Topic: God damn it, zombie films!

[another Mr. Lizard]

For anyone within reach of the East Midlands, I'll be teaching an evening class on zombie movies, 'No More Room In Hell', at Derby Quad arts centre during October/early November - during the past fortnight I've started compiling various movie excerpts to screen during the course and have had a great time rediscovering a few old living dead favourites. We'll be looking at the whole history of the zombie film over the four weeks (every Thursday from October 11th), with scattered examples of living dead in silent film, to the post 'Magic Island' wave of 1930s/40s voodoo titles, on to the atomic zombies of the 1950s, Hammer's 'Plague of the Zombies', Romero, living dead in 1970s American independent cinema, Amando de Ossorio's 'Blind Knights Templar', Fulci and the other Italians, low-budget fare from the 1990s, and the post '28 Days Later...' revival. This very morning I've been selecting clips from 'Psychomania' and 'Tales From the Crypt' for use on the course. 

[Brundle-Fly]

For anyone within reach of the East Midlands, I'll be teaching an evening class on zombie movies, 'No More Room In Hell', at Derby Quad arts centre during October/early November - during the past fortnight I've started compiling various movie excerpts to screen during the course and have had a great time rediscovering a few old living dead favourites. We'll be looking at the whole history of the zombie film over the four weeks (every Thursday from October 11th), with scattered examples of living dead in silent film, to the post 'Magic Island' wave of 1930s/40s voodoo titles, on to the atomic zombies of the 1950s, Hammer's 'Plague of the Zombies', Romero, living dead in 1970s American independent cinema, Amando de Ossorio's 'Blind Knights Templar', Fulci and the other Italians, low-budget fare from the 1990s, and the post '28 Days Later...' revival. This very morning I've been selecting clips from 'Psychomania' and 'Tales From the Crypt' for use on the course.

Do you need clearance to show these clips in a public place?
I'm thinking of starting a horror film quiz come comedy night and want to know what the score is. I suspect most hosts would show whatever they want and just hope nobody from the copyright arm of the industry attends the evening?

[another Mr. Lizard]

Do you need clearance to show these clips in a public place?
I'm thinking of starting a horror film quiz come comedy night and want to know what the score is. I suspect most hosts would show whatever they want and just hope nobody from the copyright arm of the industry attends the evening?

Officially, yes. For me, that side of things is all sorted out by the Derby Quad (I work for them part-time, as a freelancer)  - not certain, but I think they may have some kind of catch-all agreement allowing them to screen excerpts without tracking down every individual rights-holder, etc. 

I host a film quiz there on a regular basis, as well as doing plenty of teaching/lecturing (illustrated with copious movie clips) and have never had anyone there asking me which excerpts I'm using.

This is one of those 'impossible to police' areas, though, I guess, so I'm sure many places stage events such as film/music quizzes without bothering to go down the legal route. As you say, you'd have to be desperately unlucky to have an over-eager copyright chaser sitting among your audience. Compiling and hosting the movie quiz is lots of fun, I hope you go ahead with yours.

Ok, interlude over - back to the zombies?

[Brundle-Fly]

Thanks Lizard. Good info.

And yes, ZOMBIES!

Let's look at films that include singular zombies.
 
One of my favourite undead characters was Big Bob in the forgotten classic, House (1986)

[neveragain]

Well, since nobody but a tagger has mentioned it, I'll say Braindead a few times.
...As for singular zombies, the baby Selwyn gets my vote.

[Famous Mortimer]

In case you were wondering, avoid "Detention of the Dead". Written as wish fulfillment by some former high school nerd, I'll bet my hat on it, and absolute balls from beginning to end.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Red rag to a bull.....downloading....

[prwc]

Crap title but Messiah Of Evil is prime low key, low budget 70s regional horror. Not much gore or action but all the more effective for it. The small budget does show but I think overall helps the slow burn impact of the film. Deathdream by Bob Clark (director of the original Black Christmas), which pretty much all of the former 2 sentences above could be applied to also.