If a “zombedy” is a zombie comedy, what’s a zombie *romantic* comedy?
If you’re questioning my choice of topic, I’ll remind you that zombies are always hungry. Granted, their diet is a wee bit unbalanced…but then, so are a lot of non-zombies’ diets! I don’t think we should hold it against them, quite frankly.
Why don't they list 'marrow'? It's delicious AND nutritious! (via Geekstir)
It is a sad fact of life that the zombie diet is often misunderstood and painted as being one-note and really rather boring—not to mention hazardous to those unlucky humans and warm-blooded animals crossing their path. This may have to do with the fact that many people aren’t familiar with the depth and breadth of what it actually means to be a zombie. Sure, you may have zombie friends—but have you ever been a zombie? (No, Steve, I’m not talking about you.) As with so many other things in life, it’s entirely possible that zombies are merely misunderstood.
So, in the interest of gathering empirical data, it seems only fitting that we should study the zombie diet in a more ‘up-close-and-personal’ sort of way. With that in mind, it’s movie time…or movie trailer time, at least!
Ten Zombie Films to Increase Your Brain…power.
- Shaun of the Dead. If you haven’t seen it, you should, and if you haven’t seen it in awhile, you should rewatch it. THIS IS REQUIRED VIEWING.
- Undead. Don’t turn the commentary on, though. The commentary is far more frightening than the film itself. Which isn’t to say that the film is bad—it’s really quite good, actually. But the commentary is…well…mind-numbing.
- SARS Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis. Don’t be scared by the fact that the trailer’s in Thai…it is, after all, a Thai movie. It has, however, been released in R1 with English-language subtitles, and I definitely suggest tracking it down. Sometimes films are unintentionally hilarious, but sometimes, they’re hilarious on purpose. This is the latter, and oh yes, there are zombies.
- 28 Days Later. It’s a shame the sequel wasn’t better, but since I did like Sunshine quite a lot, I’ll forgive Danny and Cillian for going off and making that instead. Still, this is always good for a genuine scare. Bonus points awarded for foodstuff foraging!
- Black Sheep. No, not the Chris Farley one. This one involves genetically-altered zombie sheep. Which, come to think of it, might have made the Chris Farley one worth watching!
- Planet Terror. It’s really a shame that Death Proof wasn’t nearly as fun as this. Do I really need to sell you on this when it’s got Rose McGowan with a machine-gun leg? I mean really, is that necessary? COME ON.
- The Evil Dead. I’d actually put the whole trilogy on the list, but YMMV of course. Still, begin at the beginning; it’s always the very best place to start. I do hope the only thing you know Bruce Campbell from isn’t Burn Notice, but if it is, it’s never too late to learn more.
- Slither. I’m beginning to think you simply can’t go wrong with Nathan Fillion. Although I haven’t checked IMdB to back myself up on this observation, so don’t hold me to it.
- The Fog. Not the remake. Oh no, not the remake. I’m talking about the original fantastic John Carpenter film starring the Barbeaubot Adrienne Barbeau! Not a zombie film you say? Maybe you need to watch it again.
- Dead Set. It’s…not a movie. It’s a six-part UK TV series. And I haven’t seen it yet, I have to confess. But the concept is so spectacularly brilliant that if it doesn’t end up being utterly fantastic, I shall be very, very disappointed. I also suspect you will be, too, once I tell you the concept, which is this: zombie Big Brother-style reality show. Don’t you want to see it already? I know I do!
No matter what the future holds in store for you and yours on this gorgeous Halloween, I do hope you’ll take a moment out of your busy schedule to consider the plight of your friends the zombies. And perhaps you’ll find it your heart to help any and all zombies who come to your door looking for something delicious to eat this evening. Maybe you’ll even have one of these fine films playing in the background as you answer the door, just to let them know you’re zombie-friendly.
Don’t be hating on the undead; just like you and me, they have to eat, too.
Caketacular, caketacular!
If you’ve looked at TSiR in the past hour or so, you’ve already noticed the design change, but if you’re reading this on a feed, I do suggest hopping over and taking a look. It’s quite nice, if I do say so myself. 
I’m still working on tweaking the photo gallery, so please bear with me if it starts to look a little wonky as I pinch, prod, and poke it into shape. Most of the photos in the gallery will be taken from TSiR, although the gallery will be strictly food-centric, so there will be some that won’t make the cut—such as, for instance, a few I’ll post a bit further down!
It’s long overdue, but I did want to post a photo of the delicious cake I made for Ning’s birthday over at Happy Elephant! It was a dark chocolate mocha cake with Thai coffee buttercream and a dark chocolate ganache. Everyone was very pleased, especially the birthday girl. As always, click through to see a larger version if you like.
What happier elephant is there than one on a cake like this?
There’s a reason “business” starts with “busy.”
Dispatches from the Big Chef circle:
- As mentioned previously, my Ricotta Parmesan bread is currently one of the featured breads of the month over at Lynfred right now, along with a very delicious Apple Walnut Streusel bread. They’ve also got some Honeycrisp taffy apples (double-dipped!) that will kill you, they’re so good.
- Switching tacks for a moment, you might also want to check out Happy Elephant Thai Cuisine, which is conveniently located in Elk Grove Village very near the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway. (Warning if you do try to come that way: there’s no good way to turn north on Rohlwing Road/old Rte. 53 from the expressway, so you’ll have to do a turn-around if you try the expressway!) We’ve got fantastic Thai food available with your choice of meats, tofu, or no protein at all…not to mention delicious Thai desserts and beverages prepared to order for all your delicious Thai food needs. If you’ve got a biological need for curry, as I do, you’ll want to come visit as often as possible.
- I’ve got a cake and some curry I want to post here shortly as well, but currently we’re in the midst of massive site redesign. If you notice anything strange going on with the layout, please don’t be alarmed.
- The holidays are nearly upon us, and what more thoughtful gift is there than the gift of a Big Chef gift certificate? In these trying times, when everyone’s budget-conscious and trying their best to get by, you might think a personal chef is just an unnecessary luxury…but it’s not! Take a moment to consider the time and energy expended in meal-planning, grocery shopping, and preparation of wholesome meals for your family and you’ll see the costs (and stresses) quickly add up. If you’re combating the “stress” portion of the equation above by relying on take-out food, the costs might not seem like much when taken one meal at a time, but over the course of a month, even spending $5 a day on lunch during your usual work week can add up to $100—and that’s just for one person! If you’re a family of four and you’re each spending $5 per day on lunch, that’s $20/day per family, or $400/month! If you’re willing to make the call, a free consultation from Big Chef can show you how you and/or the lucky loved one you’re thinking of giving a gift certificate to can save time, money, and stress while enjoying fabulous food that’s prepared EXACTLY to your (or their) specifications! What could be better than the food you love and crave without all the effort? Not much!
Janaki
