In honor of the upcoming World War Z, I thought it was a good time to reflect back on all the zombie apocalyptic films I’ve seen over the course of my lifetime and how those films would relate to a real-world situation. Granted, I consider myself a bit of a zombie fanatic, and have no problem with being the self-appointed expert on the subject at FilmCrave.com. I’m not going to start hoarding supplies and building a massive bunker in the middle of North Dakota or anything, but you can still learn some good lessons if you pay attention.
Rule #1: There is Strength (and Danger) in Numbers.
There are really two options you have if hordes of zombies strike – go at it alone and hope for the best or gather a group and do the same. Now, if I’m speaking personally, I would rather be in a group. I know plenty about zombies, but not enough about things like firearms and survival. Having a well-rounded group is much better than trying to go alone. Plus, as other survivors are just as dangerous (if not moreso) than the living dead – a bigger group means a better chance at living.
However, as we learned from the granddaddy of zombie films, Night of the Living Dead and still get reminded in modern takes on the genre like The Walking Dead, people change when faced with such a daunting scenario. People go power-hungry, they go crazy or they simply can’t get over their own prejudices – whatever the case, in any group you must be diligent and not let things get out of hand. Even if you think you know and trust everyone around you – someone will crack.
Rule# 2: Choose Your Fortifications Wisely.
From ramshackle farmhouses to malls to entire islands – there are plenty of places you can hide out. But what is the best choice? For one thing – get the hell out of the city. Urban centers are ground zero for becoming zombie chow. That being said – you need food, water, shelter, heat to survive. One can say that keeping on the road and traveling is the way to go, but the bigger the group, the harder it is to move around. If you hunker down, even the safest place can fall to either overwhelming numbers or simple human error. The biggest mistake in settling down anywhere is becoming complacent.
Rule# 3: Become Hard but Don’t Abandon Your Humanity.
If there is one thing that will get you killed, it’s not understanding how zombies work. I just watched Warm Bodies, and, actually kind of enjoyed it, but it teaches a dangerous lesson: you can’t fix zombie. Once you’re undead, you stay undead – zombies don’t feel love or remorse or guilt or fear or anything. They eat and they move. My all-time favorite film in the zombie genre is the original Dawn of the Dead where my argument can be summed up thusly: “These creatures are nothing but pure, motorized instinct. We must not be lulled by the concept that these are our family members or our friends. They are not. They will not respond to such emotions.”
But speaking it an putting a bullet in your brothers/mothers/sons/friends head is another thing entirely. Because if we make it to that point we risk going too far in the direction of losing what humanity we have left. But if we become unfeeling monsters ourselves – how does that make us any better than the shambling masses? You have to learn to let go, yes, – but more important you have to remember to hold on too.
Rule #4 Don’t Give Up Hope.
I don’t know how the upcoming movie is going to fare, but at least in the novel World War Z – the book is told from the point-of-view of the survivors of a zombie holocaust. That’s right – you can survive – but if you give up prematurely, you won’t live to see that day. No matter how grim things get, your will to live will be the most important aspect in whether you become a person who will tell their story or just another shambling statistic.
I’ve just touched upon some of the issues and lessons learned, culled from many different sources over the years. Some people may think I’m a little over-the-top when it comes to zombie analysis – but I like to think of it as a “better safe-than-sorry” type of situation. The chances of zombies having is probably in the realm of Never to Impossible – but, hey, that doesn’t mean I can’t have a plan, right?
Chris Kavan is a chief critic and blogger for FilmCrave.com… when he doesn’t have zombies on his mind.
