Which are zombies?

thebouldwhacker

inspired by the worst type of zombies thread I'm wondering... what qualifies as a zombie?

Short answer is of course, the undead. However as literature shows there are many undead 'zombies' possible but do not all show the same characteristics. 'I am hero' which is used in the other thread has undead, but their not zombies, yet they kinda are. When 28 days came out I did mull over the point 'are they Z's or just biologically angry'... I have come to the conclusion that for the most part they are indeed Z's but the inescapable point being... their not dead, hmmmm.......

ScumLord

I think it's definitive, zombies are the living dead. People that are infected with something but still alive are just sick. The body has to be essentially dead all organs have stopped working. While living dead may seem implausible muscles can operate anaerobically and not require oxygen, what they can't do is become stronger and faster no matter what happens to them. The infected from 28 days later just don't work in my mind they're super human.

Kess73

ScumLord wrote: »

I think it's definitive, zombies are the living dead. People that are infected with something but still alive are just sick. The body has to be essentially dead all organs have stopped working. While living dead may seem implausible muscles can operate anaerobically and not require oxygen, what they can't do is become stronger and faster no matter what happens to them. The infected from 28 days later just don't work in my mind they're super human.

But they are not really. They can only run as fast as they could before they had the rage virus, and the maximum level of their strength would be the same maximum level as they would have been capable of under duress before the virus also. Their endurance levels seem higher, but their levels are just high because their adrenal glands are meant to be working pretty much flat out, and because their brains are damaged by the rage virus they do not acknowledge pain like a sane person would, nor do they experience fear.

And the fact that they can starve makes them quite realistic.


They are not zombies of course, but they are plausible within the scope of medical boundries and limitations, just not very probable.


But to answer what I think is a real zombie. I would have to agree that it would have to be someone who was dead who has reanimated. The whole concept of clinical death not being actual death but a prelude to being dead could put a slightly different slant onto how Z's come back, and could in fact back up the sprinter theory, without having to work out things like rigor and internal decay.

ScumLord

Kess73 wrote: »

But they are not really. They can only run as fast as they could before they had the rage virus, and the maximum level of their strength would be the same maximum level as they would have been capable of under duress before the virus also. Their endurance levels seem higher, but their levels are just high because their adrenal glands are meant to be working pretty much flat out,

If their adrenal glands are working overtime and their running at full whack the whole time their still going to suffer physical fatigue, they may not acknowledge the damage caused but they wouldn't be able to overcome it. Putting your body under that kind of stress is going to damage it, their going to use up their fuel and the muscles are going to seize up. The fact their still alive means this is a guarantee.

Kess73

ScumLord wrote: »

If their adrenal glands are working overtime and their running at full whack the whole time their still going to suffer physical fatigue, they may not acknowledge the damage caused but they wouldn't be able to overcome it. Putting your body under that kind of stress is going to damage it, their going to use up their fuel and the muscles are going to seize up. The fact their still alive means this is a guarantee.

Yep which is why they end up starving with their system breaking down quickly in the film if they do not replenish themselves.


Also they do not run flat out all the time, they only do so when they spot an unifected human, the rest of the time they mull about slowly or stay fairly still.

Micky Dolenz

ScumLord wrote: »

I think it's definitive, zombies are the living dead. People that are infected with something but still alive are just sick. The body has to be essentially dead all organs have stopped working. While living dead may seem implausible muscles can operate anaerobically and not require oxygen, what they can't do is become stronger and faster no matter what happens to them. The infected from 28 days later just don't work in my mind they're super human.

Although the infected aren't technically Zombies they are very Zed like, as in they share more similarites than differances. I am a Leg End was a bit more out there, as in them guys moved fast and were more muntants than zeds.

ScumLord, what did you think of the two 28 movies?


I think Kess, has put forward some very interesting points and I would agree with most of it.

ScumLord

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

ScumLord, what did you think of the two 28 movies?

Loved them, best horrors in a long time, the pace of the films just drag you along on a heart pounding adventure.