Zack Snyder's upcoming zombie movie Army Of The Dead pays homage to the creator of the modern zombie, George A. Romero, by using practical effects. In 1968, Romero released his seminal classic, Night Of The Living Dead. It featured low-budget practical effects that made his undead cannibals the most horrifying of the mid-twentieth century. While this tradition of practical effects in horror has been largely abandoned in favor of computer-generated imagery (CGI), some directors have continued to utilize the art form to capture haunting depictions of monsters and creatures. Zack Snyder's Army Of The Dead will uphold the legacy of Romero by paying homage to the practical effects that made his zombies so unforgettable.
Filmed in southwestern Pennsylvania, George A. Romero's Night Of The Living Dead has been celebrated across the nation, especially in Pittsburgh, where he attended Carnegie Mellon University. It spawned the annual zombie walk, where citizens take to the streets in their best makeup to celebrate the director. Night Of The Living Dead is the first movie in the Living Dead franchise that was followed by Dawn Of The Dead, Day Of The Dead, Land Of The Dead, Diary Of The Dead, and Survival Of The Dead. His son, George Cameron Romero, was working on adding to the series with Rise Of The Living Dead but, as of this writing, it has yet to go in development. The original 1968 movie also has four direct remakes; only one of them with an original screenplay by Romero.
Tom Savini, the special effects makeup artist behind Dawn Of The Dead and Day Of The Dead, remade Night Of The Living Dead in 1990 with Romero's screenplay. Just like the original, he utilized practical effects in order to capture the essence of the original undead. Greg Nicotero was also tied to the project as one of the makeup artists. His credentials include Evil Dead II, The People Under The Stairs, and Cabin Fever. Nicotero is also the key special effects makeup artist for AMC's The Walking Dead, showcasing that he is a virtuoso of creating zombies. Snyder's choice to continue the relationship between zombie media and practical effects is already well-regarded, and shows he respects Romero's legacy and what he began decades ago.
Practical effects are essential to Romero's work in the zombie horror sub-genre. With Zack Snyder utilizing the same method of creating his own creatures, it pays homage to their contemporary creator. Good quality practical effects are a near-proven method to put any zombie movie on track for success considering the Romero's movies as well as the impressive careers of both Savini and Nicotero that skyrocketed as a result of their attachment to his projects.
Army Of The Dead stars Dave Bautista (Scott Ward), Ella Purnell (Kate Ward), Ana de la Reguera (Cruz), and Garret Dillahunt (Frank Peters). It follows a group of mercenaries who set out to rob a Las Vegas casino in the midst of the zombie apocalypse. Army of the Dead is set to release exclusively through Netflix in 2021. Ozzy Alvarez is the co-department head of the special effects makeup department. He is best known for his work on Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, which followed the success of Eli Roth's original movie. Alvarez's name is somewhat attached to the work of Nicotero, as they are both credited as contributing their talents to the Cabin Fever series. His other credentials include Fear The Walking Dead, Sinister, The Green Inferno, and The Conjuring.
With Alvarez's impressive filmography that spans an array of different horror sub-genres, it showcases his capabilities to capture various horrors with special effects makeup. In particular, Alvarez's creation of zombies undeniably contributed to his title as co-department head of Army Of The Dead's special effects makeup department. This could make him a household name, as many zombie flicks have done for make-up artists. While CGI may be the current preferred medium, nothing is quite as horrifying as practical effects. For instance, Underwater used this medium in 2020 to create their Lovecraftian creature, Cthulhu. Undoubtedly, Army of the Dead will fair favorably by using this medium over excessive CGI because of the legacy and tradition of both zombie movies and George Romero.
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