Zombie 5K Runs: The Evolution of the Zombie Walk

Move over zombie walks. The next evolution of the zombie infestation has arrived in the form of “zombie infested” 5k obstacle course runs. These obstacle course runs are like many other obstacle based running events exceptrun-zombies-1 that in addition to a series of obstacles these runs feature herds of zombies who will chase runners throughout the course. Zombie clusters are staggered throughout the course, and runners must complete a “gauntlet” run at the end to get to the finish line which is a series of punishing obstacles surrounded by zombies. There are several different companies putting on zombie runs but the most popular runs a race called Run For Your Lives.

Originally Run For Your Lives started off in just a couple of states and was an underground event, similar to how zombie walks have been run in recent years. However the race promoters managed to tap into the unprecedented popularity of zombies in popular culture thanks to the success of The Walking Dead and Run For Your Lives events exploded almost overnight. Run For Your Lives races are now being run in 22 states with more states being added all the time. Anyone over the age of 14 can sign up to run the course. People who don’t want to run the course can sign up to be zombies who go after the runners. Zombies pay a reduced fee and are given a complimentary undead makeover by a team of special effects artists on the day of the race.
Runners start the race divided into waves. They are herded together behind a gate to wait for their scheduled run time. Each runner wears a belt with several flags on it, similar to what is worn during a game of flag football. If a runner gets to the Finish line with at least one flag that runner has survived the zombie apocalypse. If all of the runner’s flags are taken by zombies that person doesn’t survive the zombie apocalypse and becomes a zombie. Health packs are hidden throughout the course that contain extra flags, so runners who lose their flags still have a chance to survive. Runners have to use strategy and physical strength as well as the support of their fellow runners to get through the course without losing their flags. Runners are encouraged to group up to help defeat the zombies. The race course is a post-apocalyptic wasteland of creepy abandoned houses, obstacles to climb over and under, and a lot of water and mud.

Run For Your Lives is more than just a zombie infested 5k run though. After the race there is an after party of epic proportions featuring live bands, DJs, and a lot of dirty and tired survivors partying with zombies. Part Burning Man festival and part end of the world blowout it’s the perfect way to end the experience of a zombie 5k run. Start training today so you will be able to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Vampires and Zombies

vampsModern Twists Make Vampires and Zombies Still Popular at Halloween

You might think that after so many decades of popularity zombies and vampires might be falling out of favor for Halloween costumes and themes but that’s not the case. In fact, zombies and vampires are even more popular these days thanks to the resurgence of vampires and zombies in books, TV and movies. During the 80s and 90s Anne Rice’s classic vampire books the Vampire Chronicles led to the development of the idea of the romantic vampire clinging to some shreds of humanity while adjusting to life as a vicious killer who had nearly unlimited power. Many people chose to dress up as characters from the Vampire Chronicles wearing period clothing combined with fangs and pale makeup. That romantic style of vampire costume is still popular today, thanks to both the Vampire Chronicles and the movies that were made based on them Interview with the Vampire and Queen of the Damned. Tribal vampire costumes, like the one worn by Aaliyah in character as the Queen of the Damned in the film, are very dramatic and great for Halloween. Today the Twilight books and films have given the vampire costume a modern twist and made vampire costumes even more popular than before.

Zombie costumes, like vampire costumes, have been popular for a long time but in a similar way zombies have been given an updated and more modern look that is great for costumes. Movies like 28 Days Later and Zombieland have defined an edgy and darker look for zombies and modern zombie hunters. Post apocalyptic styles have also become popular as costumes for the zombie apocalypse survivors. And there’s no question that AMC’s smash hit show The Walking Dead has become a Halloween trendsetter because the costumes are distinctive but also easy to wear and easy to create. For those who want to become zombies for Halloween there are many exciting options that were not available in the past. These days you can buy foam latex masks and prosthetics that were never commercially available before to create terrifying zombie looks. You can also buy the same makeup that professional special effects use to create the zombies in shows like The Walking Dead and thanks to Internet tutorials you can learn to put it on like a pro to create the perfect zombie costume.

 

Zombies and vampires will never go out of style for Halloween because people will always be scared of them. Vampires are a creature straight out of the past that have been feared and hunted for thousands of years. Zombies are creatures that people are terrified might really come into being someday soon. Vampires and zombies represent the greatest fears of the past and the greatest fears of the future so when it comes to Halloween there will always be a place for zombies and vampires. But as culture evolves and changes the images of vampires and zombies will change too as a reflection of the current fears and dark sides of society.

Halfway To Halloween Sale

halfway-saleOur friends and sponsor at Spirit Halloween are celebrating Halfway To Halloween big time this year by having a huge 50-75% off sale off select stuff.

We browsed through the selection and saw a lot of costumes, masks, accessories and makeup discounted.  Does not look like a lot of props are included in this sale, but a lot of stuff is.  Check it out at http://www.spirithalloween.com/halfway-to-halloween-sale/

 

Tragedy in Boston will affect costume choices this year

boston-skylinePolice and firefighter Halloween costumes, along with EMS provider costumes are consistently popular costumes. But this year the popularity of these costumes will skyrocket like they did after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. That’s because people will want to pay tribute to the brave police and first responders who saved lives after the tragic Boston Marathon bombings and caught the bombers. Whenever there is a national tragedy people do whatever they can to honor the sacrifices of those who risk everything to keep people safe. Dressing up as police, SWAT team specialists, firefighters and EMS professionals for Halloween is one way to show admiration for the bravery of those who do those jobs every day.

 

Kids love to dress up as police and firefighters, especially little boys. Nearly every little boy wants to be a cop or a firefighter at some point so it’s natural for them to want to wear a police or firefighter Halloween costume. There are lots of police and firefighter Halloween costumes that are appropriate for different ages. Some parent and child costumes like a cop and a prisoner are also very cute for families.  Some families even include the family dog when they are out Trick or Treating by putting a K-9 police outfit on the dog. Other cute parent and child costumes are a firefighter and Dalmation and a firefighter with a child dressed as a firehat. Couples costumes featuring police and firefighters are popular too.

 

Adult firefighter and police for men are usually very similar to the uniforms worn by police. Women can choose from traditional police and first responder outfits or sexy versions that feature high heels or boots, revealing dresses or tight pants, and handcuffs. If you want to buy a sexy costume for Halloween this year think about dressing up as in a police or firefighter costume to give respect to the cops and others who work hard to protect the public all year round.

 

Whenever a tragedy strikes the police and first responders leap into action. When the tragedy occurs on a national level like the Boston Marathon bombings there is a lot of praise given to the first responders. But on a day to day basis they don’t often get the respect they deserve. The police and firefighters represent the best qualities of Americans and they should be honored more often. A distinctly American characteristic is that when terrible things occur like natural disasters or attacks is that people run towards the danger to help others instead of running away to safety.  Celebrate that quality this year by choosing to represent a police officer, firefighter or EMS professional when you dress up for Halloween. Just make sure that you get your costume and accessories like a night stick or handcuffs early. These costumes are sure to be some of the most popular costumes this year. So for the best selection of costumes be sure to order soon.

 

Zombie Films Everyone Should See

ZombielandThere are a lot of zombie films out there, but not all of them are worth seeing. There are some classic zombie films that everyone should see, especially if you’re a fan of zombie lore or are interested in how the modern characterization of zombies came to be. The quintessential zombie movie that every zombie fan needs to see is 1968’s Night of Living Dead by George Romero. Night of the Living Dead was the first film that showed zombies to be savage and nearly unstoppable killers, even though they were slow. Romero was also the first to portray zombies as victims of a disease instead of becoming zombies as a result of witchcraft or religious practice.

 

To this day nearly every zombie movie and story incorporates the idea at humans become zombies after being bitten by a zombie or infected with something that turns them into zombies. In the record setting TV show The Walking Dead one of the first places that the surviving humans try to get to is the Center for Disease Control to see if they are working on a cure for zombie bites.  If you are just starting to learn about the history of zombies in horror you should start by watching Night of the Living Dead and the other Romero zombie film Dawn of the Dead. After you’ve seen the movie that started the modern zombie genre check out some of these films:

Zombieland – This updated zombie tale is gritty and dark, but incorporates a dark sense of humor into a classic post-apocalypse setting. The humor and humanity of the characters, who never even share their first names with each other, bring new elements to the traditional zombie story. Starring Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin this movie instantly became a classic because it brought a modern day perspective to the classic zombie storyline.

28 Days Later – 28 Days Later is a revolutionary film when it comes to zombie lore because it changes the characteristics of zombies. In this film the zombies are fast, and mean, and able to hunt much more effectively than traditional zombies which are slow and have no real brain function. They operate only on an instinctual level to eat brains. The zombies in 28 Days Later were made zombies after being infected by something called The Rage, which was let loose when animal rights activists released a bunch of lab animals who had been infected with The Rage into the public.

Shaun of the Dead – With a comedic nod to George Romero’s classic Dawn of the Dead this movie brought zombies into the mainstream consciousness. Some critics called Shaun of the Dead a romantic comedy, with some zombies thrown in. While that’s not entirely accurate it’s true that the zombies in this film are a plot device and not the main focus of the film. Shaun of the Dead stars cult classic actor Simon Pegg, and his signature deadpan humor and great delivery make the film more funny than scary.

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