Zombie Anniversary

Every year for our wedding anniversary, my husband and I try to do something special. This year we had a loose theme to our anniversary road trip. I loosely called it Year 10 - The Zombie Anniversary. 

Now, you might be asking, what sort of things or places may a person go/do on a Zombie anniversary.  I am glad you asked. Some of these events need little to no explaining on how they are related to zombies, but trust me they belong. 

Zombie Anniversary Highlights 

1. Rocky Horror Picture Show
2. Abominable Dr. Phibes
3. Castle Halloween
4. Space Acorn
5. Evans Cemetery 
6. Monroeville Mall
7. Living Dead Museum
8. Carnegie Natural History Museum
9. Carnegie Art Museum

Rocky Horror is not just a catchy cult musical, but a story about a mad scientist bringing their creature to life. Is a zombie not a creature brought back to life? Therefore Rocky Horror is a zombie musical.

Abominable Dr. Phibesis a Vincent Price movie where the antagonist is pretty much a walking corpse seeking revenge upon the living. That might be the summary or plot devise of most zombie movies. 

Castle Halloweenis a fascinating museum that is dedicated to the history, origin and continuation of Halloween and Halloween traditions. While the proprietor is not keen on the horror aspect of Halloween, there were many historical tie ins for undead and celebration the dead. 

Evans Cemeteryis the cemetery where Night of The Living Dead was filmed. What is more zombie themed than one of the most famous zombie graveyards?

Monroeville Mallis more than just a failing shrine to consumerism. It is also the film site for one of the movies that inspire killing zombies in unique ways. That movie being Dawn of The Dead.  In addition to maintaining the majority of its structure from its gory film days, it contains a bust of George Romero, the progenitor of the zombie of modern culture. 

Living Dead Museumis not just a museum that features George Romeros famous works of film art, but discusses the media evolution of the zombie. 

Carnegie Natural History Museumhas unique animal displays that show an animal being half bone and half taxidermies. It is a fascinating to look at and has a slight Return of the Living Dead vibe to it.

Carnegie Art Museumliterally has a sculpture in bronze by Thomas Schutte called Zombie VIII. It is a unique piece of work that makes me wonder what the other pieces in the collection looked like. 

Now you are probably wondering, how does the Space Acorn tie into a zombie themed excursion? In December of 1965 an object fell from space.  In 1968 Night of the Living Dead was released. In the movie there is discussion of a comet that fell from the sky and may have caused the calamity with the undead.  

Cast Role Call

Turning books into movies is a thing that happens all the time.  Books are used as original source material and it has spawned cinematic classics, family favorite and a ton of bad adaptations.  One of my favorite books, American Gods by Neil Gaiman was just adapted into a mini series.  I think the casting is spot on.  The actor that plays Mr. Wednesday makes me want to go reread the book.

Austin the cat is all cats. 

When a book you love is turned into a mini series, it can spark conversation of what other books would be fun movie adaptations or at the very least a mini series. One of favorite just for fun, need a good laugh books I like to reread in the bathtub is Summon the Keeper by Tanya Huff. This has been a book that I have bought for friends to share the love and the chuckles and is one of my frequently gifted books.   I think Summon the Keeper would be a fun 8 part mini series that would be one of those fun summer specials.  

My friend, Faye and I were having a discussion on who we would think would be awesome casting if we could cast whom ever we wanted in Summon the Keeper.  I challenged her for her cast list, since we were having a difference of opinion.  Here is my cast for Summon the Keeper.   

Cast List:

Claire -  Anna Hathaway

Dean - Steven Amell

Augustus Smythe - Martin Short

Austin (voice) -  Benedict Cumberbatch (If he can play a dragon, then a cat is a piece of cake.)

Jacques - Nathan Fillion

Voices of Hell - Bret McKenzie & Jermaine Clement

Mrs. Abrams - Carol Kane

Sara- Annie Potts

Diana - Ellen Page

Martha- Kate Winslet

Sasha- Helena Bonham Carter

Ron & Reg (twins)- Chris Pine & Chris Pratt*

Hermes- Simon Pegg

Zeus- Chevy Chase

Hera- Andrea Martin

Hades-  Ian McKellan

Persephone-  Una Stubbs

Amphitrite-  Wanda Ventham

Poseidon- Michael Gambon

Dytie - Lainie Kazan

Hephaestus - Brian Doyle Murray

Professor Jackson- Rhys Darby

Now that I have completed my cast list, I have to chuckle.  I feel like this is one of those trivia lists and Faye is going to pull her hair out trying to remember where she has seen some of these names before.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with as a cast list.   If you have a favorite book, or even a book that you would loved to see made into a movie or mini series, what would it be?  

*Yes, I know that Chris Pine and Chris Pratt are not twins and not interchanageable.