Zombies - Juicy Alternative Entertainment!

For those of you who know me, you will understand my obsession with all things post-apocalyptic. I love any sort of film, book or even video game that details the gruesome struggle between the last of humanity and the hordes of walking dead. This weekend, our friend Steph attended the annual ‘Walker Stalker’ conference in London, and it’s all we’ve been able to talk about since! Steph is a great friend, so I knew I wouldn’t offend her by expressing my jealousy after every selfie she posted with cast members! In all honesty though, it’s definitely something we are considering attending next year, even pushing back our honeymoon so the two can coincide! In light of this, I wanted to share my love of the undead with my list of top 5 choices for zombie entertainment.

 

5. George A. Romero’s ‘Of The Dead’ Films

 

Sometimes referred to as ‘The Godfather of the Dead’, George A. Romero has provided us with a whole host of zombie themed entertainment throughout his career. He made his debut in 1968 with ‘Night of the Living Dead’, and continued his production of gore filled films with Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead. While his later instalments of zombie tales still keep us on the edge of our seats, I always return to these original three when looking for a decent story. In the days before CGI, the special effects were often limited and it was the expert storytelling that was key to keeping viewers interested. Despite whether or not characters survive, his films often end on a chilling note and do nothing to improve my general opinion of humanity. Nevertheless, a must see for any zombie fan!

4. Left 4 Dead 1 + 2

These Xbox 360 games have kept me entertained since the release of the original in 2008. Despite their age, they still have a wide fan base and many are excited about the announcement of the second game returning to Xbox One through backwards compatibility. A first person shooter style, the games feature a four man team as they try to escape their ruined surroundings, populated by hordes of the ‘infected’. You can play as either the human survivors, or as ‘special infected’ with various powers to hinder the survivors. The long list of achievements associated with these games often require multiple play-throughs and hence provide hours of entertainment. You can usually pick up a preowned copy for less than £10 – bargain!

 

3. Zombieland

 

This film is slightly different to the usual expected from the genre, and I like to think of it more as a ‘Zom Com’! Guts and gore are expertly mixed with sarcasm and humour to produce a tasty little nugget of Twinkie filled goodness! The film tracks the progress of a college student named ‘Columbus’ as he treks across the States, surviving by adhering to his own practical apocalyptic rules. I love these rules and recently applied them to the completion of a PhD – which is not unlike battling against the undead!

2. The Walking Dead Franchise

 

My first introduction to this franchise was with the hit AMC TV series - while season 1 only had six episodes, I was hooked after the first few minutes. I have since expanded into reading the comics (from which the TV show is based) and playing the Telltale Games video games of the same name. I have never been as shocked by the content of a book as I have by reading these graphic novels. There have been points where I’ve had to pause just to catch my breath, usually because the story has been so stressful! No one is safe, no character’s fate is certain and (as has been proved time and again) anything can happen! The popularity of the franchise seems to have grown exponentially in recent years, as evidenced by the huge crowd at this years ‘Walker Stalker’ conference. This series has only narrowly missed top place on my list and I would urge you all to check it out!

1. World War Z



Forget the 2013 film – my absolute favourite piece of zombie entertainment is the book of the same name by Max Brooks! The story is narrated by a member of the UN as he travels the world documenting accounts of survivors from the ‘Zombie War’. Starting with tales from the beginning of the outbreak and ‘patient zero’, the book explores the lengths that people will go to survive. From botched organ transplants to feral children – from the building of walls in Israel to the disappearance of North Korea into underground bunkers – no one account is the same and each provides an interesting, and often chilling, tale. The variety of different experiences discussed highlight many things I’d never considered and, unlike Romero, totally restore my faith in humanity. If I hadn’t found this in the fiction section, I’d be convinced the Zombie War was an actual historic event!

 

I hope this post has provided you with some alternative entertainment to add to your own lists. The pictures are of Steph from Walker Stalker Con - Check out her Twitter for more updates on her exciting life!

Have any of you found anything particularly juicy in the zombie genre? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
 

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