Film & Genre

I’ll Eat You Up, I Love You So… –

The Zombie’s Identity Crisis in Zom-Rom-Coms

‘Genre is, of course, an important ingredient in any film’s narrative image. The indication
of relevant generic characteristics is therefore one of the most important functions that
advertisements, stills, reviews and posters perform. Reviews nearly always contain terms
indicative of a film’s generic status. While posters usually offer verbal generic (and
hyperbolic) description … as anchorage for the generic iconography in pictorial form.’
(Neale, 2012: 181)

Introduction

Walking corpses have been stumbling and grumbling on the silver screens since White Zombie (1932)

was released in 1932 and introduced the conflicting figure of the zombie to American audiences.

Early manifestations of this monster, originating from Haitian folklore, were problematic in their

representation of race and realized the zombie as a possessed human controlled by the zombie

master (Kee, 2011: 14-15). It was not until George A. Romero’s 1968 film, Night of the Living Dead

(1968) when the walking dead – and its subgenre – found the shape and form we came to know it

since.

Nowadays, zombies surround us in popular culture. Their new found popularity relates to their

‘symbolic emptiness that gives them their power; people can fill them with whatever fear they want’

(Leverette, 2008: 203). Additionally, humanity seems to have a never-dying fascination with the

living/dead binary presented by the zombie’s figure which knows no emotion or reason. TV shows

such as The Walking Dead (2010- ) and films like 28 Days Later (2002) and Dawn of the Dead (2004)

present relentless monsters that, whether fast or slow, suffer the ‘absence of some metaphysical

quality of their essential selves’ (Boon, 2011: 7). Thus, there are arguably endless opportunities in

the zombie’s figure for social and political commentary.

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The horror genre arguably transformed significantly in the last 20 years. The infamous movie

monsters of the Hammer and Universal classics were mostly domesticated in teen films such as

Twilight (2008) and TV shows like True Blood (2008-2014). McIntosh argues, however, that vampires

and werewolves lost their touch with their audience’s primal fears long before, in the 1950s. He

notes that ‘compared to the real risk of nuclear annihilation … Dracula’s Transylvanian accent amid

Gothic castles seemed almost quaint’ (McIntosh, 2008: 7). The zombie’s figure, however, seems to

have escaped from the triviality of postmodern spoofs and comedies until the very recent

emergence of the zom-rom-com (zombie-romantic-comedy) subgenre.

This essay will argue, that films such as Zombieland (2009) and Shaun of the Dead (2004) did not

weaken the zombie’s symbolic power due to a ‘prohibition of slapstick [where] the humour is

character oriented, notably verbal and situational’ (Badley, 2008: 47). The zombie crawled forward

into a new era with new meanings and commentaries attached to it. Guided by genre studies, this

essay will look at the popular cultural history of the undead to understand the significance and

meaning of the zombie figure in the 21st century. A detailed analysis of the recently released zom-

rom-com, Life After Beth (2014) and some of its extra filmic materials will form the case study of this

paper with a special attention to the ‘relevant generic characteristics’ (Neale, 2012: 181). While the

film failed to impress many critics, the essay will argue that its marketing material helps construct an

accurate system of expectations that reflects the movie’s offbeat humour and gruesome horror, but

neglects the dramatic elements.

Genre Studies and Hybridity

While Aristotle distinguished first the generic difference between comedy and tragedy, and classic

literature theory has long been relying on genre theory to classify texts (Grant, 2007: 4-5); arguably,

it is in Hollywood where genre studies really flourished. The potential financial capital represented in

clearly defined genres is a resource that the film industry continues to tap in even today. With the

help of ‘advertisement[s] shaping and promoting a film’s generic image’ (Neale cited in Grant, 2007:

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6), studios can build carefully considered expectations in the audience due to their familiarity with

generic conventions.

Genre studies itself was established in the 1960s and attempted to group texts together based on

their similarities and common properties (Watson, 2007: 111). However, there seem to be a

constant underlying tension which arguably prohibits clear groupings; the empiricist dilemma of

descriptive or proscriptive definitions. The former tells us what genre a certain film is, while the

latter tells us what it is not, however, ‘both approaches are problematic as boundaries are likely to

shift’ (Cherry, 2009: 17). There are no set ‘rule of inclusion and exclusion’ (Gledhill, 1985: 60).

During the era of the classic Hollywood studio system ‘movies were made in a profit motivated

context’ as ‘producers [sought] maximum acceptance at the box office’; this resulted in the

‘repetition and variation of successful formulas’ (Grant, 2007: 7). Altman and Neale both

acknowledge genre as a structure that provides films with a framework that comes with certain

limits and boundaries (Altman, 1999: 14 and Neale, 2012: 191). These boundaries are arguably set by

the conventions and iconography that provide a ‘visual shorthand for conveying information and

meaning’ (Grant: 2007: 12).

However, Neale notes that ‘each new genre film tends to extend [the generic] repertoire, either by

adding a new element or by transgressing one of the old ones’ (Neale, 2012: 189), therefore, genres

are constantly evolving, creating new subgenres, cycles and variations. This constant state of

hybridity is also supported by Staiger and Grant who both argue that genre films have never been

entirely pure as they are ‘combinative in practice’ (Grant, 2007: 23) and belong to ‘the same

language family of Western culture’ (Staiger, 2012: 214).

What distinguishes genre difference nowadays, however, is the publicity surrounding individual

releases. With the rising marketing power of social media, studios now, more than ever, capitalize

on word of mouth, audience expectations and generic familiarity in their advertisements. The

narrative image of the film, according to Neale, is constructed partially in ‘the discourses of film-

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industry publicity and marketing’ (Neale, 2012: 181) and these media messages are surrounding us

in today’s society. Therefore, Neale’s conclusion must be noted here; he suggests that genre studies

have to ‘go beyond film content to study advertising, the star system, studio policy and so on’

(Neale, 2012: 198-199).

In the following section, the essay will explore the history, evolution and symbolic meaning of the

zombie’s figure and its genre.

Warning! Zombies Ahead! – From Zom to Zom-Rom-Com

According to Doug Winter ‘horror is not a genre … horror is an emotion’ (cited in Laity, 2004: 175)

and it certainly belongs to the category of body genres identified by Linda Williams. She described

comedies, pornography and horrors as films that ‘rely on the spectacle of the body undergoing

intense, uncontrollable emotions’ (cited in Cherry, 2009: 47 and in Hantke, 2004: VIII). This is often

communicated through horror posters attempting to scare audiences while also simultaneously

portraying fear (see Image 1) itself; they ‘play up the intended effects of the films’ (Cherry, 2009:

59).

Image 1

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While the grand narratives of horror include ‘social alienation, the collapse of spiritual and moral

order and the deep crisis of evolutionary identity’ (Wells, 2000: 6), its subgenres are primarily

distinguished by the different monsters they employ, such as werewolves, ghosts or zombies.

In the horror genre, arguably every monster represents the promise of death (Wells, 2000: 10).

While most monsters of popular culture evolved from European fairy tales and folklore, the figure of

the zombie originates from Haiti (Boon, 2011: 5); therefore, its early screen manifestations

represented racial and religious fears towards the Other – Haitian Voodoo beliefs and culture. Kee

argues that zombies were introduced to the US ‘within a discourse that maintained whiteness as the

norm and constructed those of colour as monstrous’ (Kee, 2011: 14). The posters for such films

often emphasized the foreign and possessive nature of the threat that seemed to be aimed at

exclusively on white women (see Image 2).

Image 2

Only decades later, with the release of Romero’s 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead (1968), the

modern zombie was born (Kee, 2011: 9). The original zombie master, possession narratives that

threatened only a few were transformed into unexplained, bleak, widespread apocalypse films with

very few (if any) survivors. The anxiety represented by the figure of the zombie has changed

significantly as well, as McIntosh notes, ‘modern audiences in industrialized societies are afraid of

losing their individuality and becoming one among “the many”’ (McIntosh, 2008: 3). Night of the

Living Dead (1968) also laid down the subgenre’s conventions and rules that remained practically

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unchanged even today, however, were not always part of the zombie-lore (the zombie’s

cannibalistic nature included).

As the film industry itself, the zombie subgenre has also changed by the 1980s with a tonal shift

away from ‘Romero’s darkly humorous social satire to the increasingly grotesque body humour’

(Badley, 2008: 47) represented by zombie splatter films. Movies such as The Evil Dead (1981) and Re-

Animator (1985) lead zombies into a gorier era sprinkled with dark, gross-out humour. The over the

top violence prompted audiences to feel ‘gut-level responses of disgust, horror and laughter’

(Badley, 2008: 35-36) simultaneously. For example, the Peter Jackson directed Braindead’s (1992)

climax, where the hero mows down a house full of zombies with a lawnmower, allegedly used 300

litres of fake blood. As gore became a major selling point to the adolescent audience that dominated

the box office at the time (Badley, 2008: 47), movie posters reflected this also (see Image 3).

Image 3

However, Braindead’s (1992) excessive gore and morbidity also meant the end of the splatter cycle

as no one even attempted to top Jackson’s film. The zombie retired temporarily to video games

where it became frightening again. This might be because of the interactivity of video games which

makes the uncanny encounter with the zombie a more realistic experience where the ‘real fear of

zombification – not meeting a zombie but becoming one’ (Koven, 2008: 31) – can be negotiated.

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After nearly 10 years spent dormant from mainstream entertainment, the zombie returned in the

beginning of the 21st century. 28 days later (2002) and Resident Evil (2002) re-introduced the undead

as a vicious, fast predator. Arguably, this cycle remained popular, partially due to the audience’s

increased appetite for action and special effects. Accordingly, such movie posters incorporate

movement in their images, often portraying the living fleeing from the dead (See Image 4). This may

indicate to potential viewers that the film will be action filled and visually exciting.

Image 4

At the same time, while zombies continued to terrify audiences, vampires and werewolves arguably

entered an adolescent fantasy cycle. In Twilight (2008), True Blood (2008-2014) and Red Riding Hood

(2011), these infamous beasts are arguably romanticized and domesticated, they are characters to

lust after rather than be scared of. This dynamic is clearly communicated through marketing, so the

(largely female) teenager target audience can find their expectations easily (See Image 5). The

zombie resisted this process, arguably, because it does not incorporate any sexuality in its (un)dead

body.

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Image 5

Shaun of the Dead (2004) was the first film to be advertised as a zom-rom-com and it arguably

started a cycle of similar zombie comedies. McIntosh notes that there is ‘a fine line between horror

and laughter, but when the audience starts laughing AT (added emphasis) the monsters, they stop

being afraid of them’ (McIntosh, 2008: 6). Due to the earlier mentioned ‘prohibition of slapstick’

(Badley, 2008: 47) and the use of witty, verbal humour, the zombies in films like Shaun of the Dead

(2004) and Zombieland (2009) never stop posing considerable threat and danger to the protagonists.

The zombie apocalypse provides backdrop and motivation for character development and romance,

but arguably never becomes the source of the humour. This character centeredness is represented

on the films’ posters as well (See Image 6) where the zombie threat surrounds the armed and more-

than-ready protagonists.

Image 6

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This approach is arguably taken a step further by Warm Bodies (2013) where zombies progressively

become capable of basic speech, feelings, dreams, remorse and even ultimate integration into

society. As Collins and Bond notes, ‘new millennium zombie stories adopt a more hopeful and less

misanthropic tone than their nihilist predecessors’ (Collins & Bond, 2011: 188).

The essay, through the case study analysis of Life After Beth (2014), will now argue, that the above

mixing of comedy and romance elements with the zombie genre did not create the same

‘domesticated monster’ cycle as it did with the vampire and the werewolf. Instead, this new breed of

zombie movie learnt how to communicate their generic image with their potential audience with the

careful selection of marketing material and social media engagement.

“I’m a fucking zombie! Zombies eat guys!” – Life After Beth (2014) and

Narrative Image on Social Media

Life After Beth (2014) is an independent zom-rom-com about Zach who is devastated after the

sudden death of his girlfriend, Beth, who died due to a snake bite she suffered while hiking alone.

Stricken by grief, Zach grows closer to Beth’s mourning family, the Slocums, until one day they refuse

to answer the door to him. He discovers that Beth came back to life and does not remember a thing

about dying. After the initial shock, disbelief and scepticism, Zach seizes the opportunity to tell Beth

everything he never had a chance to say. However, Beth becomes increasingly violent and jealous

while her body also starts to decompose as she becomes more and more zombified. Eventually, Zach

has to kill Beth, but not before touchingly saying goodbye to his now screaming, growling zombie

lover.

The film is the directorial debut of Jeff Baena who co-wrote I Heart Huckabees (2004) with David O.

Russell. The titular Beth is played by Aubrey Plaza who is known for deadbeat, indie, quirky comedies

like Parks and Recreation (2009- ), Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) and The To Do List (2013). From the

viewers’ perspective, her star persona adds new expectations and intrigue to a film that supposedly

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contains zombies as well. Accordingly, the Telegraph noted that ‘pans don’t come deader than

Aubrey Plaza’s which makes [her] … a logical choice to play a zombie’ (Collin, 2014) while the Empire

praised her performance, saying she is ‘sinking her teeth into a role that lets her literally chew the

scenery’ (Williams, 2014). The actress and the film’s social media both arguably played up this

blurring of her onscreen and public persona with tweets like the following:

Image 7

Image 8

The film premiered in the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and received mixed reviews since its release.

While the Telegraph states that Life After Beth (2014) is proof that ‘there’s death in the genre yet’

(Collin, 2014), The Guardian compares it with other films of the genre and finds it lacking when it

says that it ‘has its moments, but it’s not in the same class as Shaun of the Dead’ (Bradshaw, 2014).

What seems consistent though, is the critics’ ease in categorizing the film as a zom-rom-com. This

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suggests that some viewers encountered other marketing materials already looking for this specific

narrative image due to the reviews that they have read.

The first poster (See Image 8) places Aubrey Plaza in the centre. She smiles vacantly and there is

something undoubtedly otherworldly in her expression. The typography used for the title clearly

indicates that the girl on the picture is Beth while the title itself reveals that the movie might be set

after her death. It can also be understood as a wordplay on ‘afterlife’ which here becomes ‘life

after’. The interconnected system of words and image on the poster implies a narrative about death,

however, the comedic element can also be detected in Plaza’s eerie, uncanny smile. The tagline

references The Dark Knight (2008): ‘Some girls just want to watch the world burn.’. This invites the

Joker’s image into the mind of a film-savvy viewer, suggesting that the vacant smile on Beth’s face is

even crazier than it looks. Overall, this poster does not reveal the genre of the film; hints at it, but

relies on a presumed knowledge gained by the audience through reviews or trailers perhaps.

Image 9 and 10

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The second poster (See Image 9) depicts Beth in the same outfit as in the first one, however, more of

her body is shown, displaying a gruesome heart-shaped chest wound. Her extremely pale skin colour

is contrasted with Zach’s, who looks embarrassingly alive next to his supposedly undead girlfriend.

The tagline here is alluding to romantic comedy tropes; ‘Boy meets girl. Girl eats boy.’ It also relies

on the audience’s knowledge of this trope and implies a zombie narrative, simultaneously. It could

be argued that this poster is slightly misleading, as Beth in the film dies of a snake bite rather than a

chest wound. However, the affect is arguably the same: audiences can construct the narrative image

of a dead girl coming back from the grave to pursue her boyfriend; comedy/horror ensues.

Life After Beth’s (2014) social media marketing also includes a series of pictures giving ‘zombie

dating advice’, Photoshopped versions of famous romantic movie posters and pictures of bloody

mixtapes alluding to yet another romcom trope (See Image 11). This approach further emphasizes

the film’s connections to both the zombie and the romantic comedy genre.

Image 11

The marketing campaign highlights Life After Beth’s (2014) place in the zombie genre, also.

Comparing Beth’s ‘scale of danger’ with other popular culture manifestations of the zombie (See

Image 12), the film pays tribute to its predecessors while also reveals its generic context to viewers.

It is unlikely to be a coincidence that the graph mentions Zombieland (2009), Warm Bodies (2013),

Shaun of the Dead (2004), The Walking Dead (2010- ) and ‘The Original’, Night of the Living Dead

(1968). The inclusion of the 1968 classic places the film in the larger category of zombie films while

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the globally popular TV show arguably provides a shorthand for those otherwise unfamiliar with the

genre. However, as this essay argues, the three other mentioned films with Life After Beth (2014),

form an entirely separate subgenre distinguished by their approach to simultaneously tackle the

horror and the absurdity of the zombie figure.

Image 12

Nevertheless, it could be argued that the often dramatic tone of the film is heavily underplayed by

the marketing. The film surprises with an arguably authentic portrayal of grief in its first third,

depicting the numbness of mourning, the shared trauma of losing someone and the deeply rooted

regret of those left behind. The sad and downbeat opening, where death is socially recognized as ‘an

emotional, symbolic event’ (Christie, 2011: 72), provides a counterpoint to the upcoming zombie

narrative where ‘death becomes a continuing state of being’ (Christie, 2011: 79). Furthermore,

Beth’s moving reaction when it is revealed to her that she died a couple of days before, incorporates

the identity crisis of the zombie; she says: ‘How can I be dead? I’m not dead. You can’t be both

things!’. Meanwhile, Zach’s goodbye in the finale also remains extremely touching (even with Beth

tied to an oven wobbling right next to him) as he has to become the architect of Beth’s second death

and final destruction (Christie, 2011: 74). Markers and signifiers of such emotional themes were

arguably left out from the extra filmic material, perhaps to maximize the anticipation of zombie fans.

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This, however, can lead to audiences not finding their expectations upon viewing the film which in

turn can amount to negative word of mouth and box office failure.

Conclusion

Neale argued, that ‘successful genres gradually lose their effective power through continual

reproduction’ (Neale, 2012: 192) and can only be saved by implementing new themes, narratives

and variations into their generic identity. While this process arguably de-fanged the vampire in the

21st century, the zombie kept its bite on the big and small screen alike. This essay contemplated how

the unchanged narrative function and characteristics of the undead protected its horrifying image

from triviality.

It was also discussed how the basic premise of zom-rom-coms risks ridiculing the zombie, however,

resists this through a careful integration of the cannibalistic monster within a character driven

narrative. Therefore, movies like Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Life After Beth (2014) manage to

both acknowledge and evolve the base genre of zombie films.

In order to engage the potential audience, the extra filmic materials of such movies have to

construct a generic image that equally reflects the horrific and comedic elements of the film. Life

After Beth’s (2014) marketing campaign arguably achieves this by placing the movie in a self-

conscious, postmodern context with allusions to both the romantic comedy and the zombie film

genres. The marketing, however, arguably hides the film’s emotional depth by excluding the

authentic portrayal of grief from the narrative image. Nevertheless, with the creative use of generic

allusions the film and its marketing campaign still manages to – both literally and figuratively – wear

its heart on its sleeve.

Word count: approx. 3315 (without subheadings)

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Bibliography:
Altman, R. (1999) Film/Genre. London: BFI Publishing.

Badley, L. (2008) ‘Zombie Splatter Comedy from Dawn to Shaun: Cannibal Carnivalesque’ in S.
McIntosh and M. Leverette (eds.) Zombie Culture – Autopsies of the Living Dead. Lanham, Maryland:
The Scarecrow Press, Inc., pp. 35-54.

Boon, K. (2011) ‘And the Dead Shall Rise’ in D. Christie and S. J. Lauro (eds.) Better Off Dead – The
Evolution of the Zombie as Post-Human. New York: Fordham University Press, pp. 5-8.

Bradshaw, P. (2014) ‘Life After Beth Review – Zombie Romcom Shuffles Towards Farce’ on The
Guardian Online [website] available at: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/02/life-after-
beth-review-zombie-romcom [last accessed: 17/01/2015]

Cherry, B. (2009) Horror – Routledge Film Guidebooks, London: Routledge.

Christie, D. (2011) ‘A Dead New World: Richard Matheson and the Modern Zombie’ in D. Christie and
S. J. Lauro (eds.) Better Off Dead – The Evolution of the Zombie as Post-Human. New York: Fordham
University Press, pp. 67-80.

Collin, R. (2014) ‘Life After Beth Review: glibly funny’ on The Telegraph Online [website] available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11135832/Life-after-Beth-review-glibly-
funny.html [last accessed: 17/01/2015]

Collins, M. and Bond, E. (2011) ‘”Off the page and into your brains!”: New Millennium Zombies and
the Scourge of Hopeful Apocalypses’ in D. Christie and S. J. Lauro (eds.) Better Off Dead – The
Evolution of the Zombie as Post-Human. New York: Fordham University Press, pp. 187-204.

Gledhill, C. (1985) 'Genre' in P. Cook (ed.) The Cinema Book. London: British Film Institute.

Grant, B. K. (2007) Film Genre – From Iconography to Ideology. London: Wallflower.

Hantke, S. (2004) ‘Introduction – Horror Film and the Apparatus of Cinema’ in S. Hantke (ed.) Horror
Film: Creating and Marketing Fear, Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.

Kee, C. (2011) ‘”They Are Not Men… They Are Dead Bodies” – From Cannibal to Zombie and Back
Again’ in D. Christie and S. J. Lauro (eds.) Better Off Dead – The Evolution of the Zombie as Post-
Human. New York: Fordham University Press, pp. 9-23.

Koven, M. J. (2008) ‘The Folklore of the Zombie Film’ in S. McIntosh and M. Leverette (eds.) Zombie
Culture – Autopsies of the Living Dead. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., pp. 19-34.

Laity, K. A. (2004) ‘From SBIGs to Mildred’s Inverse Law of Trailers – Skewing the Narrative of Horror
Fan Consumption’ in S. Hantke (ed.) Horror Film: Creating and Marketing Fear, Jackson: University
Press of Mississippi, pp. 173-190.

Leverett, M. (2008) ‘The Funk of Forty Thousand Years; or, How the (Un)Dead Get Their Grooves On’
in S. McIntosh and M. Leverette (eds.) Zombie Culture – Autopsies of the Living Dead. Lanham,
Maryland: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., pp. 185-212.

McIntosh, S. (2008) ‘The Evolution of the Zombie: The Monster That Keeps Coming Back’ in S.
McIntosh and M. Leverette (eds.) Zombie Culture – Autopsies of the Living Dead. Lanham, Maryland:
The Scarecrow Press, Inc., pp. 1-18.

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Neale, S. (2012) ‘Questions of Genre’ in B. K. Grant (ed.) Film Genre Reader IV., Austin, Texas:
University of Texas Press, pp. 178-202.

Staiger, J. (2012) ‘Hybrid or Inbred: The Purity Hypothesis and Hollywood Genre History’ in B. K.
Grant (ed.) Film Genre Reader IV., Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, pp. 203-217.

Watson, P. (2007) ‘Genre Theory and Hollywood Cinema’ in J. Nelmes (ed.) Film Studies: An
Introduction – 4th Edition, London: Routledge, pp. 109-127.

Wells, P. (2000) The Horror Genre – From Beelzebub to Blair Witch. London: Wallflower.

Williams, O. (2014) ‘Life After Beth – Night of the Loving Dead’ on Empire Online [website] available
at: http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?FID=138813 [last accessed: 17/01/2015]

Websites used:
Life After Beth Official Website - http://lifeafterbeth-movie.com/

Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/LifeAfterBeth

Twitter Page - https://twitter.com/LifeAftrBeth

Movie Poster Database - http://www.movieposterdb.com/

Filmography:
28 Days Later (2002) [Film] Directed by Danny Boyle. UK: DNA Films, British Film Council.

Braindead (1992) [Film] Directed by Peter Jackson. New Zealand: WingNut Films, Avalon Studios
Limited, The New Zealand Film Commission.

Dawn of the Dead (2004) [Film] Directed by Zack Snyder. US: Strike Entertainment, New Amsterdam
Entertainment.

I Heart Huckabees (2004) [Film] Directed by David O. Russell. US: Scott Rudin Productions.

Life After Beth (2014) [Film] Directed by Jeff Baena. US: American Zoetrope, Abbolita Productions,
Starstream Entertainment, XYZ Films.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) [Film] Directed by George A. Romero. US: Image Ten, Laurel Group,
Market Square Productions.

Parks and Recreation (2009- ) [TV series] Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. US: NBC.

Re-Animator (1985) [Film] Directed by Stuart Gordon. US: Re-Animator Productions.

Red Riding Hood (2011) [Film] Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. US: Appian Way Productions.

Resident Evil (2002) [Film] Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. Germany, UK, France: Constantin Film,
New Legacy Films, Davis Films, Impact Pictures, Capcom.

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Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) [Film] Directed by Colin Trevorrow. US: Big Beach.

Shaun of the Dead (2004) [Film] Directed by Edgar Wright. UK, France, US: Studio Canal, Working
Title, Big Talk Productions.

The Dark Knight (2008) [Film] Directed by Christopher Nolan. US, UK: Legendary Pictures, DC Comics,
Syncopy.

The Evil Dead (1981) [Film] Directed by Sam Raimi. US: Renaissance Pictures.

The To Do List (2013) [Film] Directed by Maggie Carey. US: The Mark Gordon Company, 3 Arts
Entertainment.

The Walking Dead (2010- ) [TV series] Created by Frank Darabont. US: AMC Studios, Circle of
Confusion, Darkwood Productions, Valhalla Entertainment, Idiot Box Productions.

True Blood (2008-2014) [TV series] Created by Alan Ball. US: HBO, Your Face Goes Here
Entertainment.

Twilight (2008) [Film] Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. US: Temple Hill Entertainment, Maverick
Films, Imprint Entertainment, DMG Entertainment.

Warm Bodies (2013) [Film] Directed by Jonathan Levine. US: Mandeville Films.

White Zombie (1932) [Film] Directed by Victor Halperin. US: United Artists.

Zombieland (2009) [Film] Directed by Ruben Fleischer. US: Relativity Media, Pariah.

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