Zombie in a Penguin Suit
October 25, 2011 2:02 PM Subscribe
Poignant 7-minute tale of, well, the title says it all (SLYT). Fantastic quality for a short film.
Strange coincidence, but this made me think of Herzog as well. It does fit perfectly with his fascination with the bizarre edges between human and non-human.
posted by Wemmick at 2:47 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Wemmick at 2:47 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
I wonder if anyone has checked for correlations between the rise in the number of zombie stories and the rise in Facebook usage.
posted by sutt at 2:57 PM on October 25, 2011
posted by sutt at 2:57 PM on October 25, 2011
Meh. Slow pacing and cello music does not make something poignant.
posted by me3dia at 3:00 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by me3dia at 3:00 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
I wonder if anyone has checked for correlations between the rise in the number of zombie stories and the rise in Facebook usage.
"Liiiiiikes..."
posted by Iosephus at 3:03 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
"Liiiiiikes..."
posted by Iosephus at 3:03 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
this makes me wonder something about The Walking Dead.
Why are there so many intact zombies? When they grab somebody, they eat them. But we see hordes staggering around with only messed up faces. How did so many people manage to get bitten but not devoured? Isn't part of the zombie threat that hordes overrun you?
Why are there so many intact zombies?
posted by entropone at 3:08 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Why are there so many intact zombies? When they grab somebody, they eat them. But we see hordes staggering around with only messed up faces. How did so many people manage to get bitten but not devoured? Isn't part of the zombie threat that hordes overrun you?
Why are there so many intact zombies?
posted by entropone at 3:08 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
There is no story here beyond the title. I was waiting for the zombie to jump the shark at the aquarium.
Slow pacing and cello music does not make something poignant.
Of course, silly. You need Coldplay to make it poignant.
posted by benzenedream at 3:09 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Slow pacing and cello music does not make something poignant.
Of course, silly. You need Coldplay to make it poignant.
posted by benzenedream at 3:09 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
The scene during the credits absolutely redeems the description of 'poignant' for this film.
posted by Taft at 3:10 PM on October 25, 2011
posted by Taft at 3:10 PM on October 25, 2011
"So here's the pitch. The kids, they love the zombies, right? But the zombies have been done to death, haven't they? Oh, ha ha, yeah, done to death, I kill myself. So here's what we do. We keep the lumbering undead and the biting and the blood and the disembowellings but... get this, you're gonna die... not really!... WE PUT A ZOMBIE IN A PENGUIN SUIT!"
"Yeah, and then what?"
"Well... you know, he's a zombie, and he's doing all that zombie shit... but... HE'S IN A PENGUIN SUIT!"
"Which means... what?"
"Means? Why does it have to mean anything? It's different! It's original! The kids love that shit!"
"The kids don't give a fuck about that shit, otherwise how do you explain Coldplay and Lady Gaga?"
"Fair point. Still. Come on. A zombie in a penguin suit. You're smiling, aren't you? Just a little bit. Maybe only inside, but come on. Admit it. "
" Yeah, yeah, maybe a little bit. But it needs something more. "
"Okay. Lemme think. Wait... got it! We put some mournful classical music over it!"
"Hmmm... zombie.... penguin suit... blood and guts... yearning strings... pseudo-profundity... jaded hipster culture... DAMN. I think we can make something of this!"
"Post-ironic beer commercials all round!"
posted by Decani at 3:15 PM on October 25, 2011 [5 favorites]
"Yeah, and then what?"
"Well... you know, he's a zombie, and he's doing all that zombie shit... but... HE'S IN A PENGUIN SUIT!"
"Which means... what?"
"Means? Why does it have to mean anything? It's different! It's original! The kids love that shit!"
"The kids don't give a fuck about that shit, otherwise how do you explain Coldplay and Lady Gaga?"
"Fair point. Still. Come on. A zombie in a penguin suit. You're smiling, aren't you? Just a little bit. Maybe only inside, but come on. Admit it. "
" Yeah, yeah, maybe a little bit. But it needs something more. "
"Okay. Lemme think. Wait... got it! We put some mournful classical music over it!"
"Hmmm... zombie.... penguin suit... blood and guts... yearning strings... pseudo-profundity... jaded hipster culture... DAMN. I think we can make something of this!"
"Post-ironic beer commercials all round!"
posted by Decani at 3:15 PM on October 25, 2011 [5 favorites]
There is a final post-credit image that also seems to put an interesting little spin on it.
I think what would have made this work as poignant for me is if he actually had a destination in mind - like he was going back to his house or to his parents' graves or something. It wouldn't even have to be a conscious thing - just like a reflexive post-zombie transformation action.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:20 PM on October 25, 2011
I think what would have made this work as poignant for me is if he actually had a destination in mind - like he was going back to his house or to his parents' graves or something. It wouldn't even have to be a conscious thing - just like a reflexive post-zombie transformation action.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:20 PM on October 25, 2011
I liked the cello music, and thought it added to the mood. On closer inspection, this reminds me very much of the Dead Island video game trailer.
posted by avoision at 3:25 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by avoision at 3:25 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Thanks for this, I liked it a lot. I haven't seen any zombie films where the focus is on an individual instead of a nameless horde (I say films, because I have played Stubbs the Zombie: Rebel without a Pulse). It's that, rather than the penguin suit, which sets it out from the crowd for me. Even without the end part, which made me genuinely sad.
That said: worst thing to watch while eating cold herring. Turns out mouth feel is strongly connected to visual input.
posted by omnikron at 3:54 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
That said: worst thing to watch while eating cold herring. Turns out mouth feel is strongly connected to visual input.
posted by omnikron at 3:54 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh look, they're going on ahead and making films about things that aren't vampires, zombies and child wizards over there in that other room so I'm just gonna - you know - go on over there...Okay, bye...Yup, okay, bye-bye now... Yes, I understand that you have a "different take" but, uh, see I promised I'd bring the beer and - yup, okay now. Bye.
posted by Mooseli at 4:08 PM on October 25, 2011
posted by Mooseli at 4:08 PM on October 25, 2011
The penguin suit wasn't the only "different take"; I don't recall any other zombie stories treating one of the zombies as its protagonist. Toward the end, I thought it was aiming for what Joey Michaels suggested... the zombie was going 'home', making the actual end (and the least impressive makeup of the film in that last closeup) a let-down.
Anyway, here is another, genuinely different take on zombies that I believe will change the way you look at the undead forever.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:18 PM on October 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Anyway, here is another, genuinely different take on zombies that I believe will change the way you look at the undead forever.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:18 PM on October 25, 2011 [2 favorites]
Unfortunately this film looks like they shot for about 2 more levels of production than they could afford. Everything is just a shade off. Even the knots on the crucifix zombie don't look right/quite real.
posted by nathancaswell at 4:18 PM on October 25, 2011
posted by nathancaswell at 4:18 PM on October 25, 2011
i liked it, but -5 points for uncredited Arvo Part at the end.
posted by silence at 4:47 PM on October 25, 2011
posted by silence at 4:47 PM on October 25, 2011
For those of you wondering whether Zombie Muppets are the sort of thing that you'll later wish that you could un-see, let me share with you the hard-won wisdom of my experience: Yes. Yes they are.
posted by .kobayashi. at 5:41 PM on October 25, 2011
posted by .kobayashi. at 5:41 PM on October 25, 2011
The penguin suit wasn't the only "different take"; I don't recall any other zombie stories treating one of the zombies as its protagonist. Toward the end, I thought it was aiming for what Joey Michaels suggested... the zombie was going 'home', making the actual end (and the least impressive makeup of the film in that last closeup) a let-down.
You are right. I've seen a number of zombie movies and they are always just a mass of mindless, nameless eating machines. So the attempt to make a particular zombie a protagonist by placing him in a penguin suit was a genius move (who could hate a penguin?) Unfortunately it didn't go anywhere from there.
I believe the whole idea of a protagonist zombie is pretty much unworkable. Zombies have no personality-- they are only destructive machines. You might as well try creating empathy for a paper shredder or a garbage disposal. I do remember in Dawn of the Dead (is that the shopping mall one?) that some of the zombies had residual memories that caused them to sort of shop, but usually zombies are merely shambling, decaying food processors.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:49 PM on October 25, 2011
You are right. I've seen a number of zombie movies and they are always just a mass of mindless, nameless eating machines. So the attempt to make a particular zombie a protagonist by placing him in a penguin suit was a genius move (who could hate a penguin?) Unfortunately it didn't go anywhere from there.
I believe the whole idea of a protagonist zombie is pretty much unworkable. Zombies have no personality-- they are only destructive machines. You might as well try creating empathy for a paper shredder or a garbage disposal. I do remember in Dawn of the Dead (is that the shopping mall one?) that some of the zombies had residual memories that caused them to sort of shop, but usually zombies are merely shambling, decaying food processors.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:49 PM on October 25, 2011
That's because the camera is always on the uninfected people. If there isn't anyone around to provoke the zombie feast impulse they get up to all kinds of other zombie hijinks.
posted by The Hamms Bear at 7:10 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by The Hamms Bear at 7:10 PM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]
On closer inspection, this reminds me very much of the Dead Island video game trailer.
The ending image totally made it clear that that was the inspiration. No doubt.
i liked it, but -5 points for uncredited Arvo Part at the end.
And Spiegel Im Spiegel! Come on, folks, everyone uses that.
Still, I applaud anyone making anything that I can watch to the end.
posted by fungible at 7:20 PM on October 25, 2011
The ending image totally made it clear that that was the inspiration. No doubt.
i liked it, but -5 points for uncredited Arvo Part at the end.
And Spiegel Im Spiegel! Come on, folks, everyone uses that.
Still, I applaud anyone making anything that I can watch to the end.
posted by fungible at 7:20 PM on October 25, 2011
I cannot support this film under the simple fact that it could possibly inspire Zombie Empathy. The second we start thinking they aren't so bad...that's when they get you.
posted by toekneebullard at 8:00 PM on October 25, 2011
posted by toekneebullard at 8:00 PM on October 25, 2011
The zombie on the cross was actually the highlight for me. That zombie will be there forever. Brrr. (Alright, eventually the ropes or it's flesh will disintegrate but still.)
posted by Peztopiary at 12:48 AM on October 26, 2011
posted by Peztopiary at 12:48 AM on October 26, 2011
"You might as well try creating empathy for a paper shredder or a garbage disposal."
Actually... give it screws for eyes, and turn the shredder into a territorial growl. Instantly it becomes some sort of guard dog in a cheap Pixar ripoff (or something).
I do tend to empathise with zombies more than I do with the protagonists of zombie movies, which is why I don't watch many of them. It's easier to care about the tragedy of lost lives than the few annoying white dudes who were lucky enough to survive.
posted by Kaleidolia at 3:43 AM on October 26, 2011
Actually... give it screws for eyes, and turn the shredder into a territorial growl. Instantly it becomes some sort of guard dog in a cheap Pixar ripoff (or something).
I do tend to empathise with zombies more than I do with the protagonists of zombie movies, which is why I don't watch many of them. It's easier to care about the tragedy of lost lives than the few annoying white dudes who were lucky enough to survive.
posted by Kaleidolia at 3:43 AM on October 26, 2011
(If cortex ever curates a collection of impossible Metafilter taglines, I would like to include the following)
Metafilter: I liked it.
posted by hanoixan at 6:59 AM on October 26, 2011
Metafilter: I liked it.
posted by hanoixan at 6:59 AM on October 26, 2011
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posted by Drastic at 2:34 PM on October 25, 2011 [5 favorites]