Editorials
Why Horror Fans Should Be Excited About ‘Road of the Dead’
One, Mr. George A. Romero, has gotten a lot of love from me recently. He, obviously, made my Top 10 Zombie Film List and landed on my 4 Fright Films for the 4th, and we just celebrated the 32nd birthday of my favorite Dead film, Day of the Dead. His name has been on my tongue a lot (that sounds wrong), but for good reason. Romero invented the zombies we have today. With one film, Night of the Living Dead, he created an entire subgenre. That film will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, and I couldn’t be more thankful to have it in my life.
The films that followed Night, Dawn and Day, join to create an amazing trilogy. Each is easily considered a classic of the horror genre. They’re important films that use the living dead as placeholders for societal ills, and critics and audiences adore them all. The series doesn’t stop there, of course. It has grown to encompass a total of six films. The last two of which were met with much less reverie than Romero’s previous efforts.
In the past few months there has been a steady drip of news regarding the future of his Dead films. Outside of Brad’s surprisingly timely April Fool’s joke, there was the zombie-noir Romero couldn’t get funding for, and most recently we got early word on the upcoming Road of the Dead. Fan reaction to this latest news has been tepid to say the least. In the comments section of this site and on twitter the remarks have not been too kind:
Master of Horror
I find it so upsetting to see fans turn their back on the man like this. I understand if you weren’t a fan of his last, Survival of the Dead. I wasn’t either. Even if you haven’t enjoyed the last three Dead pictures, you should appreciate that as a creative, as a director, he feels he has a story to tell. Directors certainly make films with an audience in mind, but they also do it because they have a passion to create. This is a man who has dedicated his life to the horror genre, and every time you sit down to watch Dawn of the Dead or even, The Walking Dead, you have George Romero to thank. You might not want to see Road of the Dead; you certainly don’t have to (if it gets made). I just find it disrespectful that after the hours of entertainment he has provided us fans, we act as if we don’t even want to see what else he may have in store.
Growing up there were three horror directors that were massively influential to me: Wes Craven, Dario Argento, and George Romero. Craven was able to maintain respectable amounts of critical and commercial success until the end. Argento has continued to work fairly steadily, and despite fans generally being unimpressed by his recent filmography, there is still a level of excitement when he announces a new project. The hope being this one will be “the return to form”. I feel that way too (I’m still looking for Sandman), and I also feel that way when Romero’s name is attached to a film.
Mad Max…With Zombies!
Beyond Romero’s legacy, there’s another reason to cheer this film on: the plot! Yes, at first glance it does sound incredibly cheesy:
The story is set on an island where zombie prisoners race cars in a modern-day Coliseum for the entertainment of wealthy humans.
What gets me excited, though, is this is the perfect continuation of the living dead saga. In Land of the Dead we were shown a world far removed from the initial outbreak. The wealthy were living like kings, while the poor were left to try and scrounge a meager existence. There’s a set-piece early on where two zombies are locked in a cage match with “live bait” – Asia Argento, to be exact. It’s a fun scene that illustrates the chaos of a post apocalyptic society and the lengths people will go to just for entertainment. A look at most reality shows today proves it’s probably not that far off. It sounds like Road intends to tap into that same kind of pulpy Mad Max-ian territory.
Also, throughout the series we’ve seen a clear progression of the zombies’ evolution. In Day we were shown that the undead were “learning” and remembering their past lives. Even with Dawn the zombies were drawn to the mall because they “remember they want to be in here.” After Land delivered the smartest “stenches” we’d seen yet, Romero went back to the beginning of the outbreak with Diary and Survival. Now it sounds that Road will drive us forward again. It’s refreshing to me that he continues to push the narrative further than before.
On paper there doesn’t appear to be much you can do with a zombie tale. They’re reawakened dead who want to consume living flesh. Romero has managed to take that simple conceit and run with it. He’s allowed his living dead to evolve with our times, each incarnation representing something new. Simply look at The Walking Dead to realize it’s important to change things up and grow. That show continues repeating the same plot over and over. Even the spin-off, Fear the Walking Dead, after several strong episodes this season, ended up resorting to the same schtick as it’s sister show. They must fight for their land!
However you feel about Road of the Dead or Romero making another zombie flick, I couldn’t be more excited for the next chapter.
End Nerd Rant.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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