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A zombie is traditionally an undead person in the Caribbean spiritual belief system of voodoo. Essentially a dead body re-animated by unnatural means, the zombie creates dread among the living. Zombies have become a staple of horror fiction, where they usually engage in the consumption of human flesh. The term "zombism" is sometimes used to refer to the condition or disease associated with being a zombie.
But to the average horror-movie fan, a zombie is any reanimated dead thing that tends to hunger for the flesh of the living. They also usually have no thought processes to speak of -- other than instinct. By this reckoning, Frankenstein's monster was not a zombie. He had a brain that worked and he never thought of eating the living. His predicament was a little different and he knew it.
Zombies have an undeniable attraction. Is it their persistance? Is it their dogged determination to fulfill their primary motivating desire...hunger? Perhaps it's that they represent death itself and its relentless march toward each and every one of us. No matter where we hide, how long we run, or how many guns we have...death will come.
Zombies in the News
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- What you can learn from Zombie movies
- The undead are everywhere these days. The popular summer movie 28 Weeks Later pits them against the U.S. military. The comic series Marvel Zombies has them eating the Silver Surfer. The video game Dead Rising lets players attack them with weapons ranging from hockey pucks to shower heads. A recent CBS pilot, Babylon Fields, imagines what would happen if the undead tried to integrate back into their former lives.
Zombie Movies of Note
a work in progress
- Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- The Romero classic that started the modern zombie movie genre.
- Dawn of the Dead (1978)
- The second Romero zombie film. Survivors try to live while barricaded in a mall.
- Zombi 2 (1979)
- Crazy Italian ripoff that turns out to have some awesome effects (for the day). Some feel that as though it's a sort of prequel to Dawn of the Dead.
- Day of the Dead (1985)
- Survivors try to live in an underground army bunker. Scientists believe zombies can be trained. Silly scientists.
- The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
- Dan O'Bannon (Alien, Blue Thunder, Total Recall) takes a stab at writing a zombie film and it comes off great. Origin of the zombie groan, "Braaaiiinzzz..."
- Re-Animator (1985)
- The Lovecraftian Hebert West brings the dead back to life with a mysterious serum. Oh, and it glows. What could possibly go wrong with animating dead tissue?
- Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988)
- One of the few sequels that outdoes the first. Campy zombie action. Two of the original characters return to find themselves surrounded by talking zombies. Note to self: Do not burn zombies to get rid of them.
- Night of the Living Dead (1990)
- Tom Savini's remake of the original. In COLOR! Crazy. Lacks the rawness of the original, but for many this was their introduction to the Night.
- Braindead (1992)
- Peter Jackson (yes, that Peter Jackson - LoTR, King Kong) tried his had at an over-the-top zombie gorefest. Interesting results.
- Dellamorte Dellamore (1994)
- Also known as "Cemetary Man." Surreal Italian zombie flick. Refreshingly different. "Life goes on..." Starring a little-known Rupert Everett.
- 28 Days Later... (2002)
- Interesting movie that gave some new life to the zombie genre.
- Dawn of the Dead (2004)
- Best remake ever.
- Shaun of the Dead (2004)
- Best zombie comedy EVER.
- Land of the Dead (2005)
- The latest in the Romero Zombie world.
Zombie Merch
Types of Zombies
- Chemical: empowered by some sort of toxic waste/chemical
- Radioactive: brought to life through the clever or accidental use of nuclear energy
- Voodoo: a Voodoo Master controls these types. Once he/she is gone, the zombies usually return to the dead.
- TechnoZombie: Dead corpse animated by means of some sort of technology that usually goes haywire
- ElectroZombie: a freak electrical storm/accident causes the dead to rise
- The Infected: a rogue microorganism/virus that causes the living to act a lot like Chemical zombies
- OCD zombies: These undead come back for a very specific reason. To finish something they started. Once the task is completed, they usually R.I.P.
- HellSpawn: the dead are usually controlled by a spirit/demon/evil entity
- AlienControl: ET's use the legions of the dead to do something dastardly to the living
- Cursed: The afflicted are undead until the curse is broken.
Zombie Things
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How to attack a Zombie
What to do when you're face to face with a living dead person
- Burn, baby, burn. Fire works pretty well.
- Water does not work.
- Small electrical shocks do not work.
- Large electrical shocks work sometimes.
- Dismemberment works on some types (Voodoo, Hellspawn, AlienControl, TheInfected) but not on others.
- Gravity works, but not reliably.
- Nuclear weapons almost always work, with a few notable exceptions (see Radioactive Zombie).
- When in doubt, the classic headshot never lets you down.
- Punching, Kicking, Hitting, Biting and Martial Arts do not work...ever.
Zombie Survival Tips
You won't survive, but these tips may buy you some time
- Run away. Zombies are usually slow (except for TheInfected and sometimes Hellspawn).
- Head toward the nearest mall. Make sure it has a food court and a gun shop.
- Barricade. Barricade. Barricade.
- If given a choice whether to go upstairs or downstairs, always go upstairs.
- If you must go out, use a car. Never walk alone. Your survival is directly proportional to the amount of modification done to the car. (armor, gun turrets, chainsaws, etc.)
- A chainsaw will always buy you some time.
- Remember: Sick people do not get better.
- Zombies do not make good pets or servants.
Online Zombie Games
- Urban Dead
- A Free Massively Multi-Player Web-Based Zombie Apocalypse. A simple html-based multiplayer browser game where zombies and survivors fight for the control of a ruined city. The server is a little slow, but the excitement of the players makes the game worthwhile. Check out the wiki and the forums as well.
- De-Animator
- A clever Flash-based zombie killing game.
- The Dead Awaken
- Another free online MMPOG based around zombies. Not quite as interactive as Urbandead, but there are quests and some NPCs.
- Bio Nightmare - The Infection is Spreading
- Bionightmare is a free text-based multiplayer game where survival is the goal. Make alliances and slay zombies to climb to the top.
- Exanimus
- A MMPOG currently in 'pre-production' that is focused on a zombie-overrun world. 3D, FPS type game. I wish them all the best.
- Project Necrosis
- Set in a Romero-esque world. You must create a stronghold, find survivors and scavenge for resources all while defending yourself from zombie hordes. Or, you can start your own zombie horde and see how that goes.
- Tooth & Claw
- Vampires vs. Werewolves vs. Zombies vs. Humans
Massively-multiplayer casual game on Facbeook
Zombie Movie Books
The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia
Amazon Price: $35.00 (as of 12/18/2009) 
Eaten Alive!: Italian Cannibal and Zombie Movies
Amazon Price: $17.05 (as of 12/18/2009)
Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 12/18/2009)
Zombie Movies You Can Buy
![White Zombie (1932) [Remastered Edition]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P49Y7MBML._SL75_.jpg)
White Zombie (1932) [Remastered Edition]
Release Date: 03/22/2005
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 12/18/2009)
Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition)
Release Date: 09/07/2004
Amazon Price: $21.49 (as of 12/18/2009)
Zombie
In Italy, it was considered the unofficial sequel to Dawn Of The Dead. In England, it was known as Zombie Flesh-Eaters and banned as obscene. In America, it was called Zombie and advertised with the depraved tag line We Are Going To Eat You! Tisa Farrow (Manhattan), Richard Johnson (The Haunting) and Ian McCulloch (Contamination) star in this worldwide splatter sensation directed by the Maestro Of Gore Lucio Fulci (Contraband, The Conquest, The Beyond) that remains one of the most eye-skewering, skin-ripping, gore-gushingly graphic horror hits of all time!
Release Date: 07/27/2004
Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 12/18/2009)
Day of the Dead (Divimax Special Edition)
Release Date: 08/19/2003
Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 12/18/2009)
Dawn of the Dead (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut)
Release Date: 10/26/2004
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 12/18/2009)
The Evil Dead/Evil Dead 2 - Book Of The Dead Collection
Release Date: 11/22/2005
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 12/18/2009)
Cemetery Man
Amazon Price: (as of 12/18/2009)
C.H.U.D. II - Bud the Chud [Region 2]
Amazon Price: (as of 12/18/2009)
Zombie Games You Can Buy
Mall Of Horror
Another Zombie board game with a slightly more social mechanic.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/18/2009)
Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green
Amazon Price: $148.98 (as of 12/18/2009)
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
Amazon Price: $90.99 (as of 12/18/2009)
Stubbs The Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
Amazon Price: $91.41 (as of 12/18/2009)
Land of the Dead
Amazon Price: $55.94 (as of 12/18/2009)
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse
Amazon Price: $13.49 (as of 12/18/2009)
Xbox House of the Dead 3 + Light Gun Combo
Amazon Price: (as of 12/18/2009)
Zombie'S Revenge DC
Amazon Price: (as of 12/18/2009)
The Book Of All Flesh
Amazon Price: (as of 12/18/2009)
All Flesh Must Be Eaten: Revised Edition (Afmbe)
Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 12/18/2009)
The Book of Final Flesh (All Flesh Must Be Eaten)
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 12/18/2009)
All Flesh Must Be Eaten One of the Living: Player's Handbook
Amazon Price: $16.32 (as of 12/18/2009)
All Flesh Must Be Eaten: Dungeons And Zombies (Afmbe)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/18/2009)
Other Fun Links
- The Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything
- A interesting site about the number 42
- Zombie America
- ZombieAmerica
Zombie Stories
Monster Island: A Zombie Novel
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/18/2009)
Monster Nation: A Zombie Novel
Amazon Price: $10.04 (as of 12/18/2009)
Monster Planet: A Zombie Novel
Amazon Price: $10.79 (as of 12/18/2009)
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/18/2009)
Tag Vol. 1
Amazon Price: $13.19 (as of 12/18/2009)
Zombie Comics
The Walking Dead, Book 1 (Bk. 1)
Amazon Price: $21.59 (as of 12/18/2009)
The Walking Dead, Book 2
Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 12/18/2009)
The Walking Dead, Book 3
Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 12/18/2009)
Marvel Zombies
Amazon Price: (as of 12/18/2009)
The Living and the Dead
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 12/18/2009)
Misc Zombie Books
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead
Seems to be an experiment in dry humor publishing. Presented as an actual manual (with designs for zombie traps and such). But there's not much to hold it all together. Still, it looks nice sitting on your shelf or coffee table. Certainly a good answer to those "worst case scenario" books you get at Resoration Hardware.
Release Date: 09/16/2003
Amazon Price: $9.97 (as of 12/18/2009)
The Undead: Zombie Anthology
Amazon Price: $13.45 (as of 12/18/2009)
Down The Road: A Zombie Horror Story
Amazon Price: (as of 12/18/2009)
Z Is for Zombie
Amazon Price: $11.96 (as of 12/18/2009)
Gragh! Mrhf Blargh
braaiinnnzzzz....
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Reply
- theinquirer theinquirer Sep 9, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
- Yep I have noted your Zombie Survival Tips , this is the ultimate weak point
"Remember: Sick people do not get better."
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Reply
- MisterEHorror MisterEHorror Aug 25, 2009 @ 8:44 pm
- Your lens will come in very handy when they do rise. I share your interest and entertainment in zimbies. I just started my own lens on the genre of horror and thought that our two lenses may overlap a bit, and I was right. I really enjoyed your lens. Please give mine a gander if you would.
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Reply
- adaptiveanimal adaptiveanimal Apr 19, 2009 @ 4:03 pm
- Great zombie lens. If you're looking for a game try Undead Live! on the iPhone. My lens about it is here: www.squidoo.com/undeadlivecodelist .
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Reply
- d-shimpkins d-shimpkins Mar 23, 2009 @ 2:52 pm
- Nice lens, check out mine about zombie survival.
http://www.squidoo.com/Zombie-survival-gear-that-you-wouldn-t-think-about
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Reply
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