How to Host a Zombie Halloween Party
Why We Love (and Fear) Zombies
The last few decades have seen a serious increase in zombie sightings. With movies such as Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Resident Evil, and I Am Legend, it's pretty apparent that we have some sort of infestation!
Aside from the fact that most jobs today assume you are or will become a zombie, zombies are popular because after the Apocalypse we have a bunch of rotting punching bags to vent our frustrations on! (Assuming you are a survivor, of course.) Waking up one day to see undead people staggering around, rotting flesh falling off of them, moaning and groaning in search of your brains and flesh -- you just have to hope that among them are politicians, your boss, economic "experts" and the guy who cut you off last week. And you have a chainsaw ...
Hosting a zombie themed Halloween party is a great opportunity for you and your friends to get dressed-up as zombies and scare the bejesus out of each other! I don't care how prepared you think you may be, every time you round a corner in your house and bump into a friend dressed-up as a zombie, your heart will skip a beat. I'd even go so far as to say, once you have a few drinks in you, you'll probably even startle yourself in the mirror.
Zombies are creepy, that's all there is to it. And here in this Lens, whether you're hosting a zombie party or just looking for ideas on how to be a super-scary zombie this Halloween, we'll share costume ideas with you, decorating and food ideas if you're planning on hosting, and some other helpful links to more zombie stuff!
So go grab a plate of brains, sit back, and enjoy!
Zombie Nutritionist Recommends All-Brain Diet
The Onion: America's Finest Newsource
September 26, 2002 | ISSUE 38
STONY BROOK, NY-In a dramatic reversal of decades-old medical wisdom, the late Dr. Albert Rossum, director of the O'Bannon Institute For Postmortem Nutritional Studies, recommended an all-brain diet for zombies Tuesday.
"Our research indicates that live human brains are not merely the cornerstone of a healthy diet; they are, in fact, the only food an active adult zombie should consume at all," Rossum said during a press conference at the institute, located at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. "A daily three-pound serving of brains supplies all the vital sugars, neurons, and ganglia essential to promoting zombie fitness and slowing the decomposition process."
The Rossum Plan challenges the traditional zombie food pyramid, which consists of five to seven daily servings of human hearts, three to four servings of livers or eyeballs, and two servings of brains. Instead, Rossum advocates a four-level pyramid, with all four levels consisting of as many servings of brains as possible.
"Ideally, the brains should be consumed fresh from the head of the victim," said Rossum, widely considered the nation's leading expert in the field of undead nutrition. "However, precious scraps of brain may also be pried from the fingers of other brain-crazed zombies. Failing that, dropped brains may be slurped from the ground by a third party to such a scuffle."
Added Rossum: "Braaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnns!"
Nutritionists at the Romero Foundation For Zombie Health, the nation's oldest zombie-health organization, were dismissive of Rossum's announcement.
"The O'Bannon Institute's plan is a reckless fad diet," the late Dr. Vincent Peters said. "Five servings each day from the neurosensory group, made up of the brain, spinal column, and nervous system, as well as from the vascular, digestive, and pulmonary groups, are the best way to maintain robust zombie health. It is an established fact."
Told of Peters' remarks, Rossum strenuously disagreed, citing recent tests conducted by his institute.
"Studies have shown that zombies who follow the Romero school of nutrition can be stopped with a single bullet to the brainstem," Rossum said. "On the other hand, our exhaustive studies conclusively show that the newer, fitter breed of zombies who adhere to an all-brain diet cannot be subdued by anything short of total incineration."
Rossum's detractors are quick to point out that a high percentage of zombies in his studies are young accidental-death victims, many still in their teens, recruited from the punk-rock-fan community. Such individuals, critics charge, are too healthy and recently deceased to be reliable subjects in long-term dietary studies.
Critics also charge that a diet consisting entirely of brains would not be likely to attract many followers due to its monotonous nature. Rossum again disagreed.
"There is still ample room for dietary variety in this plan," Rossum said. "One day, you might make a spicy South Of The Border treat of a Mexican person's brains. The next, you could enjoy the Far East taste sensation of an Asian. There are so many different kinds of heads to tear open, there's no reason ever to get bored."
Rossum then stepped down from the podium and descended upon New York Times photographer Dennis Levitan, cracking his skull open and devouring his brains.
The Outfit Makes the Zombie
Okay, okay, usually when it comes to a party, things like décor, food, and entertainment are the most important to discuss first But when it comes to a zombie themed party, the costumes are hands-down the main focus. Because the reality of it is, as long as you and your guests dress-up and are creative and dedicated in your costumes, no one is going to care about food, décor, or entertainment--they're all going to be busy checking each other out!
The great thing about zombification is that it can strike anyone--any race, any age, any sex, and socio-economic-status--doesn't matter, anyone can become a zombie! If the zombie apocalypse were to happen, it wouldn't be odd to see zombies in business suits, fireman zombies, school teacher zombies, little kid zombies, old lady zombies, etc. Zobification is an equal opportunity employer.
So when it comes to deciding what kind of zombie you're going to be, the sky's the limit! Here are a handful of creative zombie ideas:
- Zombie Mad Scientist
- Zombie Policeman
- Zombie Waitress
- Zombie Nun
- Zombie Construction Worker
- Zombie Pregnant Woman
- Zombie Football Player
- Zombie Cheerleader
- Zombie School Teacher
- Zombie Musician
Pretty much any type of person, in any line of work, can be zombified. There are key features that scream "zombie!" and here they are:
- Ill fitting clothing that's tattered, worn, and bloody! You need to figure that the whole death thing is gonna make you shed a few pounds. Plus, as more and more people are turned into zombies, food becomes harder to find. Whatever outfit you decide on, wear it one to two sizes too big so that it looks likes it's falling off your rotting flesh and rip it up and stain it--zombies don't shop for new clothing
- Dying makes you lose color, so use make-up to lighten-up all of your exposed skin to a pale, kind of grayish hue. Use a darker color in the cracks of your knuckles, around your fingernails, and to make dark circles around your eyes. Smear blood on yourself, especially around your mouth. You can purchase zombie make-up at any Halloween store or at most department stores around Halloween. Use the included instructions or search online for make-up techniques.
- Add (or lose?) some flesh! I'm talking the rotting, falling off your body kind of flesh! Purchase fake flesh online or at your local party store and apply it to your exposed flesh. From all I've seen, zombies usually tend to go for their victim's necks, so make it look like your neck was all torn-up when you were attacked. But definitely add additional hanging flesh here and there to make it look like your rotting before your friends' eyes.
- Mess your hair all up, wear a wig if you want to, add some gray streaks to it, and just make it look like you haven't brushed or combed it since you've been, well, dead. LOL, I don't think zombies are vain, so brushing or combing out their hair is probably the least of their worries! You could probably get some fake teeth too--make sure they're disgusting and blood stained!
- You may even want to go so far as to get some fake contacts. Super light blue or even white contacts will add to your undead look and really creep your friends out! Just be careful. Make sure they're comfortable, and if you find that they're hurting your eyes, take them out--no need to do permanent damage!
Zombie March
Zombies Unite!
Now that you've decided to throw a zombie themed Halloween party, and you know exactly how you want to dress-up, the next step is to invite your guests. You don't want to be boring and go purchase a set of party invitations at the store--it's better to make your own!
Download an image of some kind of warning/nuclear danger sign and print it out on yellow paper. Crumple up the paper, rip the edges, and just make it look like it's been through hell! Using jagged, uneven writing, hand-write each invitation. Smear some blood (food coloring or paint) on the ripped-up sheet of paper.
Use some classic zombie phrases like "Braaaaains! I want your brains at my party!" or "I'm hungry for your flesh!" and let your guests know the theme and that it is definitely a costume party. Suggest this Lens to them for costume inspiration.
Shove the invite in an envelope, smear some more blood on it, and get them in the mail! Try to send your invites at least a month in advance to give your guests plenty of time to get their costumes together.
DIY Decorating for Zombies
When it comes to decorating your place for a zombie party, the supplies available are endless. Pick these up at your local party store or purchase them online.
Make your place look like a post-apocalyptic zone, with body parts strewn around, police tape everywhere, and bio-hazard warnings--not that they'll do much good now! Here are the top items of zombie décor every respectable zombie party should have:
- Bloody, decaying body parts everywhere! On the food table, sticking out of the furniture, and hanging from the ceiling on bloody hooks.
- "Bio-hazard", "Outbreak", "Danger", or Toxic Spill" signs.
- Police tape or Caution tape across your entrance-ways and maybe even wooden boards over your windows.
- Drape your furniture with old, tattered fabrics and maybe even overturn some of it.
- Have post-apocalyptic supplies laying around like flashlights, lanterns, canned food and water, a transistor radio, a gas mask, and some fake weapons like knives, crossbows, and guns.
- Purchase a handful of baby dolls and zombify them! Stain and rip their clothing, add zombie make-up to them, and secure a piece of rotting flesh in their hands. Place these around your house for your guests to see.
- Post-apocalyptic times will most likely mean little to no electricity and trash everywhere. Put candles around your house, add cobwebs in the corners, litter old newspapers around the place, stuff garbage bags with newspaper, close, but leave a leg or arm hanging out the top, and just generally make your place look deserted.
Brain Cake and Other Yummy(?) Zombie Foods and Drinks
What Do Zombies Do For Fun?
Well, I don't think real zombies are concerned with how to pass the time, but your guests may get bored by just milling around and eating body parts. Give them something to do to keep them entertained so they don't start biting each other just for fun.
A costume contest is obviously a must. You can also have a zombie dance-off. Pin the limbs on the zombie could definitely be interesting and will most likely get your zombie guests giggling. Beating the daylights out of a zombie pinata is always fun. And as long as you serve good foods, keep the drinks flowing, and have a classic zombie movie playing in the background, your guests will surely be entertained.
Now what are you waiting for? Go raise the undead already, will ya?!
