The Zombie Times, March 2014 issue (emag review).

I’m impressed to find out that 2014 marks a decade since the creators of ‘The Zombie Times’, Terror4fun, were set up. After ten years of bringing us zombie mayhem, you might think they’d want to take a break but not a bit of it. They’re planning a big birthday issue in August and, in the meantime, here’s the first issue of 2014 to get our teeth into.

For me, the most interesting pieces in ‘The Zombie Times’ are the interviews and this issue is full to the brim with five of them. First up is Christian James, the director of UK zombie comedy ‘Stalled’, which came out on DVD in February having gained a lot of support on the 2013 film festival circuit. The movie is set during an office Christmas party and follows the antics of the poor janitor, who is cleaning the women’s toilets when the revellers start turning into zombies. He cheats death by locking himself in one of the cubicles (or stalls as they’re known in the USA, the American word providing the film with its name). Can he escape before the zombies break down the cubicle door? James’ interview provides interesting insights into the making of the film and its festival reception and has encouraged me to get hold of the DVD, so I guess he’s done his job.

Not content with interviewing one film director, this issue of ‘The Zombie Times’ also talks to Brett Mullen, who makes his directorial debut in the forthcoming film ‘Bombshell Bloodbath’. This is an American movie which pays homage to the style and look of classic Italian zombie flicks. The story revolves around a doctor who tries to bring his wife back from the dead. When his daughter is accidentally exposed to the same treatment, she slowly turns into a zombie with the inevitable horrific results. The interview gives a good feel for Mullen’s influences and what he was trying to achieve in the film.

The next interview is with ‘The Brothers Finn’, two brothers who have co-written the zombie novel, ‘Camp 417’. The novel is set during World War Two and revolves around what happens when the Nazis’ latest scientific experiments go disastrously wrong, creating a sea of zombies. So far, so conventional. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this project is that it has been released only as an e-book, taking advantage of the digital format to include DVD-like deleted scenes, author commentary and other special features.

Harry S. Franklin is the author of Roman-era zombie novel ‘Aetas Furor – In The Time Of Madness’. In his interview, he explains the origin of the story, which is set in 39AD during the reign of the despotic Emperor Caligula. For those who fancy mixing zombies and ancient history, this could be just what you’ve been looking for.

Finally, there’s a very insightful interview with make-up artist Jodie Gibson who talks about her varied work programme, including the forthcoming zombie film ‘Apocalypse – The Movie’, providing make-up for up to 500 zombies a night at a live action role-playing game and doing zombie photoshoots. She also provides some really useful hints and tips for make-up artists who want to have a go at creating their own zombies.

As well as all these interviews, there’s the usual mix of book, film, DVD and game reviews, as well as calling notices for forthcoming zombie film shoots, live action games and other undead experiences.

If you’re worried that the recent flooding presages the coming of the zombie apocalypse then you need to start making your preparations. A good first step would be to pick up a copy of this latest issue of ‘The Zombie Times’. Don’t say I didn’t tell you.

Patrick Mahon

March 2014

(pub: Terror4fun, 32 page newsletter. Price: free.)

check out website: www.Terror4fun.com