A new trailer for J.J. Abram’s “Super 8″ was released during the Superbowl. I, being the geek I am, didn’t see it until surfing the internet this morning.
Rumor has it, the story’s about a group of kids trying to film their own Zombie movie. They witness the crazy train crash, and something inhuman comes out of the train.
Looks like it could be good. It has the same feel of the 90′s action movies that were popular when I was a kid, but with and added complexity that J.J. Abrams brings to his projects. I’ll be interested to see more about this movie as things are released!
Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Kc Wayland and Shane Salk, the geniuses behind the zombie audio drama We’re Alive (don’t tell them I called them geniuses!) and I’m pleased to say it is up and available for your undead listening pleasure.
We chat about a little about the plot, production, the characters, and everything in between.
Whether you’re a seasoned listener, or find yourself scratching your head wondering what We’re Alive is (spoilers: It’s about horrific zombies that try to eat people), this interview has you covered. So you should listen to it. Like right now. Kthnx <3
A HUGE thank you to Billy “Beezball” Milby for assisting with the editing when my computer decided it would be an appropriate time to break out the ol’ Blue Screen of Death.
You’ve read about zombies in novels and you’ve watched zombies in films.
But have you listened to an audio drama about zombies?
My friends and fellow zombie lovers, I have a recommendation and a half for you.
We’re Alive is an extremely addicting and engaging audio drama about a group of survivors desperately attempting to survive in a city where an epidemic has turned everyday people into volatile, flesh eating zombies. Taking refuge in an apartment building in downtown Los Angeles, they must overcome their differences and function as a team in order to survive, and it’s no easy feat. See, taking even one step outside of the building’s walls is like asking for a death sentence; one never knows who, or what, is lurking behind each corner. Hell, even the apartment balconies aren’t entirely safe.
But the 14-story building is just a “safe haven” and as expected, doesn’t contain nearly enough of the necessities needed in order to survive; therefore a select few must step outside of those walls and venture into a dying city in an attempt to locate food, water, and anything else they can get their hands on.
I’ll keep it spoiler free, but you have to trust me when I say We’re Alive is not your typical run-of-the-mill zombie nightmare.
And that’s a very good thing.
But that’s just the beginning. See, I’m a sucker for well developed characters, and We’re Alive does not disappoint. Each character relative to the plot (and there’s a handful) is unique and possesses their own, distinct personality. Combine that with top-notch voice acting, and you have a SOLID group of characters.
Worth mentioning is the fantastic choice of music and sound effects that are integrated into the podcast. There is just enough detail to paint a picture of the scene you’re listening to, but it also leaves room for imagination.
Combine the plot, characters, music, sound effects and some of the creepiest zombies I’ve ever come across, and We’re Alive will be one of the most engaging and intense zombie stories you’ll ever experience. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to stop what I was doing (ie; working) during an intense scene and just stare at an inanimate object while my brain rapidly painted a monumental picture.
So, do yourself a favor. Listen to this stuff. It’s amazing.
I’ve been gearing up for Halloween, and have been finding some awesome deals, freebies, and contests while getting everything set. Being the super nice person I am, I’m sharing them with you!
Steam is having a HUGE Halloween Sale on select titles from now until November 1st. If it’s scary, it’s on sale! PLUS they just announced that L4D is now available for Macs! (Think I could play it at work without getting caught?)
So many games, so little time…
If you got caught up playing games and didn’t have time to put together a costume, here’s something for you: Rise Again (the novel) has created some downloadable, printable zombie wound stickers. Just print them on some sticker paper and you’re good to go! Excellent for attending ZomBcon, dressing up for Halloween, or scaring your doctor at your next check up.
Need a bit more motivation to dress up for Halloween? How about this: Dress up as Colonel Sanders, and be entered to win free KFC Doublicious Sandwiches for life. Get directions and official rules here. But if the doublicious is anything like the Double Down, I’m so not eating it.
Whatever you do this year for Halloween, have fun, be safe, and come visit Zaxy at ZomBcon! Hope to see you there!
It’s that time of year… pumpkins are being carved, scary movies are being watched, and slutty costumes are being purchased. Halloween is near. And this year in Seattle, Halloween’s gonna be even better than ever.
From Friday, October 29 to Sunday October 31st, you can come kick it with the Zaxy ladies at ZomBcon.
Max Brooks, George Romero, Chuck Palahniuk, and Bruce Campbell will be there.
You can play Dead Rising 2, watch zombie movies, discover zombie comics, and see the premiere of Walking Dead.
Seriously, if you like zombies, you’ve gotta be here. The Zaxy ladies will be hosting some events and panels throughout the event. Take a look at the schedule below to see where you can find us, or follow our tweets as we wander around the convention!
Friday 7-10pm: Tara’s B-Day/ZomBcon/Zaxy Meetup! Come celebrate Tara’s b-day and meet the Zaxy ladies at Night Kitchen. All ages and super casual. Stop by and say “Hi!” Goodies (including Magic cards and beta codes) available while they last!
Saturday 11am: CODE Z Web Series Three Brazilian triplets fight zombies in school uniforms. I’m not making this up. You won’t want to miss meeting these ladies!
4pm: Night Zero- Shooting for the Apocalypse You’ve heard me talk about this graphic novel many times. Meet the crew and find out what it takes to create an HDR zombie comic in Seattle!
Sunday 2pm: Zombies of Mass Destruction Screening Watch a really fun zombie film, and stick around for a Q&A with the local director, Kevin Hamidani.
You can purchase tickets and see what other exciting events are planned at www.zombcon.com. Pick out your zombie best, and we’ll see you there!
They’re the first retailer to accept that Zombies are people too, and to make a page specially for them.
Let their Zombie Gift Guide help you find something for that special zombie in your life.
Make your own new zombie best friend.
Let their videos help you get back into human shape again!
I’m glad to see the equality they’re really striving for. As a Zombie Ally, I read the page in English, but the page can switch to Zombian for easy communication with the undead.
It’s October. Or as I like to call it, Zombie Season. (As well as pumpkin beer season, birthday month, and OMG CANDY day).
One of the fun things about zombie films is that all of the zombies are a bit different. Some are undead, some are infected, some are just plain scary. And they all act differently.
Take a look at this infographic created by Yahoo movies, breaking down zombies from some different films into your chance of survival:
Looks like I’ll be sticking with my Zombie Strippers, thank you.
Like many of you, it took some serious soul-searching before I could learn to appreciate the Resident Evil films. I’ll never forget the disappointment I felt after watching the first film in 2002, waaay back when I was only 14 years old. To be honest, my expectation bar was set to “un-freakin- realistically -high” as I watched the first Resident Evil on my big, fat, PS2 DVD player. Months prior to watching the film, I had completed my first Resident Evil videogame (Code Veronica baby!) and my Resident Evil obsession had radically taken off since then.
After the credits rolled, I felt like what I had just watched was not Resident Evil. Yes, references were made, but I felt dissatisfied. Where was the mansion roaming? Where were the puzzles? I wanted to see more of Raccoon City, I wanted red/blue/green herbs and I wanted masters of lock picking.
Then it made sense. What personally makes the *older* Resident Evil titles so appealing (besides the obvious zombie or two) is the exploration. Taking your time searching pre-rendered background for the flash of an important object, solving puzzles, opening briefcases, reading confidential documents, fitting crests into their correct slots—stuff that would make a film extremely boring.
That’s what I tell myself anyway when I sit down to watch a Resident Evil film. If I come to expect a near-exact replica of the videogames, I’ll only be left feeling disappointed.
What do you think of the films? Do you like them as is, or do you think something could be done that would make the Resident Evil films feel more authentic and true to the videogames?
