Throughout the years we have seen many different takes on the zombie genre. From the infamous ‘Night of The Living Dead’ by George Romero to “The Walking Dead” by Robert Kirkman, this genre has not only blown up in its popularity, but it has also opened the flood gates on creativity. We are now looking at the most out-of-this-world take on this horrifying genre.

The zombance-zombie romance- of the year is finally upon us! Based on Isaac Marion’s Warm Bodies novel, ’Warm Bodies’ is about R, a zombie, wandering around an airport who is unlike any other zombie as presented in other films. R thinks like he is still alive and thrives on becoming human again. He falls in love with Julie, a strong-willed woman whom he meets when she and her team of survivors are sent to get more medical supplies for their town. R and his zombie friends are the horde of undead who burst through the doors of the medical facility. While R is devouring Julie’s boyfriend, Perry, he is taken on a ride of Perry’s emotions and memories. Whenever zombies eat a human brain, they are able to see that person’s memories, and feel their emotions. It is the closest things these zombies have to dreaming. It is the closest thing R has to being human again.

This movie and novel mirrors the classic tale of love, “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare. Julie is Juliet, R is Romeo, Nora is the nurse, Perry is Paris, the rejected suitor. The movie does not really follow the novel whatsoever. However, it has certain attributes from the novel.

‘Warm Bodies’ brought in $20 million on opening night and continues to make money. No other zombie movie is like it. We usually see zombies tearing into humans or animals, but ‘Warm Bodies’ shows a softer side to the zombie genre. It proves zombies have feelings, too. They are not just mindless, killing machines bent on destroying all of mankind. The witty and talented Nicholas Hoult plays the romantic heartthrob R and brings new meaning to protecting love.

To be honest, the film was almost perfect. There were a few scenes that were a bit confusing. When R eats Perry’s brain, he gets taken on a ride through his memories. R is supposed to be Perry in those memories. So naturally R should be in first person throughout those memories. There were many moments when R was in third person, watching Perry go through these memories as if he was an audience watching a film. Summit Entertainment did an amazing job casting this film. Nicholas Hoult and Theresa Palmer seamlessly bring these two characters together to tell their story. Rob Corddry brings comedy relief as R’s best friend, M.

For those fans wanting a true translation of Marion’s book onto the silver screen, they will be disappointed; this movie is without a doubt a reinterpretation of the source material, with the best parts sewn together to create a more palatable story for general audiences.

This does not mean it takes anything away from either the book or the movie itself, but the audience gets a story that is highly satisfying for being a romance-comedy about zombies. On the other hand, the movie itself is greatly performed and put together. There was comedic relief when you found yourself wanting to cry. ‘Warm Bodies’ has zombies, romance, adventure, and comedy all in one!

“Why can’t I connect with people?” R states as he wanders around his new home, the airport. At one point you find yourself relating to how R feels. This was a great adaptation of Isaac Marion’s Warm Bodies novel. Besides the fact that a few scenes were out of place, the movie itself was great. Your attention is held throughout.

Rated 4.5/5 – An unbelievable love story with an amazing cast

The article Warm Bodies Answers the Question: Can Zombies Love? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Warm Bodies, the story recently adapted for the screen, is a novel about a young zombie, R. R is a sensitive, intelligent dead man who is one of the few zombies who can think, talk and feel empathy for those he devours. Isaac Marion, author of Warm Bodies, takes readers on a whirlwind romance taken place among the dead and introduces a softer side of the zombie genre.

Julie is the female lead whom R falls in love with. A headstrong, confident and intelligent girl, she differs from other characters in the fact that she can survive on her own. Julie isn’t afraid of a fight; While out on a hunt for food, R, along with his zombie friends, shuffle into a medical building. There they find Julie, her beau Perry and other survivors sent to get more supplies for their town. The horde busts through the doors, attack and eat whoever they catch. R catches Perry, smashes his skull open and eats his brain. As soon as the fresh lobe is being devoured, R gets taken on a ride through Perry’s memories. When a zombie eats a persons brain, they view all of that persons memories and can feel what that person felt. Eating brains is as close as R gets to dreaming. Once he awakes from his euphoric delight, he hears Julie screaming and comes to her rescue by putting his own blood on her to distract his fellow zombies. This scene paves the way for their romance and the core of Isaac Marion’s story.

Toonari Post was able to interview Isaac Marion about his hit novel and incidentally gained some knowledge of his masterpiece.

Toonari Post (TP): What inspired you to write Warm Bodies?

Isaac Marion (IM): I’ve always enjoyed writing stories from the perspectives of people and things outside the normal human experience. It allows you to examine life from new angles and find unexpected insights. Looking at life through the eyes of a dead man provided a really interesting outsider perspective and led into some surprisingly rich thematic territory. Not to mention some nasty jokes.

TP: How did you come up with the characters?

IM: All my characters are bits and pieces of myself and other people I know, relationships I’ve had or observed. I don’t like stories that use characters purely as symbols or mouthpieces for the author. I try to make my characters feel like real people that exist and have lives before and after their time in my book.

TP: Have you seen the movie? If so, does it live up to your expectations?

IM: It went quite a bit beyond my expectations, actually. It’s different from the book, of course, has a lighter tone and a few differences in plot and character, but overall it’s surprisingly faithful. There are so many things that can go wrong in an adaptation, especially an adaptation of a relatively unknown novel, so the fact that it’s as faithful as it is and that it works on its own terms as a well-made and entertaining movie was a huge relief.

TP: Many who have read your book say it changes the “zombie genre.” Do you agree with this? Do you feel like you have/will start something completely different for the genre?

IM: I can’t really see there being a lot of inspirational, character-driven zombie love stories popping up in the wake of this. It’s such a bizarre concept, how can you do it more than once?

TP: Many of your fans are wondering, will there be a sequel to the book as well as the movie?

IM: There will be a prequel novella followed by one full-blown sequel that will conclude the story. Whether either of these will be made into movies, I don’t know. I think it would be a little challenging to make what they did with the Warm Bodies movie mesh with what I’m doing in the sequel book, but they are creative people…it could happen.

If you enjoy the zombie phenomenon, you will enjoy this novel. There is gore, romance, thrill and adventure along with comedy mixed in which is worth the read. At one point you will begin to relate to R and Julie’s romance and critiques of the new world. Isaac Marion is a brilliant author who has inspired the minds of many with this wonderful novel. Summit Entertainment is behind the movie based on the novel, which hits theaters February 1st, 2013, starring Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer.

Readers: read the novel and watch the movie when it hits theaters, you will be glad you did.

Image Courtesy : Warm Bodies

The article Warm Bodies: An Unexpected Love Story appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Zombies are not usually known for their singing and dancing. Shambling through the misty woods in search of brains, yes. Belting out peppy songs while doing complex choreography, not so much. But in Love, Death, Brains: A Pete Rydberg Musical Meme, they do all that and more.

Love, Death, Brains is a reimaging of an earlier zombie musical called Z-Town. Both are based on a book by Sarah Mucek (who also wrote the songs’ lyrics) and feature music by Meghan Rose. Director Pete Rydberg also played a key role in transforming the show. But while Z-Town was a fairly dark piece, Love, Death, Brains is much lighter in tone.

At its heart, the show is about a culture-clash of epic proportions. Dr. Scott Crawford (Alex Brick) brings his son James (Stuart Mott) to Z-Town at the behest of his fellow scientist Dr. Rhonda Greenblad (Jamie England). Although Crawford tells his son that Z-Town is merely a leper colony, it is actually a top-secret government facility run where zombies can go about their business in peace under the watchful eye of a government agent who has orders to keep the zombies in, and everyone else out. Meanwhile, bumbling amateur detectives/conspiracy theorists are determined to find out what is going on behind Z-Town’s walls.

Crawford and Greenblad intend to use James as a human guinea pig to study human/zombie interactions firsthand. But their plans swiftly go awry when he falls for one of his classmates, Monica (Corianne Wilson). The arrival of humans also causes problems among the zombie population, as the local teacher, Mr. Olin (Bob Moore), tries to radicalize his pupils for an all-out war with the ‘breathers.’

The entire ensemble is exceptionally talented, and they would not be out of place on Broadway or the West End. Mott does an excellent job of portraying James’ metamorphosis from clueless teen to horrified victim, while Brick manages to make a shoddy parent like Crawford ultimately likeable. Matthew Huston (who plays a gay zombie named Zack) delivers his lines with consummate sassiness, but at the same time he keeps his portrayal from descending to the realm of crude stereotype. And Wilson’s charming performance as Monica makes a dead girl seem just like the girl next door.

The music makes the show a tour de force. Mucek’s lyrics range from the droll to the hilarious, while Rose’s score ensures that the songs remain embedded in your mind for weeks to come. They range from ensemble pieces (“Flesh-Eating Kind of Day,” “Never See Another Day”) to powerful solos (“Somethin’ Ain’t Right,” “Left Behind”), but they are all performed with skill and verve. If you liked the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will love these songs. Thankfully, fans will be able to listen to their favorite songs whenever they want since the official soundtrack is available on iTunes.

Beneath all the gags, the show has a serious message about tolerance and cooperation. But the creative team behind it is savvy enough to convey that message subtly, without beating the audience over the head with a bunch of preachy moralizing.

Love, Death, Brains will play at Madison’s Bartell Theater until August 4. Then it heads to New York City where it will play at the Fringe Festival on August 12, 14, 16, 17, and 18. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Stay tuned for an exclusive backstage look at the show!

The article Night of the Singing Dead: Love, Death, Brains appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

AMC’s smash hit zombie thriller ‘The Walking Dead’ will conclude its second season this Sunday with a dramatic episode set to deal with the fallout from last week’s cliffhanger.

In the most recent episode, “Better Angels”, Shane (Jon Bernthal) was killed off before immediately reanimating as a zombie without coming into contact with one – which the series had previously intimated was the sole way of transforming into one. This has led fans to ponder if all of the surviving characters are already infected with the deadly condition that has being driving the series’ main storylines since its very first episode, and an answer is expected to be given in this Sunday’s episode.

As for the other cliffhanger from the March 11 episode, the last scene showed dozens of zombies making their way toward the farm where the characters have been staying for the majority of this season, setting up a probable confrontation and potential character deaths in the much-hyed season ender.

Jon Bernthal’s exit from the series last week, when his character Shane was killed during a confrontation with Rick (played by Andrew Lincoln) came as little surprise to fans of the comic book series on which the television is based, as Shane was originally killed off much earlier in the story.

For fans of the television series who were unaware of the narrative timeline in the comic books, Shane’s death also came as a relatively minor shock, following the announcement in January that Bernthal was set to join the cast of ‘L.A. Noir’, a new series from Frank Darabont, who was in fact ‘The Walking Dead”s original show-runner until disagreements with the network led to his departure from the series last summer.

As for the remaining actors on the series, there have been no announcements about any of them joining new television projects, leaving the fates of their characters in this week’s finale unknown. However, the death of Bernthal’s character came just one episode after the death of fellow original cast member Jeffrey DeMunn’s character Dale, leading fans to speculate that the season finale could mark the most severe loss of life yet.

‘The Walking Dead’ already centred its mid-season finale around the revelation that the series’ youngest survivor from the pilot – Sophia, played by Madison Lintz – had died and transformed into a zombie, forcing group leader Rick to execute her in front of her mother Carol.

The relatively high number of on-screen deaths in recent week has been welcomed by some fans, after the first half of the season was criticised for being too slow-paced and lacking any particularly gripping storylines.

In spite of these criticisms, ‘The Walking Dead’ has continued to perform well in the ratings, maintaining its status as AMC’s number one program. Season-to-date, ‘The Walking Dead’ has averaged 6.7 million viewers per week over its 12 airings, up more than 20% compared to the 5.2 million average it received for its 6-episode first season. AMC has has given the series a vote of confidence by renewing it for a 16-episode third season.

This increased episode order makes ‘The Walking Dead’ one of only two series on AMC, the other being ‘Breaking Bad’, to go beyond the network’s standard 13-episode order, a standard still in place for ‘The Killing’ and its Emmy-favourite veteran ‘Mad Men’, which will take over ‘The Walking Dead”s time-slot when it returns for its fifth season on March 25.

As for whether ‘The Walking Dead’ will end its season on a cliffhanger or hint at what the characters will face in the future, fans have only a few more days left to wait and see.

Image Courtesy of    https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkingDeadAMC

The article ‘The Walking Dead’ Races Toward Finale appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Reed Street Productions, creators of the zombie-infested 5K adventure race, Run for Your Lives, announced that the race will expand beyond its inaugural location outside of Baltimore into 12 cities across the country, starting with the Atlanta area on March 3, 2012. The inaugural race launched in Darlington, Md. last October with more than 10,000 participants and spectators.

“Even before we officially launched the first race in Darlington, we started planning to invade other popular cities. We’d received so much demand and interest from consumers in the U.S. and abroad that we knew we needed to expand,” commented Ryan Hogan, managing member of Reed Street Productions and co-creator of Run For Your Lives.

“We learned a lot from our first race and are excited to bring the improved Run For Your Lives experience to zombie-enthusiasts and runners. The zombies are coming to a city near you; get ready to Run For Your Lives!”

Run For Your Lives will be launching in locations near the following major cities:

• Atlanta – March 3
• Boston – May 5 
• Minneapolis – June 2 
• Indianapolis – June 23 
• Denver – July 14 
• Seattle/Portland – Aug. 4 
• St. Louis – Aug. 18 
• Pittsburgh –  Sept. 1 
• Toronto – Sept. 15 
• San Diego/Los Angeles – Oct. 20 
• Baltimore – Oct. 27 
• Austin – Dec. 15

Run for Your Lives will take participants through a series of obstacles over a 5K course, all while being chased by zombies. Racers, wearing a flag football-like belt with three flags, must make strategic choices to find the quickest route to the finish line with at least one flag to complete the race as a survivor.

Survivors and newly-created “zombies” – those who finish without flags –  will be able to celebrate following the event at the Apocalypse Party, which will feature live, local entertainment, music, vendors, food, beverages, and of course, zombies.

Registration packages for participants include a race shirt, admission to the Apocalypse Party, a medal signifying your survival or zombie transformation, and advanced training for the zombie apocalypse. Spectator and camping packages are also available.

Prizes will be given to the top male and female human finishers in several age brackets, including: 14-19; 20-29; 30-39; and 40 and up. There will also be an awards bracket for military participants. A portion of every ticket sold will be donated to the American Red Cross.

To register for Run For Your Lives or for more information regarding how the race works , please visit: www.runforyourlives.com.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/run.for.your.lives

The article The ‘Run for Your Lives’ Zombie Race appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The second printing of “The Good: Wicked Inclinations” Volume 5, a collection of Issues #14-18, has come out this November 30, almost exactly five years after its original publication in 2006. Featuring an all-new design for the cover illustrated by author, Eric Powell, the second edition of “Wicked Inclinations” offers a humorous and action-packed look into the world of The Goon.

Volume 5 opens with a brief background of one of The Goon’s allies, The Buzzard, who has discovered the Priest’s real name. Armed with this information, he successfully scares The Priest into not calling up any more of the undead, but The Priest is determined, and he manages to create an unholy army of minions set on destroying The Goon.

Meanwhile, Goon and his friend, Franky, defend their territory from several local crime families, as well as help the owner of the bar they frequent from a powerful gypsy bent on getting revenge.

For someone who hasn’t read the first four volumes of “The Goon” series, the beginning comes off as being very serious and a little dark. But as the story continues, the humor shines through. Although it can be easy for humor to overpower or detract from a relatively serious plot, Powell manages to keep the tension going, while at the same time encouraging his readers to have a few laughs along the way.

Originally, Powell had planned on making Issue #18 an independent piece called “Satan’s Sodomy Baby,” but word got out about its possibly blasphemous nature, and it began to be boycotted even before its release. As a result, Powell ratcheted up the offensive content and Dark Horse Comics released it separately as a one-shot.

The title on the cover was changed to “Satan’s **** Baby” with a parental advisory sticker on the front, and plastic wrapping was put on it so no one could accidentally be offended by browsing through its pages. Because of the controversy, “Satan’s **** Baby” will never be put into a collection, but Powell does reference it in “Wicked Inclinations.” Franky finds a copy of the comic and makes several humorous comments about it to Goon.

Eric Powell is most well-known for his work in “The Goon” series, but he has also been involved in a number of other popular comic series such as, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Hellboy: Weird Tales, Star Wars Tales, and The Incredible Hulk. Powell is a talented writer and author, and both abilities shine through in “Wicked Inclinations.”

Stirring violence mixed with humor that is often irreverent, “The Goon: Wicked Inclinations” is a riveting and amusing journey into a mix of 30’s noir, zombies, and fantastic creatures. The winner of the 2005 Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication and Best Ongoing Series, this comic is a must-read for anyone looking for a high-quality humorous tale.

The article “The Goon: Wicked Inclinations” Volume 5 Review appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

You were probably like me and never took the talk of the zombie invasion real.  You laughed when friends warned of the impending zombie apocalypse.  You never read “The Zombie Survival Guide” because you knew the possibility of some sort of zombie creating fungi or disease was not possible.  Guess what?  We were wrong.

Four new species of the zombifying fungi, members of the Ophiocordyceps (or just Cordyceps) genus have apparently been discovered.  The fungi are known for its unusual parasitism on ants.  They are able to control the brain of the ants, turning the insects into little zombies to do as the fungi wishes before killing them.  The fungus attacks the brain of the ant using a still unknown chemical and causes it to abandon its colony. The ant then bites into the fleshy part of a leaf and stays locked in that position until it dies. The fungus is then able to spread from the ant’s body to the leaf in order to repeat the cycle.  The fungus will also produce a long stalk that sticks out of the ant’s head, shooting spores out in order to try to infect other ants.  Not exactly coming back from the dead but still weird.

The new fungi were discovered at two sites in Brazil’s tropical rain forest.  The original zombie-ant fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, was first identified in 1865, and it seems to exist around the world. “So we knew, right off the bat, there was a range of other species within that,” said study researcher David Hughes, an entomologist at Pennsylvania State University. “I think it will turn out to be in the hundreds.”

I guess it is time to take the whole talk of zombies infecting humans a little more serious.  I have to do some reading tonight.

The article Four New Zombie Fungi Discovered appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.