Sasha Summers

I’ll admit – I’m relieved that there’s a brief vampire respite. I mean, I love a good vampire book or film – but enough already. I know it’s only a temporary hiatus, as the two Twilight final films (based on the book ‘Breaking Dawn’) will bring vampires and werewolf/shape-shifters back into the spotlight. I do not care for the TV series True Blood, so I’ve never tried to sit through the books. While I did try to read Vampire Diaries, didn’t like the book but enjoy the teen sopa opera television drama – it might be because I think Ian Somerhalder is awesome (from his LOST Boone days, too.).

Zombies seem to be the next ‘paranormal’ creature to rise to ‘stardom’. Between AMC’s new zombie series, The Walking Dead , the upcoming film version of ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’, and the wrap-up of the zombie laden Halloween films – zombies are cool.

I have nothing against zombies.

One of my favorite movies of all time is the fantastic (often duplicated but NEVER replicated) 28 Days Later

(NOT 28 Weeks Later – which is a pitiful sequel). This genius film aside, there’s not much to make a zombie film new and original.

I mean, look at Zombieland  - wince and sigh. It wasn’t bad but, yawn. Other than a funny cameo by Bill Murray and a bizarre comic bit with Twinkies is not so funny. Compare it to the hilariously fast paced and still disturbingly graphic and gross Shaun of the Dead (which I own) and there’s no contest.

As far as books – Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was fine. Didn’t get as much out of it as I’d hoped for. I did, however, sincerely enjoy Boneshaker - a layered, absorbing, steampunk novel by Cherie Priest. I haven’t read the others in the Clockwork Century series, but I plan to. 

All in all – enjoy your vacation from mainstream popular culture vampires and werewolf/shape-shifters. We’re being pleasantly entertained by flesh-eating, walking corpses for the time being!