Hello there Zombie Hungry Populous,

     So in the spirit of deciding whether or not to stay put or get moving during a zombie outbreak, I thought I would tackle a bit more of the specifics.  Namely, I wanted to talk about the types of things you might want to stock up on when boarding up the old homestead.  Now keep in mind that you might wanna keep your stockpile secret so friends don't think you are completely insane (unless you have friends like mine who share the idea that the zombie apocalypse is an inevitability rather than fiction.)

I thought I'd break this down into categories.

A- Food.
     This one is rather easy in my opinion.  Canned foods are your best bet here, as canned food will last quite a while and are easy to stack.  And as an added bonus, during certain can themed mega sales (like how I avoided copyright infringement there...) can be quite cheap.  Now you want to stock up on certain things such as protein, citrus fruits, fats, and green veggies.  Beans are a wonderful source of protein and come in a variety of types to keep things fresh.  You definitely want to stock up on plenty of veggies, especially leafy greens (kale, spinach, collard greens, etc.,) plus some variety in corn, beets, and carrots (some nice minced veggies should do nicely.)  Then you want fruit.  Oranges to be more precise.  Fruit is a good, natural source of vitamins and sugars, as well as a nice way to stave off scurvy.  Then we got to have some fat thrown in there (yes you heard me right, without fat in your diet you can actually starve.)  I'm not sure what kind of fats you can get in non perishable forms, but feel free to be creative here.

B-Weapons.
     This is another essential.  There is a high probability you will have to engage on some hand to hand combat here.  If you are uncomfortable keeping weapons like blades, knives, or firearms, you can use certain household items instead.  Table and chair legs can suffice as bludgeoning weapons, and that goes the same with sports equipment like bats or hockey sticks.  As for my own personal preference, handguns and shotguns make great close quarters weapons when you are trying to secure a household.  I wont get too detailed on this, since you can refer to my earlier post about weapon selection.  Just make sure if you have a firearm, have enough of the appropriate ammunition.

C- Medicine.
     Ok, this is where things get a little more complicated.  First, there are some over the counter medicines you want to stockpile.  Painkillers are the first thing you want to have.  I suggest something along the lines of a low dose aspirin, since it can work to protect your heart (it thins the blood a bit, but I am no doctor.)  Then you have things like cold medicine, allergy medicine, and good old fashioned pepto (which if you are like me is most important.  I can't live without my hot wings.)  But when we get to over the counter medicine,
     I must also mention vitamins.  Vitamins are gonna be a good thing to keep around.  Especially multivitamins, vitamin c, vitamin e, and oil of oregano.  I'm sure there are a ton of others you can choose to keep around, but I think these are essential.  Especially the oil of oregano.  If you haven't heard about this little wonder, google it.  I swear by it.
     Finally, we come to controlled substances.  Now that usually comes with the connotation of illicit drugs, but the most important item here will be antibiotics.  In the post zombie apocalypse world, antibiotics will be worth their weight in plutonium (thats right, plutonium, not gold, not platinum, plutonium.)

D- Building Materials.
     Ultimately, you are only as safe as the weakest entrance to your homestead.  Building materials are key here.  Now it doesn't have to be a matter of keeping lumber in your garage, but some household choices can make the securing process much easier.  Having solid doors on all your interior doors will provide you with some top notch lumber.  Using solid doors to close up your windows and exterior doors will definitely help.  Now as for your exterior doors, using steel doors with steel frames will be exponentially safer than regular doors in the zombie apocalypse. Also, tables can be a good source of lumber.
     When securing your materials around your doors and windows, make sure you use a heavy nail or screw.  Roofing nails are a good choice here, but it is absolutely imperative that you put them in on an angle.  This will make it harder to push out the nails, so I suggest about a 30 degree angle.  Also, putting some buttress type pieces of lumber reaching from the center of your sured up exterior entrance to the floor.  Securing it with nails in both the floor and the entrance should make it nice and sturdy.  I suggest multiple layers of buttressing and more nails than you think are necessary.

E- Entertainment.
     This is a definite essential that most people would overlook.  Why entertainment you might ask?  Think about it.  Apart from the obvious, keeping yourself occupied, you will have to combat cabin fever.  I suggest puzzles, brainteasers, books, and board games.  Anything that keeps your mind and time occupied and fresh.  In the event you have a generator and a good supply of fuel, an occasional movie could also work wonders. (Just remember, you will have to ration your fuel, especially to keep warm in the winter months, and emergency nighttime lighting.)

Ok there folks.  This is by no means an exhaustive list (although exhausting to write) and there is about a thousand things you also want to keep handy.  I definitely reserve the right to revisit this topic, as I am sure there will be more detail requested in time.

Thanks for tuning in.  Stay frosty people...

Hello Again Zombie Hungry Populous,

     Here we are, part 3 of my should I stay or should I go series.  We have covered the city and the suburb, so naturally, we must turn to the last remaining region...

The Country.

     In the city scenario my advice was to hit the road in order to avoid facing an inordinate amount of potential targets and limited space to hoard supplies.  In the suburban scenario, we determined a series of questions that needed to be answered before the decision to stay or go was made.  For the rural scenario, my advice is to stay put.  Let us examine why.

     First, we should ask ourselves the same basic questions we asked in the suburban scenario.  We should know where resources are, how close you are to the nearest urban metropolis, and how many potential infected you will come up against.  But in the majority of cases, if you are out in the country, you aren't going to be close enough to any city to face an influx of potential targets, and there wont be too many homegrown infected.

     Secondly, we need to reinforce our entrances/exits.  This will be a topic I will go into more detail on in a later blog, but for now we should go over the basics.  We need to identify all doors and windows on or accessible via the ground floor, and use anything we can to permanently close them.  Interior doors (bedroom, closet, etc.) and table tops are your best options and can be reinforced with heavy furniture, such as shelving units, entertainment units, breakfronts, etc.
     (*on a side note, you are going to need plenty of nails and screws to board up your weak spots.  You should use larger nails and screws and always put them in on an angle.  Angling nails will make them much harder to pull out.)

     Finally, we have to think about what resources to stock up on.  (Yet another topic that will be revisited in future blogs.) Your faucets should work for a few days, maybe even a week or so, but soon after water will become scarce.  Having water stocked up with some buckets on the roof to catch rainwater for some natural renewal is always a good idea.  Also, canned foods are your best bet for stocking up on.  They last for years and are easily stored.  You should stock up on foods high in vitamins, minerals and proteins.  Canned fruits, beans, and vegetables are ideal, but you do need to keep some fatty foods around (yes you will indeed starve without fat.)
     The last few things you should stock up on include matches, batteries, weapons and ammo, and medications.  Each item is self explanatory as to why you need it, but the last bit, medications, might be a bit tricky to procure.  You will want painkillers, analgesic creams, antacids, and bandages which should be easy to find over the counter; but you will also need antibiotics which are much less accessible.  This is something you may want to make an initial trip to the local pharmacy when things first start going awry.

Well... This concludes the discussion on what to do in each scenario.  Stay tuned for the next series which is very closely related.  What to bring on the road and what to stock up on when you stay put.

Till next time....

Hello Again My Zombie Hungry Populous,

     So it's time to discuss part 2 of my venture into traveling versus hunkering down.  First we talked about the urban jungle, so naturally we will progress to a suburban nightmare.  Lets refresh our memories.  We are dealing with the rapid onset of a virus that re-animates dead flesh and spreads via fluid transfer.  The infected individuals seek out warm flesh to feed on and have no cognitive abilities.

Now that we jogged the memories, lets talk about suburbia.

     Suburbia-  I honestly believe that the setup of your suburb will determine if you should stay or if you should go.  In order to determine which action to take, there are some variables you need to measure.

A. Size of the suburb.  How large is the town, not only in square milage, but in population.  The denser the population, the faster the virus will spread, and the more potential infected you will have to contend with.  There is also a bit of a ratio you should consider when asking how big the suburb is.  The size of the population in relation to the square milage of the town.  In other words, how many people per square mile/acre/hectare/any other form of measurement you want to examine.
B. The proximity of your suburb to other suburbs and cities.  Here is probably your most important question.  If you are 100 miles away from a large city, your decision will be much different than if you are 20 miles away.  And of course, the same question about size of the city must be taken into consideration as well.
C. What resources are in and around your suburb.  Here is something that will come in handy when considering staying.  Given that hunkering down implies that you'll be in for the long haul, and no matter how well stocked your pantry/basement/bomb shelter may be, you will eventually need something you don't have.  Therefore, mapping out where hospitals, grocery stores, gun shops, pharmacies, etc. would be vital to staying put for any significant period of time.

So based on a very complex number of variables, you can make a purely educated decision about whether or whether or not to hit the road or stay where you are.

Stay tuned, as part 3 will talk about rural life... And part 4 and 5 will take a look at what you should stock up on/take on the road with you.  Thats right... I'm stretching this to at least 5 parts (like how I left an opening for even more parts to be added on this.)


Till next time...

Hello Zombie Hungry Populous,

I shall address this to both the Zombie Hungry Populous and those who think the genre is silly.  

Hello Zombie Hungry Populous,

     As I am still new to the blog scene and you are still getting to know me, I though I'd give you a deeper glimpse into my psychosis.  I figured the best way to do that would be a list of my top 5 zombie films.  And being a man of few words (yes I know, in my last post I was way too detailed and wordy) I will not keep you in suspense.  Afterwards, feel free to reply with your own top 5 films, as not only am I up for a good zombie debate, you might expose me to something I haven't seen.

(Warning- although I don't go into great detail about the plot lines of these films or individual scenes, there may be some inadvertent spoilers.  I tried my best to avoid this, but you are forewarned.)

5.  Undead (2003).  Very rarely do you see a film that incorporates 2 very different antagonist genres well, (I will site Vampires Versus Zombies (2004) as the main example of this concept gone awry) but Undead successfully merges the unlikely paring of zombies and aliens.  In its simplicity, Undead is a spoof; outlandish plot lines, outrageous gore effects, and otherworldly action sequences, but is so fresh and well executed it undoubtedly should be on anyones top 5 list.  I wholeheartedly recommend this film to any horror fan who can appreciate some interjected humor.

*If you do end up watching this movie, just remember this one question... Where in the hell did he get that gun? (you will understand when you watch it... And if you are anything like me, you are now dying to know and may possibly run out to rent it tonight.)

*It should be noted that this film comes from New Zealand, which has been pouring out some of the most inventive horror comedies I have ever seen.  I dare you to do a little digging into The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy director Peter Jackson.

4. The Beyond (1981).  This is definitely the strangest zombie film included in my top 5.  Lucio Fulci (who will appear again on this list) was truly a horror maestro who should be included among the greats like Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, Clive Barker, George Romero, or John Carpenter.  In the 70's and 80's, the height of shock/disgust horror, Lucio Fulci brought some of the most uncomfortable and violent movies ever filmed, (even in comparison to Umberto Lenzi and Ruggero Deodato who I will no doubtably talk about in future blogs) including this gem of a zombie film.
     There is an unintelligible plot in this film, which is common to an Italian horror film, (this period of Italian horror is most referred to as Giallo) but the shock moments and gore more than makes up for it.  Fulci was known for inventive death scenes, and I guarantee you fans of movies like Hostel and Saw will be running for the exits during this movie.

*I just wanted to mention that for this spot, The Beyond just edged out another movie by Fulci, City of the Living Dead (1980) (make sure it's the Fulci movie, there is at least one other film that shares the title, and it is well beyond unwatchable.)  City is ousted here because of the sheer inventiveness of The Beyond, but I would suggest both films to any zombie/horror enthusiast with a strong stomach.

3. Shawn of the Dead (2004).  Yes I know, this is the second spoof I have listed, but with good reason.  There are many cookie cutter zombie films (as there are cookie cutter slashers/ghosts/possessions/etc.) out there, some of which were rather successful (28 Weeks Later, Dawn of the Dead (2004), etc. and you can yell at me later for mentioning those 2), and this spoof puts them all to shame.  Incredibly witty dialogue with intelligent humor coupled with a social commentary not often used (if ever) in this genre create one heck of a zombie flick.  Now you might be concerned that there isn't enough gore in the movie and action sequences are nearly non-existent, but this zombie film is just too darn funny not to be a favorite.  Plus, true zombie fans will be able to catch numerous homages paid to almost every zombie film that precedes it.  In fact, let me know how many you catch.  I think I have found them all.

2.  Day of the Dead (1985).  Ok, here is where the zombie purists are going to bite my head off (so to speak.)  How could I only put 1 G. Romero movie on here?!? How could you put Day instead of Dawn?!? Bear with me and you will understand where I am coming from.  First, I could have dominated this entire list with Romero movies, from Night of the Living Dead (1968) to the Crazies (1973), to the latest(so far, another coming in 2010) Diary of the Dead (2007), but that wouldn't really do much good.  Plus, I think there are many more zombie films you should be focusing on, even though Romero zombie films are the standard.
     Secondly, I chose Day of the Dead after long consideration because I believe it to be the best crafted of all the Dead films.  You have a true sense of the zombie outbreak that wasn't as apparent in Night or Dawn, and you are made more uncomfortable than in the other movies (I was at least.)  The social commentary of militarization in the 80's is spot on (and a major influence for 28 Days Later) and you are immersed in the claustrophobia the characters experience.  Finally, I believe that the zombie and gore effects in this movie are and will forever be unparalleled.  Although there are other movies in which the gore sequences made me physically ill (you will hear about one in the next bullet point, and I assure you that I am no lightweight.  It takes a lot to get me ill.) the gore effects in Day of the Dead were inventive, realistic, and perfectly executed.

1. Zombi (1979).  So here we are, at numero uno, and it is some Italian zombie move??  Yes.  And not only is it some Italian zombie movie, it is a horror film that has provided us with 3 of the most iconic zombie scenes in horror history.  First, you have the outlandish underwater zombie scene.  To my knowledge, there hasn't been another underwater zombie fight scene before or since (and if there is, I can guarantee you it is nothing like this one.)   Secondly, there is the iconic zombie conquistador which you have undoubtably seen if you are a zombie enthusiast (plus it appears at the top of my blog page.)  And finally, the most iconic death scene in horror history.

The impaled eye.

This is a scene that I to this day, after seeing the movie dozens of times, cannot figure out how they filmed.  I wont ruin the scene if you haven't watched the movie, but I will assure you that it is disturbing, slow, torturous, and stomach churning.  But alas, this is not the scene that made me ill.  There are others within this film where I almost lost my lunch.
     I choose this movie consistently as my favorite because of 2 elements Lucio Fulci succeeded in incorporating.  First, the score of this movie is very unique and fitting.  Why this type of score was not used on a wider scale I do not know, but it adds to the atmosphere of the film.  Secondly, it is this very atmosphere that makes this my number one choice.  From the opening scene, I was uncomfortable, and as the movie progresses, I feel more and more claustrophobic. The pace of the film is perfect and the feeling of dread is overwhelming.  There are definitely some silly bits to this film, (as there are in any horror film) but the shock moments more than make up for it.  This is a must see for any zombie movie fan.  In fact, this is a must see for any horror fan. There will be images that haunt you from this film.  I guarantee you that.

*I just wanted to mention some runner ups that you should consider seeking out.  28 Days Later, City of the Living Dead, The Romero Quintilogy, and the Savini remake of Night of the Living Dead are must sees.  These movies made this list rather hard for me to compile.  Other notables are Braindead, Fido, and Dellamorte Dellamore.

Well, hopefully you are still with me, and a big thank you to those who are.  I also hope that you enjoyed my list and possibly got a few more movies for your netflix queue.  Feel free to post your own top 5 as I am very interested in what your favorites are!!

My advice until next time = Stay away from infected monkeys.