Midnight Corey 2 [ 1:07:59 | 46.69 MB ] Play NowPlay in Popup | Download

The 2-year-old Indonesian smoker loves to listen to my podcast with his first smokes of the day.

This week, I address my concerns with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, movies and TV shows I’ve been watching, music, and lots more. I review the zombie movie Killing Spree (1987), and play my song “Blood Comes From Your Throat” (watch the video).

There are also Voicemails of Death this week.

Zombie Stuff:

• Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com
• African zombie movie The Dead is playing at Cannes | stills/trailer | hardships | Facebook group
• Day of the Dead to be remade . . . in 3D!
• Survival of the Dead DVD and “Ultimate Undead Edition” Blu-ray to be released in the US on August 24

The Microsoft zombie vs. shark commercial

Music: Deathraid | The Intelligence

Subscribe to Midnight Corey: RSS | iTunes

Listening to me on other podcasts: Library of the Living Dead | Library of Horror | UNLEASHED

For the better part of a decade now, I’ve been working on a series of songs based on Zombi 2. There are several of these written and recorded in many forms, but I’m not finished yet.

This is a song about Susan. I originally wrote it faster and heavier, but was never really happy with the arrangement and my vocals. It kinda sucks. So I reworked the whole song, and even made a little video to go along with it that follows the story.

Midnight Corey 1 [ 33:15 | 22.84 MB ] Play NowPlay in Popup | Download

I’ve decided to podcast again . . . why not. Call me and leave your comments on the resurrected Voicemail of Death: 814.806.2828, or leave your comments on the blog.

I ramble about:

• George Romero
• Bled White (2009)
• The Zombie Combat Manual
• Attack of the Vegan Zombies (2010)
• writing
• original music: “Bend That Light”

Music: The Styrenes

Subscribe to Midnight Corey: RSS | iTunes

Listening to me on other podcasts: Library of the Living Dead | Library of Horror | UNLEASHED

. . . which is terrible for his friends, family, and fans. But I didn’t care for any of his music, so I’m not that concerned.

It was fate — it had to be. I was at the westernmost Wegman’s in Erie, browsing the beer selection. I wanted something different, which is why I go to Wegman’s to try new beer — I only have to buy a 6 pack, and am not committed to an entire case. I had paced up and down the beer aisle without anything really jumping out at me. That is, until I discovered this porter in an inconspicuous cooler:

Edmund Fizgerald Porter, Great Lakes Brewing

The first thing that flashed through my mind was my bone-crunching version of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which I had put a lot of work into a couple weeks ago. Finding this beer is clearly more than a coincidence. However, being that I wasn’t quite sure what a porter was, I almost passed it up. The label promised a taste that is “smoky, robust, dark and bittersweet.” After a few minutes of deliberation, I finally decided to give it a try. It was $8.49 for a sixer, which is relatively reasonable at Wegman’s.

It turns out that porters are pretty heavy. Not quite like a stout, but still very dark and rich. The description on the bottle is accurate, with the warmness of chocolate and coffee in the forefront. I’m surprised that it’s only 5.8% ABV, as I’m used to darker beers being stronger. On the initial sip, I wasn’t too sure I’d be able to drink more than one or two, the taste was so rich. Not bad by any means, but very full. Well, let me tell you this: it’s not all that hard to drink more than a couple. In fact, it gets easier and easier.

It turns out that Cleveland has managed to do something right, as that is where Great Lakes Brewing is located.

And it turns out that I officially like porters (so far). It’s not a party beer, but rather one to sit down and enjoy with a good hearty dinner — or on a sinking vessel on Lake Superior. I recommend it!

My friend Roger Ma from the Zombie Combat Club sent me his new book, The Zombie Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Living Dead. And I’ve happened to see it on the shelves of Borders and at Amazon.com, which is very cool.

I love this book. It’s a comprehensive, entertaining guide for zombie fighting, written in a military style. In this well-organized and well-written manual, Ma covers everything you need to know about fighting the living dead, complete with helpful illustrations and “Combat Reports” — interviews and accounts of encounters with zombies. It’s a great blend of straightforward instruction and short storytelling.

The first section covers the facts about zombies: what they are, what they aren’t, and how they function. I was particularly thrilled with the first misconception discussed: that zombies can run.

Next, the focus is turned to those fighting the zombies. Physical fitness, health and wellness are discussed in terms of zombie combat, so that those confronting the living dead can prepare as much as possible. A lot of time is spent on weapons of all kinds — traditional battle weapons, swords, knives, blades, clubs, etc. — as well as weapons that can be found in certain settings: the farm, the garage, the kitchen, and more.

Ma brings it all together with the final section, Combat Strategies and Techniques. Your chances of success in a skirmish with the undead will soar as all kinds of techniques and situations are covered.

“For those who have never encountered a walking cadaver, the techniques described in this section may seem vicious, brutal, perhaps even excessive and gratuitous.”

Of course, the humor is implicit. The straightforward, deadpan delivery of the manual and conversational tones of the Combat Reports are inherently funny when the subject is zombies.

It’s a great read. Roger Ma’s zombie knowledge is unparallelled, and I can only hope to have him at my side during the next zombie outbreak. Go buy The Zombie Combat Manual right now.

Rating: 10/10

I love independent zombie movies — they’ve been slaying their big-budget Hollywood counterparts for years now. Bled White (2009) caught my attention during its production, and the good people at CU There Productions sent a DVD over for me to check out.

Bled White web site

The movie takes place after the zombie apocalypse has struck, and what’s left of society is reordering itself to deal with the flesh-hungry “zombies.” People are doing whatever it takes to survive, and we follow several plot lines that intertwine. We follow two hit men, a family, and a couple running a hotel. The scenes aren’t necessarily chronological, creating a darker kind of Pulp Fiction feel. Things happen at the beginning of the movie that don’t quite make sense until it’s connected to something else later on.

The filmmakers explore some interesting territory and have come up with some original ideas — a big plus in my book. We see the conflict between those who believe in “killing” the zombies and those who want to them” live” in hopes of a cure being discovered. Themes of cannibalism, cheating, and survival vs. killing are also in the mix.

The characters are pretty nicely developed, and the actors perform much better than I was hoping for. Some are excellent (the lead hit men), some are mediocre, but none are bad.

On a technical level, they did a great job with a low budget. The whole movie is high-contrast, allowing for a lot of lights and shadows. They managed to film the whole thing during the winter, something not often seen in zombie movies. It works really well. Overall, the shot selection and cinematography were well done. The suspense they’ve created is wonderful. The editing and pacing, along with the good score and sound effects, make for great atmosphere.

Now for the zombies. Even though they run, they look good: pale with lots of blood and light blue cloudy eyes. The makeup is good — they must have spent a fortune in blue contacts. Nothing looked fake. However, the zombies growl and roar and sound demonic — a little too over-the-top for me. This could have been just as scary (probably scarier) with slow zombies.

The effects were good, and they kept it mostly practical. They used some digital effects — fire, gunshot flares, clouds going over the moon, etc. — but they don’t overindulge in digital effects like a lot of low-budget movies tend to do.

All in all, this is a very good low-budget movie — fun and gory. Also a breath of fresh air in the over-saturated zombie movie market.

Rating: 7/10

I feel bad that I haven’t posted anything in several days, so to try to appease your wrath, I bring you my rendition of the Gordon Lightfoot song. I sing/play everything in the song.

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald