Help me be the next Dr. Horrible...or at least Mr. Terrible. Oh, did I mention the zombies?
May 25, 2010 8:42 PM
Help me be the next Dr. Horrible...or at least Mr. Terrible. Oh, did I mention the zombies?
I love writing songs for musicals. I've written 5 or 6 pieces in the last year, and I want to do more. I have been thinking for a long time about trying to put together an episodic musical series, something that would have one song per episode, be a few minutes long, and could be posted once a month or so. They would be mostly comedy with some serious elements. Oh, and did I mention that I would love to do it about zombies?
I'm not really into the whole blood and gore type of zombie thing. I really love the idea that something so slow and stupid can be so frightening, and how people can change into something completely different. I think there was a lot of great humor in Shaun of the Dead, and I would love to be able to come up with something that has the same type of feel, but isn't a copy and doesn't rip off those ideas.
So, I think I can do this, but I'm having trouble getting started in a good direction. I've got a lot of great ideas for little bits and inside jokes, but I'm looking for some jumping off points for the main focus.
If you were to watch a musical series about zombies (or about people dealing with zombies, there doesn't necessarily have to be any dead people walking around), what would you want to see? What zombie stereotypes should be made fun of? What should be avoided at all costs because it's been done a million times before?
I love writing songs for musicals. I've written 5 or 6 pieces in the last year, and I want to do more. I have been thinking for a long time about trying to put together an episodic musical series, something that would have one song per episode, be a few minutes long, and could be posted once a month or so. They would be mostly comedy with some serious elements. Oh, and did I mention that I would love to do it about zombies?
I'm not really into the whole blood and gore type of zombie thing. I really love the idea that something so slow and stupid can be so frightening, and how people can change into something completely different. I think there was a lot of great humor in Shaun of the Dead, and I would love to be able to come up with something that has the same type of feel, but isn't a copy and doesn't rip off those ideas.
So, I think I can do this, but I'm having trouble getting started in a good direction. I've got a lot of great ideas for little bits and inside jokes, but I'm looking for some jumping off points for the main focus.
If you were to watch a musical series about zombies (or about people dealing with zombies, there doesn't necessarily have to be any dead people walking around), what would you want to see? What zombie stereotypes should be made fun of? What should be avoided at all costs because it's been done a million times before?
There needs to be some tip of the hat to the video of Golimar.
If its a musical then you need a zombie band in there somewhere.
You could embrace the overdone zombie movie tropes...and the song should be called...'That's Been Done to Death'
posted by ian1977 at 9:02 PM on May 25, 2010
If its a musical then you need a zombie band in there somewhere.
You could embrace the overdone zombie movie tropes...and the song should be called...'That's Been Done to Death'
posted by ian1977 at 9:02 PM on May 25, 2010
From Mrs. Cacophony:
How about zombie babies? I've seen babies doing all sorts of things in movies and commercials, but I've never seen a movie about zombie babies. And it would give you an opportunity to use that excellent baby model you have...
Bonus points if you can figure out which one of your real life friends I am. ;)
posted by cacophony at 9:07 PM on May 25, 2010
How about zombie babies? I've seen babies doing all sorts of things in movies and commercials, but I've never seen a movie about zombie babies. And it would give you an opportunity to use that excellent baby model you have...
Bonus points if you can figure out which one of your real life friends I am. ;)
posted by cacophony at 9:07 PM on May 25, 2010
Have you seen Dead & Breakfast? It's a zombie movie with a zombie band.
Also, bonus points, and just to show off my zombie knowledge - The Dawn of the Dead remake has a zombie baby.
posted by Point n Click at 9:16 PM on May 25, 2010
Also, bonus points, and just to show off my zombie knowledge - The Dawn of the Dead remake has a zombie baby.
posted by Point n Click at 9:16 PM on May 25, 2010
It should be a zombie love story, and there should be some love song comprised entirely of suggestive groans.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:16 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:16 PM on May 25, 2010
I like the idea of a world where people get used to the idea of living in a zombie world. Kids adopting zombie fashion, nutty lefties protesting for zombie rights, zombie killing devices being hawked on late-night infomercials.
Stuff like that.
posted by Bonzai at 9:20 PM on May 25, 2010
Stuff like that.
posted by Bonzai at 9:20 PM on May 25, 2010
My favorite stereotype of the zombie subgenre is the Benevolent Mad Scientist. You know, the guy who figures out how to subdue them through violent electric shock collars, or determines that they can still learn, or maybe gets a little too close to his subjects and starts to feel... feelings. This area, especially when you get to the scientist who will do "anything" to figure out a cure, is ripe with musical possibilities.
My favorite zombie character is the professorial zombie. (Full disclosure: I won a zombie costume contest for creating this guy.) The idea is, okay, he's a stuffy old professor with a lot of books, ill-fitting suits with patches on the elbows, and a penchant for groaning anyway. So when he gets infected with the zombie virus/curse, not much changes! He still just lurks in the stacks, grading papers, yelling and groaning at the damn students, but occasionally he devours some of them, too. I'm not sure if this is a common zombie archetype or if it's just a byproduct of going to college in Boston. At any rate, the not-much-changes-because-we're-monsters-to-begin-with zombie is my favorite, and certainly merits a song.
posted by Mizu at 9:30 PM on May 25, 2010
My favorite zombie character is the professorial zombie. (Full disclosure: I won a zombie costume contest for creating this guy.) The idea is, okay, he's a stuffy old professor with a lot of books, ill-fitting suits with patches on the elbows, and a penchant for groaning anyway. So when he gets infected with the zombie virus/curse, not much changes! He still just lurks in the stacks, grading papers, yelling and groaning at the damn students, but occasionally he devours some of them, too. I'm not sure if this is a common zombie archetype or if it's just a byproduct of going to college in Boston. At any rate, the not-much-changes-because-we're-monsters-to-begin-with zombie is my favorite, and certainly merits a song.
posted by Mizu at 9:30 PM on May 25, 2010
What if zombies were the norm and the curse/infection whatever actually turned zombies into people. The story would still be the same, zombies chasing people. But in this scenario zombies would be the authority. A reverse zombification scene would be cool. A zombie who was bitten by a human would be doing something silly like pushing a shopping cart into a wall over and over and then all of the sudden their skin would clear up and they start wondering why they are doing what they are doing.
posted by ian1977 at 9:56 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by ian1977 at 9:56 PM on May 25, 2010
A timely question, as I'm in the middle of reading Feed and thinking about how much I enjoy the zombies-as-part-of-daily-life genre. Fido is another good example.
Oh, those dead guys shambling around? Not to worry, just be sure to grab the shotgun and let's go get some Starbucks. And don't forget to double check the shadowy corners of the laundromat for any lurking zombies before washing those blood-spattered clothes (seriously, laundromats? creepy. Perfect place for a zombie attack.) And a random thought: I like the idea of trying to convert a zombie to vegetarianism.
posted by snowleopard at 10:01 PM on May 25, 2010
Oh, those dead guys shambling around? Not to worry, just be sure to grab the shotgun and let's go get some Starbucks. And don't forget to double check the shadowy corners of the laundromat for any lurking zombies before washing those blood-spattered clothes (seriously, laundromats? creepy. Perfect place for a zombie attack.) And a random thought: I like the idea of trying to convert a zombie to vegetarianism.
posted by snowleopard at 10:01 PM on May 25, 2010
"convert a zombie to vegetarianism."
Morningstar farms could make a killing with big slabs of tofu mock human molded to look like brains or the odd leg or arm.
Its got the real human taste zombies love!
posted by ian1977 at 10:10 PM on May 25, 2010
Morningstar farms could make a killing with big slabs of tofu mock human molded to look like brains or the odd leg or arm.
Its got the real human taste zombies love!
posted by ian1977 at 10:10 PM on May 25, 2010
Oh! What if there's a zombie outbreak and instead of killing all the zombies, the gov't relocates them to, like, northeast Wyoming. The story could be about the small town people who chose to stay in Wyoming--maybe to receive federal funding, or because they didn't want to leave their land, or whatever.
posted by lockestockbarrel at 10:19 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by lockestockbarrel at 10:19 PM on May 25, 2010
Zombie bed bugs in New York. How would you get rid of those?
posted by ian1977 at 10:33 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by ian1977 at 10:33 PM on May 25, 2010
Lots of great ideas! Some of them I've been toying with already, and some I would have never come up with in a million years. I'm going to have to bunker down with this thing soon, and see what I can come up with.
Oh, and to Mr and Mrs Cacophony, you really need to tell me who you are, because it is going to drive me nuts that I know someone else who asks metafilter (and not nuts as in "when is the tasty McRib going to be back in fashion", but nuts as in "why don't people realize that the writers for Lost were just making it up as they went along". If you really know me, than you will know the difference.
posted by markblasco at 12:00 AM on May 26, 2010
Oh, and to Mr and Mrs Cacophony, you really need to tell me who you are, because it is going to drive me nuts that I know someone else who asks metafilter (and not nuts as in "when is the tasty McRib going to be back in fashion", but nuts as in "why don't people realize that the writers for Lost were just making it up as they went along". If you really know me, than you will know the difference.
posted by markblasco at 12:00 AM on May 26, 2010
Well, if you're looking into ideas for how to treat zombies like the mundane, you should watch Ugly Americans if you haven't already. It's a little hit or miss for me most of the times, but has its moments. The premise of the show is basically that magical beings/monsters/creatures of legend are like immigrants/minorities in America (so, kinda like True Blood I suppose, but more sitcom-y). The human main character is social worker who works with helping these folks better integrate into society. From finding them jobs, to acting as counselor for their issues (for example, the episode where he has to counsel a guy who was attacked by a werewolf to come to terms with the fact that he's now a werewolf too and also help him and the werewolf who attacked him tackle their trust issues).
He has a zombie roommate and the whole episode where he and his roommate go back to Jersey where the zombie roommate is from, and how they depict the zombies as minorities (apparently Jersey becomes rabidly anti-zombies...zombists?) might give you some idea. It's got a "very special episode of" type segment where the zombie roommate visits his still human parents and they treat his turning into a zombie like he's coming out of the closet a little bit. Besides that, just how the other non-zombie, but non-human interact or are characterized might provide additional bits of inspiration.
posted by kkokkodalk at 9:01 AM on May 26, 2010
He has a zombie roommate and the whole episode where he and his roommate go back to Jersey where the zombie roommate is from, and how they depict the zombies as minorities (apparently Jersey becomes rabidly anti-zombies...zombists?) might give you some idea. It's got a "very special episode of" type segment where the zombie roommate visits his still human parents and they treat his turning into a zombie like he's coming out of the closet a little bit. Besides that, just how the other non-zombie, but non-human interact or are characterized might provide additional bits of inspiration.
posted by kkokkodalk at 9:01 AM on May 26, 2010
While certainly not my best work (and making me realize I haven't posted a song here in a long time!), I agree that Zombie Love is something worth exploring.
Oddly enough, making a zombie concept album is a major item on my bucket list, so this question got favorited pretty hard.
posted by mysterpigg at 12:30 PM on May 26, 2010
Oddly enough, making a zombie concept album is a major item on my bucket list, so this question got favorited pretty hard.
posted by mysterpigg at 12:30 PM on May 26, 2010
Vegetarian zombies were already explored in the terrible, ill-advised remake of Day of the Dead with Mena Suvari, FYI.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 4:50 PM on May 27, 2010
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 4:50 PM on May 27, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lockestockbarrel at 9:02 PM on May 25, 2010