We've got ZOMBIES! Do you?
http://www.courier-journal.com...EATURES/808260361/1010
"It's very cathartic to get outside of yourself a little bit, put on makeup and not be responsible for your actions," says musician and zombie-fan Peter Searcy. "It's absolutely great escapism."
Searcy will indulge his inner flesh-eating freak at Friday's fourth annual Louisville Zombie Attack.
Starting at 8:29 p.m., zombies will lurch along Bardstown Road, begging for brains, harassing passersby and causing moaning mayhem on their way to nearby Bearno's Pizza, where the living dead will convene for a thriller night of zombie flicks, music and munchies.
The "Attack" is the brainchild of zombie-loving pals John King, 30, a glass artist; Lyndi Curtis, 25, a painter; and University of Louisville student Mike Welch, 27.
Four years ago, Curtis and King discovered that they shared the same Aug. 29 birthday and decided to have a zombie-themed joint celebration. As a lark, King handed out about 50 mysterious maps leading to the intersection of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway. He wrote "Attack Instructions" on the top and what time to gather.
"We figured a few people would show up and walk with us down the street," King says. "When we got there, there were a hundred people and they completely caught us off guard. It was really surreal. If (the attack) was for real, there would be a slim to none chance of making it out alive."
The numbers of walking dead have increased every year since. Last year, more than 200 zombies marched.
"It's the end of summer, and I think people are ready to do something fun," King says. "A lot of people will come in groups of three or four and they'll have a friend along the way who's shopping or picking up dinner, that they will attack. People on the street who have no idea (what's happening) are mystified when suddenly someone's getting their arm ripped off in front of them."
Becoming a brain-slurping ghoul also brings out macabre creativity. There are awards to be won for the hottest zombie, grossest zombie and more. A king and queen zombie will also be crowned.
The last time Searcy did the zombie walk, he came as undead tennis legend Björn Borg, circa 1970s, complete with a tennis ball lodged in his head. Will Russell, Lebowski Fest co-founder and owner of the WHY Louisville shop on Bardstown Road, has also whipped up some memorable zombie looks.
"I've been Elvis zombie, and then I was Salvation Army Santa Claus zombie," Russell says. "I was in a Santa suit with a bucket and a bell and zombie makeup." Among King's favorite themed zombies from years past were a "Ghostbusters" zombie and a centurion zombie.
"Attack" co-founder Welch is known for his unique zombie stylings. One year he created a Lil' Jon zombie get-up, and he's also been an undead Burt Reynolds.
"He comes up with really random (zombies)," says event co-founder Curtis, who has experimented with several looks, including cowgirl zombie. "This year, I'm going as Pippi Longstocking zombie. I have long red hair that I'm going to put in braids and wear torn-up clothing."
All these zombie-philes came to love the living dead in their own special way.
"For me, it goes back to the Vogue midnight showings of 'Dawn of the Dead' and having seen that three gazillion times," Searcy says.
King caught zombie fever as a kid. "I've been a big zombie fan since I was old enough to turn on the television," he says.
Curtis claims there are multiple levels to zombie art; particularly the films of George A. Romero, director of "Dawn of the Dead."
"He uses zombies and the whole horror effect as a metaphor for social breakdown. There's a lot more to it than just 'They want brains!' " she says.
Warming up with a Romero flick is great preparation for a zombie neophyte planning to take the walk this weekend. King and Searcy also recommend reading "The Zombie Survival Guide," by Max Brooks and "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War," also by Brooks. According to Searcy, part of the zombie appeal and imagining a zombie invasion taps into a universal primal instinct.
"People like to know ultimately how they stack up," he says. "How would you deal with the world if it was just down to a base survival situation?"
When the fun-dead flail down Bardstown Road Friday, that won't be an issue.
"It's like having another Halloween," Searcy says. "It's a hoot, and it's fun to watch other people be big kids and kind of lose themselves in it."
and stay away from West and South portions of town. That about right? Any good apt. complexes to recommend?
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