“What am I doing with my life? I just want to connect. Why can’t I connect with people? … Oh right, it’s cause I’m dead. I wish that I could introduce myself, but I don’t remember my name. I think it started with an R, but that’s all I have left. It’s kind of a bummer. I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, I mean were all dead. You should meet my best friend, we have almost conversations sometimes. They call the skeletal guys bonies. They eat anything with a heartbeat, I mean I will too, but at least I’m conflicted about it.” – R. (Warm Bodies). The quote above comes from the comedy movie/ love story, “Warm Bodies”. The picture begins after a devastating plague has left the world’s population at odds between zombies and humans. R, the main character, …show more content…
begins simply by explaining that he is a zombie, and that he can’t remember anything about who he used to be, how he became a zombie or how he ended up where he is now. He wanders around, showing you the life he lives. Coincidently, R meets a human girl, and to him, she seems different. As their bond strengthens, R becomes more and more human, as a chain of events unfold, they discover that they could transform the entire lifeless world they live in back to normal again. R’s behavior included many of the stereotypical zombie like characteristics that are socially constructed within humanity’s mind. It is simple to determine these characteristics from the quote above, but my question is; once a zombie always a zombie? Is it possible for something or someone to create a bond or some type of chemical or nerve related reaction with a part of the brain causing the zombie to become human again? To find this you have to look deeper than just skipping to the end of this nonfictional movie. R states at the beginning that he wished he could connect with people and wonders why he can’t.
No it’s not solely due to the fact that he is basically dead, there are other possibilities as well. Emotional detachment, depression, PTSD, the options are endless considering he has no background history. It has been shown that his memory has obviously been affected as he states “I wish that I could introduce myself, but I can’t remember my name. I think it started with an R, but that’s all I have left...” R’s case is similar to the one of Phineas Gage, a railroad construction worker in the United States. Gage was in charge of a crew who was working on the construction of a railroad near Vermont. As his crew was excavating rocks to make way for the railroad, Gage was setting up for an explosion. While packing a tamping iron with compact explosives, the iron produced a spark which ignited the explosive powder, causing an explosion that sent the tamping iron through his head. Remarkably, Gage survived this dreadful event, but it was reported that his personality drastically changed. According to an article titled “No longer Gage” written by Kieran O’Driscoll and John Paul Leach, it was stated that coworkers and friends of Phineas Gage noticed the dramatic change in his behavior. The following quote was their observation: “Dr Harlow reports that Gage’s employers, “who regarded him as the most efficient and capable foreman ... considered the change in his mind so marked that they …show more content…
could not give him his place again.... He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires.... A child in his intellectual capacity and manifestations, he has the animal passions of a strong man.... His mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was ‘no longer Gage.’” So what could have caused these changes in R as well as Gage? Could it have been caused from damage to the brain? The brain is the most complex organ in the body. It controls our behavior. Damage to the brain can certainly cause changes in the way we think, act and feel. There are many ways that the brain can be damaged whether it be from trauma or possibly infection from a virus. These changes can alter its function. Do you believe in zombies? What is the definition of a zombie? A zombie is a living creature typically depicted as mindless, a reanimated human corpse with a hunger for human flesh. Modern depictions of zombies do not necessarily involve magic but invoke other methods such as a virus. According to ‘Psychology Today’ “The idea of zombies controlled by voodoo was replaced by the more believable scenario of a brain damaged human-like creature aimlessly walking the earth. The idea was that a viral infection would cause an encephalitis (brain inflammation) which damaged the higher cortex- the thinking part of the brain- while causing physical disabilities and a craving for human flesh. Being bitten by someone infected would of course transmit the virus. Some of us may perceive zombies as the walking dead. The thought of dead people coming back to life is not typically thought to be possible.” What about people who are very much alive and are in a zombie-like state? Could zombies exist in real life? All of these theories about zombies are simply speculation. According to LiveScience.com and the article “Zombie Neuro Science: Inside the Brains of the Walking Dead” by Tanya Lewis; “The concept of zombies has its roots in Haitian lore, in which voodou (or voodoo) priests create a powdery substance that allegedly turns people into zombies. A component of this powder is a nerve toxin from pufferfish capable of keeping people in a state of suspended animation. Haiti has actually banned the practice of making these human zombies.” Let’s look a little closer at some of the traits that zombies may have.
When we think of a zombie we typically think of them walking around aimlessly, moaning and groaning and hunting living human beings to eat them. In understanding the behavior of a zombie we need to examine the different parts of the brain. The frontal lobe function is involved in helping us to think carefully and solve problems. According to Dr. Steven C. Schlozman the most important function of the frontal lobe, which helps us in understanding that the behavior of zombies, is the control of “impulsivity”- the act of doing something that if you had more time to think about it you might not have done it. When the frontal lobe is not functioning properly a zombie is driven completely by emotions such as rage which is housed primarily in the amygdala. Dr. Schlozman states that “it is a delicate balance between the frontal lobe and the amygdala that makes us human.” The balance is kept by the anterior cingulate cortex. It helps control the excitability of the amygdala as it talks to the frontal lobe. When the amygdala gets stirred up with all these emotions the anterior cingulate cortex gives the frontal lobe time to think about it before it sends any signals to the motor cortex and we act on our impulses. A zombie has an anterior cingulate cortex that does not function properly. This would cause a zombie not to be able to control feelings of anger which causes hyper- aggression. Another area of the brain
that is clearly affected in a zombie is the cerebellum and the basal ganglia. These are the two parts of the brain that make movement smooth. The basal ganglia helps with coordinated movement. The cerebellum helps us with balance. These two parts of the brain do not function properly in zombies which would cause them to be very unsteady and shuffle when they walk. Another trait of a zombie has to do with endless hunger. The region of the brain that lets us know when we have eaten enough is the ventromedial hypothalamus. Most likely the ventromedial hypothalamus is not properly functioning in the brain of a zombie. This causes a zombie to eat and eat and eat and never get satisfied. There are many other traits that may be common in zombies. Zombies have a keen sense of smell, they tend to have long term memory loss, and they are not good speakers. They don’t seem to understand commands. Some neurologists may say that they are unable to produce or understand language. They don’t seem to feel pain. Zombies have a tendency to fixate when they are going after something. In summary
“Zombies however, never stop, so danger persists past the initial past the initial
The movie Dope, written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa, follows the story of Malcolm through his senior year of high school in the Inglewood California. He lives in a poor neighborhood, with only his mom, yet he still strives for greatness. He has a couple of friends, and they all love 90’s hip hop culture. They try to do their best to stay out of trouble and away from bullies. Malcolm sees a girl he likes and ends up following her to a drug dealer’s birthday party. When the cops bust the birthday party, he unknowingly goes home with all the drugs and the gun that the drug dealer owns. This sets off a wild chain reaction, as he now has to sell these drugs to payoff the supplier, who happens to be the Harvard Alumni that Malcolm’s needs approval
The movie I was assigned was, In the Heat of the Night starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. This film took place during the late 1960’s in Mississippi, where Virgil Tibbs, a black Philadelphia homicide detective, is traveling. Upon his travel, he unintentionally gets involved in a murder investigation of a business man. He was first accused of committing this murder when a police officer became suspicious of him. After they determined his innocence’s, he was then asked to help solve the case because of his vast knowledge and experience dealing with homicide crimes. He eventually agreed to help because he knew it was the right thing to do. The process for finding the killer was determined to be difficult, but even more so when Tibbs’s efforts
...r can not be satisfied. The zombie is a consumer. Zombies are most often used as a metaphor these days for uncontrollable consumerism that plagues our generation. We blindly buy without thinking, either because of a low price, lust, or simply we just want more. We are guilty of “Zombie Consumerism”. Zombie consumerism is evident in George Romeros' film, Dawn of the Dead. In this movie, a shopping mall is where the characters take refuge and becomes the setting in which the humans stay in the battle of the zombies. They gorge themselves in free food and are delighted about having almost everything at their fingertips all to themselves. It sound's perfect. They can consume anything they want and they will be okay, forever. It is ironic then when there is nothing left and they must find new sources of shelter and food and resources, or become the resources themselves.
James Parker essay “Our Zombies, Ourselves,” informs readers that the zombie has almost outranked the vampire, and why they’re so popular. This undead monster originated from a Caribbean folk nightmare and was adapted over time by, the Halperin brothers, William Seabrook and George Romero and numerous others. Much like the vampire, zombies owe their fame to the progressiveness of technology, allowing them to consistently invade various media forms. The zombie has infested countless tv shows, movies, video games, and books, throughout the 21st century. Zombies themselves are soulless corpses who were regurgitated back into the world of the living. This making them rejects from the underworld, this presents the zombie as rejected yet inexpungable. What makes the zombie so popular, however, is that symbolizes everything that is rejected by humanity. “Much can be made of him, because he makes so little of himself. He comes back, He comes back, feebly but unstoppably” (Parker). The zombie represents humanity itself as well as what is rejected by humanity. Much like individuals today, the zombie is burdened by life’s demands, converting to nothing but a rotting, groaning human shell that stumbles through life without a purpose. The zombie is symbolizer of the real world, and all things irrepressible, whereas the vampire is a symbol of an alternate world and all things
In the film, after Tom and Judy’s car explodes, Ben is left to fend for himself in the middle of the group of zombies. The zombies encroaching on Ben from all sides is reminiscent of a lynch mob. They loom in on Ben from all sides, trying to rip his flesh off. In retaliation, Ben uses a torch to fend off the zombies and run to the house. The zombies are white oppression; the mindlessness and murderous nature of the zombies is similar to the blind stupidity, violence, and sheep-like mentality of
That’s where we’re heading” (Dr. Erin Mears, Contagion). Though the zombie metaphor focuses primarily on fear involving unconscious contributors and their mission of adding to their population, the fear of governmental control and how society responds to the epidemic is also an issue that needs to be considered. In this scenario, the viral epidemic is the initial zombie, however, fear is also a main contributor.
The three films that I chose for this final project are; Fahrenheit 9/11, CSI season 1 episode 22, and West Wing Season 3 episode 1. These films are connected because they focus on different aspects associated with the attacks on September 11, 2001. Fahrenheit 9/11 is connected to the current topic because its main plot point follows Michael Moore’s narrative of blaming George W. Bush, our president on September 11 2001, for the acts of terrorism. Moreover, the film examines step by step the failures of President Bush before, during, and after the falling of the Twin Towers. The CSI episode took a somber and realistic tone airing an episode that featured Taylor expaining that his wife died when the towers fell. Furthermore, The West Wing,
In the documentary “Fed Up,” sugar is responsible for Americas rising obesity rate, which is happening even with the great stress that is set on exercise and portion control for those who are overweight. Fed Up is a film directed by Stephanie Soechtig, with Executive Producers Katie Couric and Laurie David. The filmmaker’s intent is mainly to inform people of the dangers of too much sugar, but it also talks about the fat’s in our diets and the food corporation shadiness. The filmmaker wants to educate the country on the effects of a poor diet and to open eyes to the obesity catastrophe in the United States. The main debate used is that sugar is the direct matter of obesity. Overall, I don’t believe the filmmaker’s debate was successful.
The idea of a zombie is made up and it comes from nzambi, the Kongo word for the spirit of a dead person. In states such as Louisiana, or the Creole culture they believe zombies represent a person who has dies and brought back to life with no speech. Kings psychological argument on how we have an urge to watch horror movies because it helps to re-establish our feelings and feel natural again. Klusterman’s sociological essay helped us see the comparison of zombies and humans in real life. In conclusion zombies are not real, they are make believe but help bring a sense of normality to
The Three Here’s for Cooking The romantic comedy, Today’s Special, expressed the worries of Indian parents becoming at ease. Also, expressed the struggles a parent faces in search of a better life, the passion and dedication going unnoticed in the work field, and the connection between friends, a lover, and family. However, the film centered its attention more on the development of Samir’s “cold” cooking within the Indian food, with the help of Akbar. In addition, the main actors in the film looked the part and associated with the main idea of the culture of an Indian family. For instance, Samir’s appearance showed he had drifted away from his family’s culture and developed a professional understanding and love for the cooking industry.
In conclusion, the movie “Shaun of the Dead” is an aspiring and facetious movie. However, with the help of neuroscience knowledge a person can understand and analysis zombie movies and the reason why the movies behave or act different from human
I chose to analyze Despicable Me, an animated film geared towards a younger audience, because I was interested in examining underlying theories and messages that this film would be relaying to its viewers. Often times, when watching animated films, children are not aware of these messages, as they are absorbed by the characters, special effects, and humor. But as we have learned throughout this semester, our brains are subconsciously primed by the various surroundings we are exposed to. Since we also studied the impacts of entertainment, such as television and video games, on children, I wanted to see how a popular children’s film might also affect them.
Another key is being quiet, zombies are attracted to smell, sight, and sound. The more people in a group the more sounds. The more people in a group the stronger the smell, because bodies are all in one confined space. Do not be the girl, or guy, that is always worried about how they look and smell. The person that wants somebody to do everything for them. If a zombie sees something move it will go after it. Attacking is why it
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence is a Steven Spielberg science fiction drama film, which conveys the story of a younger generation robot, David, who yearns for his human mother’s love. David’s character stimulates the mind-body question. What is the connection between our “minds” and our bodies?