The living dead are more alive

Natalia Emerich_Brasília 247 – Morbid creatures are in fashion. Bloodied, with wounds all over their bodies and thirsty for human flesh, zombies are gaining more and more followers in the real world and are everywhere: video games, comics, books and movies. The worship of the undead has even become a movement. In Brasília, the 6th edition of the Zombie Walk brought together more than 500 people on October 15th. Dressed in torn and dirty clothes, with cuts and blood on their bodies, horror fans gather and take a stroll through the capital. The goal is to interact with, remember, and experience famous characters, as well as classic films. "People can make new friends, reconnect with old friends, satirize situations as a form of protest, and pay homage to their idols," says organizer Phellipe Barusco, 16. Zombie Walk is a type of flash mob – a street gathering where participants sing, dance, or engage in group games such as paint fights, balloon fights, and pillow fights. According to Barusco, the events provide fun for everyone, from children to the elderly. Canada pioneered zombie gatherings in 2003. In Brazil, Belém was the first city to host the movement. In 2006, Brasília joined the trend. "Although it happens all over the world, the capital is one of the places that brings together the largest number of fans," Barusco proudly states. From Slave to Modern Life: Popularized by George A. Romero's work in the late 60s, the undead have accompanied the evolution of entertainment, especially in the last decade. Before, they could barely walk. Now they are agile, fast, and aware. In common, they can infect people through a scratch or bite. The mythical figures emerged in the early 20th century, based on travelers' accounts of the Voodoo religion practiced mainly in Haiti. Zombies were resurrected dead, without free will, who acted exclusively as slaves to satisfy the needs of a master. "They are the most legendary, also called demonic," says student Gabriel Cordeiro, 24. "I think they aren't explored much because they don't appeal to the public." In the 60s, the zombies were redesigned by Romero. In the director's films, they appear as people who have died, been resurrected, and are now wandering the streets due to a lack of space in hell. On Earth, they fight exclusively for survival and hunt for live human flesh – their only source of food. With slow steps and no ability to communicate, they identify their victim by smell and spread the zombie apocalypse. "In the classic version, anyone can come back as a zombie, regardless of whether the death was due to contamination or natural causes," explains filmmaker Tiago Belotti, 32. "The only way to eliminate them is by disabling the brain, preferably with a shot to the middle of the forehead." A fan of the subject, the filmmaker directed the feature film "The Capital of the Dead" (2008), the first Brazilian production about zombies. The creatures' precarious state is alluring. "It evokes the end of humanity, decadence, decay, and the end of life," says journalist and independent filmmaker Gustavo Serrate, 30. According to him, zombies represent a metaphor for human reality, such as wars and misery, and for hopelessness. "People like to experience sensations – both good and bad – it's a way of feeling alive." Serrate believes that, for cinema, especially horror films, feelings like fear and anguish are important. No less terrifying, zombies have been revamped in the last 10 years. They chase humans, are sentient, and their existence is justified by outbreaks of viruses and bacteria that turn them into mutants. According to Belotti, the modernization of the zombie genre began with the remake, in 2004, of the film "Dawn of the Dead" (1974). "It was the solution they found to generate shock, fear, and tension in the new generation of fans," he explains. According to Serrate, the adaptations to the original characteristics emerged to provide scientific explanations to the public, which increasingly demands rationality in cinema. On TV On Tuesday (18), the series "Walking dead" premiered its second season on FOX (cable TV). The episodes chronicle the struggle of a group – Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies), Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal), Andrea (Laurie Holden), and Glenn (Steven Yeun) – led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), as they try to find a safe place to survive in a world devastated by a zombie epidemic. The goal was to find answers to anomalies at the disease control center, but it became a matter of life or death. "The Walking Dead" airs every Monday at 22 PM. Tips: Filmmaker, researcher, and zombie enthusiast Tiago Belotti has selected some titles for those who want to learn more about the undead. Get ready: Films: - Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Dawn of the Dead (1978) - The Evil Dead (1981) - Day of the Dead (1985) - The Return of the Living Dead (1985) - Evil Dead II (1987) - 28 Days Later (2002) - Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Dawn of the Dead (2004) - REC (2007) - Capital of the Dead (2008) - Mangue Negro (2008) - Zombieland (2009) Literature: - The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks - World War Z - Max Brooks - Zombies: The Book of the Dead - Jamie Russell - So Now You're a Zombie - John Austin - Zombie Apocalypse - Alexandre Callari - The Walking Dead - Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore Videogames (franchises): - Resident Evil - Dead Rising - Left 4 Dead - Dead Island