WB Zombies and Horror Films

Zombies and Horror Films

Read the BBC article - why are we so afraid of Zombie horror?   

 

A study conducted by the Open University's Stephanie Lay showed that people are afraid of seeing 'near human' faces. This makes it clear as to why common devices such as "blank eyes, automatons, masks and ventriloquists' dolls are common cinema devices to instil fear". A psychologist conducted a study and found that 3000 people felt "repulsion" at near human faces. This could be the reason as to why people find zombies scary and moreover why this genre of film thrives greatly within the market.

 

The 'uncanny valley' effect was discovered in a study conducted within the 1970's. The aim was to find out whether having a robot that was more human like would be more reassuring to humans having them in their home or working with them. They found that ultimately this had the reverse effect as they found it quite sinister having a robot looking too human. Lay stated that people felt "the sense of unease that accompanies the sight of something almost, but not quite, human". this again is useful in showing why exactly we are scared and enjoy zombie horror films.

Moreover, the use of zombie eyes on an otherwise human face can unsettle the viewers as the eyes are seen as a key when interpreting peoples faces. Lay talked about
how this uneasy reaction could be caused by the a disruption to how the human brain processes faces. It leaves people to feel uneasy due to the fact that when self-consciously assessing a face, the face presented doesn't quite meet expectations. This also explains why the faces of dolls, clowns and dummies are used so regularly to frighten audiences.
 

                                       

Read the pop mythology article -  what are some interesting observations on audience appeal of Zombie films?

The scenario that you are positioned in within a zombie apocalypse is very popular because it is survivable and thus poses the question "will I survive?" People are attracted towards this genre because through the film making, the viewers are led to believe that they would survive it. There is no need for any special genes or athletic ability, as long as you use your head you will survive. Other end of the world scenarios do not pose the same attraction. It is made very clear that you almost 100% wont survive, and even if you survive their is no attraction due to the whole world being completely destroyed. Furthermore, you couldn't just be anyone like within a zombie scenario, you would have to fit a certain list of credentials in order to survive.

Regarding zombies themselves, their seems to be two different types that generally appear within films and TV series. Differing from movie to movie, the zombies are either fast and agile, or more commonly slow and sluggish. Series such as the 'Walking Dead' show slow zombies that are thus easier to kill than fast zombies in films such as 'World War Z'. These types of zombies are quicker and more athletic, thus harder to kill and escape from. This leads to it becoming less attractive as an apocalyptic fantasy. Due to death not being certain, the audience are able to truly become engaged within the screening and gain their own perspective of how they would act if positioned in the same scenario.

We become immersed within these scenarios and almost want to be a part of it as we believe we could survive and become a hero. The idea that you could be strong and courageous really appeals to the mass audience and thus is a reason for the genre's success. Moreover, it is also quite appealing because it is based around normal people within normal scenarios.  This is evident "from shopping montages in 'Night of the Commet' and 'Dawn of the Dead' (both versions), to the sporty new hybrids they drive in 'The Walking Dead".

As well as creating this hero image, the text also talks about how it enables you to bash people around the head and get away with it. In addition, the scenario enables you to kill people and get away with it. As horrible as it may be when thinking into it deeply, it is attractive to an audience. To be able to unleash all your anger and frustration on some emotionless figure that wants to eat your brain is a position that many people would quite like to experience; certainly once the danger of death and being eaten alive has gone. We are creatures that enjoy violence and the idea of a zombie apocalypse due to the "dark side of the force" within us. This is reinforced within the extract when showing the game 'Call of Duty: Black Ops'. We clearly enjoy violence and the idea of a zombie apocalypse otherwise the genre wouldn't be successful, within every corner of the media. 

 

Watch the 'why do we love zombies' video - what are some key findings/observations of the clip regarding zombie horror?

This video makes it quite clear that in the current economy, zombie movies are extremely popular. There is reason to debate the reasons for the popularity at the moment even though throughout the era of television and film it has always been somewhat popular. A theory for the popularity of zombies that was put across throughout the video was due to the amount of creativity that was available when creating a zombie. Even though you could argue that they all look the same, there is a lot of choice in deciding how exactly each zombie should be made to look vile and dismembered.

The video also talked about how most zombie films/series are based on the 1968 film "Night of the Living Dead". The commentator on the clip stated that this is the "bible" for all zombie movies. The classic zombie walk and attitude that is present throughout most films was taken from this movie; it is seen to be the starting point in the frenzy over horror films. There are only a few examples of films that challenge this stereotype.

The popularity is clear with zombie walks taking place in most big cities but there is an overhanging question to why this is. This video mentioned how it makes people think how they would react in a certain situation like this due to the fact that zombies are based on normal people who are then changed for the worst. Moreover that they are vile disgusting animals. This for some bizarre reason it interests and excites us as viewers. In comparison to a vampire, who can be identified without the need for any blood and guts, zombies are much more exciting to a viewer and thus attracts a larger audience.

One point that was made was that zombies aren't actually that scary. The commentator stated that zombies may be disgusting to look at but they aren't very quick, agile, clever or very aware of what they are doing. This leads to them being very easy to kill and get rid of. He then developed this by saying it isn't always the case when a series such as the 'Walking Dead' is shown. This is because you grow close to the characters and are able to see over the series how slowly the zombies eat away (literally sometimes) at every inch of humanity that is left within the characters and the world around them. They may not be jumpy scary but the idea that they can possess a world and destroy humanity can be taken as a scary thought. Throughout the video it was said how this is usually quite hard to convey within a movie as there simply isn't enough time, yet on the contrary can be conveyed very effectively within a series such as the 'Walking Dead'.