ZOMBIES: Interview - Story editor Doree Anne visits ZombieBloodFights

by Bowie Ibarra

ZombieBloodFights.com is proud to welcome avid book reader and editor Doree Anne to the ZombieBloodFight pit.

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."  == Nietzsche

ZombieBloodFights - It’s great to visit with you, Doree. Now, you’re in the editing and proofing business. What are some common mistakes writers tend to do consistently that get your goat?

Doree Anne - Thank you for this Bowie, it’s an honor. What gets my goat? It’s been a long time since I heard that one. I have to say weapon and character consistency is at the top. Sometimes, I read a manuscript and the weapons are not fitted for a scope or a revolver has a clip. Or a character that didn’t have a cell phone gets one out of nowhere. Or sometimes, it’s just simple comma placement. It’s very easy to create a run on sentence.

ZBF - You clearly have read a few books from your work. What are some upcoming books zombie readers should be looking for?
DA - Well, there are quite a few. I’ll recommend my favorites. Craig DiLouie’s Infection has a sequel to come out in early 2012 called, The Killing Floor. Mark Clodi is currently working on The Zombie Chronicles 4. It’s a much different take on the traditional zombie but it really scared the crap out of me. Mark Tufo is currently working on the Zombie Fallout 5. Mark has a way with wit and sarcasm that is very entertaining. The suspense will keep you restless. I am currently working on the edits for Zombie Dead by Ian Woodhead, which is about to release soon. Of course, I am looking forward to the release of Big Cat.

ZBF - Tell me a little bit about Brains Magazine and its contribution to zombie culture.

DA - The magazine is set to launch in January 2012. The first issue is being put together as we speak. It looks seriously impressive. Chris Beier is the owner of ZEP (Zombies Eat People) and has quite the creative eye and many contributors with a vast knowledge in all things zombies. I also plan to get written interviews from talented writers in the zombie genre. BRAINS Magazine will be the absolute in all things zombie, from primitive Survival to modern comedy. It will have crossword puzzles and a full comic strip. An appreciation for the female anatomy with zombie centerfolds for the guys, short story contests, to a study of the mind by a psychologist AND SO MUCH MORE!

ZBF - Is Brains Magazine an extension of Zombies Eat People, or are they separate entities?
DA - Brains Magazine is a magazine sponsored by ZEP. The magazine and the website are two separate entities. The website for ZEP is more or less the publisher for the magazine. (zombieseatpeople.net & http://www.facebook.com/zombieseatpeople)

ZBF - Tell me a little bit about your work with Zombies Eat People?

DA - My work with ZEP consists of editing and proofing inside articles and outside written contributions to Brains Magazine. Chris has many creative directions he would like to take both the website and magazine. The website will include a blog, where I would like to post book reviews and top picks on all books relating to a Zombie Apocalypse. I am also an Administrator for their Facebook page where I can also post on ZPOC related subjects.

ZBF - In your opinion, what should authors be aware of when putting together a good zpoc story?

DA - In my opinion, Bowie, I believe a good ZPOC story should be intense and suspenseful. It should have that component that helps you relate to the characters and become attached to them, to root for them. I also think that writers shouldn’t be afraid to kill a character off even if they are one of the main characters or just some passerby. It’s a colossal plus if the writer can be as gory and bloody as descriptively possible. I also love when an author can take a ZPOC and give it a horrifying twist. Like for example, zombies that adapt, can open doors, or evolve by using cognitive and motor skills again. I guess, what I mean a good ZPOC story is to me, where the writer holds nothing back, breaks the mold and lets their talent shine.

ZBF - What are readers of zombie horror looking for?

DA - Some of the readers I talk to are looking for more blood, guts and gore. I’ve had a few say that most ZPOC book characters have no clue that a zombie apocalypse is happening or are just plain nosey and clueless and this annoys them. With the genre quickly on the rise almost everyone knows what a zombie is. I myself would have to agree, I would like to see a zombie slayer rise up and kick butt off the rip. For most of the readers it comes back to blood, guts and gore. 

ZBF - What is a quote you like?

DA - Ahh, you’d have to be specific. Are we talking books or movies? I’ll give you both. My favorite movie quote is from the original 1978 Dawn of the Dead by George Romero. Francine, Stephen and Peter are talking about why “they come here”, to the mall. Peter says, “They're us, that's all, when there's no more room in hell.”  Stephen says, “What?” Peter tells him, “Something my granddad used to tell us. You know Macumba? Voodoo. My granddad was a priest in Trinidad. He used to tell us, ‘When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." That gave me the chills and nightmares that stuck with me to this very day. “They're us, that's all, when there's no more room in hell.”  

My favorite book quote is from Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil.

 “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”

ZBF - So what’s your pick? Zombies, Blood, or Fights?

DA - I’d have to say ZOMBIES! Without them there would be no blood or fights! 


Thanks again, Doree.

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Good news everybody!  We found Sophie!

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the "Down the Road" zombie horror series.  His upcoming book, "Big Cat", is about a killer animal roaming the south Texas countryside, and the two friends who are thrust into a hunt for the monster.

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THE MACHINE RECOMMENDS...

ZOMBIES: Recap - The Walking Dead "Pretty Much Dead Already" Ep. 7, Season 2

Hey, you guys.  Everybody can relax.  We found Sophie.

That's right.  Everybody had been complaining about Sophie being missing and dragging out over the course of several episodes.  "Find Sophie, already" they said.  Well, they found her, alright.  Here's how it all played out in Episode 6 of 'The Walking Dead' - Pretty Much Dead Already.

The show opens with Glenn outing the 'walkers' in the barn.  There is a general freak out, especially with Shane, who is ready to blast all the dead in there.  Rick says hold off, he'll talk to Herschel about it.  But old man Herschel holds his ground because the 'walkers' are not 'dead', they're sick.  And its his land, so its his rules.  No negotiating.

Daryl and Carol are playing the love/hate game when she shows concern about Daryl running off into danger to find Sophie.  She sticks beside him, even when he insults her.

Well, the show continues with the growth of the relationships.  Maggie and Glenn are also playing love/hate.  Playing the same game is Dale and Andrea, revolving around Dale's concern for Andrea being so trigger happy all of a sudden and 'becoming' like Shane.

In what might become a symbolic gesture, Dale throws Glenn his hat.  Was that a metaphorical passing of the moral guard?  Maggie even offers to wash it later in the show.

And speaking of Shane, Shane and Lori play love/hate.  After Rick tells Shane Lori's preggos, Shane consults with Lori about how he will share the baby with Rick and her.  Lori emphatically states that's not happening.  Shane pleads his case that he's 'mas machista' than Rick, having 'saved' Lori's life over and over.  Shane claims Rick 'is not made for this world', but Lori holds her ground.  He then walks past young Carl, who is wearing his daddy Rick's hat.  Shane gets a chance to play daddy when the boy cusses.

That's when Shane discovers Dale has run off with the guns.  That doesn't sit well with Shane.  Dale tries to hide them but is quickly found.  Shane challenges Dale to shot him after Dale calls him Otis' killer.  Dale lifts the gun, but Shane pulls Dale's 'punk card' because Dale can't close the deal.  Dale tells Shane he's 'made for this world', and though he might not survive the Zpoc by hook or crook like Shane, at least he didn't sell out his soul.

Herschel tries to tell Maggie that the people need to leave.  Maggie regrets being such a turd as a child, but throws Herschel's Bible back in his face in regards to the survivors.  She tells her dad what he told her during her wild young days, saying, "Love one another as I have loved you".  It's also a phrase her dead mother, who, by the way, is in the barn, used to say to her.

That's when Herschel is called out to the swamp because "it happened again".  Herschel enlists Rick for this mystery mission that is discovered to be two of Herschel's neighbors, dead, and stuck in the bog swamp.  The three help the dead out with assistance from two long implements.

Shane returns to camp ready to make a move on the barn.  He arms the camp with the guns, including handing one to the precocious young Carl.

But Shane completely goes apeshit when the fun bunch Herschel and Rick come back with the dead neighbors to deposit in the barn.  At that point he proves the beasts are dead by shooting the female dead lady Herschel held with his tool.  He then goes off into an angry rant about survival, rule changes, and the need to exterminate the 'walkers' in the barn before forcing everybody's hand and opening the barn.

And, as you might imagine, here comes the dead.  Shane gets the party started, followed by his acolyte, the  women's libber, Andrea.  You know Daryl's ready to go.  Then T-Dogg jumps in the mix.  Maggie gives Glenn the nod, and he jumps in the fray.  Lori holds Carl back.  Rick stands by in disgust, along with poor Herschel, who is now watching his dead family and friends blasted.

When the final 'walker' hits the ground, Dale shows up.  It was the massacre he was trying to prevent.

Well, everybody had a good time, blasting zombies, having fun.  It was a great time in the Zpoc neighborhood until the last one finally comes out.  And it was the last zombie they ever expected.

Sophie.

Now, everybody was all happy for blasting Herschel's family, a family they didn't know or care about.  It was a good time and means of 'survival' in the black new world.

But now that the zombie was one of their own, was the girl they had been looking for over several days, Sophie, now nobody wanted to play anymore.  Now it was real.  Now it wasn't just dead no one cared about, making it easy to blast them.  It was one of their own.

Shane didn't want to play.  Neither did Andrea, or the others who were okay crushing Herschel's family.

Now they knew how Herschel felt.

In the end, it turned out the only one ready to make the move was the one that, supposedly, wasn't ready to deal with this world.  

Rick.

It was a harsh finish to the 'mid-season' finale, but yet again a good one.

And that's the real question.  Herschel was being 'civil' in a 'now-uncivilized' world.  It's been said before, when it comes to survival, civilization is thrown out the window.  Katrina, anyone?  Segments of Africa, where the young are armed or killed by warring warlords.  The streets of America.  Hell, the world.

The zpoc has always been a metaphor for the real world since our Lord and zombie saviour, George A. Romero, put his story to film in "Night of the Living Dead".  Most of us who are fortunate enough to have these great technological resources to blog and Tweet and Facebook also have opportunities for work, shelter, and food.  Many around the world don't, and its a fight for survival.

A zombie survivalist I know mentioned the fact that the survivors were actually being very civil themselves.  Let's face it.  They have the guns.  They could have made the rules on the Herschel ranch upon their arrival, but they didn't.  The shackles of civilization still held fast to their hearts.

Would a death squad from the Darfur region done the same?  Or thugs from the streets of Anytown, USA?

Shane thought he could make that philisophical jump, but ultimately couldn't (literally) pull the trigger when the cold dead truth looked him in his black heart.  He was still more human than animal to do it.

It's ironic and sad that Rick, the torch-bearer for Hope and the return of civilization, had to step up.  He put no bullets into the strangers, the people who meant nothing to him.  Rick put a bullet into the one person that had kept the team together for the past few days, the person that meant the most to everyone.

In fact, Rick only pulled his weapon to do the most humane thing for Sophie, the most civilized thing he could do for one of their own.

Looks like Rick has the stones for 'this world' after all.

==================

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"Down the Road".  Read an excerpt here:

http://zombiebloodfights.blogspot.com/2011/08/george-zaragozas-trip-across-texas.html

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the "Down the Road" zombie horror series.

His upcoming release, "Big Cat" is about two dorky friends who are thrust into a dangerous hunt for a man-eating animal on the south Texas countryside.

Check out Bowie's books at:

http://www.zombiebloodfights.com

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BLOG EXTRA!!  A ZOMBIEBLOODFIGHTS.COM
'WALKING DEAD" JOKE!

(in best UK accent)
ZBF:  Well, I have good news and I have bad news.  Which would you like first?

NotZBF:  The Good News

ZBF:  Well, the good news is we've found young Sophie, and she's dead.

NotZBF:  What's the bad news?

ZBF:  The bad news is that one of us is still going to have to shoot her in the face.

(UK audience laughter)

FIGHTS: Sin Cara sidelined!

It's a sad time for lucha libre.

Mexican lucha libre phenom Sin Cara has been sidelined with a serious knee injury.  Doctors believe the knee injury will put Sin Cara on el banco for up to nine months.

Sin Cara has had knee problems for a while.  The 'wellness policy' violation he was subject to a few months ago was allegedly because Sin Cara was treating an injured knee with steroids.  This could possibly be the same knee that has been giving him problems for some time and was injured Sunday.

As an avid supporter of Mexican lucha libre culture, I was sad to hear this news.  He has had a hard time getting his feet under him in WWE, and though he had turned a corner with the historic mask vs. mask match against rival Hunico (then Sin Cara Negro), this is yet another disappointing drawback.

ZombieBloodFights.com sincerely wishes Sin Cara well, and that he has a speedy recovery.

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the zombie horror series "Down the Road" from Simon and Schuester and Permuted Press.  His upcoming book, "Pit Fighters: Baptism by Fire" and "Pit Fighters: Double Cross" are combat-sport themed books featuring a Mexican luchador that crosses over into MMA.

You can learn more by networking with Bowie at http://www.zombiebloodfights.com

BLOOD - Jude Felton rises from the "Lair of Filth" to talk to ZombieBloodFights.com!

by Bowie Ibarra

"If this style of movie doesn’t usually float your boat there is probably not too much that will change your opinion. However, fans of batshit crazy Japanese mayhem will lap this up. It is the perfect party movie to watch with your own legion of the undead."

== Jude Felton, from his review of the Blu-Ray release of "Helldriver"

ZombieBloodFights blog is proud to present one of the best reviewers of horror on the web today.  His reviews have been featured at WildsideCinema.com and TheLiberalDead.com, as well as his personal review page, lairoffilth.blogspot.com.  Please enjoy the following interview with Mr. Jude Felton.

ZBF:  Jude, I hope you are well. And I got to start with this question. There’s been a real transition from the 80s horror I remember into the 90s and today. The most recent outings seem to have an emphasis on torture and nihilism. Granted, I haven’t seen most of them, but what are your thoughts on this recent trend in horror as compared to its predecessors?

JF:  Hey Bowie, I’m doing great thanks!  Am digging this question as it’s something that has been on my mind recently. I think for the main part horror flicks seemed to be more fun back in the 80s/90s. Sure they were violent, they’re horror films after all, but I think there was more of a detachment; you knew you were going to see a film. Now I think there is a definite shift towards ultra-realism and an underlying cruelty to many horror films. Don’t get me wrong, there are many that I thoroughly enjoy, but I do find myself looking for that fun-factor sometimes. There’s also a case of overkill, as in any era, with the success of the Saw and Hostel franchises there have been many flicks made that don’t so much as worry about a story, rather just trying to shock viewers.

ZBF:  Are we also moving towards extreme horror with releases like “A Serbian Film” and “The Human Centipede” franchise?

JF:  Truthfully I believe that the extreme influx has kind of had its day, to a point. There’s always going to be someone somewhere with a great idea to stir up the pot. However, I think we are going to see more scare-based flicks coming along in the wake of Insidious and the Paranormal Activity movies. Hopefully scares and FUN will return. If a movie is extreme, fantastic, let’s just make it worth seeing by adding something new if possible.

ZBF:  What are your thoughts on the zombie craze our current pop culture is consumed with?

JF:  I’m all for it if it means fresh, hmm probably not the best choice of word, good quality movies and books come out of it all. I think the trend has been steadily moving along since the Dawn of the Dead remake came out a few years back. Back then there was a saturation of below par products being released, with companies just eyeing a quick dollar, with little concern of quality. The cream rises to the top so-to-speak, even though there is still a good amount of crap coming out.

I would also say that literature has benefited more so than the world of film. Writers such as yourself and Wayne Simmons have definitely shone, and even more established writers such as David Moody have been given increased, and deserved, exposure.

ZBF:  Have you kept up with “The Walking Dead”? If so, what are your thoughts on the Zpoc finally making it to television?

JF:  I have and about bloody time. I think AMC have done a solid job with the show, although it is starting to show that they haven’t given it the budget it deserves. I’d also mention that the British mini-series Dead Set was damned good too. Well worth checking out.

ZBF:  As a horror aficionado, you must have seen a zombie movie or two. What are a few of your favorites?

JF:  Obviously older movies such as Romero’s trilogy, we won’t include any of his zombie flicks made after Day. The Living Dead at the Manchester morgue is another good one. Fulci’s movies such as The Beyond and House by the Cemetery are also wonderful. More recently I have really enjoyed [REC], [REC]2, Grace, DeadGirl and Rammbock: Berlin Undead. 28 Days/Weeks Later aren’t what I would consider zombie movies, but they are both excellent in their depiction of a zombie-like outbreak. Zombie Strippers and The German flick Night of the Living Dorks were fun too. Oh, and the Aussie short Axed was a blast!

ZBF:  Care to share any links to any zombie movie reviews you’ve written?

JF:  Sure, here’s a couple…

Axed - http://lairoffilth.blogspot.com/2011/07/filthy-review-axed.html

Day of the Dead - http://liberaldead.com/blog/day-dead-review/

Evil: To Kako - http://lairoffilth.blogspot.com/2008/06/evil-to-kako-2005.html

Rammbock - http://lairoffilth.blogspot.com/2011/07/filthy-review-rammbock-berlin-undead.html

ZBF:  What makes a good zombie story, either book or film, in your eyes?

JF:  First and foremost good characters and a solid plot. If I don’t care about the charecters I’m probably not going to care where you take the story. Guts and gore will only get you so far. It doesn’t have to be the most original plot, but as long as it is thought out well and executed with conviction it can go a long way.

ZBF:  So Zombies, Fights, or Blood?

JF:  Blood. There has to be blood my friend!

ZBF:  Where can my ZombieBloodFighters keep up with you and read some of your reviews and commentary?

JF:  Most of my work these days is done on my blog, The Lair of Filth (http://lairoffilth.blogspot.com) due to my time being limited, but I do still try and write the occasional piece for www.WildsideCinema.com and www.TheLiberalDead.com. 

ZBF:  Thanks, Jude, for taking the time to visit with us.

=======================

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the 'Down the Road' zombie horror series from Simon and Schuester and Permuted Press.  His upcoming winter 2011 title from Twisted Library Press, entitled 'Big Cat', is about the power of friendship in a south Texas town ravaged by a bloodthirsty beast roaming the countryside.

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ZOMBIES: Recap - The Walking Dead "Secrets" Ep. 6, Season 2

Another great Sunday of the human condition in the zombie apocalypse has come and gone, and the plot thickens.  Here's ZombieBloodFights.com take on Episode 6, "Secrets"

The title of the show says it all, as all of the proverbial secrets are exposed to the light.  Glenn tells Dale about the dead in the barn and Lori being preggo.  Glenn tells Maggie in no uncertain terms Lori is pregnant.  Maggie almost dies (ironically enough) getting Lori a set of morning after pills.  And the noble and forgiving Rick finds out Lori is pregnant by his best friend, Shane.

Shane also tries to teach the determined laundry girl, Andrea, how to fire the gun.  And in the thick of a zombie mob looking for the still-missing Sophia with Shane, she finally hits her stride with the firearm and gets in the zombie-blasting zone.  Then, on the way home, bangs it out with the bad boy.

And this might be the true heart of this episode.  

Pregnancies are nothing new to the zombieverse.  Romero explored the circumstance in "Dawn of the Dead '78".  It was subsequently pushed even further in the 'Dawn...' remake.

It's an almost iconic and quotable line from the original 'Dawn...'  If you're a hardcore fan, you're already reciting Peter's line:

"We can handle it.  It doesn't change a thing.  Do you want to get rid of it?  Do you want to abort it?  It's not too late, and I know how."

Well, Lori walked that road, this time racked with guilt at knowing it's Shane's baby.  Exposed by Dale, she had to make a choice and sent Glenn for the abortion pills, and Maggie almost suffered a very 'full term abortion', so to speak, at the hands of a zombie at the pharmacy.  She wasn't very happy about that.

Lori swallowed a bunch of pills, but then got cold feet and supposedly threw them back up.  But she left the remaining pills exposed back at the camp, and Rick found them. 

Rick confronted her, and they had a conversation about life and death in terms of abortion.  Even though Rick knew it was Shane's, his noble character could not accept the idea of abortion.  Lori couldn't accept the possibility of bringing a child into the zombie apocalypse.

Let's think about this for a moment.

The world is a wonderful place, but its dangerous as well.  Naturally, the world of the Zpoc is dangerous also, especially in the big cities.

But think of the real world.  The actual real world we live in and the dangerous insanity that we walk around in.  People are putting babies in microwaves, trash cans, even hacking them to pieces.  I wish I was making this up.  Google it.  

"Baby killed in microwave"

  "Mom cuts babys arms off"  

"Baby dead in trash can"  

"Mom decapitates baby eats brain"

You will be disgusted and sad.  Then, you'll be even sadder that it has happened multiple times across the US.

Truth is stranger than fiction.  And the cruelty that happens to infant children, the most helpless of all, is the height of human darkness.  Look at the Casey Anthony trial.  Seriously, what's crueler?  Having a baby born to a terrible psychotic parent, tripping on post-partem drugs, and not having the opportunity to live and give back to the world?  Or having a baby born to responsible and loving parents in a terrible world where that child has a chance to give something to the world?  Is there really a difference between horrors of the zpoc and the real world?

So if we have established the fact that there is safety in the countryside, then why not?  Sure, there's this western point of view that the baby would not be provided with the luxuries western culture could provide.  

But babies have been born for centuries.  You don't need a hospital or other modern amenities of the west to have a baby.  A large segment of the rest of the world doesn't have access to the great medical technology available.  And you know what?  Babies are still born, and babies still live, even with limited resources.

Think about it.  If we learned anything from '28 Days Later', or, hell, from biology class, dead organic material rots away every time.  EVERY time.

If the dead are just that and not replenishing the body as a living one does, then the dead plague comes and goes in a month or two.  Tops.  They fall over and rot away.  Until then, you treat them like a wild animal that's trying to kill you or your family.  It's what humans have done since the dawn of time.  What's changed?

A baby takes shape in mommy for 9 months.  That's plenty of time for the world to get its s**t together.

Let's face it, at that point, the world's going to need new blood, so to speak.  What better child to have and what better parents to raise that child than Lori and Rick (and Shane, perhaps).

Not an easy choice, but easy choices are few and far between in the zombie apocalypse, especially when it comes to life and death.

And Andrea can follow Lori's lead if and when Shane's seed comes to rest in her womb.

Until next week...

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the zombie horror series "Down the Road" from Simon and Schuester and Permuted Press.  His most recent story, "Big Cat", is about the power of friendship when a monster runs roughshod over the south Texas countryside, murdering people in its wake.

Network with Bowie and order his titles at  http://www.zombiebloodfights.com

FIGHTS: Shades of the "Occupy Wall Street" Movement in John Carpenter's "They Live"- Review

by Bowie V. Ibarra

(This blog is dedicated to Jude Felton of "Lair of Filth", Jason Thorson of "RavenousMonster.com", and Bryan Schuesslar of "shuizmz.com", three of the best movie reviewers on the web today.  Check them out if you love your movies bloody and good for solid and loving reviews from the genre.  May my blogs be half as awesome as ya'lls.)

As the Occupy Wall Street leftists hit a proverbial wall in the form of NYPD Blue, geared up to run off the New Age Hippies 2011 out of Zuccotti Park at the bidding of the political and financial bourgeoisie, the late night assault on the group was rather suspicious.  Yet it was reminiscent of "They Live", a classic and somewhat obscure movie from John Carpenter.  With the political upheaval going on, it looks like a good time to revisit the classic.

Here's the movie in a nutshell.

SYNOPSIS
John Nada, played by WWE Legend 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, wanders into town after riding the rails from Denver looking for work that 'dried up' back in Colorado.  He tells the unemployment lady while he was getting laid off, the bosses were giving themselves raises.

He gets work at a construction site where he meets a guy named Frank, who is just a hard working man with a family, a job, and the need to make money.  He's cynical, describing the Golden Rule as "He who owns the gold makes the rules."  But Nada believes every man has a fair shake and can get it through hard work.

Nada's living out of a Hooverville near the construction site that is sponsored by a nearby church.  Nada notices peculiar surveillance of the church by helicopters and police.  When he investigates, he finds a mysterious lab creating sunglasses.

That night, for some reason, the police make a move on the Hooverville, crushing all of the tents, huts, and living spaces, ala Zucotti Park.  They also move on the church.  As Nada escapes, he sees a blind street preacher and a bearded old man getting beat down by the cops.  The street preacher had been promoting passages from the Bible about rising from enslavement.  The old man was the face of a bizzare television relay that was interrupting people's viewing of the general tripe that is on television.  The relays were talking about people being lulled to sleep and being bred as cattle for the rich to manipulate and enslave, annihilating our consciousness.

When Nada returns to investigate the church, he sees a box full of sunglasses.  When he wears them, he sees the world is filled with subliminal messages influencing the world.  Words like 'CONFORM', 'SUBMIT', and 'OBEY' fill the world around us.  But the most frightening revelation is that the glasses can also see people for who they are.  And many of the people, the aristocrats, are aliens.

When those aliens realize 'he can see', they set out to catch him.  But he fights off the first set of cop/aliens that come for him, take their weapons, and goes on a rampage blasting aliens in a bank.

But he also comes to realize that humans are also working for the aliens.  He spares the humans.

He tries to get his friend Frank to wear the glasses, but Frank is too scared to talk to him because he is now wanted.  After the longest fistfight in cinema occurs, he convinces Frank to wear them, and Frank unwittingly becomes part of the fight against the aliens.

The remnants of the resistance find Nada and Frank and invite them out to a meeting to make a move to get the transmission tower that is at the top of Channel 54 news.  When a woman who Nada used to get him away from the cops appears, she tells them that the news station is vulnerable.  She works there.

But the aliens make a move on the resistance after the appearance of the woman.  Nada and Frank make a break for it and infiltrate the alien's base.  They find a banquet of aliens and humans talking about profits and future conquests.

Then a bum that was once part of the Hooverville appears, having been tapped to be a part of the Alien's team.  He shows Nada and Frank around the base and the secrets as if he's a little boy bragging to friends about his toys.  Nada and Frank take advantage and make a move on the tower.  Frank is double-crossed by the woman, and Nada makes it to the tower.  Before being killed, he blasts the tower sending out the frequency to keep people asleep.

With the tower destroyed, the humans wake from their slumber and can now see the world for what it is, as well as the aliens.

But the movie ends with a human woman banging out an alien, suggesting the aliens have already been assimilating with the humans and creating hybrids.

SATIRE
The movie is great movie fun and is recommended highly by ZombieBloodFights.com.  But the movie goes deeper than just entertainment.  It's actually a great political satire with all the hallmarks of the best conspiracy theories.

The movie opens with images of consumption and avarice on television.  People watch it with hypnotic concentration.  When the pirate relay comes in, the people get headaches because it breaks the trance.

Television is just like that, though.  Studies have shown that the mind is, indeed, lulled to sleep by the racing images on a television.  Here's how it works.  The mind is wired to concentrate on things that its senses take in.  Television, especially programs like TMZ or other celebrity tripe on VH-1 or MTV, has camera shots and switches almost every few seconds.  What that does is lull your mind to sleep.  Watch one segment of TMZ and see how many seconds it takes before an image jumps to another shot, shakes, twists, or does some other thing to cloud your mind.

I submit that its all by design.  Back in the day, you might remember when a TV show ended, you'd get the credits, then a couple of commercials.  Then back to the proper end credits, another couple of commercials, then the next show.

Observe today's TV.  They want to keep you there in front of the TV by taking the end of the show right up to the top or bottom of the hour, ending the show, shooting through credits, then starting the next show.

That's hypnosis.  Or as I like to call it, mind control.  A subtle form, albeit, but mind control nonetheless.

The aliens running the government and being the rich aristocrats is another conspiracy theory hallmark.  David Icke has written volumes about the 'reptiles' being influences on this planet since their exodus and controlling our leaders from the 5th dimension.  This movie is clearly a play on that same theory.

And like the Occupy Wall Street movement, this simple and old conspiracy speaks to their platform, "We are the 99%".  The 1% are the rich corporations (run by aliens), and we are the people who work for them (the slaves) placated each and every week by the solace found in the proverbial 'bread and circus' that stifles our creativity and crushes our spirit.  We the 99% are given long enough work hours and just enough to live and stay quiet like Frank's character.  He knows there's corruption, but he doesn't want to lose his job in the system because then he will fail his family.

It's that world that keeps the chains on the young and modern day revolutionary, and the chains that keeps the old hard working revolutionary quiet past his prime.

Filmwise, the movie has some great shots.  The towering glass buildings of the bourgeoisie towering over him as he walks into town from the boxcars and train tracks.  Those same buildings loom over the Hooverville.

The acting is adequate.  Roddy Piper keeps his acting simple, and Carpenter is smart to not give him long lines.  He does a good job committing to the circumstances.

Frank, played by Keith David, is also good as well.  The two share a great fight scene that has to be seen to be believed.  Both characters are likeable enough and provide enough truthful acting to garner sympathy at the finish.

As an old revolutionary who tried to crush the federal reserve with gold and silver before crushing the federal reserve was cool, I see the metaphor and the worth of this movie.  I only wish returning people to their spiritual consciousness and power was as easy as blasting a satellite relay with a Derringer.

===============

OTHER ZOMBIEBLOODFIGHT BLOGS YOU MIGHT ENJOY

ZBF Blog reviews the Romero classic, the one that started it all, "Night of the Living Dead" '68

http://zombiebloodfights.blogspot.com/2011/10/zombies-night-of-living-dead-classic.html

Excerpt from the upcoming horror release, "Big Cat"

"The first victim and the three friends"

http://zombiebloodfights.blogspot.com/2011/10/blood-first-victim-and-three-friends.html

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the "Down the Road" zombie horror series.  His upcoming novel, "Big Cat" is about the strength of friendship in the face of a horrific monster set up for a showdown with the friends.

You can network with Bowie at ZombieBloodFights.com.

Share the blog with the Facebook and Twitter buttons if you liked the story.  Follow Bowie's blog if you're on Blogger.

ZOMBIES: Recap - The Walking Dead "Chupacabra" Ep. 5, Season 2

By Bowie Ibarra

The plot thickens, as they say, as 'The Walking Dead' continues to up the ante.  This week, we had the episode 'Chupacabra'.

For those who don't know, a Chupacabra is a mythical monster that originated in Puerto Rico.  It's some alien/government created chimera/'pick-your-monster' that attacked animals and drained them of their blood.  Since it was initially associated with attacking goats, the Puerto Rican's called it the "Chupacabra", which is "Goat Sucker" in English.

At any rate, the show opens with the team's initial journey out of the city, sans Rick.  It shows a fleet of helicopters napalming the city and Shane and Lori hanging out with Carol and her jerk husband.

It then moves to the present time period where Carol wants to sponsor a dinner for their hosts as a thank you to them.  Rick's coordinating for a search for Sophie, and the farmer's son volunteers, claiming his dad said it was okay.

Daryl decides to borrow one of the farmer's horses to set out on his own.

Meanwhile, Glenn tries to hook up with Maggie again.  But Maggie turns him down, at least for now.  Their friendship does not go unnoticed by her dad.

Rick and Shane go out into the woods together, and Shane tries to unconsciously defend his murder of Otis by claiming its time to re-evaluate their moral compass at the end of the world.  Though the conversation was clearly about the search for Sophie, the subtext was clear.

It was a lot like the them in the story "The Fall of Austin".  Noted zombie enthusiast Marshall Popham picked up on the theme of the 'rule change' in the book, the shifting in philosophy from comfort and courtesy to survival.  A theme that I feel is a mandatory part of every zombie story.

At any rate, Daryl goes into the woods alone on the horse he borrowed without the farmer's permission.  After finding a lead for Sophie, her doll in a bed of water, his horse gets spooked by a snake in the grass and he is tossed off the horse and down an embankment.  The fall makes one of his bolts stab right through him, and he starts to hallucinate.

He sees his brother, who talks to him about survival and tries to reinstill the hate and anger that drove their own personal survival in the old world.  That hate for his brother pulls him through, even bringing him back to consciousness to just crush two zombies.  The brother seems to be the metaphor for the chupacabra, a creature that only he believes he saw in the woods years ago.

Lori's deals with the fact that her pregnancy will be revealed soon, and how she still hasn't told anyone but Glenn about it.

The farmer takes Rick to task about the horse and Jimmy, the boy, and how he wasn't informed.  He's courteous, but he's concerned about Rick's fun bunch taking advantage of him.  And he's anxious for some reason.

Andrea sets women's liberation back by at least two years by taking it on herself to 'stop doing laundry' and set up a defensive position on top of the winnie to 'help keep the camp safe' with a long range rifle.  Glenn tells Dale he thinks the girls are aligning their menstral cycles and that he's banging out Maggie.  Also, mentions Lori's issue.  But Dale sagely advises for Glenn to just STFU as to not insult the women and the host.  But Glenn says he was just living in the moment, as he might be dead soon.

Andrea spots a 'walker' and wants to put her great marksmanship to the test.  But Shane, Rick, and T-Dog run out to get it.  When its revealed to be Daryl, the men stand down.  But to add extra ammunition to zombie apoc male chauvinist arsenal, Andrea takes it on herself to put the walker down, as she can't tell its Daryl.

Somewhere, Susan B. Anthony is rolling in her grave.  Or perhaps, rising.

Fortunately, she's a crappy shot, he makes it, and we can now all just point and laugh at her instead of casting colorful chauvinistic metaphors at her as I did as I fast forwarded through the DVR.

Dinner rolls around and the specter of Otis is brought up again.  Then Maggie propositions Glenn, letting him pick the place.  He picks the mysterious barn a few football fields away from the house.

When she finally gets to the letter, she is horrified at his pick. But she's too late.  

Glenn sneaks in to the barn and finds that it is a makeshift prison for walkers.  This might explain the dead guy in the well.

Something fishy is going on at the farm.

Until next week....

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OTHER ZOMBIEBLOODFIGHTS BLOG ENTRIES YOU MIGHT ENJOY

WALKING DEAD RECAP:  EP. 6 - SECRETS

Every secret is eventually exposed to the light for all to see

http://zombiebloodfights.blogspot.com/2011/11/zombies-recap-walking-dead-secrets-ep-6.html

Excerpt from "Down the Road: On the Last Day"

http://zombiebloodfights.blogspot.com/2011/09/zombies-family-pain-in-excerpt-from.html

WALKING DEAD RECAP:  EP. 4, SEASON 2 - CHEROKEE ROSE

http://zombiebloodfights.blogspot.com/2011/11/zombies-recap-walking-dead-cherokee.html

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the "Down the Road" zombie horror series from Simon and Schuester and Permuted Press.  His upcoming release, "Big Cat", is a horror story about a wild beast on the lose in south Texas, and the friends that are thrust into a dangerous game to find the animal.

You can keep up with Bowie and order his books at his website, http://www.zombiebloodfights.com

FIGHTS - "Mr. Showtime's Birthday Bash 2009" - An ACW Retrospective and DVD review

By Bowie Ibarra

Two short years ago, I was introduced to ACW wrestling in San Antonio, Texas.  I attended on a fluke, driving back from business in Austin, Texas, ironically enough.  I had been following a blog by ACW Announcer Barry Savant 

( http://zombiebloodfights.blogspot.com/2011/05/fights-kind-of-mc-of-acw-barry-savant.html ) that mentioned a free Monday night show featuring "The Underground Icon" Scot Summers.  

I had heard the buzz from a reputable source that Scot Summers was, indeed, the best in Texas.  I had seen him at a show in New Braunfels a few weeks before where he trashed some ham and egger in the ring at a bar.  He was antagonizing the crowd, and so I gave him my two cents.  

At the end of the fight, he came after me in the crowd, asking me for my legalization papers.  I verified my citizenship, and when he demanded to see my license, I showed him but was not going to hand it to him.  In fact, I ran away.  The guy was a bad man, and I certainly wasn't going to get in his face.  His tats were wild and his eyes were wilder.

So when this celebration was going down, I thought I'd attend.  It was free, and though I thought the promotion had a dumb, backyard wrestling sounding name, I thought I'd give it a chance.  In the very least, there would be beer and a chance to talk shit to wrestlers.

I posted up at the corner of the bar and was ready to enjoy the show.  Apparently, Modelo Especial was a sponsor of the event, and there were Modelo Ladies passing out Modelo swag.  Modelo Especial is one of my favorite beers, and is ZombieBloodFights.com recommended.  I got a hat that I wore, even though I'm not a hat guy.  And a free glass with free beer.  This was pro-wrestling nirvana.  If I had a Frito-Pie, I'd be set.

This was also my first meeting with ACW SuperFan, Anna.  She had showed up with her mother and brother from Austin to watch the show as a faithful fan of the Smurf Nation and Summers.  They rolled up and sat right next to me.

So it was time for the show to start.  Scot comes out and brings his mom and sister to the ring.  I start singing happy birthday to him, and he calls me out saying I need to be cut off because I was already drunk.

Then, this strange jackass comes out dressed in regal ring gear.  He's also got a sash and a cape.  His entrance music is Journey "Any Way You Want It", and he is a goofball.  I wondered if this guy, named Robert Evans, was for real.  He was a crack up, saying he was thankful to be fighting in Mexico.

But the two start exchanging words, and things get heated.

Things got real when Evan Gelistico and Pierre Abernathy showed up and jumped Scot.  Then, Evans pushed Scot's sister to the mat after she sticks up for her brother, forcing Summers to put his U-30 title on the line, and the show began.

1st Match-#1 CONTENDERS TO THE TAG TEAM TITLES

SUBMISSION SQUAD (Abernathy/Gelistco) vs. JAY & VEGA vs. THE SMURF NATION (Chingo/Breeze) vs. HATFIELD & McCOY

It's a fun first match, with both teams having some fun at the beginning with a dance off, straight into wrestling. The feud between the Smurfs and SS started here in my eyes.  Darin Childs and Biss call this match.  Good first match.

Gelistico was flabby, and has tightened up since then.  Vega and Jay look about the same these days, still fit, but smaller guys.  Vega's charm and skills have grown since then.  Gary Jay still looks like a homeless junkie.  And Abernathy looks like some kind of hillbilly uncle with raggedy hair and beard.  Today, he's cleaned up his look, which is good.  But he's still tubby.

Chingo has grown as a wrestler since then.  Barry Breeze has turned against the Smurfs and doing okay on his own.  Just Willy was out with an injury since then, but has since returned.  And Bubba Dumplin's hasn't been around ACW for a while now.

ACH vs. PROBLEMS

Another fun match, opening with a tribute to "Enter the Dragon" ala ACH's martial arts influence.

The match ends fast after ACH flips Problems on his face and injured arm from the previous night.  Knowing Problems is hurt, ACH works him over just enough to take the fight out of him and locks him out with his injured arm.

Since then, ACH has gone on to be one of ACW's shining stars, with amazing matches against some of the best on the Indy scene.  In fact, he was christened Lone Star Classic champion 2011 and ACW champion just last night.

Problems has not been seen since this injury.  I remember him coming by to visit with superfan Anna after the match.  He was nice.

RACHEL SUMMERLYNN vs. ERIN STARR

Rachel and Erin throw down in a short match that showcased Erin Starr's speed vs. Rachel's power game.  It was actually Erin's debut.  Rachel finishes it with a big Lakeline Mall Power Slam.

Since then, Erin Starr had a run in ACW that fizzled out at this point in 2011.

Rachel Summerlynn has gone on to great success not only in ACW, but the national scene as well, making a splash at Shimmer and Ring of Honor.  She was most recently crowned Queen of Joshi 2011.  Adjusting her style to include more speed, she has trimmed down, de-emphasizing her power game to add speed, and a curious ferocity that has only recently bubbled to the surface.  The sky's the limit right now for Rachel.

DARIN CHILDS vs. "THE SPRINGWOOD SLASHER" KHRIS WOLFE

This match is fun and fast.  Childs and Slasher keep the pace fast, and it ends fast as well.

No joke.

If the only Darin Childs you knew was the fit-as-fuck Darin Childs that competed this weekend at the Lone Star Classic 2011, you would not recognize the fat-as-fuck Darin Childs that competed at the B-Day Bash '09.  No shit.  The transformation of Darin Childs has been amazing, and I laud him for his great efforts to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Slasher's grown as a competitor since then as well.  Never one to back down from a fight, he's had bloody brawls with Masada, and continues to be a dangerous competitor in ACW.

MIKE DELL & SUPER ELECTRO vs. COLT CABANA & JC BRAVO

This is a spirited matchup.  The wiley Dell reprograms Super Electro to jump Colt Cabana.  JC Bravo comes to the rescue, and it becomes a good tag bout.

Since then, Mike Dell lost a "Loser Leaves ACW" match, in what was one of the best matches I've ever seen at ACW.  He has gone on to success in other Texas territories.

Super Electro became Portia Perez and Robert Evan's pet, until their relationship broke down.  He has been seen on occasion.  

JC Bravo went on to tag and U-30 gold.  Recently, he suffered a foot injury that required surgery.  ZombieBloodFights.com-The Blog wishes him the best.

Colt Cabana is still rockin' and rollin' on the indy scene, bringing his charismatic offense to fans around the country. He most recently lost in the first round of the Lone Star Classic 2011 to eventual winner, ACH.

ARIK CANNON vs. SHAWN VEXX

A fantastic match that brings some great action and science.  Rachel Summerlyn and Darin Childs calls the action.  Arik Cannon brought ferocity to Vexx, who weathered the storm for the victory.

Cannon has since returned to ACW for some great matchups, and continues to mix it up in the ring and pick up the ladies outside the ring.

Vexx went on to ACW gold, and has most recently aligned himself with the Children of Pain.  We'll see how that plays out.

U-30 TITLE MATCH

SCOT SUMMERS vs. ROBERT EVANS

This match is an outstanding finish to a great night of what I would always associate with ACW:  Great action, great friends, great beer.  Scot showed me his signature mix of science and brutality.  Robert Evans showed me his skill and speed.  It was a great matchup.

Today, Scot Summers has been christend an ACW Triple Crown champ, had multiple brawls, and continues to be the backbone of ACW.

Robert Evans has since gone on to ACW gold, but also made inroads with Chikara Pro as Archibald Peck, and Ring of Honor as Barrister RD Evans.  He has also returned to ACW to continue his feud with former BFF Portia Perez.

All in all, it was an amazing show that I was proud to be a part of.  And at the very end, I offered Scot a beer through the ropes that he accepted.  I was an official fan, and understood why he was called "Best in Texas".

By the end of the night, thanks to SuperFan Anna, I was now one of the new ACW faithful.  We talked trash to every wrestler we didn't like, and we have never turned back since then.  It was one of the best birthday parties I had ever attended. 

To this day, when I can, I make the journey to Austin, Texas, to cheer and jeer the heroes and villains that put it all on the line for us.  And I have a blast every single time.

If you're in the San Antonio area and enjoy pro-wrestling, find this annual event and go to it.

To Scot, happy birthday, 2011 and forever.  May you have many, many more.

To SuperFan Anna, thanks for baptizing me into the Anarchy family.

To all the ACW wrestlers I cheer and jeer, thank you.

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DVD review

This DVD was purchased at an event, and not the DVD that is available at SmartMarkVideo.com.  The packaging was custom, and the DVD was a DVD-R disc.  I have no problem with it, because the disc works.  The one available at Smart Mark has different packaging.

The title screen is a good preview of the fun on the DVD.  A rapper that sounds like Eminem is singing his song.  It's the second ACW DVD that has a ganster rap feel to the music.

ACW Play-by-Play announcer, Biss, seems lackluster, as if he was sick.  For some reason, he doesn't finish out the DVD commentary.  Rachel and Darin finish out calling the show, and do a great job.

The video quality is actually one of the best from the ACW video series.  The "Allow us to Reintroduce Ourselves" show video quality at the same venue was not good, but that's another review for another time.

The only complaint was the audio quality does not mesh at the very beginning.  But its forgivable.  I can respect a pro-wrestling outfit that tries to make it happen.

It's a good DVD that is worth buying if you have a chance.

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YOU ALSO MIGHT ENJOY READING:

Legends, Douchebags, and Pig Slop.  Just another Sunday at ACW Wrestling!

http://zombiebloodfights.blogspot.com/2011/10/fights-clarification-i-am-not-calling.html

Peace, Love, and a smart phone being used as a weapon by Scot Summers!

http://zombiebloodfights.blogspot.com/2011/04/acw-peace-love-and-anarchy-2011.html

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Bowie Ibarra is the author of the "Down the Road" zombie horror series.  His upcoming books, the "Pit Fighters: Baptism by Fire" rerelease, and "Pit Fighters: Double Cross" is a combat sports themed action/adventure book.

Order books and network with Bowie at http://www.zombiebloodfights.com