Armchair Commentary

The Terrible Eleven of 2011: The Year's Best in Horror DVDs

Following is a list of notable horror-related DVD and Blu-ray releases from 2011. A "best" list for horror can be a tricky proposition, given the spectrum of styles and degrees of intensity in the genre. Classic chiller fans may not care a whit about the latest gut-spiller, while gore aficionados may roll their eyes at a Depression Era spookshow. But the following eleven titles showcased here stood out, and therefore, were the best in our opinion, because they met two important criteria: they were distinguished by the quality of their stories and/or direction, whether stylish, unrelenting or inventive, and (most importantly) they were scary.

Here's our alarming eleven, in no particular order:

-- Island of Lost Souls Director Erle C. Kenton's outrageous 1933 adaptation of H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau makes its long-over DVD debut with this deluxe presentation from Criterion. Seventy years have not dampened the film's queasy blend of pre-Code perversity and sadism in the name of Science, as embodied by Charles Laughton as a supremely arch Moreau, as well as Kathleen Burke's hot-blooded Panther Girl and Bela Lugosi's tormented Sayer of the Law. Extras include interviews with director John Landis, makeup legend Rick Baker and Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale of Devo, whose "de-evolution" manifesto was influenced by the film. An absolute essential for horror fans of all ages and preferences.

The Icky Shuffle: Contagion Movies

Gesundheit. With Steven Soderbergh’s brilliantly clinical, scarily plausible all-star disaster movie Contagion hitting screens, here’s a few notable films which also explore the fertile topic of quarantines and near-invisible invaders. Does … does anybody else feel warm?

Panic in the Streets (1950) Q: What’s scarier than having an unknowing carrier of bubonic plague on the loose in New Orleans? A: When said carrier is played by a huffing, puffing Jack Palance. Elia Kazan’s heavily expressionistic film noir (which features Richard Widmark in a too-rare heroic role) piles on the paranoia, especially when zooming in on the increasingly manic Palance, spreading potential death with every musk-ox exhalation.

Shivers (1976) There’s a fear of infection at work in most horror stories (Vampires, check; Werewolves, check; Zombies, big time check). While George A. Romero’s Dead saga, the 28 Days Later series, and The Stand all have their considerable virtues, no filmmaker has ever played with the idea as boldly as David Cronenberg, whose first two movies are brilliantly grody metaphors about catching a bug.  Shot entirely in a claustrophobic high rise, Shivers follows the outbreak of a group of horrid slug-things whose bite releases the inner deviant in their victims. Working on an extremely low budget, Cronenberg takes the concept of viral horror and absolutely runs with it, leaving no queasy stone unturned.  (To quote Stephen King from his awed appreciation in Danse Macabre, “[the film] is about sexual promiscuity on one level; on another level it’s asking you how you’d like to have a leech jump out of a letter slot and latch itself onto your face. These are not the same levels of unease at all.”) Nowhere is the film more effective than in its bizarre finale, which somehow plays as both worst case scenario and happy ending. 1977’s follow-up Rabid, in which Marilyn Chambers develops a communicable hankering for human blood following an experimental surgery, is a slightly more conventional movie, although the director still goes to degrees where few others dare to tread. After watching a surgeon start foaming at the mouth in mid-operation, never leaving the house again feels like a valid option.

Carriers (2009) A small group of survivors attempt to outdrive a widening plague zone, in this surprisingly vital, unstintingly tough-minded end of the world virus movie, with a pre-Trek Chris Pine unafraid to ugly it up in the lead role. The lack of funds occasionally shows, but in its unpretentious B-movie miserablism, it works like gangbusters.

Black Death (2011) In which a bunch of church-commissioned Medieval witch hunters (led by Sean Bean) stumble across a community mysteriously free of the plague. A cult movie in the making, director Christopher Smith’s fantastically atmospheric film explores the horrors of unexplained sickness, as well as the extreme steps taken by some to escape the taint.

Outbreak (1995) Released during the height of Ebola fears, Wolfgang Petersen’s mild yet effective monkey virus thriller manages to hit some of the same nerves that Contagion pings so expertly. The novelty of Dustin Hoffman as an action hero aside, this makes the list mainly for the awesomely overt scene where the plague is first spread … in a movie theater. William Castle would have given a high-five.

So, what movies make you reach for the Purell? --Andrew Wright

 

Talking Film Distribution with Director Kevin Smith

Movie fans are familiar with the standard routine -- a movie is promoted for months through TV, print advertising, and trailers building anticipation for its theatrical release.  The film is then released to movie theaters around the country with the number of screens varying from title to title.  Depending on the movie, it can be widely released across the US or limited to “art house cinemas” in select cities.  After several months, the movie is made available for home viewing on DVD and Blu-ray discs, and through digital Video On-Demand services.  Films are then often available through premium cable channels (like HBO) and eventually, broadcast and basic cable channels. 

This lifecycle of movie distribution “windows” has remained relatively unchanged for some time.  But now, the proliferation of high-speed broadband and Internet-connectable devices in consumer homes has opened a new movie distribution portal for filmmakers, and more consumption alternatives for movie fans.  One filmmaker embracing these possibilities is Kevin Smith, director of films such as Clerks, Chasing Amy, Cop Out, and the upcoming Red State.  I recently had a chance to speak to Kevin about the Internet's effect on the movie business and his new film. 

Written and directed by Smith, Red State premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and releases today through Video On-Demand outlets BEFORE its scheduled theatrical release on September 23.  It is also scheduled to be released on DVD October 18, only four weeks after its release in theaters (much sooner than the typical three to four month delay).  "We live in a world in which it is increasingly difficult to get people’s attention," Smith said describing this strategy, "You have to reach the audience where they are.  You have to figure out a way to get your art in the hands of the people.”

Smith went on to describe why the movie business is unique in its dependence on multiple channels of distribution.  “Filmmaking is an expensive art form.  If I was a singer and I wanted to express myself to you, I would simply sing a song; if I was an artist and I wanted to express myself, I would get a canvas and some paint; but to make a film, I need millions of dollars and a large cast and crew.”  When asked about the potential he sees in Internet distribution of movies, Smith (who also hosts a weekly podcast with longtime producer Scott Mosier) replied, “It’s an opportunity to create new viewer experiences” and “on-demand entertainment.  Smith also added that “Video On-Demand could be the new art house cinema.”  That’s a revolutionary concept and could mean that the opportunity to see select independent films on their release date may no longer be limited to those in New York or Los Angeles.

Describing the R-rated horror/thriller film Red State, Smith says it’s a movie of “tragic decisions.”  When asked how he wants the audience to walk away from the film (which certainly does not have the typical Hollywood ending), Smith hopes viewers appreciate "great performances" by the cast and maybe even walk away "inspired to make some art" of their own.  Smith encourages filmmakers to keep innovating and utilizing technology to stay relevant. “I’m a great commercial for trying what you want to do,” says Smith. 

Another upcoming film experimenting with the traditional release windows is Trespass, starring Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman, which is scheduled to be released in both theaters and through Video On-Demand on October 14.

Watch Red State today on Amazon Instant Video before it hits theaters on September 23.  You get to watch it at home, but you’ll have to make your own popcorn.

Made-for-TV Terrors: The ORIGINAL "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" and other '70s Small Screen Shockers

 On October 10, 1973, TV audiences who tuned to ABC were transfixed by a hair-raising supernatural thriller about a young newlywed (Kim Darby, True Grit) plagued by unseen fores in her new home. The feature, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, earned a reputation as one of the most terrifying productions ever made for television, and had a profound effect on many that saw it in the four decades after its initial network broadcast - including director Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy), who recently produced a big-screen remake, starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, that opens on August 26. 

Del Toro's remake serves as a great reminder that the 1970s were an exceptional period for horror features on the small screen. The success of such critically acclaimed and highly rated efforts as Steven Spielberg's Duel (1971), Dan Curtis' The Night Stalker (1972) and Dark, directed by John Newland (of One Step Beyond fame) paved the way for dozens of genre titles, some of which compared favorably to the Hollywood releases of the period. Following are 10 of the best '70s-era TV-movie horror films, all available on DVD, and all providing the perfect degree of chills for hot summer viewing. It should be mentioned that the original Don't Be Afraid of the Dark has also been issued in a newly remastered special edition disc.

Note: the omission of some outstanding TV-movie terror titles, including Steven Spielberg's Something Evil (1972), A Cold Night's Death (1972) and the Gene Roddenberry-produced Spectre (1973)- both starring the late Robert Culp - and Curtis Harrington's The Dead Don't Die, is due to their unavailability on legitimate DVD.

Prince of Darkness: The Best of Bela Lugosi on DVD

In the half-century that has passed since Bela Lugosi's death on August 16, 1956, the Hungarian-born actor has lost little of his lustre as one of Hollywood's most enduring horror film icons. He remains best known for his elegant and smoulderingly sensual Count in Tod Browning's Dracula (1931), a performance that not only presaged such erotically charged screen vampires as Christopher Lee, Frank Langella and even Robert Pattinson, but has become part of the pop culture lexicon; without Lugosi, there are none of the aforementioned actors, but also no Bobby "Boris" Pickett ("Monster Mash"), no Count von Count on Sesame Street, even no Count Chocula on your breakfast table, not to mention Martin Landau's Oscar-winning turn as (a highly fictionalized) Lugosi in Tim Burton's Ed Wood (1994) and the legions of comic imitators, cartoon depictions, pop songs and even postage stamps that traded on his distinctive look, accent and delivery.

Like his frequent on-screen rival, Boris Karloff, Lugosi is part of our collective consciousness as filmgoers. His image immediately invokes a stately, charming evil, the kind of which is largely absent from modern horror films. That image surpasses the typecasting that plagued Lugosi in life and the grisly final chapter of his career with Ed Wood and Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959). On the 55th anniverary of Lugosi's death, we take a look at the films that best summon that image, and have preserved his legacy for generations of fans. 

1. Dracula (1931) Lugosi had played the Count in the 1927 Broadway production of Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston's stage play, which served as the basis for the film, but had to lobby to win the role in the film; producer Carl Laemmle, Jr. wanted Lon Chaney for Dracula, and considered numerous other actors, including Paul Muni, before settling on Lugosi. The result was instant stardom for the actor, whose deliberate speech patterns ("I never drink... wine") and mesmerizing gaze have passed into movie legend. Though widely identified as Dracula, he would play the role in only two subsequent films, the 1933 short Hollywood on Parade and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), though he played other unrelated characters in Mark of the Vampire (1935) and Return of the Vampire (1944).

Trailer Park: "Contagion," "The Thing," "John Carter"

While the internet breathlessly waits for a legit version of The Dark Knight Rises teaser (in which, according to reports, Tom Hardy’s back can briefly be glimpsed), a number of other intriguing trailers have made a pre-Comicon appearance. Start planning your sick days now.

Contagion (dir. by Steven Soderbergh): As distinctly '70s as the Pet Rock or Stretch Armstrong, the disaster movie cycle derived no small amount of guiltless fun from an iron-clad formula: Large-scale bloodless apocalypse at the end of the first reel, followed by a series of over-the-hill, easily recognizable actors biting it in increasingly baroque fashion. (Personal favorite: Henry Fonda shooting himself up with giant killer bee venom—in the name of science!—in The Swarm.) Steven Soderbergh’s all-star viral thriller, however, looks like it veers far, far away from Irwin Allen’s turf, with the cheesy fun of watching, say, Robert Wagner turning into a tux-clad fajita replaced by powerhouse acting and a no-nonsense attitude. While spoiler-hounds may get up in arms about the revealed fates of some of the actors in this trailer, it’s not looking like anyone gets away clean here. (September 9th)

 

The Thing (dir. by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.): Horror fans, meanwhile, can be forgiven for feeling a little queasy about the existence of this prequel to John Carpenter’s 1981 somberly gloppy classic, which focuses on the events at an alien-infested Norwegian camp before Kurt Russell and his massive sombrero make the scene. Thankfully, this trailer looks like the filmmakers have made a genuine effort to replicate Carpenter’s doomy vibe (dig the Ennio Morricone soundtrack lift at the end), while sticking to the practical effects that made the original such a splatter milestone. (That said, the subtle CGI bit involving a guy’s face definitely works.) Keep watching the skies. (October 14th)

 

John Carter (dir. by Andrew Stanton): The first live-action film from Pixar Grand Poobah Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E) is an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ pulp milestone A Princess of Mars. Not that you’d be able to guess the Mars part from this rather opaque trailer, though, which tones down the material’s more baroque elements-–shouldn’t the sand be colored red, at least?--in favor of Conan-style throwdowns.  Still, the director’s track record and the presence of a ridiculously talented supporting cast (including Bryan Cranston, Willem Dafoe, and Samantha Morton) suggest that there may be more magic here than meets the eye. And, hey, how about that song, huh? (March 9th, 2012)

 

 

The Best Movies & TV of 2011... So Far

We took votes, we debated those votes, we butted heads. But in the end, all that's left standing is the Amazon.com Movies & TV editors' picks for the Best of 2011... So Far on DVD, Blu-ray, and Instant Video. (Applies to titles released between Jan. 1 and Apr. 30, 2011). Here's a peek at some of our picks:

Tangled (No. 9 for DVD, No. 6 for Blu-ray): Not everyone expected to be delighted by this hilarious take on Rapunzel, but thanks to great comic timing (courtesy of a horse and an oft-used cast-iron pan) and perfectly cast Mandy Moore as the voice of the captured princess who yearns to know what's outside her sheltered world/tower, Tangled became an indelible part of the Disney lore.

Mad Men: Season Four (No. 3 for DVD, No. 5 for Blu-ray): If there's a year this show deserves the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, it's this season. Jumping off from the previous season's game-changer, the AMC series has reinvigorated itself, and Jon Hamm does his finest acting yet as a man who sinks to his lowest of lows (yet) and makes baby steps toward respecting himself again. (Don't miss the standout episode of the season, "The Suitcase")

Inside Job (No. 8 for DVD): For anyone who knows nothing about economics or real estate, this a documentary that aims to spell out exactly how the financial crisis happened and who's to blame. For anyone who understands economics or real estate, it's like a horror film you can't believe is real.

Piranha 3D (No. 18 in Blu-ray): We're not all highbrow on this list (clearly). Alejandre Aja's remake of the Roger Corman B-movie made the list not just for its Blu-ray 3D effects (much to the chagrin of James Cameron, who decried that films like these are "not what we should be doing" with 3D) but because what it does--deliver cheesetastic gore to the max without pretending to be anything else--it does well.

and finally, our No. 1 pick on DVD and Blu-ray:

The Social Network: We over here think this film deserved Best Picture (Fincher, you wuz robbed!), but no one can argue is that its DVD and Blu-ray features are a Best in Class on how to use your medium. (Not that we considered The King's Speech small beans either; it also made the top 5 in DVD). But between the strength of the film itself; its commentaries by the cast, writer Aaron Sorkin, and director David Fincher; and its feature-length documentary (not to be missed, it's a must for all film buffs); this is the Best DVD or Blu-ray to come out in 2011... So far.

See the rest of our Top 25 on DVD and our Top 25 on Blu-ray, as well as the Top 10 on Instant Video. What are your picks? --Ellen

Once Upon a Twisted Fairy Tales

Retelling classic fairy tales is nothing new in literature or at the cinema. Sometimes it's a modern twist, other times the tale shows the story from another character's perspective. However the story is mixed-and-matched, the recent release of Beastly -- a modern update of Beauty and the Beast -- and Red Riding Hood, plus the announcement of a new Snow White starring Julia Roberts, Kristen Stewart, and Charlize Theron, prove these twisted tales are all the rage. Here are a few of our favorite new takes on old stories, but beware, these fairy tales aren't for the kids! Warning: spoilers ahead.

 

Snow White – A Tale of Terror (1997)

Based on: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

The tale: Lady Claudia, an evil stepmother (as they often seem to be in fairy tales) tries to have her stepdaughter, Lilli, killed. But the attempt fails when Lilli escapes, hiding in the woods. She's found, and grudgingly given refuge, by seven outcast miners. Using her mother's mirror, Lady Claudia (Sigourney Weaver, who earned an Emmy Award® nomination for her role), discovers Lilli is still alive, and, much like the familiar tale, she disguises herself as an ugly old woman and delivers that fateful, deadly apple to Lilli. Though Lilli succumbs to the poison apple, she is saved and ultimately confronts her stepmother, finally destroying the magic mirror with a knife.

How it's twisted: The title says it all. Perhaps even darker than the original Grimm brothers' tale, this gothic interpretation replaces the dwarves with the miners, who do not exactly welcome Lilli into their home. But it seems the character of Lady Claudia truly imbues the darkest nature of this adaptation. She takes evil to elevated levels, going so far as to seduce Lilli's fiancé, attempts the resurrection of her stillborn son, and scares her brother -- the man responsible for Lilli's attempted murder -- into committing suicide, and that's just what we can list here!

 

Beauty and the Beast (1946)

Based on: Beauty and the Beast

The tale: Widely considered one of the finest fantasy films, even today, the French La Belle et la Bête tells the story most of us are familiar with: Belle offers to take her father's place as the Beast's prisoner after he takes a rose from the Beast's garden. Over time, Belle comes to look past the Beast's -- who is actually a cursed, handsome prince -- outwardly grotesque appearance, and sees him for the man behind the monster.

How it's twisted: Unlike some adaptations, this stunning black and white film actually stays very close to the original fairy tale by Leprince de Beaumont. However, director Jean Cocteau focused on the more adult, emotional aspects of the relationship between Belle and her princely Beast, envisioning a dark, though dreamy and romantic, environment. 

 

Freeway (1996)

Based on: Little Red Riding Hood

The tale: Vanessa (Reese Witherspoon), an illiterate teenager sets off to her grandmother's house … after her mother is arrested for prostitution. Before leaving, she stops to see her boyfriend, who gives her a gun to sell once she gets to her final destination. When her car breaks down along the highway, Bob Wolverton (Kiefer Sutherland) stops and offers to take her to her grandmother's house. Unknown to Vanessa, Bob is a serial killer. until he confesses and attacks her. She shoots him, and finds herself arrested, the police unconvinced of her story. She escapes from prison during transfer and finally makes her way to her grandmother's house, only to discover Bob has killed her grandmother.

How it's twisted: Though it may seem like it on the surface, this isn't a film that sets out purely to titillate. The original “Little Red Riding Hood” was a tale of warning to adolescent girls, and, while the themes of sex and violence are taken to amped up levels in this modern retelling, in many ways, it offers up the same warnings.

 

Into the Woods (1991)

Based on: Pretty much all of them

The tale: A group of characters venture into the woods, each seeking something they believe will improve their lives: Cinderella wants to go to the ball, but is prevented by her evil stepmother and stepsisters; Jack seeks to find a better life after his friend Milky-White the cow is sold by his wealth-hungry mother; the baker and his wife long for a child, but the witch next door claims she's cursed them, something that can only be broken with a potion made from “the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the slipper as pure as gold.”

How it's twisted: With a veritable who's who fairy tale names comprising the characters of this story, no one and nothing is sacred. Based on Steven Sondheim's Tony Award® winning lyrics and score, and played by much of the original Broadway cast, this imagined world has Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack, and many more living side-by-side as neighbors. Witty dialogue and comedic displays counterbalance the dark undertones of the characters' search for that which each desires. While each ultimately gets what they wish for, the tale doesn't end with the traditionally expected happily ever after.

 

Alice (2009)

Based on: Alice in Wonderland

The story: Set almost 150 years after the original book, Alice (Catarina Scorsone), a woman in her 20s, finds herself literally in another world after her new boyfriend is kidnapped. She follows the van that snatched him off the street and falls through a looking glass. Captured with numerous other humans from her world, Alice manages to escape and ends up in the company of Hatter, a man who knows his way through the underworld of Wonderland. As she tries to get back home, Alice and Hatter seek to set things right, and manage to topple to towers of cards and casinos and free the humans who'd been abducted.

How it's twisted: Time has also passed in Wonderland, and not kindly. The previously skewed world of mad tea parties and off-with-your-head croquette games has morphed into a near-dystopian land of playing card-buildings and casinos, all under the cruel rule of a heartless monarch. Though many familiar characters are present -- The Queen of Hearts (Kathy Bates), The Mad Hatter -- The White Rabbit is now a secret organization that works for the queen, abducting humans and forcing them to play in the casinos so their emotions can be stolen and used as a drug. One familiar concept from the original remains: Alice in a blue dress.

 

Tin Man (2007)

Based on: The Wizard of Oz

The tale: Though initially this mini-series seems to be merely a modern retelling, with Oz similarly updated, it becomes clear that time has passed in both worlds, and DG (Zooey Deschanel) is more than just a waitress tired of her Kansas life. Actually placed on Earth to hide, and placed in the foster care of two androids playing the part of her guardians. When the ruler of Oz finds DG and sends her soldiers through a tornado to kill her, DG escapes through the storm and finds herself in Oz. When DG learns that she was once a citizen of Oz, she sets out to learn what she can about herself and her family.

How it's twisted: How do you count the ways? Aside from some similar names, very little in this tale lines up with the original story by Frank L. Baum. But that doesn't make it any less enjoyable as it reveals its own path along the -- now crumbling -- yellow brick road. Oz is O.Z., the Outer Zone, a near police-state ruled by the sorceress Azkadellia. Wyatt Cain (Neil McDonough) is a Tin Man, a law enforcement officer, encased in a tin suit for disobeying Azkadellia. He and DG join forces with Glitch (Alan Cumming), a man who's had half of his brain removed, and Raw, a “viewer” (similar to a psychic) who's people have been enslaved by Azkadellia. The final kicker is learning that DG is not Dorothy Gale, per se, but the many-great granddaughter of the “Gray Gale,” the original Dorothy of Baum's books, and the first person to “slip” between the worlds.

 

The Company of Wolves (1985) 

Based on: Little Red Riding Hood

The tale: Taking a more gothic flourish -- with a dash of horror -- to the classic story of a little girl lost in the woods. Rosaleen, a young woman entering puberty, goes to bed and dreams her sister is killed by wolves. While her parents mourn, she is sent to live with her grandmother (Angela Lansbury), who knits a red cape for her granddaughter and tells her tales steeped with morals and warnings. Years later, Roseleen returns home and finds herself dealing with the advances of an amorous local boy. As per the tale, Rosaleen goes to visit her grandmother, complete with a basket of baked goods, and encounters an attractive huntsman along the way. But he's more than he appears.

How it's twisted: This tale unfolds within Rosaleen's dreams, yes, but it's more than just fairy tales taking place in a young girl's mind. The wolves are werewolves, as is the huntsman who challenges her in the woods of her dreams. Like the original version of Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf kills the grandmother and Little Red (Rosaleen) fights back, wounding the wolf/huntsman. He reverts to wolf form, injured but not dead. And Rosaleen, feeling pity for him, pets him tenderly. Rosaleen herself becomes a wolf and, to escape the other villagers. Much like the original Little Red Riding Hood, this is a tale steeped with awakening sexuality, but ending with both male and female characters in wolf form.

 

Faerie Tale Theatre (1982 - 1987)

Based on: Pretty much all of them

The tale: A series of classic fairy and folk tales hosted by Shelley Duvall and acted by an enviable cast of Hollywood elite (Robin Williams, Liza Minnelli, Matthew Broderick, Mick Jagger, Eric Idle, and Susan Sarandon, just to name a few) take on 26 beloved stories.

How it's twisted: Perhaps lighter fare compared to some of the other adaptations listed above, this series is no less enjoyable, if nothing else for the cast of characters who joined Shelley Duvall.   

 

The following movies may not be adaptations of existing fairy tales, but they embrace the true spirit of storytelling, and we just couldn't leave them off the list.

The Fall

MirrorMask

Pan's Labyrinth

The Princess Bride

 

 

These are our twisted fairy tale favorites … what are your yours? --Jill Corddry

 

The Rules of "The Walking Dead"

The success of AMC's The Walking Dead, the first television series about a zombie apocalypse, is perhaps the ultimate sign that the living dead have permeated all aspects of our culture. A light perusal of the online marketplace will uncover dozens of movies, books for all ages, graphic novels, music, games, clothing and accessories and even food (Zombie Jerky, anyone?) marked with the sign of the zombie. Any number of reasons can be attributed to the monsters' stratospheric popularity, from political and social to the simple reason that the idea of the recently (and not-so) dead rising from their graves to mindlessly consume the living remains, at its core, a terrifying concept, and one that utterly destroys the basic tenets of civilization. As modern nightmares go, the zombie plumbs the deepest, most disturbing depths.

With that in mind, it might be helpful to understand the basic rules of zombie-dom, many of which are presented as gospel in The Walking Dead. The zombie has been a figure in literature and history since the beginning of recorded time; references to the dead rising and consuming the living are found in The Epic of Gilgamesh, which was preserved on clay tablets in the 7th century. Studies of West African and Haitian culture by W.B. Seabrook introduced the zombie to Western readers in the 1920s and '30s, spurring such classic films as White Zombie (1931). In that film and the dozens that followed, the zombie echoed its cultural origins as a corpse revived by black magic that served its master with mindless devotion. However, the release of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) imploded that concept by presenting the zombie as the product of our collective societal unease, a creature that existed to tear down our culture through wholesale and unquenchable cannibalism. Faced with an onslaught by people who were formerly our family and friends, the facade of modern society peeled away to reveal our basest nature in the face of disaster. Post-Romero films continued to depict the zombie as the entropic result of our ignorance, created by scientific tampering, consumer greed, military might and even religious doubt. 

Romero's film and its sequels, which include Dawn of the Dead (1978) and the recent Survival of the Dead (2009), also introduced several basic concepts to the zombie mythology that served as gospel for all future living dead features, including The Walking Dead. Among them are:

- the Post-Romero zombie is created by the reanimation of a corpse through outside means, frequently scientific in nature. The basic motor functions of the brain are activated so that the zombie can carry out its primary function: to pursue and devour human flesh. The cannibalistic act is rarely given any explanation, although in Dan O'Bannon's Return of the Living Dead, zombies consume human brains in order to ease the agony of being dead. 

- zombies do not consume each other, despite having once been human themselves. All other forms of life appear to be safe from harm, though in the Walking Dead pilot, the creatures attack and devour a horse ridden by the show's hero, Deputy Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). In all other cases, living flesh and blood are their sole appetites.

- humans can be transformed into zombies by sustaining an injury from one, usually in the form of a bite. The victim then expires from the wound, and his or her corpse then returns as a zombie with the same implacable desire to devour other humans. In this way, the zombie apocalypse can be seen as a form of plague, indiscriminately affecting all who come in contact with its carriers.

- since zombies are already dead, they cannot be harmed by ordinary means. Crippling them or removing limbs does not halt the impulse to consume; in films ranging from Zach Snyder's 2004 revamp of Dawn of the Dead to Romero's Day of the Dead, we see zombies continuing to hunt their prey despite the loss of arms, legs and (in the case of Day), their entire heads or digestive systems. Even their own unavoidable decomposition does not hinder them, as evidenced by the legless "Bicycle Girl" whom Lincoln puts out of its misery in the Walking Dead pilot. Fire will of course destroy their physical bodies, as seen in the Snyder film and in Lucio Fulci's City of the Living Dead, but even then, the charred remains will often continue to quiver through impulse. There remains only one sure to completely destroy a zombie.

- since the activation of the brain provides the spark which sets the zombie engine in motion, the destruction of the brain by bullets or other major trauma is the only sure way of ensuring that the dead will stay dead. FIlmmakers have found all manner of creative ways to depict this, from helicopter blades in Dawn of the Dead (1978) to a lawnmower in Peter Jackson's Dead Alive and carefully aimed LPs in Shaun of the Dead. 

- attempts to reason with, placate or communicate with zombies are futile. Their higher functions, including the ability to comprehend basic communication and impulse restraint, have all been replaced by their core need to consume. Zombies will not recognize family members or neighbors or put themselves out of harm's way; the cannibalistic urge remains their only motivation. Several films have attempted to portray rudimentary communication with zombies, most notably Day of the Dead, which features "Bub" (Howard Sherman), a zombie which appears to retain some human aspects, most notably loyalty. Nick Frost's Ed also appears to have reached a sort of detente with humanity in Shaun of the Dead, largely by a strong chain and copious amounts of video games. 

For more in-depth details on the zombie apocalypse, readers are recommended to check out Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide, a thoroughly researched and only somewhat tongue-in-cheek plan for how you and your loved ones might ride out an invasion by the living dead. -- Paul Gaita

 

Extraordinary Teens Before "Number Four"

When it comes to depicting the emotional and physical upheaval that is becoming a teenager, the movies have usually relied on dramas and comedies to tell that story. But aren't the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres equally well equipped to show the trials and tribulations of teenage-dom? After all, don't the intense physical and chemical changes that run riot through teens' bodies sound like nothing less than a science experiment gone completely amuck? Comic book fantasies like Superman, Spider-Man and Smallville have all equated the growth from adolescent to teen with new-minted superheroes discovering and learning to control their powers, and scores of sci-fi and horror films have revolved around teens with unearthly abilities.

The latest in this list is I Am Number Four, starring Alex Pettyfer as one of nine alien children on the run from extraterrestrial hunters. It joins a long list of films about extraordinary youngsters, some of which we've listed here for your perusal.

(Please note: you'll note the absence of such notable films as Children of the Damned, The Last Mimzy and the Harry Potter franchise. For the purposes of this list, we're focusing on films about teens only.)

The Tomorrow People (1973) Well-loved British TV series about a group of children who develop a vast array of psionic abilities as they blossom into teens; their arrival represents the next stage of human evolution - the "homo superior," which David Bowie later referenced in his song "Oh! You Pretty Things."  

Carrie (1976) Sissy Spacek's sheltered high schooler dispatches her tormentors (including John Travolta and Nancy Allen) through devastating acts of telekinesis in Brian De Palma's still-terrifying adaptation of Stephen King's early novel. De Palma revisited the idea of young people with powerful psychic abilities in The Fury (1978).