I am noticing that Zombies appear to be attracting more attention this year than in past years. There's a thread about a new Zombie Mask, and Woody Harrelson has a new movie coming out a week before Halloween called "ZombieLand". We are using very elaborate make-up for Zombie Hosts in our haunt this year, and that is a first for us.
How many of you will be featuring Zombies this year?
Although my haunt won't have any zombies in it, I will be going as a zombie this year... and you're right, I never noticed until you said that but it does seem like there are alot more zombies this year than most. ...also, if you don't mind my asking, what are you going to be doing for your "zombie hosts?"
We normally have at least 2-3 zombie actors in our haunt. One is placed strategically in some bushes right as the TOT's approach the candy hand out area so we get some great scares there. Gotta have a couple of the undead shambling around the place for atmosphere.
The zombie is here to stay. It will always be one of the biggies, for a few reasons.
For one thing, it doesn't require much in the way of elaborate costuming, so it's within reach of a lot of budgets. It doesn't take a lot of makeup know-how to pull one off, and the clothing is likely your own old garments.
Two, they're gross - be they fresh and besmeared with gore, corrupted with radiation burns or infectious disease, or crumbling with age from eons in a crypt, the gross-out factor makes them popular.
Three, they're fun. They have the hand-eye coordination of a mop bucket and the reasoning skills of a hammer. They eat people, they're nearly indestructable and they represent the complete collapse of the norm, which has always been one of the attractive elements of Halloween. They're societal chaos mixed with equal doses of horror and comedy.
They may be more abundant this year, but zombie walks are springing up in every major city, more movies and novels are featuring them and even zombie art and jewelry are becoming common.
My point is, if you believe that zombies are more popular this year, I'd say the evidence agrees with you... just as it did last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.
We're doing the Host and Hostess make-up using prosthetic appliances for the rotting flesh and a highlight of the facial make-up will be LIVE MAGGOTS. Mealworms are around 1" long and are fairly lively. I can't wait to see the effect. As far as clothing goes, nothing outlandish, just jeans and "Grateful Dead" Tee Shirts.
I see that George Romero is also putting together yet another "_______ Of The Dead" movie. But it won't be released in time for Hallowe'en.
I wonder if Michael Jackson mania will spill over into Thriller-themed parties for Halloween - which would mean zombies galore...
Oh, and homestead Haunt - you beat me to the punch - except I was going to say: "Nope! They'll be the same size as they always are!" Ba-dom - TISH!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Don't forget to tip the veal and eat your waiter!
Zombies (undead) has always been a thing for me and my family growing up. I remember when it wasn't very popular but the last decade has changed this- zombies are a big deal now. I think vampires are a big deal now too, with True Blood series and whatnot.
you do know Zombies are real right? we just call them by a different name...they are not called crack heads lol but i really do hope zombie props makes a comeback there is so much you can do with them
Call me trendy, but I'm planning to add a couple of bureaucratic-zombie items in my yard this year (inspired by those kids in Texas who hacked into the light-up highway sign):
A "Danger of Zombie Attack" warning notice (as if posted by the local township government),
and a "Zombie Danger Today" sign modeled after those forest fire danger signs you see in National Parks (I even bought a children's Smokey the Bear/Ranger hat on vacation so I could stand a zombie ranger next to the sign--or maybe with his own "Only You Can Prevent Zombie Attacks" sign, or something like that).
I'll post pics if the project ends up looking OK.