.

Cool idea.

Supplies are everywhere - the problem is food that hasnt gone stale. Not everyone keeps 600 cans of baked beans in their house. Best thing to do would be go bush, deep bush to a place that not many people leave. Find a small town. (by small, I mean 60 people) and just try and live with them until the whole thing blows over, if it does.

That's assuming almost everybody is (un)dead and isn't also looting for food. If you want to go long term you should attepmt to clear out a major city if you have enough people/weapons.

Human nature - I don't even want to touch on this.

People are scum. A person is better.

I find that fast zombies wouldn't be that special, nor likely. Babies have to learn to walk and that takes time, running would take longer. Who says that zombies would remember how to walk/run?

The fast zombies still seem to retain some intelligence, being able to climb/jump/run. Even in the original dawn of the dead it was stated that they retained some knowledge of their former life.

Zombies probably rely on all of their senses equally (yes, this is practically straight out of that link ) so it'd be hard not to make noise that they wouldn't detect.

When it comes to senses, zombies are like humans because they have human bodies and brain so it will be primarily sight and a little bit of sound.

This is good stuff. I should make a computer game on this. 8)

Hmmmm, seems like I need to see 28 days later, sounds like it could be intersting............



Personaly, I like the origonal day of the dead. It has that post apoc feel to it.

Have you seen the new one? I find that there is way more of an apoc feel in it because you don't have a bunch of rednecks in the woods swillin' beer and shootin' it up on the zombies for fun.

 

[victor]

Actually, the only things I think zombies have left are motor skills (which include running, once it's there it stays there), hearing, seeing and maybe smelling. But that's it.

 

[PsychoSniper]

It could certainly make for an intersting RTS game.


Actualy, I think there was one SWGB map that sort of used that premise, unfortunitly I lost the map/bookmark on my old PC.

EDIT- calc, no I havent seen the new one, I dont watch movies that often minus whats on TV. And I dont watch TV that much anymore, to much reality crap on.