Welcome to ‘Zombie of the Week,’ folks, where each week we’ll present you with a different brain-eating member of the undead that has captured our fancy. There is no methodology to our Zombie Awesomeness meter, just our own piqued interests. Got a zombie we should see? Comment below. No zombie is too small, too short-lived, or too gross.
I have a soft spot for quirky musicals – particularly those which satirize a genre while simultaneously enjoying it, all without so much as a twinge of guilt.
Topping the list:
Reefer Madness – a spoof of the 1936 scare campaign on camera that intended to warn the public of the perilous dangers of marijuana. A 2005 made-for-tv movie debuted on Showtime starring Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshell), Alan Cumming (Spy Kids, X2) and Ana Gasteyer (SNL).
Cannibal! The Musical – the story of Alfred Packer the infamous cannibal set to inappropriately cheery music which was written and directed by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who also star in the film. (Click here to watch the whole thing on Hulu.)
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog – Because, duh.
That brings me to my next gem: Zombie Prom. It’s a glorious spoof of 50s era bad boys and the obvious good girl who must ditch her prudish, poodle skirt clad scruples or forever miss out on true love. Of course this all takes place in a high school, under the watchful eyes of strict, yet lovable teachers.
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Replace said bad boy with a zombie and said teacher with RuPaul and you’ve got Zombie Prom. I know it sounds absurd, and oh, it is, but in a way that’s as cheeky as it is intelligent. Rebel without an “H” Jonny and golden girl Toffee fall passionately in love until principal Miss Strict (RuPaul) decides to go to Toffee’s parents. She breaks Jonny’s heart after they forbid the two to be together, and that’s when things get weird. I won’t give too much away, but the next time Toffee sees Jonny, he’s zombified, but still passionately in love. (Watch the first 10 minutes below.)
Released in 2006, the 36-minute-long film delivers exactly what it promises: zombies, dancing and high school angst, and best of all, it’s set to 50s-style Broadway tunes. But in case that’s not enough, just watch the first few minutes which feature some great comic art used to illustrate the credits.
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Sadly, Zombie Prom has never been released on DVD, though every once and a while, it becomes available for online streaming. (I saw it on iTunes a few years ago.) If you can, go find the stage show (probably being shown on a college campus near you) or wait along with the rest of us until the eventual DVD release.
And long live the mocking musical.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75bDGA11rSs]