2. In this PowerPoint I will be discussing the sub-
genre of zombies.
Definition of „Zombie‟s‟ –
Zombie is a term used to describe a dead human
being brought back to life by mystical means, such
as witchcraft. The term is often used to describe a
hypnotized person that is usually unconscious and
has no self-awareness, but is able to respond to
surroundings.
3. The horror genre started in the late 1890‟s to the
early 1900‟s. The sub genre of „zombie‟s‟ started in
the very early 1920‟s with the film, “The Cabinet Of
Dr. Caligari” in 1920.
Then as the sub-genre established itself in the
industry more films came out, such as “White
Zombie” and “I Walked With A Zombie”.
These films, were not like zombie films nowadays,
as they required a kind of voodoo to awaken them
from the dead. These types of zombies did not
originally survive or require human flesh to remain
resurrected.
4. The first zombie film produced, the first zombie
seen on screen shows some of the characteristics
that the nowadays „living dead‟ possess.
The zombie had no hunger for human flesh, as this
was not what zombies were originally used for.
George A Romero created the „living dead‟ we all
know now, that need human flesh to survive.
5. This film introduces the character of the „voodoo‟
master, who summons the dead from the grave
using his supernatural „assistance‟.
The voodoo master controlled every move that the
zombie made, with his mind. So when he was
knocked out and killed he lost control over the
zombies so they were unleashed from his trance.
6. In this film the theme of voodoo is used, as it is
used to control the zombies. This film is loosely
based on the novel Jane Eyre.
The idea of others controlling other human beings,
keeps with the genre of horror as it makes us
scared as it is a very unnatural thing to do.
7. Yet again this film uses the theme of voodoo, which
makes dead corpses come back to life. In this case
like most of the early zombie films, they resurrect the
dead corpses not for harm, but to be used in theory,
as their slaves.
The film, „The Plague Of The Zombies‟, is about a
swarm of zombies, that are led by an evil voodoo
master. He leads visitors to the village into the forest
to change them into the living dead.
8. The film „Night Of The Living Dead‟ brought around a
new view of the zombies.
This new bread of zombies were know for attacking
and feasting on the flesh of human beings.
These zombies were known to be slow
moving, moaning, flesh eating undead corpses.
9. This famous George A Romero film, effectively
created the new bread of zombies. These new
zombies required the flesh of living humans to
survive. To be able to kill them, their brains must be
destroyed.
This was the first zombie film, where the zombies
where violent towards living human beings. This
brings the classic plot of the remaining survivors
locked in a room. This then ends up with the
survivors becoming more of a threat to each other
than the zombies themselves.
10. The 1970‟s brought around Italian filmed zombie
movies. These zombie movies were known for
being much more gruesome, with more massively
violent scenes and shots.
This increased the popularity of the sub-genre, as
these films were very unlike films made by British or
American directors.
There were some films made, which even now are
still very popular in the genre, such as „Zombi‟ and
its sequel movies.
11. This was George A Romero‟s second zombie film.
Following his „Night Of The Living Dead‟ triumph, he
changed the whole view of zombies. Making the
movie violent, by showing scenes of the zombies
feasting on the human flesh.
After this film was released it became so popular,
that sequels were released for this film. This film
was also known as Zombi worldwide.
This film breathed life back into the sub-genre,
which made it thrive again.
12. This is a well known Italian classic zombie movie. It
was directed by the famous Lucio Fulci, who also
directed the famous „Zombie‟ film.
This film uses the sense that when a door is
opened, it opens the „hell portal‟, which in time
awakens the dead.
Fulci, wanted to put across the idea of what is
beyond life, is worse than the lives we live now.
13. The sub-genre of zombies really took off in the 80‟s.
This is because the sub-genre was fully established
in the industry, with many well known films
produced.
The view of zombies had changed, from slaves to
„undead‟ flesh eating monsters.
This meant that directors and writers could write, in
theory, any type of zombie film they wanted.
This was because there had been many films
already made, with the new „breed‟ of zombies. So
making them as gory as they wanted wasn't a
problem.
14. This was part of the sequel of the film „Dawn Of The
Dead‟ directed by George A Romero. It does not
have any of the remaining characters, from the
previous films.
This film, is based around a chemical that mutates
the living to become flesh eating zombies.
The storyline of this film is like most other zombie
films, where the remaining survivors must work
together in order to stay alive.
The main storyline of most zombie films have
remained the same for nearly over 30 years.
15. After a great fall in popularity in the 90‟s. The genre
really picked itself up again with the making of new
zombies, that were not necessarily woken from the
dead, but became infected, by viruses.
The new form of zombie‟s were not smart, yet not
stupid, they were fast moving and very loud.
Some new zombie films brought the Italian gore,
whilst some reverted back to the discrete violence
that the zombies portrayed in the earlier zombie
movies.
16. In this film, the idea of how the living, become the
undead, has completely changed from the original
idea. The original idea of how the dead became the
undead, is the use of voodoo.
This film uses the form of a virus that spreads to
whoever is bitten, even if it is just once. This film is
well known for filming in deserted London area‟s.
17. Zom-coms (zombie comedy‟s) were attempted in
the past, but were very unsuccessful. From the
early 2000‟s Zom-coms have become very popular,
as the genre provides the viewer with fright and
anguish, then provides the viewer with comic relief.
This sub-sub-genre can be split again with the
theme of romance as well making it a Zom-rom-
com (zombie-romance-comedy). One of the most
successful Zom-rom-coms would probably be,
Shaun Of The Dead.
18. Although this could be classed as a Zom-rom-com,
as the main character fall in love (again) with
another character, its main sub-genre is Zom-com.
This is probably the first most successful zombie
comedy ever produced.
This films title is a play on words, as it is an obvious
parody of „Dawn Of The Dead‟. George A Romero
was so impressed with the film, that he asked
Simon Pegg to star in Land Of The Dead.
19. Zombieland was one of the most anticipated Zom-
com‟s of the 2000‟s. it was so big in the United
States that it surpassed the film Dawn Of The
Dead, to become the top grossing zombie film in
the States.
The form of disease that changes the living into
zombies, was a mutated case of mad cow disease.
This has changed from the 1920‟s where it was only
voodoo magic that could turn the dead into
zombies. Now zombies can make humans that are
not dead turn into zombies just by biting them.
20. To conclude the sub-genre of zombies has changed
dramatically over nearly a whole century.
It has changed from voodoo magic to magical
powers to virus spread diseases.
George A Romero also made a dramatic change to
the sub-genre making it one of the greatest sub-
genres in horror films.
Some say he was the man whole fully established
the genre and made it what it is today.
