THE HOLLYWOOD ZOMBIE

Since the living dead first stepped onto the silver screen, their greatest

enemy has not been hunters, but critics. Scholars, scientists, even concerned

citizens have all argued that these movies depict the living dead

in a fantastic, unrealistic fashion. Visually stunning weapons, physically

impossible action sequences, larger-than-life human characters,

and, above all, magical, invincible, even comical ghouls have all added

their colors to the controversial rainbow that is "the Zombie Movie."

Further criticism argues that this "style over substance" approach to

somnambulist cinema teaches human viewers lessons that may get

them killed in a real encounter. These serious charges demand an

equally serious defense. While some zombie movies are based on

actual events*, their goal, indeed the goal of almost every movie in

every genre, has always been, first and foremost, to entertain. Unless

we are discussing pure documentaries (and even some of those are

"sweetened"), moviemakers must take some artistic license to make

their work more palatable to the audience. Even movies that are based

on actual events will sacrifice pure reality for good storytelling.

Certain characters will be an amalgam of real-life individuals. Others

may be purely fictional in order to explain certain facts, facilitate the

plotline, or simply add flavor to the scene. One might argue that the

role of the artist is to challenge, educate, and enlighten her audience.

That may be true, but try imparting knowledge to an audience who has

either left or fallen asleep within the first ten minutes of the picture.

Accept this basic rule of moviemaking and you will understand why

Hollywood zombie films stray, in some cases wildly, from the reality

on which they are based. In short, use these photo-plays as their makers

intended: as a source of temporary, lighthearted entertainment and

not a visual aid to your survival.