Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero's Visions of Hell on EarthWinner of the 2006 Bram Stoker Award, Gospel of the Living Dead connects American social and religious views with the classic American movie genre of the zombie horror film. For nearly forty years, the films of George A. Romero have presented viewers with hellish visions of our world overrun by flesh-eating ghouls. This study proves that Romero's films, like apocalyptic literature or Dante's Commedia, go beyond the surface experience of repulsion to probe deeper questions of human nature and purpose, often giving a chilling and darkly humorous critique of modern, secular America. |
Contents
The Themes of the Current Zombie Movie Genre | 1 |
Night of the Living Dead 1968 Romeros First Look at Hell Sin and Human Nature | 27 |
Dawn of the Dead 1978 Consumerism Materialism and the Fourth Circle of Hell | 45 |
Day of the Dead 1985 Violence Perverted Reason and the Lower Circles of Hell | 71 |
Dawn of the Dead 2004 Limbo and the Partial Victory of Reason and Virtue | 91 |
Land of the Dead 2005 The Deepest Abyss of Hell and the Final Hope | 115 |
The Meaning and Future of Zombie Movies | 133 |
Notes | 137 |
| 185 | |
| 191 | |
Other editions - View all
Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero's Visions of Hell on Earth Paffenroth No preview available - 2020 |
Common terms and phrases
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