From out of a past that ne'er was comes a compendium of adventures and nightmares in an Old West where Monsters, Aliens, Dinosaurs, and Giant Steam Powered Machines fit nicely into the very same saddle bag.
Once again, our friend and frequent visitor to the Emporium Shonokin has given me the heads up on a new Zombie Civil War movie called Exit Humanity. I watched the trailer and it looks pretty good, Ill judge it fully when I see it. I certainly LOOKS independent, but the thing that struck me was the caliber of talent this film has attracted. Bill Mosley? Stephen McHattie?? Dee Wallace??? BRIAN COX???? Clearly this film has SOME money behind it....but really, it doesn't matter what a film looks like, its the quality of the story that matters.
I certainly like the Poster!
Exit Humanity is a story told through the written and illustrated journal of Edward Young as he battles his way through an unexplainable outbreak of the walking dead a decade after the American Civil War. After returning home from a hunting trip to find a horrific re-animation of his wife Julia, and that their son Adam has disappeared, Edward starts to record his experiences with the walking dead as well as the unexplainable outbreak that has torn his family apart, and threatens all of mankind. Throughout his harrowing journey Edward finds friendship, guidance and love amongst chaos and despair, when all else seems to be lost in a world robbed of its humanity.
If you want to read more about the film you can go to their OFFICIAL WEBSITE and it has some behind the scenes stuff.
If you have seen the trailer for that new video game coming out called Dead Island, you'll see what it is I like best about zombie movies. It isn't a Western in any way, its a game is about a zombie outbreak on an island resort. The trailer focuses on one family and this outbreak basically takes what was supposed to be a fun holiday getaway into Nightmare ending with the untimely death of everyone in the family. Its a very sad trailer, and it really hit home the power that a zombie movie can have if done correctly. The best Zombie stories are about loss and change and things never being the same. Your wife or daughter could die and worse, come back as a flesh eating creature that tries to kill you.
You can watch the trailer HERE, but be warned, its REALLY sad...
Well there is a new independent production coming out called Revelation Trail that seems to be very much about that same idea. This is their premise from the film's official website:
Revelationtrail.com is the collaborative effort of filmmakers, artists and web talent from around the country, each contributing their own experiences and strengths to tell the story of the undead rising in late 19th century America.
There is death. There is blood. There is action. But most importantly, there is a glimpse at the human condition with each of our characters in Revelation Trail. Sometimes, it takes just the undead to remind us what it means to be alive.
And then I saw this, a scene from the film, and I think I'm starting to get what they are trying to do:
They haven't said when the film will come out but they are supposed to be filming it this summer. If you want to keep an eye out for it they have an Official Website HERE that has videos and other stuff, a Youtube page HERE (where they have a series of shorts called Lillith's Story that serves as a sort of prequel to the main film) , and a Facebook page HERE.
Yes,its another Zombie Western, and I know Ive complained about the sheer amount of them in the past, but as long as the stories are good they should be worth watching...plus how can anyone complain about the release of a new Weird Western? Of course there have been enough bad ones in past to be a little overly cautious, but here is their long Sizzle reel for a better look at the film. Its way more action oriented and probably shows what the film will be like when its not pondering serious Zombie Apocalypse issues. Enjoy!
Zombies and the Old West seem to be the current trend lately. The Western is becoming something of a go-to genre to plop the undead into. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Zombie Western as much as the next guy (Undead Nightmare and others), but as I scour the aethernet for fresh material for the Emporium it seems like the most common "Weirdness" I come across is...Zombies. Joe Casual-Weird-West-Fan might not realize it with all of the flesh eaters popping up lately, but the Weird West is so much more than just Zombies (Thank goodness for Cowboys and Aliens!) Over the next few months Ill be doing posts about the glut of Zombies in the Old West as I come across more and more of those little fellers.
(Actually as a side note, some reviews of Undead Nightmare actually thought the idea of Zombies in the Old West was a really weird idea, and some even mocked it. It got to the point where Rockstar Games had too defend their position with examples of the Weird West in popular media. Kids nowdays.)
With all of that said, however, there are actually some very interesting Zombie Westerns I want to report on soon, such as a new film I JUST heard about last night called Revelation Trail, which Ill talk about in a few weeks.
...but until then...
Mark Rahner, Robert Horton, and Dan Dougherty have come out with a post civil war Weird Western comic called Rotten published through Moonstone comics. The artwork looks really nice, and I'm interested in getting my hands on the first trade paperback to see how the story reads.
The story synopsis sounds pretty interesting: Meet William Wade, Civil War vet, reluctant secret agent answering to President Rutherford B. Hayes, and zombie-hunter! In Reactivated, Agent Wade begins his mission with partner J.J. Flynn in a mining town locked down in a labor dispute and a siege of the undead. Plus, the two agents go undercover in an isolated, snowbound, debauched Army fort under slow attack by the undead - uncovering a Donner-like party and the fact that the wretched things are arising in different species everywhere. Collecting the first six issues of Moonstone's acclaimed zombie-Western epic with an edgy topical bite.
They put together a trailer for the book that looks, brutal and scary and really really good, so I cant wait to check the book out:
Yowza!
Rotten even has its own WEBSITE that has samples of the artwork and other stuff for the curious to check out. You should also keep an eye out at the Amazon Page for when the trade paperback is finally released.
There has been so so SO much Undead Nightmare material from Red Dead Redemption that has come out lately (about an average of 2 to 3 things a day for the past month) that Ive been hesitant to post anything quite yet for fear of this site becoming the Red Dead Emporium! ...but with the impending release of the game just one day away (Oct 26, i.e. tomorrow) the time has come...
Undead Nightmare is basically an alternate story that diverges from the main story of Red Dead Redemption. It takes place during the "Home" period when John Marston, having finished his obligations to the government, returns home to be with his family and start his farm. However things aren't as he remembers them.
This game looks insane! Someone described it as being like a movie set where, during the day everyone is shooting a stright forward Western, but at night a crazy director comes in a shoots a bad ass Zombie Horror Western using the same cast and crew and thats exactly what this seems like; a completely separate story that uses the same characters.
This is going to more than satisfy my Weird West lust the way that Red Dead satisfied my desire for an open world sandbox game (ever since I played Gun...which is very much an open world Western game in the vein of Red Dead but at much smaller scope.)
The game also has an insane Multiplayer feature. Its called Undead Overrun and its basically stay alive for wave after wave of zombies. Everyone IS going to die, just how long can you prevent it from happening!
They revealed some mythical creatures as well. My favorites being the 4 Horses of the Apocalypse!
There are also new weapons, 4 New classes of Zombies, new in-game challenges and achievements....its practically a whole new game (wrapped in a bundle of Weird West awesomeness)!
Plus anyone who doesn't own the original Red Dead Redemption will have a chance to buy Undead Nightmare as a stand alone game in about a month....and Ill keep everyone informed as to the date when its announced.
But until then, there's more information than I could possible post at the Official Undead Nightmare site. There are videos, TONS of pictures, and a full description of the game. More than enough to keep you occupied until the impending Zombie Apocalypse....
This has been quite a week for Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar Games has been releasing images and video for their "game add-on" Undead Nightmare all week, and I gotta say I am VERY excited!
If you read my previous post about this you'll know that I LOVE Red Dead Redemption, due to it's story and detail it is quite possibly one of the best Western games ever created....and while taking a very realistic game and adding in a Zombie element might seem mildly weird to the uninformed, it is amazingly clever as well. Fighting Zombies in the Old West is Classic!
The story is this: Unleashed upon the world of Red Dead Redemption, the Undead Nightmare Pack will feature an entirely new mostly single-player campaign that follows John Marston as he tries to find a cure for the highly infectious zombie plague that has spread across the frontier.
WOW!
Yesterday they released some great High Def screen shots, (including John Marston, the games protagonist, riding a Zombie Horse!) which you can see HERE......but its all been leading up to today, when they released the first teaser trailer for the game.
WOW WOW!!
A lot of fans of Red Dead have been complaining that this is going to ruin the integrity of the original game, but they shouldn't worry, Rockstar has confirmed that the story is going to be a separate from the normal game. Personally, their complaints have fallen on the deaf ears of this Weird Westerner.....although I certainly understand their concerns.
The images and trailer look like they've channeled a little bit of Grindhouse, and a smidgen of some Italian Horror, some great 70s horror in general (the original game channels Spaghetti Westerns nicely, especially in the music) and hopefully this "Episode" will be really scary and a lot of fun!
Rockstar has an official site with everything that has been released so far HERE and its a very safe bet that this wont be the end, so as more info and media is released Ill post it here at the Emporium!
Probably one of the best video games to come out in the past few years is Rockstar San Diego's Red Dead Redemption....When I say best video games, I mean it is an absolutely gorgeously executed work of art..that you can PLAY! The detail is awe inspiring, every tree has individual leaves, as do the plants, the lighting is magnificent and day changes into night in an incredibly realistic fashion. And the weather, sudden rainstorm create puddles on the roads, and flashes of lightning illuminates an entire valley of raindrops, and its all held together by an incredibly compelling protagonist and colorful cast of supporting characters.....if you haven't had a chance to play it yet you should, it stunning!
Now the good folks at Rockstar are about to make things all the more interesting with the Undead Nightmare Downloadable Content Pack. For those who dont know, a Downloadable Content Pack (or DLC for short) is newly created content that Rockstar has created for the game that that you download from the internet onto your Playstation 3 or XBox 360 console and the game seamlessly integrates it into itself. Parts of the game maps can be expanded, and new characters are added, and it will all feel as if that stuff has been apart of the game the whole time.
Today, we are proud to announce plans for an ongoing series of downloadable content for Red Dead Redemption.
Four packs of add-on downloadable content will be released for PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE over the next few months, starting with the ‘Legends and Killers’ Pack at the beginning of August and culminating with the Red Dead Redemption ‘Undead Nightmare’ Pack this fall. These packs follow the recent release of the Free ‘Outlaws to The End’ Co-Op Mission Pack, which is available now on PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE.
Undead Nightmare Pack Ghost towns and cemeteries come alive in a West gone horribly wrong:
* Brand new single player adventure, Challenges and quests * 8 New Multiplayer Zombie characters * Additional animals unleashed in the world * New Dynamic events * More details to follow... * Release date TBC * Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE)
Sounds Spectacular!
Theres no word yet about when it is coming out (besides Fall) but its assumed that the Zombie pack will be out around Halloween. I sure hope so, fighting undead Zombie cowboys sounds like a great way to spend the Holidays!
Now, of course Red Dead Redemption isn't necessarily a Weird West game, although elements of the Weird West have been snuck in (either intentionally or by accident). An old abandoned Mansion in the Ghost Town of Tumbleweed is said to be Haunted, voices can be heard in the Basement and, if the conditions are right, an apparition has been seen sitting in the dark (supposedly)
I will admit that last time I was there, I heard a dog barking....and there was no dog around...hmm
There is also supposedly a Werewolf in the area known as Tall Trees and an Undead Horse Mount you can obtain (by futzing with your game system...not advised)
On most occasions, however, the game tends to glitch, and it has happened often enough (and weirdly enough) that RDR glitches have become an entertaining past time. People have been seen flying in the air like birds, another person has been seen running around and attacking people like he was a cougar, and my 3 personal favorites:
Donkey Woman
The Gunslinger Dog!
So far info has been light on the new Undead Zombie Pack, but as soon as I hear something (and get my hands on some pictures) I'll post them here....but until then, get them firearms broke down and cleaned, there's gonna be some Zombie fightin' to do in the near future!
I should start off by saying that Deadwalkers is a fun film. You can see that a lot of care and love went into it. Lots of people working, for probably not a lot of money, got together and made, what is essentially a feature film in a very small package. Its taut, fast, violent and fun, but it isn't perfect.
The story starts right off, as a Bounty Hunter named Jack Link is bringing two men into town to collect on a bounty. As soon as he arrives, however, something is wrong with both the town and its citizens, as they start attacking, and trying eat, Jack and the men he's bringing in. After a few a gun shots, bullet holes, and splattered Zombie heads, Jack and a surviving bounty find refuge in a boarded up Saloon where they run into the last of the towns uninfected survivors. What happens next is the classic "group of mismatched people forced together to fight a common enemy" Zombie fightin' scenario.
The dialogue is noticeably hard boiled, with Jack spurting tough guy lines through a clinched cigar or clinched teeth for most of the movie. I like the sets also, The film was shot in Calgary, Alberta on a western town used for movie shoots. The inside of the saloon was beautiful, with Tin-Tiled walls and
I did have a few problems with the film however.
I thought the Zombie make up was too cartoonish, The main Zombie bad guy, the Town's Sheriff, has almost clown white make-up on his face, I can see what they were trying to do with it, but I didn't really like the way it looked...In the picture for this article, the makeup actually doesn't look half bad, but in the film.....not so good...Other characters have a more subtle form of Zombie makeup and I would have preferred to see that encompass all of the Zombie characters. They also use digital blood, which isn't really a problem...but there is one decapitation that looks very cheesy and VERY video effect-y.
Also, this film wants to be HUGE, its at least a half hour or 45 minutes worth of story trapped in a 12 minute short film, its almost too short. Parts of it feel rushed and then its over. I'm sure budget was a factor in the length, and they needed to get the film made within an allotted production schedule, but I would have loved to see it breathe a little more.
Don't let my pet peeves sway you off giving Deadwalkers a try, though. I did really enjoy it, and if you are looking for a fun short fast moving Zombie Western, this just might be what you are looking for!
I was under the impression that you could get it through iTunes, however I haven't been able to find it on the site....If I hear anything about availability Ill let you guys know!
UPDATE: From Greg Jeffs, Producer of Deadwalkers: The iTunes release is in October 2010 to kick off Halloween week, it'll coincide with a UK, US and Canadian broadcast.
Happy Flyfish, the makers of the puppet film Zombie Western: It Came From The West call their movie "the first ever hand-puppet animated ZOMBIEWESTERN!" and I gotta say that they are quite probably right. For anyone thats seen Peter Jackson's Meet The Feebles knows, when you do a puppet film you can get away with quite a lot, and it looks like the film makers have done just that!
There are buckets of Zombie Puppet Blood aplenty and my personal favorite scene in the trailer is the zombie puppet getting his head cleaved in half by a chain saw, (Ahhhh Zombie films)
Zombie Western: It Came from The West is a 17 minute film from Denmark that has won a bunch of awards, they have an official Website with tons of pictures, an online store for DVD purchases, a press page, and a page devoted to their copious Film Festival accolades...The story synopsis from the website is this:
Virgil lives alone with his bully father and a mute bartender and he is being mocked by the two tough cowboys Eddie and Hank. Because of The Dark Butcher who has been terrorizing the local Indian tribe, the Indians see no other way, than bringing the dead to live by performing The Forbidden Rituals. When the Zombies suddenly attack the saloon, action begins and true characters are brought to daylight.
The film is inspired by Sergio Leone’s classic Westerns as well as the legendary films by Peter Jackson and George A. Romero and there are several references to the genres to be found in the film. The style is a mixture of hand held puppets and animation. Besides the funny characters and the gory action, it is the richness of highly prepared and surprising details that makes this film a unique experience full of dark humor.
....And, oh yes, there is a Trailer too, which shows off the Puppet Zombie splatter and political incorrectness in full force (my goodness!)
I just received this from the Deadwalkers Facebook group:
CALGARY SHORT FILM PICKED UP FOR INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION. Calgary, Alberta Canada. January 8 2010
Dead West Productions Inc. and Cedar Boy Pictures Inc. announces Alberta made short film DEADWALKERS, directed by Spencer Estabrooks, has been acquired for international distribution by SHORTS INTERNATIONAL which plans on distributing the film internationally in a variety of mediums including iTunes.
DEADWALKERS, which was filmed over two weekends outside of Cochrane in 2008, premiered to a sellout crowd at the TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL in August 2009. Within five months, the short film screened in several international film festivals across the globe including dates in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Finland, Greece, India and South Africa. The American premiere was held at SCREAMFEST in Hollywood California.
The film screened in the Edmonton International Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival as part of the Best of Alberta portion of the festival.
“We received offers after the premiere in Toronto, but wanted to see what interest the international scene would draw” says producer Greg Jeffs. “Spencer got to see his film on the biggest screen in the UK (Empire, Leicester square). It was a defining moment for him and reaffirmed his reasons to pursue film as a career”. The UK screening drew the interest of Shorts International, the only short film distribution company in the world with an exclusive iTunes license. “It’s a testament to the talent of those involved. Their hard work deserves to be on the world’s stage” say Jeffs.
Very interesting! I'll do a review as soon as I see it. And if you get a chance, hopefully you'll see it as well.
I hate to admit it, but I didn't give Deadwalkers much of a chance when I came across the trailer a few months ago on Youtube. It felt somewhat cheap, amateurish, and the deep "I'm so sinister so this must be a scary movie" narration didn't really help things. I just figured it was done by a bunch of cowboy actors looking to make a Zombie pic.
My opinion was based solely on its trailer:
Then I came across an article in Rue Morgue Magazine that said not only is the film winning a bunch of awards on the film festival circuit, but that its actually quite good! So I looked back into it and I came to a new conclusion...these people put there blood, sweat, and tears into this film and I say Good for them! I just wish Id given them the proper chance at the time. But don't make the same mistake I did.....check out the Production Blog, which has videos and links to some articles, and their Youtube channel, which has some behind the scenes videos and a funny Thriller parody! Also their Facebook Page has photos and other stuff. You can also become a fan and get updates on their travels and progress.
This film should be supported not only for what they were able to accomplish on such a low budget, but for everyone else trying to do the same thing and not finding an easy time of it.
The Official word on Dead Walkers is this:
Bounty hunter and gunman Jack Link has a knack for trouble, but when he stumbles into a town cursed with the undead, he might have bit off more than he can chew. Deadwalkers is a 13min short film by Spencer Estabrooks.
For your weekend reading pleasure, The Corpse Carries A Gun! As you may remember from an earlier post of mine, Zuda.com is a great online comic book website. Currently they are presenting the superior werewolf western High Moon among other non-Weird West type stories such as Bayou and Road.
I recently found out that the way Zuda comics gets their content is by submissions. Someone comes up with a story, does an 8 page treatment which is then published, and the Zuda readers vote for which one is the best.....The Corpse Carries A Gun is one of those submissions....but it didn't win, which is too bad because its a fun quirky little Zombie Western. The story is simple, a murdered man rises from the grave to exact revenge on those who wronged him. Typical beginning for some good (and bad) horror films...the difference being, however, was where the story looked to be going....and it seemed like it was going to be a crazy ride.
If you like bears, hangings, walking dead, decapitation, violence, autonomous T-Rex skeletons, and Zombies in Space....then The Corpse Carries a Gun would have been your cup of tea....alas all we will get is Here.
While browsing the internet for upcoming articles, I came across this fantastic Illustration by Ray Lederer. Its a bunch of Zombies attacking a Stage Coach! Cool! (You can click on the picture and see it in all of its magnificent detail) But there is so much more to it than that.
It turns out this is the cover of a Zombie Western novella called Dead or Alive by William Harms. Searching it out, I quite unexpectedly found it in PDF Format at the Midnight Mortuary site. Midnight Mortuary is a pretty great site all by itself, seemly "dead"icated to Horror Pinup art, but in the "Cemetery" section you can actually download a PDF copy of Dead or Alive totally free for your weekend reading pleasure and you can keep it forever!
Zombie Westerns seems to be pretty popular now days, a couple of my personal favorites being Dead in the West and Jonah Hex: Two Gun Mojo both written by superstar Weird West author Joe R. Lansdale (who I still haven't gotten around to writing about).
Also, for those who are interested, Ray Lederer posted a time lapsed video of his work on the cover art. Its pretty amazing what it takes to put it all together...working and reworking the drawing to get it just right. Enjoy!
I found this on Youtube, its called The Wasted West and the filmmakers describe it as no budget zombie western, but the story is tight (if not sparse) and they use their resources very well. That is one of the things Ive always loved about Westerns, grab some period clothes, strap on a six gun, some odds and ends, and you can tell a fairly good western story on a very limited budget. This one does it very well.
Gallowwalker just got a whole lot more exciting! Not only with the news that they had re-shoots last month (which means the film is still a "go" and caused the production company to scramble around and re-collect all the props, costumes, and sets that had been auctioned off after the end of principle photography).....but also with this comes even MORE exciting news:
They are thinking that Gallowwalker is going to be a Trilogy!
I know this sounds like a strange thing for me to be excited about, especially for film Ive never seen, and may truly hate after I see it (though It looks like a LOT of fun, so probably not)....A trilogy keeps Weird Westerns alive, that's one thing...also, a trilogy of films that are in a genre I love is always a plus....Plus PLUS this film looks like it is very adaptable to a long or episodic story format, being the adventures of a wandering Gunslinger...never in one place too long, but always being followed by his curse...that whoever he kills comes back to life.
They could even do a Sequel/Prequel trilogy like they did for From Dusk Til Dawn and Underworld, which seems likely (one film about the further adventures of Aman and the other about how this whole thing got started).
But the bottom line is, a trilogy keeps the Westerns/Weird Westerns coming, they keep the Genre alive, and that is always a big plus....especially if its a fun film series.
You can read all about the re-shoots and prop scramble here, and a little blurb about the Trilogy at the end.
GallowWalker, Wesley Snipes' new Weird Western has been in production for a while now, and is supposed to be coming out later this year....When? No one knows for sure....but it looks both awesome and silly, but mostly awesome, and will hopeful be a lot of fun! Here is a taste!
Graveslinger is fun, Not perfect, but a good read none the less, and definitely worth a look.
The story is this, Frank Timmons was the undertaker at Gila Flats prison. After a convict was hung, he would bury the body in the prison cemetery....and also help himself to the body's belongings watches, money, or whatever. One day, Frank cuts a medallion from the chest of El Brujo, The Witch Man, and it promptly sinks itself into his hand. A little while later, while doing the grave-side service for El Brujo, Frank is struck by lightning. Long story short, El Brujo and the bodies in the surrounding graves rise, they steal Franks wife, and the only way for Frank to get her back is to round up the corpses and send them back from wense they came, which is a little place you may have heard of called....HELL. You see, by stealing the medallion, Frank set off a chain reaction that only he can stop.
The action is fast and furious, and violent as all get out (heads will explode!)
One of the things that stood out to me was the language, as in the writing style. I find sometimes, in Westerns, that they will use phrases that I've never heard before....such as in Tombstone, they used the phrase "Go Heeled"...which I found out meant carry a gun or in True Grit "Pull a Cork" which means likes to drink (although that one is pretty obvious). I find it adds an bit of authenticity to the story they are trying to tell. The writing in Graveslinger uses phrases and a style of speaking that feels authentic and its one of the pleasures of reading this book. That and the fun premise.
The character of Frank is interesting, in a movie version he could be played by a sort of a crotchety Sam Elliot. Frank is kind of a drunk, kind of a ragamuffin, but has some true skill....we don't really know where he comes from yet or what his past life was like before Gila Flats Prison....but he fights a mean zombie, and well. The open ending to the story almost promises more stories with Frank and his world and when that happens, I will definitely join him again on his quest.
Really the only thing I didn't like was some of the art. While John Cboins' art style is generally good, I found myself mildly distracted by the feminine eyelashes he tends to give all the characters. He does, however, do a wickedly creepy "Character-stares-out-from-the-page-at-the-reader-and-creeps-him-out" type of drawing, and those are always a pleasure. Mid-story the artwork changes, and Nima Sorat's very cartoon-y style is vastly different. I'm not sure if it was welcome or a distraction. For me I enjoyed the style, but would have like some consistancy...maybe from an artist who drew in a similar way to Cboins?
As an added bonus the final 8th of the book is a collection of mostly gorgeous cover and pin up artwork from the series. And you should pick this one up if you get that chance.
