I've been busy, busy, busy at Westword the past few weeks, filling in for a position I had applied for. I didn't get the job, which is a mixed bag. On the one hand, I like working there and the job would have been a great feather in my cap. On the other, it allows me to concentrate more on actual writing, which is what I love to do, rather than some of the other duties that would have gone along with the job. So that's that.

Speaking of Westword, I did a blog for them about my thirty-day zombie fest. Read all about it by clicking here. Seriously, if you haven't read it yet, please do. Page views are how I convince them to keep giving me work. And it's awesome. Tell your friends.

In related zombie news, I saw three more movies. Here are mini-reviews for those (note that I am not linking them to IMDB pages this time around. I'm lazy. You can find them if you want to).


Oasis of the Zombies A cheap, schlocky French zombie movie from the early '80s. This time, it's a group of treasure-hunters running afoul of a group of Nazi zombies haunting an oasis where millions in stolen Nazi gold is hidden. Despite being a bad movie on most counts -- poor writing, terrible set design, cheesy effects -- it was surprisingly watchable. It had a nice sense of atmosphere and really hot girls. Probably not worth the time if you aren't a total zombie-movie fanatic.

Chopper Chicks in Zombietown Oh, Troma, your films are so crazy. The elements: an evil scientist/mortician making zombies to work in a poisonous, radioactive mine; a gang of women bikers called the Cycle Sluts; a busload full of blind orphans; a dwarf. All these collide and, predictably, mayhem ensues. Despite the promise of the ingredients, the film manages to be pretty dull, due to the slow pacing and generally inept direction and editing. I didn't hate it, but I doubt I'd watch it again. Also of note is that it is Billy Bob Thornton's first film appearance. He gets eaten.

Sars Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis This was the first Thai film I've ever seen. It was a crazy, over-the-top mash-up of a zombie film, Woo-style bullet opera and comedy. It was kind of funny, but more in a wacky way than a clever way. Basically, you have a SARS variant that turns people into flesh-hungry ghouls, a kidnapping and rescue, and a couple of love stories. Totally ridiculous but generally amusing. Hard to recommend unless you really like zany Asian films or, again, are a total zombie fanatic.

Speaking of zombie fanaticism, keep your eyes peeled for more reviews. The pace of one a night is done, but I'm still super into this whole zombie thing.