The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods is a very refreshing film that deviates from a lot of the common horror movie elements, throwing odd twists and turns that manage to surprise the audience many times. Metafiction is clearly visible within the film, as the characters are partaking in a fabricated horror story, controlled by technicians who are trying to kill them to please a supernatural "ancient" being. All the zombies and frightening monsters that the five characters see are sent out accordingly by the technicians that are controlling the cabin. This reminded me of the many dystopian novels where there is an omnipresent force that constantly monitors the people they are controlling, such as the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner. The film captures the essence of the fantastic, where the characters are reasoning with themselves, trying to figure out their situation. When Dana and Marty realize that everything that they experienced in the cabin was controlled by people, it is not considered to be uncanny but instead metafiction. However, in the end it is revealed that there indeed is an otherworldly force, the "ancients" who will destroy the world, if the 5 individuals are not killed. This is definitely the supernatural, because there is a world that works in a different set of laws. I found that this unexpected plot twist was a bit ridiculous, yet pretty interesting. Never have I ever come across a horror story that basically ridicules the fundamental elements of horror other than The Cabin in the Woods. 

Zombies...?

So, Cabin in the Woods. This is a strange film to me. It doesn't come off as a Zombie film to me. The Zombies don't seem to play a major role in the film. Because the idea is the hero in these stories, but the idea here doesn't seem to be, "If you ignore the superstitious signs, you will be eaten by zombies." The zombies are a transition state, they represent all of the fairytale/supernatural characters that play a bigger role in sacrificing humans. We have yet to finish to the movie, but Gods and sacrificing seem to be at the center of the plot. The Zombies seemed to be chosen as the means of killing the humans because this is supposed to be a scary movie and producers needed a killer that would bring in people to the movies, and zombies have been a consistent and reliable staple of scary movies for a long time. Zombies, all in all, don't seem like a major necessity for the plot, but a way to make this movie more appealing to scary movie goers.

The Cabin in the Woods is BRILLIANT

I'm not a fan of most horror movies, but I love Cabin in the Woods, in fact I would go so far as to say it was one of the best movies released in the past three or so years. And while it does have all the elements of a horror film, Cabin in the Woods takes all the typical tropes of a horror movie, turns them on their head, and tears them apart. It is a deconstruction of horror movies, explaining all the things we take for granted in them: why the characters act so unbelievably dumb and impulsive, why circumstances align just right so that the characters are trapped just when they need to escape the monster, where the creatures come from, that sort of thing.

Explaining all of these details, giving a reason for the supernatural and unbelievable occurrences, changes the supernatural nature of the film. If we know where the monsters come from (the underground pens) and why they are attacking the characters, it takes away some of the uncertainty and fantastic nature of the film. In this way, it is almost more of a science fiction film, where the rules of the universe are different than our own real world, but they are clearly defined to set boundaries and give reasons for the film's events. However, the movie's explanations create as many questions as they answer (what is the story with the gods/ ancient creatures living under the earth? how exactly does the organization performing the sacrifices function?) so really we are left equally mystified by the supernatural aspects of the film.

I also enjoyed the film's metafictional perspective on horror fans. We see the workers in the control room having a party while Dana is being massacred by a zombie, and the audience is disgusted at how jovial they are when such brutal violence is happening in front of them, and how cavalier they are towards the entire situation. And yet, later in the film when the underground is being massacred by the freed monsters, we can't help but look on in awe and, dare I say it, enjoyment -- I know I wasn't the only one in the theater who laughed when the Steve Hadley was murdered by the merman he had so wished to see.

Cabin in the woods

I really liked this movie yesterday. It was incredibly cheesy, but that was exactly what it was aiming for. It is a satire, and is making fun of all the horror movies before it. The 'government agency' aspect is interesting, and is just another way to make fun of the horror genre by making fun of the audience. The sacrifice a few to save many is also an interesting concept. It weird how they feel they need to have to elaborately trick people, you think of the whole human population they could find some cultists people who willing sacrifice themselves, but maybe it has to be against their will, who knows? I think this also plays on the concept of free will, which has applied to a lot of our reading lately. In this movie it seems that all the characters actions can be predicted and influenced by simple stereotypes or chemical reactions. It seems to suggest that there really isn't that much free will if it can actions can be shaped that easily.

A Game for the End of the World

Cabin in the Woods!
Wonderful movie and a great plot. It has the setting of a horror movie, but becomes more of a scifi action (still retains that sense of excitement and anticipation).
The grossly exaggerated elements of horror, like the different types of people and who would die first, causes the movie to lose its fear-inducing effect. Because these elements are so exaggerated, it becomes sort of comedic to the audience. You are essentially taking something they've seen before and removing the horror from it, leaving something familiar but not disagreeable. For example, zombies are something familiar that we've learned to fear through generations of media, but the zombies in this movie are red-necked, pain-loving, religious zombies, which is so outlandish and far-fetched that its hilarious.
The agency that sets all this up to prevent the end of the world makes it a game, which also lends to comical aspects of the movie. It takes away the fear and creates kind of this new world of technology and advancement vs. old world of zombies and "fictional creatures." The way the agency monitors the sacrificial group with their technology and precision resembles spy movies.

Cabin in the Woods

Similar to 28 Days Later, Cabin in the Woods uses certain techniques to build tension for the audience. There is an almost heavy handed use of music and lighting, not to mention foreshadowing as a result of the men in the control room. Further, they used themes that are common to any thriller, which makes the tension that much stronger to anybody who has ever seen a horror film. For example, the tension leading up to the scene where Jules was killed very nearly had me covering my face in anticipation.

Where this film differs from traditional horror films, however, is the control room. There is something very off-putting about the people involved, the people responsible for these kids deaths, sitting around joking, making bets, and so on. It is a somewhat jarring experience to be suddenly pulled out of the story and thrown into another. It seems to draw attention to the fact that it is a movie, one character gaining self awareness about being filmed, which is followed by blood and violence.

Warm Bodies / The Cabin in the Woods

I thought it was a fascinating concept how Perry Kelvin repeatedly shows up in R's thoughts. By consuming his brain, does R actually infuse his thoughts with those of Perry's? Or is it simply his imagination? On page 122, he hears a collective voice of all the people he consumed: "We tried to make a beautiful world here" (Marion). Is he hearing these voices because, again, he consumed them, or are these voices made out of his own personal thoughts––what he thinks they'd say? Marion includes many twists into his book that many typical zombie fiction stories do not have, simply because there lacks a reputable number of fiction that presents the zombie's perspective.

In regards to the film we watched in class, The Cabin in the Woods, it starts out with a group of characters that are manipulated into cliches we are all familiar with. The plot line doesn't follow a typical horror movie's (for everything is controlled and operated by a secret government program to satisfy ancient gods––who thinks of that?), but the characters remain the same. There is the jock, intelligent and insensitive, who the government turns into the "alpha male." His girlfriend, a sensual blonde, lets loose her wild side when the agents let loose a certain hormone in the air for her to breathe in. There is the virgin, new to everything, and the stoner who smokes weed all day and has deep thoughts. I feel the way the director/screenwriter allowed these characters to turn into very stereotypical cliche characters in normal horror movies adds another distinct quality to The Cabin in the Woods.

Puppeteers

Cabin in the Woods starts off as a typical horror film with college students preparing for a weekend of fun and partying at a secluded house in the woods.  Although many things seem creepy to them like the man at the gas station and the scary painting/mirror in the room, the characters overlook it and continue with their fun.  Even the characters are typical of a horror film including a jock and his dumb blonde overtly sexual girlfriend, sweet and innocent "virgin" girl, hot but sensitive guy, and the comic relief stoner fifth wheel friend.  Even the movie seems typical, it is not predictable and has elements of anxiety and terror.  This group of friends is in a way randomly and unknowingly chosen to be sacrificed and are monitored by a high tech company who bets on the ways they are going to be killed. They are mastermind puppeteers that control the setting and their minds.  It creates anxiety because these people are manipulated and do not have control over their outcome, in a sense.  Having lack of control is terrifying because no matter what you do, your outcome is fixed.  This can cause anxiety in the viewer because it makes them wonder if they have control over their life or if they may just be manipulated by society too.  We may not be manipulated by some company who wants to kill us for a sacrificial ritual, but our thoughts can be manipulated by things like social media and other forms of technology.

The Cabin In the Woods

The Cabin In the Woods directly addresses the ruthlessness of humanity and the lengths that we will go to ensure our survival. The film presents seemingly innocent young adults in search of a good time. The most twisted aspect of the film is that the group is unconsciously a part of a murderous experiment directed by a group of powerful scientists. Upon their arrival, the group initiates the revival of a family of zombies, and according to the scientists, their fate of death is deserved because of their conscious choice to enter the situation. The justification for the actions of the scientists is completely irrational. I was thoroughly disturbed by the presentation of humanity in this film, for it is strongly suggested that humanity would not hesitate to sacrifice its own kind in order to ensure its survival. Though the conclusion of the film has not been unveiled, I can only imagine that it will only to continue to make harsh criticisms regarding humanity.

Cabin in the Woods

Cabin in the Woods is an amazing film. It deviates from the typical story line of most horror films and dares to change it up. The movie is filled with unexpected twist and turns, constantly keeping the audience on the edge of their seat. In addition, the film pokes fun at the many repetitive aspects of horror movies. For example, it starts off with five friends who decide to stay at an isolated cabin. Also, on their way there they meet a creepy, old gasoline station manager. At this point, the audience expects a typical hack and slash movie. They expect most or maybe all of the friends to die. This is the case, but not in the way we would expect. Through the majority of the film, the director, Josh Wheedon, fills us with hope then subsequently crushes it. Each of the friends make valiant and brave efforts to escape, but most fail. Curt crashes into the force field while making his motorcycle jump. Also, Holden gets stabbed in the throat after attempting to reassure Dana. Finally, near the end, Dana is getting beat to death by a zombie. This is when I thought the film would end. I was disappointed. It seemed like all the friends died. In addition, those bastards controlling everything were partying. However, this is the point where Wheedon dared to be different. This scene is simply the climax of the film. Wheedon changes up the film and ends it in an unexpected fashion. Dana and Marty survive till the end and attempt to overthrow those who seemed to control their fate. However, Marty's death was necessary to appease the Gods and, ultimately, the whole world suffers for it. This ending left me dazed and confused but ultimately satisfied.

Metafiction

In The Cabin in the Woods the metafiction is clear in that the horror story is completely fabricated by a company that has to make sacrifices to some mysterious groups called the “ancients.” The meta aspect of the movie reminds me of the show Community, which is a sitcom that often makes fun of sitcom tropes by featuring them on the show and dissecting them. Much of the humor in Community is meta-humor and I think it is often done to show the ridiculousness of sitcom tropes. These formulaic ideas make us think about why these reoccur in so many movies and TV shows or how odd they would seem in actual life. Like in The Cabin in the Woods there’s the typical jock, the blonde, the virgin, the jock’s friend, and a quirkier, paranoid character. The difference is that in the film the characters are forced to play these roles. It is odd to think that the film is just fiction about fiction or has humor about humor. I think it is interesting to me to think about do we decide to repeat these types of fiction or jokes or is that just sort of innate way that we tell stories. I suppose it is just a commentary on culture and how our own storytelling has evolved.

Bludgeoning metaphors and metafiction

Last week I wrote about my displeasure with how readily available and blatant Warm Bodies' metaphors were. I think that there's a certain amount of authorial resistance or vagueness that actually adds depth to a piece by leaving open more interpretations by the audience. Warm Bodies was so blatant it was almost a metafiction, like Cabin in the Woods is. They two are really different though, since Cabin in the Woods is metafiction for comedic purposes but also to critique the horror genre and the audience, especially the male audience. I think they do a really good job poking fun at the horror genre (the dissappointed chemist who didn't realize that zombies and redneck backwoods zombie-freaks were different) and the audience (the males gawking at the young woman and one of the directors saying 'you have to keep the audience happy').  Metafiction is especially interesting in horror since it can be used to remove the audience from the story and relieve their anxieties and frights by adding comedic effect, or whatever else. Movies like Tucker and Dale vs Evil do both this as well and are a little less blatant than Cabin in the Woods. Metafiction itself is actually really interesting on its own, because its vaguely narcissistic, involving the audience for the sake of their entertainment. Metafiction seems to rarely exist for the sake of the story. I'm not sure if kids shows like blues clues which are interactive count as Metafictions but I feel like they should.



(If anyone actually reads this I really recommend you watch tucker and dale its on netflix for free and its hilarious)

Cabin in the Woods

Cabin in the Woods puts a strange twist on other horror movies, and even though there are zombies, it is not truly a zombie film. The movie adds a new perspective to horror films; it basically shows that the type of monster or murderer is not a major factor in the story (aside from the fact that there is one), that is why Cabin in the Woods should not be classified as a zombie film. The idea that the entire ordeal is set up, monitored, and affected by an outside party adds an even stronger disturbing factor. It is similar to The Hunger Games in the fact that people are being killed for the entertainment of others; it is turned into a game and they are trying to make a better “show.” This idea that other humans are purposefully putting the characters through these terrible events shows a lack of humanity and makes it demented, rather than just horrifying.

The Cabin in the Woods takes a very different approach to the whole concept of real, fantastic, and the supernatural that we've been discussing. Many of the events that it presents that could be interpreted as fantastic are quickly explained to be either some supernatural event, as in the case of the zombies and the other creatures underneath the cabin, or real and caused by some mechanism, such as the doors slamming shut and locking them in. I thought it was very interesting how the film presented many common horror movie themes but removed that uncertainty that characterizes the fantastic, completely changing the mood of the movie.

Cabin in the Woods

What I find odd about this movie is the fact that the inhabitants of the cabin must die. I understand that it is orchestrated and death must be the final outcome, but I wonder who or what their deaths have a purpose for. When the scientist guy cursed at the little Japanese school children who were able to do a sort of exorcism to the ghost, I wondered why he was so upset. I remember him saying something like Japan having a perfect record or some sort, and my guess is that he says that because Japan has been able to conquer their monsters. I would think that being able to conquer things that terrify you and harm you would be a good thing. Those Japanese children placing the ghosts soul into a frog and saying that the ghost will be at peace now, could suggest that the scientists may hate people turning something negative into a positive. I guess it goes against the purpose of trapping people and sending monsters to them to kill them. I can't wait to see if the rest of the film will provide any answers to that.

The Cabin in the Woods

   This film has Supernatural-Gothic theme for there are flickering lights, dark scenes, creatures, nature, graveyards, screams and shouts, trap doors, and two way mirrors in the cabin. They find a little girl's diary from the early 1900s -- which recounts a series of horrifying events that unfolded where the five teens go for vacation. After reading the diary, the whole story starts to take hold and eventually reaching climax. This film offers both the supernatural and sci-fi because of the workers working in the lab with their high technology. These workers do not care what happens to the humans; they make bets to see what horrible things will happen, there is only one man who is new to the job that believes what they are doing is ridiculous.

The Cabin in the Woods

The Cabin in the Woods movie looked to be an accumulation of many of the topics we covered; humans, zombies, technology, curses, ghosts, and demons…etc.  There is a clear emphasis on different realities. The scientists have come to terms with ‘the ancients’ and the ritual they have to conduct. They make the death of five people seem like a party and they make bets on how they’ll die. However, the newcomer to the group comes in with that sense of shock and horror (emotion) that the scientists seem to be lacking. The scientists accept the supernatural creatures and mainly believe themselves above being injured in their job. By the end they are as vulnerable to the supernatural creatures as the victims. The ‘victims’ are shocked and try not to believe in the supernatural but have too. Humans are sacrificed to keep peace between what we believe is reality and the underworld. The movie characteristics resemble the Supernatural-Gothic theme for there are flickering lights, dark scenes, creatures, nature, trap doors, and two way mirrors in the cabin. Although, the setting switches to an underground lab and the technology they use is high-tech implying a technologically advanced group which is a Sci-Fi theme. 

Warm Bodies

   R has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. After experiencing a Perry’s memories while eating his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins an awkward and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is full of life and has a colorful personality compared to the dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world. Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between which I find interesting because as R changes over time,  it makes  the reader feel that  he is more human. 

Transitions

I noticed at some point close to the finish of the first section of Warm Bodies we read that R's transition back towards humanity also marked a transition into a less interesting story. He becomes to easy to relate to. I had a great interest in the point of view of a zombie but the point of view of a half zombie is really just the point of view of a mopy and angsty yet romantic teen. Zombies are often metaphors for cultural and societal plagues or discontent. But in Warm Bodies the zombies are too much of a metpahore, they're too apparently a metaphor and we're bludgeoned with the idea as R transforms and enters the stadium. Warm bodies juxtaposes humans with feelings and without a purpose and zombies without feelings but with a purpose. We have these zombies that are listless or empty and restrained by their condition and environment but some have minds full of desire. I feel like this is a commentary or metaphor for youth lacking fulfillment and my interest was lost here because there's not much that's interesting in youth finding what they lack or people finding what they've lost. There's not a lot of deep drama for an end of the world situation and its disappointed me. The commentary/deeper meaning is pretty surface level.

28 days

The way that the movie 28 days later was produced adds a lot of tension to those watching. The director used multiple jump cuts throughout the movie, putting the viewer up close to the action or characters, and then suddenly pulled back away, to see how desolate they were. Combining this with the use of music (specifically East Hastings, by Godspeed You! Black Emperor) slowly building during the course of the action was an incredible way to add to the tension inherent in the film.

I find it amazing how easy and effective it is to convey emotions through a set of techniques like these.

Warm Bodies

One of the qualities I really liked about Warm Bodies was the idea of redemption. Different from most zombie films, including 28 Days Later, Warm Bodies show the more humane nature of zombies and the notion that zombies can turn good. This was an intriguing approach to the film, making zombies seem nicer than usual and able to fall in love, showing that they retain some of their human qualities from their previous life. In films like 28 Days Later, zombies are shown to lose their human self in a few moments after they are infected, so people tend to kill the infected without hesitation. I actually really liked how the humans and the zombies in Warm Bodies, team against the Bonies, which are skeleton-esc creatures that have completely lost their humanity and go about ravaging on humans. This idea that the zombies are on the humans' side and that there were beings that are far more dangerous, which ultimately led to the end of the apocalypse. The zombies are accepted back into society and they become more and more human. R, ends up bleeding, showing that he indeed was human, or shall I say, more human. Overall, Warm Bodies had a very interesting approach to the typical zombie film, which I readily enjoyed. 

Warm Bodies vs. 28 Days Later

Warm bodies and 28 Days Later are excellent stories. The commonality between the two is that they are both zombie stories. However, they're very different representations of zombie stories. 28 Days Later is told from the perspective of a human, Jim, surviving in a post apocalyptic world filled with zombies. The events, for the most part, are centered around him. The emotions expressed throughout the film are usually from his perspective. For example, if Jim is confused or scared the camera angle might be twisted when focused on him to further exaggerate these emotions. Also, 28 Days Later is typical zombie style movie. The premise simply involves Jim and his companions trying to survive. The film is also very violent. Much of the film just involves the killing of zombies.

Warm Bodies, on the other hand, has a much more interesting story. This story is centered around a zombie, rather than a human, named R. R is not a typical zombie. While, 28 Days later represents zombies as brainless killing machines, R is actually very human like. He displays many human like emotions and, as the story develops, acts according to a calculated and conscious judgement. In addition, R starts to fall in love with the girl he saved, Julie. As a result of these qualities, R is a very likable character and we tend to sympathize with him as the plot develops.

In conclusion, Warm Bodies and 28 Days Later are both very different and enjoyable stores. However, I enjoyed Warm Bodies more because it strayed away from the common premise of zombie stories and dared to tackle an interesting yet sensitive subject.

28 Days later

I think there is one aspect of why zombie movies/fiction are so popular that we didn't touch on in class. A common theme in a lot of zombie movies/fiction is that there is a return to nature, and a social reset. Obviously in a zombie pandemic the worst place to be is in a city, so every one moves out to the country side. When they get there, there are few if any remnants of the old social system, and it falls on each person to act on their own moral compass. Each man and women that makes it to the country side is now free of any law, and they can be whatever they want to be, or whomever they really are, be it villain or hero.

As the population gets bigger and bigger, the world has gotten smaller and smaller. Its easy to lose identity and purpose in an increasingly larger and more encompassing society.  While a zombie outbreak would horrible and terrifying, it simplifies the life of the the survivors. Their only goal is to fight and live; a primal existence.

"Human"

Continually in class we have been talking about the concept of life: where does it begin and where does it stop? Are zombies ‘humans’? How do we determine the difference? “Warm Bodies” was supposed to be a story from the other perspective, to show that they do in fact have feelings and are human as well. Though, when you consider the character R, the only reason he seems more human is because he is acting more human. It seems that he is not changing our view of zombies and making us believe they are human, but solidifying our belief that zombies are in fact not human. R continually wants to divert away from being a zombie. Only when he starts experiencing human qualities – emotions, dreams and love – does he start to believe himself that things are changing. R exemplifies this idea that you are human if you experience these things because the only time he feels at all human if when he experiences these moments of clarity and emotion. Once he starts to distance himself from the acts that quantify a zombie, do we start to believe he is ‘human’.

Warm Bodies

In Warm Bodies, the things I found most interesting were the Dead's societal structure. They had the ability to communicate at some level, so they built this hierarchy with the Boneys in charge. They had friends and marriage and children and religion and classes for their children, and all this reflects their humanity even though they're Dead.
When the zombies return to the Living, I thought it was really interesting how the (already) Living forgive them so easily. They blamed it on the zombie and not the man, but normally there would be some more resistance to integration of the Dead into a Living society.
I also wonder since R contains Perry as part of him (and maybe his other victims as well), does that mean the other zombies do as well, even when they return to the Living?

28 Days Later and Warm Bodies

Both "28 Days Later" and Warm Bodies force us to become conscious of our state of living; that is, are we truly experiencing what it is to be alive? Both stories present a character who exists to define what it means to be living, while there is also a character—who still holds a human form—who does not embrace the conditions of being live and exists in a “dead” state. These works call attention to the meaningless aspects of life that we depend so heavily on and the way in which we can detach ourselves in order to “preserve” our survival.  We are encouraged as an audience to live freely and lovingly while our hearts still beat, while we remain human.

Warm Bodies differs from "28 Days Later" in that the zombie holds more life than most of the humans in the story. Though R has been converted to a zombie, he shows that he is capable of transformation through his willingness to feel emotion and behave humanly. He does not hesitate to feel regret, love, or guilt. He is able to recognize his faults and reverse them, a characteristic that humans so often avoid. He demonstrates great bravery through his various attempts to save Julie as well as defend her in any way possible. Whether it be from the attacks of the Boneys or simply unkind words from the men from the bar, R does not pause to contemplate; he behaves off human, emotion-based instinct. In this way, R behaves commendably and is regarded as a human throughout the text.

Boneys

In Warm Bodies there are two types of zombies: fleshies and boneys.  Fleshies are the typical zombies portrayed in the zombie genre, however boneys are a new phenomenon.  When first reading Warm Bodies, I found the boneys to be comical since they are simply skeletons walking around. However, as the story progressed they actually became more terrifying.  Even though they do not look human anymore and are just bones, they represent humans at their core.  Since the boneys do not like change and in a sense are evil, it makes me think, are we evil at our core?  Is this how society fell in Warm Bodies because of who they became?  Another terrifying aspect of the boneys is the strange humming sound they make.  It is a sound so far from being human-like and it builds up anxiety in the characters and the readers.  It makes you question your purpose as a human being: are we leaving the world to allow it to prosper? or are we causing its downfall?

Warm Bodies and Memories

What I find the most interesting about the zombies in Warm Bodies besides the fact that they can become alive again, as evident with R's gradual transformation into a Living person, is the fact that the zombies can literally consume the Living's memories when they eat the brain. When they eat the brain they get flashes of the Living person's life. And eating the brain and seeing these memories seems to be the favorite part for most zombies. R likes it, saying that biting into the brain makes his head "...light up like a picture tube" (p. 7). These memories hold remnants of someone's life and these zombies can see what their victim's life was like. Zombies being able to see these memories is kind of like a compensation for not being able to remember their own lives. And I think its these memories that probably helps them hold onto what little "life" they have as a zombie.

As is evident from R becoming the Living, these zombies are in a  kind of limbo. They aren't exactly full dead nor fully alive. They are given a choice if they want to become human again. R was determined to keep from attacking so this helped his transformation into becoming alive again. He had to embrace change to allow this to happen. It was eating Perry's brain and meeting Julie which influenced R to change.

Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies was interesting as it's based on a post-apocalyptic world through the point of view of a zombie. All of the internal monologues from R added to the idea that the struggle against the zombies was also at its heart an internal one. Perry also had an internal struggle but he ultimately failed and truly died. He didn't become a zombie and essentially didn't have a chance at redemption/rebirth like R did. And for R, it was through understanding the internal workings of both himself and Perry, that R could have some sort of rebirth and dezombify himself. The inner struggles depicted in the book lead to both an internal and external cure for the zombie-ism.

Societal Anxieties and the Zombie Apocalypse

The film Night of the Living Dead (1968) by George A. Romero played on the American cultural anxieties at the time. These included, among others, fear of Communism, fear of desegregation, and a fear of the “other” in general. Zombies, by definition, used to be human so they were among regular humans but after infection pose a grave danger. One of the fears with zombies is that they are among us, but we don’t know who will be infected next.

In Isaac Marion’s Warm Bodies the setting is much more modern and America has moved on to its fear of extremist ideologies and the War on Terror. Just as before, threats could be among us and we will never know who they are until it is too late. But, I think that is just the connection to modern society. I think what Marion is trying to get across is that humans even before the zombie apocalypse were “dead” in the sense that they were not satisfied with life and were just going through the motions. R even laments his death because his life as a zombie is so boring and that he remembers his past life as filled with goals and aspirations. He makes the apt comment that applies not just to him, but life before the infection: “Being dead is easy” (9). Eventually R does change his life and becomes something else other than just zombie, but perhaps not quite “human” as we think of it now. But the idea that R brings up is important because he contrasts the way life carries out now where the status quo is reinforced at every turn and trying to deviate from the setting of modern life is frowned upon. Society’s fear of becoming too barbaric leading to the end of the civilization has, perhaps, ended everyone’s lives anyways by being too robotic.  Marion’s ending appears to touch on this idea by implying that change is the only constant and that oftentimes it is jarring to society in its uncertainty or messiness. However, people can change as well if they want to and our unwillingness to venture into the unknown is killing us just as much as what we cannot see. 

Warm Bodies and 28 Days Later

In Warm Bodies and 28 Days Later neither of the main characters knows how his world ended. Both are physically incapable of remembering; one was in a coma in the hospital and the other cannot remember anything before his death. It is interesting that neither of them show a strong interest in discovering what the exact cause was. R says that it does not matter; it could have been many things but all that matters is that it happened. While Jim does look at newspapers, he does not verbally inquire about what happened from Selena or Mark when he meets them. Both men are focused on what is happening in the “here and now” rather than what happened in the past. They are looking for solutions and ways to make the world a better place. Although one is living and one is a zombie, Jim and R gain a similar idea of hope for themselves and their world as the storylines unfold.

Representation Of Zombies

Danger Word by Barnes and Due, Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco by Seth Lindberg, and Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion all agree that zombies kill humans but the way in which zombies are portrayed differs. In Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco zombies are essentially nothing but a murderous plague and the people kill them without much thought. Zombies seem to mark an apocalyptic event for these humans. In Danger Word zombies are even more deadly to humans than in Lindberg’s story because these zombies start out almost undetectable, can retain human motor systems, and can talk some. Barnes and Due suggest a new type of zombie; a zombie that can look human and lure actual humans in with memories and words. Grandpa Joe himself says humans cannot survive against intelligent zombies.

In Warm Bodies zombies are presented as ‘alive’ zombies. They have thought, R more than most. With these zombies there is even some form of hierarchy and social structure. New zombies are in early stages of decay and appear more human. Older zombies are basically bone. Some zombies remember pieces of their names, some can mumble words, some have a type of marriage, and they hunt in groups for safety essentially. Two important factors are that the zombies don’t really understand what is going on and can die. The need to eat is an intense feeling that basically forces the zombies to seek ‘food.’ Right away one can tell R still has some humanity and intelligence though he is a zombie eating humans. The change in zombies is a new idea presented by Marion. He writes that zombies can cure themselves. While the humans kill zombies, they are willing to help them change back by the end of the story.   

"Human" Activities in Warm Bodies

The concept of zombies in Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion is so different from the stereotype we have in current zombie fiction that it offers an eye-opening perspective from "the other side." It was shocking to read about the main character, "R," attending "church" with his supposed girlfriend, getting "married," and "having" children the day after (when elders presented them with a boy and a girl to care for). Even though they are technically walking corpses, they seem to still have enough life present in their minds to carry out familiar behaviors. Though I'm not questioning the potential of zombies to hold such "human" activities, it is quite interesting to read a book that offers the dead's point of view. I found particulary disgusting yet interesting the act of having sex between two zombies––slamming their bodies together while naked, with confused expressions, seems to be the most they can do to fulfill their sexual desire (that I didn't expect to still exist among zombies...).

R notes that eating the brains of a freshly killed Living gives him the memories of that person. This concept really struck me as disconcerting, but it also makes sense. The brain is where we store all of our memories, and the way Marion wove this into the story is well done.

Warm Bodies

   In Warm Bodies, the story focuses on the human-like qualities of zombies and zombie-like nature of the living. The main character, R, showcases many human-like characteristics such as dancing and listening to music, speaking to Julie and not killing her. There is something special about her that makes R want to keep her close to him as possible. R also understands why zombies are the way they are, he is curious about knowing about his previous life and that is the reason he killed some people. He wants to relive those memories and says “I don’t want to die. I want to stay alive” (64). This emphasizes his human-like qualities because it is human nature to be afraid of death. Unlike R, Julie is frozen and stares into space for a long time wondering what is going on with her and his not that active compared to R, thus making her appear more zombie-like.  

Warm Bodies

Warm Bodies focuses heavily upon the human-like qualities of the dead and the zombie-esque nature of the living. The novel establishes Julie, with her love of music, writing, and the like, as a paradigm for humans, and against her the actions and qualities of both the living and dead are contrasted, the most disjoint being the Boneys from the dead, and General Grigio from the living. The Boneys being the dead that have decayed furthest from their former human selves, they stand apart even from the rest of the dead as an organized, faceless unit acting in unison with nearly no remaining aspect, physical or mental, tying them to humanity. The Boneys hold on to antiquated beliefs, explicitly shown during R's attempt to leave with Julie: "We will kill her. That is how things are done. Always has been. Always will be."(81), and otherwise only care about surviving and maintaining the dead, an attitude similar to that of General Grigio, who looks down on Perry's job at Agriculture (95), believing defense against the dead to be the only important duty for the surviving humans, and agriculture to be an unimportant profession due to the existence of Carbtein, the basic nutrients required of food and nothing more, a culinary equivalent of the humanity-deficient Grigio himself.

28 Days Later

   In 28 Days Later, the music tends to change in a short amount of time. For example, when Jim is wandering around the city of London, the music is calm. He also looks tiny compared to the rest of the scene which emphasizes his isolation in the city. Then, three minutes later the music is louder and fast paced. This highlights his growing anxiety has he sees the papers hanging on the buildings. The spinning shot shows his bewilderment and music only gets louder. As we were saying in class today, I think Jim starting out in the hospital is important because it shows how he doesn’t realize what is going on and therefore the viewer does not either because we depend on the main character for what is going on in the story. We the viewers are unaware of what will happen next just like Jim.

Zombie readings

I think at the heart of a lot of zombie story's is how people will come together in a time of absolute tragedy. In a zombie Apocalypse scenario, others humans are both a huge threat, and at the same time, the only hope for survival. In the Danger Word, we can see a family sacrifice nearly everything to save a young child.  But in the end, the grandpa is undone by one of the only other people he still trusts, his friend at the gas station. In  Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco, we can see that while the story is driven by the zombie outbreak, that is not the focus of the story. He doesn't spend time thinking about how he may die or how the creatures may attack him. He chooses to hold on to positive memories formed from this event. He describes the characters he meet, and the new 'family's' or gangs that he forms. In both stories, the characters were able to survive (at least for a time) by banding together, while the rest of the world is literally ripping each other apart. 

Sympathetic Zombies

In lecture our professor pointed out that in I am legend and in Night of the Living Dead there is not much behind the the shift between human and zombie-monster-creature and that perhaps because of how vulnerable individuals are to becoming monsters are and how humans respond with nothing but hostility that these monsters deserve some sympathy or consideration beyond what they are usually given. In Warm Bodies we also have a sympathetic monster-zombie. Its funny to me that these considerations are being extended when as humans we often disregard other species almost entirely. It seems to me that these sympathies are probably because it is a human that is being transformed into a monster. If it were another species of animal I doubt that we would've considered sympathy for the fallen/converted. It really seems ridiculous to me to extend compassion to zombified humans when we often won't extend compassion to other humans, animals, or plants.
Especially in I am Legend the main justification for extending compassion was that the monsters were the majority. I don't believe that is a legitimate reason. The change in perspective makes it interesting though because the greater good is something I believe in. Cognizant fiends seem to me more deserving of sympathy than masses of fiends and masses of fiends that are deadly, like in Safety Word or Night of the Living Dead don't deserve sympathy because there is no chance for coexistence. The monsters and men must war.  My feelings don't change for Safety Word where its clear the monsters are still somewhat human beucase there is no desire nor possibility of coexistence.

How much of themselves do the zombies retain?

 In “Danger Word,” all of the zombies that are discussed retain some level of their previous lives. The first we know is Cassidy. She remembers where her son is, knocking on the door, asking if he’s done his homework. And she recognizes her father, calling him “Daddy”. At some deep level, she remembers who she is and what she cares about, her son.

Mike was still concerned with what he is known for, and concerned about. They walk in on him sweeping his floor. However, in his zombified state, he forgets a huge part of the last several years of his life, and blasphemes.

And finally, there’s Grandpa Joe. The most important thing to him, throughout the book is the survival and future of his grandson. All that he focuses on throughout the story is how to keep his grandson safe. And in the end, all that he can think of is his grandson.

However, all of these are perversions of reality, seeming echoes of who the person was. The mother should be more concerned about her sons safety during the apocalypse than his math homework, Mike has lost his religion, and Grandpa Joe goes from wanting to protect his grandson to wanting to eat his grandson.

Memories

“Twenty-three snapshots of San Francisco” got me thinking about memories. I always thought that taking pictures was a great way to remember events that occurred in your life, because memories can be skewed and altered to not be exactly what occurred. But then as Lindberg showed, photos are skewed as well. You have to create scenarios that you think occurred to connect the dots of the photos. Lindberg is describing a photo and states “But I don’t remember anyone like that when we were there so the picture probably just cause someone mid-stride”(Pg. 86). This quote demonstrates that the person who even took the pictures is unsure of what is occurring and is making up “facts” to explain. This is what occurs in memories. You remember bits and pieces but create ties between them to create a whole memory, being it reality or imagination.  Through out the descriptions of photos Lindberg uses phrases such as “I think” (Pg 86) and “can’t tell” (Pg 85) to illustrates how photos are just devices to hold people create a whole memory, but even the photos aren’t enough. All in all, memories seem to be lost no matter what. The over all feeling that was achieved was not. Lindberg, before describing all the photos, says he know there are no smiles, he describes a sense of uneasiness and terror from that time, this is the memory that lingers, not every exact moment. The exact details of every event are not remembered, but the feelings and aftermath are.

Family

In the story "Danger Word" we see how the idea of family can become a source of conflict in apocalyptic times. When we think of family, we think of people who are there to protect you and give you some sense of assurance. Grandpa Joe, relying on what little information he has regarding the zombies, is trying to protect his grandson from harm. But Grandpa Joe is not beyond killing family if it means he or his grandson are in danger. When we see that Grandpa Joe killed his own daughter who became a zombie, we see that he is willing to kill, but he is able to because he doesn't believe that the zombie is his daughter anymore. Even when she calls him "daddy", he doesn't believe its her anymore since he thinks that zombies cannot articulate words. But its in that disbelief that we can get a sense that he may have wanted to hesitate in killing her, I think. In the end when Joe becomes a zombie and his grandson hears him say the danger word, I wonder whether the grandson would trust his grandfather after hearing that word. Although grandpa is a zombie now, he could still be a source that the little boy wants to believe in and trust. We do not know the outcome the boy faces, but I wonder whether he would have been able to overcome killing his zombie grandpa, just as his grandpa was able to kill his zombie mother.

Don't say the "Z" word

I've noticed that in both the stories we read for last lecture, as well as in most other zombie related works that have come out recently, the authors seem to go through pains to never mention the word "zombie". Instead, they are called "freaks", "monsters", "infected individuals" and the like. I wonder if this is because the authors want their works to be respected in the literary world that they distance their stories from the campy, B-film zombie movies of the '80's. Zombies have become so common in modern media that the average reader of audience member probably doesn't treat them differently than any other science fiction or supernatural genre. In that case, avoiding the use of "zombie" to make a piece more serious is probably a ploy to gain the respect of critics and academics. This is just a small part of the issue of science fiction / speculative fiction not being taken seriously, or even dismissed off-hand, in the literary world, something we know Ursula Le Guin struggled with with many of her works.

Interestingly, George Romero never used the word zombie in his ground-breaking "Night of the Living Dead". But if this didn't popularize the word "zombie", then when did it become widespread in the public lexicon? Or was zombie already a word to avoid by the '60s?

Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco

Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco succeeds in portraying a post-apocalyptic setting in which the narrator presents commentary through visual description. In explaining what has occurred in each of the photos taken, the narrator creates a vivid image in the minds of the audience, allowing us to become more mentally and emotionally invested in the story. Though the sequence of events is somewhat choppy—for the narrator has only captured certain aspects of the time period—it allows for the audience to make assumptions about what occurred, or simply leaves us wondering. This technique is effective in that it allows the audience to predict what the next photo in the sequence will hold. The events are disconnected through such a presentation, but it allows for a more shocking and entertaining plot progression that is more difficult to follow.

The concept of being “ex-humanity” was extremely fascinating to me. Described as “creatures who have abandoned their intelligence for some razor sense of cunning,” being ex-human essentially creates a sense of war between two separate species. I can’t help but wonder if there exists an ex-human aspect of modern society. Though they may not be creature-like and cannibalistic, the idea of ex-humanity may be applicable to modern society in that decreased intelligence yields a sense of cunning.

Breakfast.

In Danger Word by Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due, the character, Kendrick undergoes hardships in this new zombie apocalyptic world.  I like when we read this story from Kendrick's young perspective.  We can see how hard it is for him to understand death and the events that occur around him, while still maintaining some semblance of innocence.  As a child, Kendrick seems to know without fully understanding, for example, he was hurt when Grandpa Joe explained to Kendrick that he shot Kendrick's mother.  Kendrick understands something's wrong and that people change, but he doesn't quite grasp what's happening.  But then again, are the human parts during the transformation completely erased?
During Grandpa Joe's transformation, the change is described as "going to sleep."  Grandpa Joe describes the creature he feels inside him, taking over and becoming him, but he didn't distinguish that he died or anything.  What Grandpa Joe became is "not-himself."  He's ruled over by another being, but does the old Grandpa Joe still exist in there?

Zombies in the Danger Word

Zombies are probably the most popular in thriller/horror fiction and films today.  People are so fascinated with zombies, I believe, because they provide a sense of terror and excitement at the same time.  Zombies have such a real element to them making them the most uncanny as seen in the Uncanny Valley.  Zombies are not just creatures, but they used to be people that once were, "somebody's son, somebody's husband, somebody's father," as mentioned in "The Danger Word."  It makes the situation of killing them to survive more difficult.  Across zombie fiction and films that I have seen, most zombies have the same characteristics: they eat flesh, usually look like a decaying corpse, and make grunting noises.  What I found most interesting and actually very frightening in "The Danger Word" is that once people turned into zombies, they still looked and acted like a normal human.  The, "freaks could talk, could recognize you."  This gives the zombies an advantage over their prey and makes it more terrifying because they are so close to being human, but they are not.

In both the stories we read this week we see characters struggling in a post-apocalyptic world barely surviving and reflecting on how they deal with their new situation. Both stories are closely linked to the idea of humanity and family. Kendrick and Joe are blood relatives and the narrator of Twenty-Three Snapshots of San Francisco meets various people in the city. Both stories show the difficult choices that arise when society is completely broken and humans are only trying to survive. It seems reminiscent of the Dark Ages when societies were lacking information, had little food or clean water, and were in constant danger from the elements and fellow humans. It is odd to think that we are all about 5 meals away from society breaking down to something unrecognizable.  Society is resilient to certain stressors but in many ways it is extremely fragile, not unlike human life.

In zombie stories we read the characters try to cling to this notion of society, but it has a seemingly inexorable march to complete destruction. It is interesting to see how humans revert back to family or close-relative tribes when uncommon danger arises. And even then how far does human loyalty go? At what point do you call something lost or not worth saving and do you lose something when you reach this point too?  The typical situation reminds me of the season finale of MASH (a TV show that revolves around medical personnel during the Korean War) where Hawkeye, the protagonist of the show, suffers a mental breakdown for telling a woman to keep her crying baby quiet so that a bus full of civilians is not found by enemy forces. The group is not found, but it is later revealed the woman ended up smothering her child. Worlds like these or those filled with the walking dead are full of wicked problems and when you have to deal these choices all the time many people wonder what is the point of living?

Twenty-three Snapshots of San Francisco

I absolutely loved Seth Lindberg's style in his short story "Twenty-three Snapshots of San Francisco." The way he told his story through twenty-three labeled photographs, and the way the narrator talked, was all very realistic. The gradual change of society, as it goes from normal to chaotic, is beautifully done; Lindberg writes, "Mr. Sumpter's eyes didn't glow red when I took the picture, it just looks that way now. I think it was the flash from the camera. I didn't know then what I know now," and this particular statement in the end foreshadows bad events that have yet to occur (85). He noticed Mr. Sumpter standing and facing the wall for an extended period of time as well, oblivious to the narrator's call. I didn't realize it at first, but Mr. Sumpter was turning into a zombie.

Later on in the short story, when Guardsmen had rounded up a crowd of humans to be transported elsewhere, a group of zombie creatures infiltrated the crowd and began attacking them––and shots were let loose. The narrator notes: "The Guardsmen were firing into the crowd. They didn't even care" (88). This supports the claim made in class on Tuesday, that in times of crisis, humans fail to watch out for one another. Cooperation is hard to get down, and in this case, as well as care for the human race. The Guardsmen were so intent on killing the creatures that they even felt justified in shooting random innocents. This demonstrates how humans' need for survival can override humanity.