Zombie noises

ScumLord

I'm getting really annoyed by what seems to be the standard noise zombies make in film and tv. It the same narling "grrr I'm a monster" noises.

I think the traditional moaning is at the opposite end of the scale but may be closer to what zombies might actually sound like. The current synthesised growling they do now has far too much intention behind the sound, it's almost too angry and emotional to be a zombie noise.

I think the noises they should be making is random air passing by the voice box, so something along the lines of moaning or interrupted breathing. My point being the zombie doesn't breath, so it's not always going to have the air in it's lungs when it tries to make a noise, it might even do the process of making noise backwards as in, starts to activate it's voice box and breaths in rather than out giving a weird snore based sound. It's not going to have much intention behind it's vocalisations and for the most part they'll be involuntary.

There would also be a lot of sputtering and choking noises.

What do you think on zombie noises currently used? What do you think a zombie will really sound like.

degrassinoel

i think you're right about the angriness in the moans, and good point about not breathing. Personally I always preferred the rasping gaspers If they were to make any vocal noise i'd hazzard to guess it'd be a rasp rather than a groan or moan, possibly a whistle if they're outdoors and have a gaping bullethole somewhere..

Jason Todd

I would think The Walking Dead and Shaun of the Dead have pretty good 'soundings'. If I had a criticism, TWD can be too angry-zombie and SotD were a bit too moany at times, but off the top of my head they'd be the best I can remember.

Augmerson

If they are dead and not breathing, well, then there shouldn't be any noises? No air in the lungs like?

V123

they are not dead though, they are undead -they still have a need to eat flesh, so what makes them want to eat? Part of their brain must work because they can walk, smell, grab, bite etc so that means they need oxygen for the blood to support the body so I suppose, are they dead?

and if they need and want food badly then they will make a noise because they are starving- maybe they make the monster type noise out of desperation for food? kind of feel sorry for them now

degrassinoel

the only confirmed major organ that is functional in any "zombie" is it's brain.

You could probably debate what makes a zombie a zombie by examining different films and literature, whereby in 28 days later the zombies can be killed through many different means not just a severe brain injury. Contrary to that is the Romero zombie which cannot be stopped (although it can be slowed) until it's brain or the majority of which is destroyed.


So which is the real zombie?

Well, 28 days later lore states specifically that it's a rage virus. Although the virus effectively kills the personality it still requires the body to pump blood and suck in oxygen, which negates the possibility that it is infact a zombie.

I'll always call 28 days films zombie films, but that term will never technically be true due to the reason above.


Romero's zombies on the other hand are the stereotypical zombie, which have been either infected or risen from death, and require no other major organ to "live" other than the brain.

V123

But the brain controls the body and the zombie body works so if the brain works it needs energy and this energy must be processed through the bodies organs to get to the brain so if its just the brain and no organs - are zombies ghosts? dumb terminator computers?

V123

also when they eat flesh - where does it go? they must have a digestive system?

degrassinoel

V123 wrote: »

But the brain controls the body and the zombie body works so if the brain works it needs energy and this energy must be processed through the bodies organs to get to the brain so if its just the brain and no organs - are zombies ghosts? dumb terminator computers?

V123 wrote: »

also when they eat flesh - where does it go? they must have a digestive system?

That's not how it works with zombies at all. Have you even watched any zombie films?

V123

ok you tell me then?

V123

I guess id be one of those crazy people keeping the zombies alive waiting for a cure right?

degrassinoel

V123 wrote: »

ok you tell me then?

Tell you what?

V123

how it works

degrassinoel

If that isn't a good enough explanation you can watch the films and read the books yourself.

I wont warn you again for trolling.

V123

Im not trolling!

your right I haven't watched that many zombie films but I do enjoy the ones I have seen, I was merely questioning the reason why they make the noise (they must have a functioning layrnx organ) and if the brain works then the other organs will also need to work - the body cannot function without the brain and the brain cannot function without the bodies organs!

unless the brain runs off evil! or maybe even if it is caused by a virus then the virus and brain are feeding off the zombie and the zombie is just deteriorating!

degrassinoel

we'll see..

Max Brooks would suggest this

Others might argue, but Brooks description is the most logical imo.

The point of the topic is asking why they appear to breathe and make noise when they technically should not be able.

from the 2004 Dawn remake

Official: I'll take your questions.
Reporter: Is it a virus?
Official: We don't know.
Reporter: How does it spread? Is it airborne?
Official: Airborne is a possibility. We don't know.
Reporter: Is it a international health hazard or a militry concern?
Official: Both.
Reporter: Are these people alive or dead?
Official: [pause] We don't know.
Press Secretary: The president has direct contact with the CDC and head of FEMA. No further quest-OH MY GOD!

So in answer to your post, we don't know.. that's the beauty of it.

V123

ah ok sorry to ruin the fantasy of it! we don't know that is the beauty of it

degrassinoel

All fiction requires you leave at least part of your brain outside the room :P

V123

yea that's true!

getting back to the topic - I like the 'monster' type noises that zombies make - I think it adds to their desire for eating!

:eek::eek::eek::eek:.........:pac:

Augmerson

In Day of the Dead, the mad Doctor points out that Zombies don't take any nourishment from feeding. In a very gory scene a Zombie reaches out in hunger despite its stomach and guts being removed. Even if all of their organs were removed they'd still probably try and bite you and respond to stimuli, try to make a sound if they saw something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myaY1AsZF_w

Maybe somehow, the most basic bodily functions are preserved and operate in a less than perfect manner. They might be able to breathe, can smell, can see, can touch. In Land of the Dead they walk over a mile underwater! No bother to them either.

They shouldn't be able to really because they are rotting away, decomposing and from a scientific standpoint, Zombies should only be dangerous in maybe the first 10 hours of life or afterlife. After that, things like rigor mortis would surely prohibit body movement until after another 48 to 60 hours?

degrassinoel

unless it's solanum, which prevents decay and rigor mortis after a certain point

ScumLord

V123 wrote: »

they are not dead though, they are undead -they still have a need to eat flesh, so what makes them want to eat? Part of their brain must work because they can walk, smell, grab, bite etc so that means they need oxygen for the blood to support the body so I suppose, are they dead?

and if they need and want food badly then they will make a noise because they are starving- maybe they make the monster type noise out of desperation for food? kind of feel sorry for them now

The body has been hijacked by another organism, the primary goal of the zombie is to infect others. So it has no need to eat to survive, it has no survival instinct at all.

We've had long threads on this before that would be worth a search. My basic understanding of it is that the zombie can't eat as it can't process food and that it is essentially using it's own tissues for energy. It has a shelf life and will ultimately fall to bits through weathering trying to infect others with it's disease. They're basically a macro version of viruses.

ScumLord

Augmerson wrote: »

They shouldn't be able to really because they are rotting away, decomposing and from a scientific standpoint, Zombies should only be dangerous in maybe the first 10 hours of life or afterlife. After that, things like rigor mortis would surely prohibit body movement until after another 48 to 60 hours?

Like degrassinoel says the disease itself can be preventing normal decomposition.

Decomposition is done by living creatures, if the disease itself is toxic to those organisms then decomposition won't take place.

Paddy Cow

My understanding of zombies is that they get infected by a virus which acts on the brain stem and seems to bring people back to life. The only goal of a zombie is to spread the virus. The virus seems to activate the most primal instincts necessary to survive. They have an insationable urge to "feed" but the goal of feeding is to spread the virus, rather than eat. They are very aggressive and will not give up, no matter what.

I know they are undead and as such don't need oxygen and hence shouldn't be breathing but whatever they are infected with allows their brains and instincts to still work. There is no reason to think that when the virus is activating the basic human responses that breathing wouldn't be one of them. Breathing is our first response when we are born. It would also help a zombie as making aggressive noises would freak out the enemy ie us and make us more likely to make mistakes, thus increasing it's chances of survival.

I am more willing to accept The Walking Dead type zombies who make aggressive noises than a load of silent walkers. If I am going to accept that a virus can take over the primal part of the brain, then it makes sense that even if the virus doesn't need the zombies to breath, it is beneficial for the survival of the zombies that it does.

Tzar Chasm

degrassinoel wrote: »

All fiction requires you leave at least part of your brain outside the room :P

is that some kind of sneaky ruse to fill the Z snack bar in the lobby

degrassinoel

maybe..

if it bumps my chances up, i'm game to admit it was a sneaky ruse