TIGER TV ONLINE REPORTER
Rotting flesh, tattered clothing and blank stares are typical of mainstream zombies.
But what exactly is a zombie?
“They stand for so many things,” said Tracy Shaffer, director of the newest HopKins Black Box performance, Nonfiction Zombie. “They’re like empty containers.”
Shaffer’s play revolves around what being a zombie entails.
“They’re my favorite monster,” she said.
Zombies are also popular in the media.
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video and moves like “Zombieland” contribute to the zombie genre’s popularity like the “True Blood” HBO series and “Twilight” book and movie series cast the spotlight on vampires.
“I could sense their growing popularity,” Shaffer said.
So could Dwayne Sanburn, owner of Baton Rouge’s popular haunted house The 13th Gate.
“Vampires and zombies are some things that never go out of style,” he said. “And there’s a mystery with zombies.”
Sanburn said zombies will always be present at The 13th Gate.
“They’re just a character that’s a staple,” he said. “They just may change slightly in theme or appearance.”
Sanburn said he keeps up with horror movies to see what’s popular so he can make decisions about what direction the haunted house will take.
Horror movies can also create icons like Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers, he said.
Perhaps the most iconic movie zombie is Frankenstein’s monster.
Garick Giroir, president of the University’s cinema club and advertising senior, said that while he’s never directed a horror film, he did play a hero fighting off zombies in a friend’s horror flick.
“Me and two other guys played a character who saved people in the neighborhood while fighting off zombies in the meantime,” he said.
Giroir said he would not do a horror movie because other film genres hold more meaning for him.
“I don’t leave the theatre with a sense that I gained anything,” he said. “I like movies that kind of mean something and blood and gore doesn’t do it for me.”
But Giroir said his experience as an actor in a zombie film was memorable.
“It’s a lot of fun because everyone’s all dressed up and we were messing with fake blood,” he said. “It’s a lot fun to watch.”
Sanburn said horror movies are a thrill for audiences.
“I think it’s a release from your everyday life’s problems,” he said. “It’s like a big roller coaster.”
Not surprisingly, Sanburn’s favorite holiday is Halloween.
“I’m excited about people and their reactions,” he said. “We work really hard on the haunted house and my greatest reward is hearing people screaming throughout the house then come out laughing.”
Nonfiction Zombie is playing at 7:30 p.m. through October 17 and at 2:30 p.m. on October 18.
The 13th Gate is open until Halloween. On November 6-7 and the 13, The 13th Gate will offer flashlight walks through the house.
