Kyle William Bishop
Autor(a) de American Zombie Gothic: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Walking Dead in Popular Culture
Obras por Kyle William Bishop
American Zombie Gothic: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Walking Dead in Popular Culture (2011) 67 exemplares
How Zombies Conquered Popular Culture: The Multifarious Walking Dead in the 21st Century (Contributions to Zombie… (2015) 8 exemplares
Associated Works
Triumph of The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman’s Zombie Epic on Page and Screen (2011) — Contribuidor — 33 exemplares
Etiquetado
Conhecimento Comum
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Estatísticas
- Obras
- 4
- Also by
- 2
- Membros
- 78
- Popularidade
- #229,022
- Avaliação
- 3.6
- Críticas
- 11
- ISBN
- 8
I was never really a zombie movie fan. '28 Days Later' was a favorite, but for non-zombie reasons. I loved that at times, it had such beauty that I hadn't seen in many movies, like the way rain was filmed, despite featuring a rage infection. It was because of this movie that I wanted to read this book: an analysis of all things zombie. But of course I had to be a bit familiar with more zombie movies if I was to know what was going on here. After scoring almost all the George A. Romero movies and remakes on ebay for $20, and seeing most of the other important zombie films, I was good to go. And I can say I really enjoyed most of these films, the first three Romero movies especially: Night, Dawn and Day of the Dead. Zombie movies, at least the good ones, have something to say, and those are the films that are discussed here. The films mainly in the 1980s that had less to say, less substantial metaphors for real society, are avoided in 'American Zombie Gothic'. I can't believe I'm saying this, but some zombie movies are classier than others.
'American Zombie Gothic' begins with describing the cultural and mythological origins of the zombie, mainly in Caribbean voodoo culture. For a people with a history of slavery and so much revolution, sometimes replacing their rulers on a yearly basis, there are many possible meanings for the word 'zombie': the fear of being enslaved again, or of being sold to the Bizango, the secret voodoo societies, for violating the "seven transgressions". The zombie provided the oppressed the opportunity to oppress. In some cases, being a zombie may mean being poisoned by neurotoxins in a puffer fish that gives the appearance of death, though the victim is sometimes buried alive. To the Caribbean people, the zombie itself was something to be pitied. What they were worried about, was becoming a zombie themselves, and this time, as an automaton, they wouldn't have a shot at revolution. You can decide if these real cases and others in this book make the cannibalistic, infectious and feral zombie reinvented by George A. Romero in 'Night of the Living Dead' and subsequent films, more or less scarier. Romero always has something to say. His films are a snapshot of what society had been concerned with at the time. For example, zombies continually consuming human flesh and the mall setting of 'Dawn of the Dead' condemned rampant consumerism and the extensive explanation of this in 'American Zombie Gothic' is brilliant. Romero's first four 'Dead' films are discussed in detail here: Night, Dawn, Day and Land. Romero likes to use the zombies to represent ourselves, and somehow the zombies are sometimes more humane than humans.
Bishop also discusses the movies of the 1930s and 1940s that used the zombie movie to benefit from the fears that whites had with possible reverse colonialism: whites becoming enslaved zombies by voodoo masters in black nations in movies like 'White Zombie' and 'I Walked with a Zombie'. I'm a bit disappointed Bishop didn't include another zombie film here: 'Chandu on the Magic Island', a completely kooky zombie film, which I only found because I thought it was in this book, but 'The Magic Island' by William Seabrook is a non-fiction book on zombies that was featured instead. The 1935 'Chandu' would have been a nice pairing with Bela Lugosi as the hero here, along side Bela Lugosi as the villain in 1932's 'White Zombie'.
Many interesting points are discussed here, though I would have liked to see more on '28 Days Later'. With the release of '28 Days Later', that was filming as 9/11 was happening, a zombie renaissance began, with many zombie films representing fear in a way that hadn't been present before 9/11. This is a must read for any zombie, horror or movie fan, and to anyone who isn't such a zombie fan, who doesn't see the importance of zombie films, here is a good place to start.. Though you certainly get more enjoyment out of it with each movie that you are familiar with that is discussed here. If anything, I'm pleased that I have found some movies to call my favorites, and I'd say I'm addicted to zombies now. I think the zombie "renaissance" is just beginning --one of my favorite shows, Community, recently had an episode featuring zombies (but to be fair, they are usually a show with a new theme every week). Since the living dead say so much about the living, I don't think they will be disappearing any time soon.… (mais)