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October 10, 2011 Wingspan wingspan.lccc.wy.edu 20 Wingspan 21 virus infects editor’s life Photos by Amy Walker Cold, dead feet: Co-Editor Shawn Havel volunteered to become a zombie but did not realize everything the task entailed. Havel seemed uncormfortable through the process of putting on the makeup, but considering people were constantly poking his face, he really did quite well. Photos by Will Hebert Shawn of the dead: While the process of becoming a member of the walking dead was fairly simple for Havel, his old habits of literacy and sophistication did not die so easily. However, after picking the brains of a few staff members and receiving advice on how to behave, he caught on to proper zombie etiquette. He even began ignoring the traffic laws of humans. co-editor Shawn Havel editor’s commentary There are more than a few things that I find disagreeable about zombies and their ways. For starters, they are mindless drones primed to serve their zombie overlord…much like the tea party’s relationship to Glenn Beck. Maybe, that’s unfair. I’m assuming the zombies have an overlord. I’ll give the zombies the benefit of the doubt and say they are at least independent thinkers. Anyway, zombies are messy like infants. Replace pureed cabbage, asparagus, carrots and apple goo with semi-masticated brain and blood. The next disagreement I have—they eat people. They have no moral issue with this They don’t see anything wrong with eating my loved ones They don’t see that their actions are causing people great deals of distress Sorry, zombies, you’re not above a tea party metaphor anymore. I had the opportunity to be a zombie for an afternoon for a photo shoot. I volunteered, probably because I was distracted or felt as if I needed to step up to gain prestige points with colleagues. When I realized I would have to become a zombie, I began feeling kind of sad. Partially, for the reasons stated previously: They are messy and gross, lack moral issues with eating people who are irreplaceable to me, remind me of the tea party and so on. The day of reckoning finally had come; it was time to be a zombie. When I arrived in the Wingspan office, my fellow editors had been preparing the atrocity that would be my outfit. A pair of torn jeans (OK, this is doable.) and a neon lime-green T-shirt (Why, God) that had been covered in fake blood that would turn into a wet jelly. They finished glopping the jelly onto the garments, and once they were finished, I timidly walked toward the restroom to change. Upon donning the clothing, I discovered the blood had not dried at all, and the shirt was soaked with jelly blood. That is when I learned my first zombie lesson; zombies are probably uncomfortable because they are wearing wet clothes all day, and sometimes, those clothes are pretty strange colors, which might make them feel…whatever it is you feel when you wear a giant lime green T-shirt. Next, came the makeup. This would one of the worst/best parts about the entire experience. Worst, because I had my face covered in an oil-based paint that felt gross. Best, because the two other editors who had to poke my face with their hands to apply the makeup after their sponges failed to work probably felt just as awkward as I did for at least for a brief moment. Once the makeup was applied, I was ready to be photographed. This would be the first time anyone outside the Wingspan office would see me. I walked out into the hallway where a few passersby would see me and either smile, holding back laughs, or just disapprovingly look at me. The photo shoot happened, and it was back into the hallway among the living. The same responses came from the new passersby. I felt embarrassed at first, but, eventually, as I was paraded around campus, my confidence as a zombie grew, and I became more comfortable. I ignored the disapproving looks and learned my second zombie lesson: It doesn’t matter that you are uncomfortable in the awkward, wet T-shirt because zombies don’t care and have an unrivaled level of swagger. I even had one human come up to me and try to befriend me. The human in me was embarrassed by the honesty of this act. A human approaching an undead being to befriend him; that’s beautiful. The zombie in me appreciated the act as well, because had I been a real zombie, that guy would have a zombie gnawing on his dome, and I would have a feast. So human lesson No. 1: Don’t approach a real zombie if and when they do exist. Eventually, the parading came to an end, and I didn’t have to be a zombie anymore. Though, it wasn’t awful allowing myself to be a zombie and eventually becoming complacent with my grotesque appearance, I would much rather keep my mind busy thinking about more than just my own needs. The world is a big place, full of humans, so maybe there is a need to stop treating it as though we are zombies. Layout by Will Hebert Zombie logo by Amy Walker Background photo by Dominic Benintende
22 Wingspan October 10, 2011 wingspan.lccc.wy.edu Audience’s hunger for zombie films grows “Dawn of the Dead” (2004); Universal Pictures Directed by: Zack Snyder By Matt Rooney Entertainment Editor They have many names. The walking dead, flesh munchers, Larry King look-a-likes. I am, of course, talking about (if you haven’t already guessed, put down this paper and go sit in your car alone) zombies. Along with vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein and Anne Coulter, zombies are some of the most popular monsters in modern history and are never more popular in any other medium than film. The film, if not so the man, that launched zombie movies into stardom is George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” (1968). The film depicted the now iconic image of a blood-covered, decayed-flesh-ridden and, for some reason, always-missing-half-ashoe zombie. Since then, countless upon countless movies have been made starring these adorable, dead relatives. Some have become quite popular (“Dawn of the Dead,” “28 Days Later,” “Evil Dead,” “Shaun of the Dead”), and the rest have faded into the bowels of straight to video affair (the majority of zombie movies ever). Some are even spin-offs of other films (seriously, no joke, “The Bloodfest Club”). But why do people love these monsters so much Why have directors continued to make movies about them They aren’t love-sick like some modern adaptations of certain monsters. They don’t have fur and howl at the moon (and for some reason always have their shirt off). Maybe the answer lies in their simplicity. They aren’t in-depth and don’t have parallels to humanity and man’s journey. They all entail two plot functions for the most part: Zombies invade; people fight them. They are simple, fun and not too horribly scary for even the smallest of children to enjoy. They are actually even more popular today. Movies like “Zombieland” have done well at the box office, and an adaptation of the book “World War Z” is currently shooting starring Brad Pitt. Personally, I think the answer to why they have become as popular in film lately is simple: They keep getting better. To be honest, I am not a fan of anything Romero (considered the master of zombie films). He just took an idea that existed in many cultures’ lore and turned it into a film. As a result, he gave us some of the most boring movie villains ever. It’s pretty hard to take the monster seriously when they are approaching at exactly 0.5 mph. Why hold up in a house with no escape point and allow them to catch up Seems just silly. This form kept up pretty much for the next several decades. Honestly, other than Romero’s work, can you can you name five good zombie movies made in between the ’60s and the 2000s that are memorable in film history (“Evil Dead” was already mentioned) I didn’t think so. “Dawn of the Dead” (1978); United Film Distribution Company Directed by: George A. Romero Not until 2004 with the release of the remake of “Dawn of the Dead” (directed by Zack Snyder) did zombies get a kick. And all that did was give them the ability to run and shout blood-curdling screams. It brought zombies back to the mainstream and gave them a much-needed “holy-s**t” factor. The only time the formula was reverted was when satire or homage was involved (as in genius films such as “Shaun of the Dead,” “Planet Terror” and “Fido”). The only movies that seem to take it seriously are the “Resident Evil” films. I mean, come on, I know they are zombies, but do they really need to get a double-flip-Jackie- Chan-somersault-mega-death-kick to the head They are already dead! No need for overkill. That aside, modern zombie movies are responsible for the recent popularity. They finally have become cool with the fact that now they run faster than John Goodman to a pie at the heroes while giving high-pitched screams. Frankly, it’s pretty awesome. Even people with a Lord or a Dame in front of their names enjoy them. The train doesn’t seem to be stopping on the fad at all. As long as the format keeps improving, they cannot be stopped. As long as they don’t go back to the “Get inside! They are coming!” format. Yes, they are coming. Might as well watch “Lord of the Rings” while you wait.
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