ONE MAN’S ZOMBIE DREAM IS ANOTHER’S ZOMBIE DELUSION

　

The Zombie Apocalypse is raging stronger than ever with no end in sight. Everywhere you look radioactive green stains mark the landscape. Could this be some kind of weird backlash from the public’s unhealthy obsession with vampires? Or is it something much deeper reflective of the times we live in. In a wild stretch of the imagination one could construct a political debate within a zombie takeover of a Pennsylvania town. Really? Cultural zombies? What the hell why not? Every time I hear about anther idiot faction trying to ban anther one of our liberties I feel like something is eating my brain.
Zombie Dream is a Blair Murphy film which poses the notion that the zombie Apocalypse is a collapse of our culture. Either that or this film is the result of a bunch of Blair’s artsy pals getting their hands on a movie camera and went crazy making a zombie gore fest. Whichever, it was a riot to watch. Blair Murphy is without a doubt the modern day Ed Wood and he’s better looking than Johnny Depp.

Full disclosure: I have a bit of a man crush on Blair. No I can openly admit it without shame. I mean the guy owns his own haunted hotel! How freaking kool is that? Sorry Blair but the world had to know.
I first met Blair in the early nineties when he came to Las Vegas promoting his vampire film Jugular Wine. He joined our Blood Moon Social Club and soon became a regular. We’ve been friends ever since. Well up until the writing of this blog.
Zombie Dream features celebrated actor Eric Roberts {The Expendables} and Butch Patrick {Eddy Munster}.
 However it’s the appearance of the camio king Stan Lee {Virtually every Marvel movie} that blows me away. Stan Lee also did a bit back in Jugular Wine. I don’t know what Blair’s got on Stan the Man but whatever it is, Excelsior.
Blair’s freaky old haunted Grand Midway Hotel has been the subject of several spirit investigations. The place rocks nightly with apparitions. It featured prominently in Zombie Dream. The hotel’s as much a character in the film as any of the walking dead that roamed it’s darkened halls searching for living flesh.
Another testament to Blair’s particular brand of sorcery is how he cast a spell on the town of Windber Pennsylvania, He somehow got the folks to let him invade their peaceful community with blood crazed cannibals.
All of that said it’s obvious I’m biased and in the interest of giving you a fair assessment of the film I should present you with another opinion. Now those of you that follow my blog know I live in Mystic Canyon a remote artisan retreat in nowhere New Mexico. So where in blazes are you going to find a critic out there? Well as it happens I ran into a guy handing out anti Zombie literature at a gun show and we had a stimulating conversation.

Zeke Cutter is a prepper who holds up in a solid steel zombie proof bunker in a secret location in New Mexico. He granted this interview only on condition I do not disclose the location of his underground fortress. Since Zeke has some controversial opinions as to the decline of American culture I felt his comments were apropos.

ZC: Apropos! What are you kidden me with that crap? Speak American.
KCV: Sorry Zeke. So that gets right to the point of this interview. What’s happening with the country and how do zombies figure into it?
ZC: What are you blind? Zombies are the root cause of everything that’s wrong with America. It’s all the zombie lovers that are secretly behind every movement to disrupt our lives.
KCV: Okay you’re going to have to justify that. Give me an example.
ZC: Gun control! Everybody knows blowing holes in their heads is the sure fire way of dispatch. But now you have a growing trend toward none violent control tactics. "Don’t shoot them keep them in the barn and feed them, care for them." You never saw that kind of nonsense in the dawn of Romero’s day.
KCV: So you think there’s been a gradual shift in favor of some kind of coexistence with the Zombie hoard?
ZC: Oh hell yeah back in the night of the living dead they were horrible stinking rotting corpses. Lumbering along eating brains and gorging on flesh. Now more and more they’re not so disgusting some are even smart and can talk. I’m telling you shoot first then ask’um questions.
KCV: But not all zombies are so grosse some can be rather appealing if you’re into necrophilia.
ZC: Ah sick! That’s what I’m getten at I’d rather eat week old sushi than lock lips with a ... eech I can’t even say it. Sexualization of rots is just another Hollywood progressive plot to break down the moral fiber of America. 
KCV: So how did Blair Murphy’s zombies stack up?

ZC: Overall pretty good he slapped them right back where they belong. Shambling decayed festering rots. I was kinda turned on when the "Live" ladies went to the gun store and loaded up with semiautomatics. Now that was sexy. I give Zombie Dream four out of five bullets to the brain bucket.
KCV: Well thanks for your views and we’ll do this again some time.

Paranoid delusions aside I would have to agree with Zeke. Zombie Dream harkens back to a time when cult films weren’t about CGI and massive budgets but more about slightly bent social commentary. Or just getting a gang of friends together and make a disgusting mess with cherry syrup.

Until next time thank you for reading.

Your humble purveyor Karl Clay Vetter