This season started off with a bang! In the form of John Winchester's death. While Sam & Dean try and come to terms with their father's death they continue to fight evil and along the way discover that Sam is not the only child to have been effected by the yellow eyed demon.
As Sam & Dean travel around the great American landscape they encounter numerous other 'gifted' demon effected people - some who are dangerous and some who are harmless.
Season 2 also introduces a few new long term characters, such as Jo, Ellen and Bobby.
The climax on disc 6 is reached when Sam is whisked off to a deserted frontier village along with some of the other gifted people he has met along the way and some he hasn't. This showdown is due to the yellow-eyed demon's progress towards opening the gates of hell. This is the yellow-eyed demon's final test to see who is the strongest out of all the gifted people - the last one standing is the winner and is coerced into doing the demon's bidding.
The 2-part final episode finishes with a bang! Just the way the season started. I won't spoil it for those of you who are still to watch this series, but all I can say is that there is death, re-union, sadness and triumph.
If you haven't seen it, I encourage you to watch...it's not that scary, but very exciting and thrilling. Not to mention the hunky actors - who are totally droolworthy!
See Wikipedia for a summary of Season 2 and also a listing of all 22 episodes and a brief synopsis about each one.
I am about to start re-watching Season 3... keep you posted!
In the last Zombie post I mentioned that I would post on here some information about Zombie books. Like I said, I've read a few of these and they are awesome. My method is usually to read the first few chapters of a book and if it grabs me then I keep reading, but if it doesn't then I just stop. I don't read the last chapter to see how it ended - nothing - I just put it down and move on!
Once, I started reading a book and after the first page I just couldn't bring myself to pick it up again. It's sad but true :-(
So here is my list - I'll try and so a small summary of each book, but I may not be able to especially if I haven't read it. I'll try and find out also any new Zombie books which may be coming out shortly.
Houston - we have a problem! It appears that my 'book review' book has gone AWOL.
Yes, I know I'm a bit weird, but I do keep a 'book review' book. There are 2 reasons for this:
I read so many books that it was getting hard to keep track of all the books which I have read and which I haven't. So, I started this A4 alphabetical ruled hardcover notebook which allowed me to write down the books that I finished reading; and
because I also read books which sometimes comprise multiple volumes - keeping a book allows me to note which book it is and write a brief review noting the characters and their roles. This also allows me to keep track of which volume I am up to in the series.
I also keep an A5 size book to note down future books which I would like to read. This system has gotten a bit out of hand and it is now all over the place. I have several books which perform this function, until recently that is. I recently discovered this website called Good Reads and I am slowly transferring the title of the books there. It's an awesome website. You can search for books and either rate it if you've read it or put it in your reading now or read later sections. According to good reads I've rated 51 books, but that's just the ones I could remember, because my 'book review' book is missing.
HELP!!!!!
If I don't find it soon I'll start hyperventilating and not to mention I can't remember all the Zombie books I've read.
I'm going to use good old Google and see what that turns up! Here goes...
Zom-B is a radical new series about a zombie apocalypse, told in the first person by one of its victims. The series combines classic Shan action with a fiendishly twisting plot and hard-hitting and thought-provoking moral questions dealing with racism, abuse of power and more. This is challenging material, which will captivate existing Shan fans and bring in many new ones. As Darren says, "It's a big, sprawling, vicious tale...a grisly piece of escapism, and a barbed look at the world in which we live. Each book in the series is short, fast-paced and bloody. A high body-count is guaranteed!"
A Very Good Man (Dead End) - I haven't read this one, but research seems to suggest there are mixed reviews out there. Here is a link to a free sample from Amazon.com, have a read and make up your own mind. I'm going to.
A Very Good Neighbor (Dead End) - This book seemed to received reviews more in line with each other. Looking forward to reading it! Here is a sample!
Zombie Tales: Primrose Court Apt. 205 - I just got this one off Amazon for free to read on my kindle reader. It's only 3 chapters long, so interested to see if its the full story. Hope so, I love Zombie books! Theodore Granger believes he’s cursed. He’s spent the last ten years locked away inside his apartment. But today is his day, the day he is to venture out into the world again. There is only one simple task on his agenda: walk one block, cross the street, and have a cup of coffee with his shrink. The only problem is, he chose the wrong day.
Enjoy this short story based in the world of my novel Don of the Living Dead.
Zombie Tales: Primrose Court Apt. 305 - This one is for free as well. These 3 Zombie Tales just appear to be short stories. Hopefully still a good read! Charles Grimly has marital problems you wouldn't believe and his mommy issues are a little too much for him to handle. He may not be all there, but he has to hold it together if he's going to make it through this day in one piece.
Enjoy this short story based in the world of my novel Don of the Living Dead.
Tommy's world is falling apart. It's the worst day of his life, but it's about to get much worse.
Deadlocked - Pretty good reviews on this one. Everyone commenting seems to like it. So hope it's as good as they all say.
David was caught in the middle of the city when the zombie outbreak started. His wife and daughters were at home, stranded on the roof as zombies waited below. He would have to fight through hordes of undead, merciless other survivors, and a series of death defying stunts to get home. However, even if he makes it there, how can he be sure they're safe? Deadlocked puts you into David's head as he struggles to get home. Then a final confrontation occurs that could guarantee his family's survival, but at what cost?
Circus of the Dead - Again this is a short story of just over 10,000 words. The reviews seem to be pretty positive. This too can be downloaded for free here!
Twenty years ago, the dead destroyed the world of the living. The survivors scattered in the wake of the Scourge, erecting small towns in the worlds' most sparsely populated areas.
For young Gabriel, the walking dead are merely the memories that haunt the eyes of those old enough and lucky enough to have survived. He is more concerned with his hard life in America's desert, where his chores keep him busy and the husks of books stashed beneath the cellar of the library are his only freedom.
Until the circus comes to town.
"Circus of the Dead" is a novelette of approximately 10,748 words.
Zombie Britannica by Thomas Emson
I love Thomas Emson's books all of them so far. Zombie Britannica was the first Zombie book I ever read, and I normally do not go in for guts and gore, but I could not put this book down. From the moment I finished reading Thomas Emson's book I fell in love with Zombie books. Please read his books, they are fantastic. He has also written a trilogy of vampire books and they are also great. I've read the first 2 and can't wait to get my hands on the final 3rd one. I promise to write a review on his other books as soon as I have time.
In 2009, Canadian researchers warned that a zombie plague would wipe out civilization … unless we were ready – WE WEREN’T! As temperatures reach unprecedented levels, the dead rise – and eat the living. There is no warning. There is no time to prepare. And with tens of thousands dead or infected, another waking nightmare comes to terrorize the survivors – THE UNDEAD’S VICTIMS NOW RISE UP, A NEWWAVE OF ZOMBIES HUNGRY FOR HUMAN FLESH! As the nation teeters on the edge of extinction, those who survived the onslaught fight for their lives, and for the lives of their loved ones …CARRIE ASHER must battle her way across the blood-soaked streets of London to save her six-year-old daughter who is locked in the basement of their home – with her zombie-infected father upstairs. VINCENT MASKELL is trapped in a Welsh castle with the girl he loves. But how can he be her knight in shining armour with a zombie army besieging the medieval fort and the humans inside slowly losing their minds? CRAIG MURRAY and his family are stuck in a traffic jam in Scotland when the zombies attack. But when his younger sister is kidnapped, he is forced to confront a human monster as well as the undead hordes. The odds are against us. The zombie throng is growing. Our numbers are dwindling – WELCOME TO ZOMBIE BRITANNICA!
This book is great! There are no bad reviews here!
Sundered (A Zombie-ish Apocalypse, Book 1) [Kindle Edition]
The reviews on Amazon seem to be all positive - can't wait to start reading! I've downloaded my free Kindle version.
Obviously there are thousands of Zombie books out there in the market and I don't have the time or the space to put up every single one here. If you have a suggestion, please send it through the comments. I'd love to hear what other people have read out there. I'm always open to reading new and exciting books and it doesn't just have to be about Zombies! Thank you
Today I'm going to talk about Zombie movies and TV shows. To be honest I haven't seen a lot of these, so they're not in any particular order. The information is courtesy of Zombie Zone News, Boston.com and About.com.
The Walking Dead -In this uncertain world, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors must not only fight the dead, but also face a whole new fear: the living.
Cemetery Man (1994) - Rupert Everett was playing a cemetery worker who just wants someone to love.
Plague of the Zombies (1966) - This horror gem of mid-'60s British cinema is set in the English countryside, where a mysterious ailment is killing off a small village's populace. It takes a while for the zombies to get their screen time. The movie progresses at first like a mystery as a newly arrived doctor tries to get a handle on the situation. Once they appear, the living dead here are indeed scary, and the film has once of the best rising-from-the-grave scenes of all time.
Dance of the Dead (2008) - A surprisingly entertaining movie in the vast wasteland of modern zombie comedies, this one keeps the mood light while maintaining some good zombie-killing action. Most enjoyable were the scenes involving a punk rock band holding the living dead at bay and two teenage zombies overcoming their inhibitions and making out in a school bathroom. Perfect for the disaffected, high school zombie-loving crowd.
Dead Snow (2009) - "Dead Snow" is a pretty straightforward modern zombie flick with equal parts gore and humor. It's like a twisted combination of the video games Resident Evil and Wolfenstein, with a dash of the movie "Evil Dead II" thrown in, and served over a bed of virgin Norwegian snow.
White Zombie (1932) - "White Zombie" is the grandfather of the American zombie film, Starring Bela Lugosi.
Land of the Dead (2005) - The living dead have taken over the world, and the last humans live in a walled city to protect themselves as they come to grips with the situation.
Versus (2000) - The only Asian zombie film on the list, "Versus" is worth watching for the fast-paced Samurai-style battles between the living and the dead. Martial arts mayhem, kooky characters and non-stop kinetic energy propel this oddball Japanese genre-bender. When a group of gangsters arranges a meeting in the woods where they've dumped the bodies of those they've "bumped off," they don't realize said woods have the power to resurrect the dead.
Cockneys vs Zombie (2012 IR) - Follows a group of plucky cousins as they try to rob a bank to save their grandparents care home from developers. Little do they know that while they're cleaning out the vault, zombies are cleaning up the East End and shuffling towards Bow Bells' care home with an appetite for OAPs.
Zombieland (2009 US) - Zombieland is one of the best Zombie movies I’ve seen. Chock full of fun, sadness, comedy, and good old fashioned Zombie gore, it is a well rounded movie that pits four survivors against themselves, each other, and, of course, the Zombie masses.
28 Days Later (2002 UK) - This movie deserves a spot on this list because of it's huge influence on the nature of zombie films that followed it. The movie not only popularized the fast-running zombie of many modern films, but was also a good post-apocalyptic survival story to boot.
28 Weeks Later (2007 UK) - Some sequels are better off skipped. I’m on the fence over 28 Weeks Later. It wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t as good as the original. There were several great fast Zombie scenes, and a great beginning sequence. The plot wasn’t bad, and definitely added to the original in a meaningful way, but most of the film was spent laying a slow foundation for the last 30 minutes of action.
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1975) - A straight-up zombie film for the zombie film lover. "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie" has fantastic and realistic zombies of the "freshly dead" variety. It also features some graphic and long sequences of them chowing down on human flesh like they're at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Fido (2006) - If you've ever fantasized about having your own zombie pet, zombie bodyguard, or zombie housekeeper, then "Fido" is your kind of movie. It's been described as a cross between "Night of the Living Dead" and "Lassie," although it is clearly a comedy film. Fido is a house-broken zombie thanks to a collar that renders him harmless and obedient - most of the time. Billy Connelly plays the title character, and offers probably the best acting job done by anyone portraying the living dead.
Day of the Dead (1985 US) - Zombies rule the USA, except for a small group of scientists and military personnel who reside in an underground bunker in Florida. The scientists are using the undead in gruesome experiments; much to the chagrin of the military. Finally the military finds that their men have been used in the scientists’ experiments, and banish the scientists to the caves that house the Living Dead. Soon, Zombies do what Zombies do best.
Dawn of the Dead (2004 USA) - Ana, played by Sarah Polley, decides that her neighborhood is going downhill after her kid, and the rest of the neighborhood, turn into murderous Zombies. After meeting up with some other “survivors”, Ana eventually ends up at the local mall with a bunch of others. They spend the days generally safe, but slowly running out of time and resources. They hatch a plan, and make their attempt at survival.
Zombie (1979) - The best of the Italian zombie factory of the late '70s and '80s, director Lucio Fulci's film is probably best known for its underwater encounter between a zombie and a shark.
Deadgirl (2008) - The film delves into the deranged psyches of bored suburban teenage boys, and exposes the different levels of depraved morals among them.
Shaun of the Dead (2004) - The top modern zombie movie (post-2000), "Shaun of the Dead" incorporates the best of zombie comedy films - with realistic walking dead, ample gore, and fun use of everyday items to fight off zombies (like the famous record-throwing scene) - without getting too silly. Plus, the scene where the survivors "play dead" can serve as a educational film for zombie walk newbies everywhere.
The Return of the Living Dead (1985 US) - featured fast-moving zombies decades before they became mainstream in modern day zombie movies. Second, it introduced the zombie call-to-arms, "Braaaains!"
Night of the Living Dead (1968 US) - To say this movie is a classic is an understatement. Chaos descends upon the world, in George A. Romero’s pivotal first movie, as the brains of the recently deceased become reanimated, causing the dead to rise and feed on human flesh. Speculation rests on a radiation-covered NASA satellite returning from Venus, but it only remains a speculation. The only way to destroy the zombies is to destroy the brain.
Night of the Living Dead (1990 US) - “Night of the Living Dead” is the 1990 remake of George Romero’s 1968 classic of the same name. With more money and better technology, the film follows the same storyline as the original, with some minor changes, and this time starring Patricia Tallman as Barbara, and Tony Todd as the strong and heroic Ben.
Dawn of the Dead (1978 US) - The film's immediate focus is the action inside a suburban mall, where a band of survivors try to keep swarms of undead at bay. However, it's the setup to the zombie apocalypse at the beginning of the film - where the world tried to make sense of it all - that really makes it resonate. The world is forced to cope with the inevitability of a slow, plodding, violent end. And yet there is still hope. Kind of.
The Evil Dead (1981 US) - Five friends, including Ash, played of course by Bruce Campbell, go up to a cabin in the woods where they find unspeakable evil lurking in the forest. They find the Necronomicon, an evil tomb of demonic rites, and the taped translation of the text. Once the tape is played, the evil is released. One by one, the teens become deadly evil dead Zombies.
Evil Dead II (1987 US) - “I’ll swallow your soul! I’ll swallow your soul! I’ll swallow your soul!” “Swallow this!” say’s everybody’s favorite Zombie/demon killing comedian, Ash, as he aims his shotgun at Henrietta’s face. What a way to end a relationship. Bruce Campbell does it again in this sequel to Evil Dead. After the blood-bath of Evil Dead, Ash is still in the cabin when “help” arrives in the form of the professor’s daughter and a few other people. Soon the evil forces of the Necronomicon are at it again.
Evil Dead: Army of Darkness (1992 US) - In this sequel to the Evil Dead films, a discount-store employee (“Name’s Ash. Housewares.”) is time-warped to a medieval castle beset by monstrous forces. Initially mistaken for an enemy, he is soon revealed as the prophecised savior who can quest for the Necronomicon, a book which can dispel the evil. Unfortunately, he screws up the magic words while collecting the tome, and releases an army of skeletons, led by his own Deadite counterpart.
Resident Evil (2002 US) - Something rotten is brewing beneath the industrial mecca known as Raccoon City. Unknown to its millions of residents, a huge underground bio-engineering facility known as The Hive has accidentally unleashed the deadly and mutating T-virus, killing all of its employees. To contain the leak, the governing supercomputer, Red Queen, has sealed all entrances and exits. Now a team of highly-trained super commandos including Rain, Alice and Matt must race to penetrate The Hive in order to isolate the T-virus before it overwhelms humanity.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004 US) - After waking up in a hospital a-la 28 Days Later, our hero Alice, played by Milla Jovovich, discovers the undead have overwhelmed Raccoon City, with only small pockets of uninfected still surviving, led by Jill Valentine, another femme fatal Zombie killer, played by Sienna Guillory. To make matters worse, they are all trapped, sealed off in the city by the Umbrella Corporation. Of course the Umbrella Corporation takes this as an opportunity to play with their new deadly experiment. Soon, time begins running out as the clock ticks down before the city is sanitized.
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007 FR) - It'll never be confused with high art, but the third entry in the Resident Evil franchise is miles ahead of the dreck that was Resident Evil: Apocalypse. It's amazing what a competent director (Russell Mulcahy of Highlander fame), a scenic desert setting and hot pants with leather stockings will do for you.
Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010 UK) - In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive the city is overrun by thousands of Undead – and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap.
Re-animator (1985 US) - Apparently cats do have more than one life. Re-Animator was a well done, funny, and often suspenseful Zombie movie. Herbert West, played by Jeffrey Combs, is kicked out of a Swiss university after his involvement in the death of his mentor. He continue his studies in the United States – but little do his acquaintances know that West has discovered a serum that brings the dead back to life… with terrible consequences… Dan Cain, a local medical student, lets West rent a room from him.
The Fog (1980 US) - A Northern California fishing town, built 100 years ago over an old leper colony, is the target for revenge by a killer fog containing zombie-like ghosts seeking revenge for their deaths.
I am Legend (2007 US) - I Am Legend is chock full of tips for survival in the event of the Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse. The creepy Zombie-vampire mesh was portrayed well. The story, or course, is based on the novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.
The homework is to sit down and watch as many of these as you possibly can. I have seen some of these and I intend to go through and watch any that I have not seen before. I know I am Legend is not really a Zombie movie, but it does have mindless super fast beings in them which could be classed as a Zombie.
If there are any suggestions or recommendations for other Zombie movies to watch please let me know.
In the next installment of Zombie fortnight, I will be posting information about Zombie books. I have read a few of these which are awesome!
