"Actor's Watch" focuses on watches worn by actors in movies, television, etc.
For our 67th installment, we will be introducing " watches that appeared in zombie movies, " fitting for a high-end watch store in Ginza.
*Source: https://www.movietickets.com/
The zombie film began with " Castle of Horror " (1932), produced during the golden age of Hollywood in the 1930s. Originally it was just a classic horror film about a "terrible sorcerer" who used magic to bring the dead back to life and make them work as slaves, and the popularity of zombie films has been declining ever since.
It was in the late 1960s that zombie movies were revived as a popular horror genre. In his debut film, Night of the Living Dead (1968), George A. Romero , a film director known as the "father of the zombie movie," established the format of the zombie movie that continues to this day: " the dead come back to life and attack and eat humans ," " those who are bitten by a zombie also become zombies ," and " the way to defeat a zombie is to destroy its brain ." As you all know, this zombie setting has now become the subject of all kinds of entertainment, not just movies, but also TV dramas, manga, anime, games, and even kabuki.
In homage to zombie movies, this issue of "Actor's Watch" will focus on watches that appear in zombie movies.
zombie
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
*Source: https://www.primevideo.com/
One day, dead bodies suddenly come back to life all over the world and start attacking people one after another. A TV reporter ( Gaylen Ross ) and her helicopter pilot boyfriend ( David Enge ) continue reporting on the story, and together with their friend, a SWAT member ( Ken Foree ), they escape the zombie-infested city and reach a shopping mall on the outskirts. The mall has also become a den of zombies, but there is still a lot of food and supplies left behind, and they think it will be a good place to survive if they can just prevent the zombies from invading, so they decide to stay in the mall. But one day, a biker gang attacks the mall with the intention of stealing the supplies, and their life in the mall comes to an end.
Director George A. Romero established an epoch-making image of modern zombies in his previous film, "Night of the Living Dead." In this sequel, he also creates plots that have become staples of modern zombie films, such as "a siege in a shopping mall" and "a battle between humans in a world overrun with zombies." With the success of this film, it is no exaggeration to say that zombie films have risen from the category of nerdy B-movies to the " mainstream of horror films ," with the potential to become global blockbusters.
*Source: https://whatculture.com/
Director Romero makes a cameo appearance in this film as a TV station employee, wearing a TAG Heuer Monaco . This appears to be Director Romero's favorite watch, and there are photos of him wearing the Monaco outside of the film. Looking at these photos, the crown is on the left and the only subdial visible is at 3 o'clock, so it is likely to be the second model " Ref.1533 " equipped with "Cal.15" released in the early 1970s.
Space Vampire
LIFEFORCE (1985)
*Source: https://mubi.com/
The British space shuttle Churchill, tasked with exploring Halley's Comet, catches fire and goes missing. The Columbia, which is sent to rescue it, retrieves a capsule containing a human-like life form from the scorched and burnt interior of the Churchill and returns to Earth. The life form ( Matilda May ), which is taken to London for research, wakes up, absorbs the life energy of a security guard, and escapes into the streets of London. Eventually, the security guard, who was thought to be dead, turns into a zombie that attacks the living, and victim after victim...
This is a sci-fi horror masterpiece that is typical of the 1980s, taking the classic horror trope of "those whose blood is sucked by a vampire also become vampires" and adding zombie elements. Directed by Tobe Hooper , known for "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre " (1974), the sexy performance of Matilda May as a female space vampire is one of the highlights.
*Source: https://www.watchuseek.com/
The watch worn by Steve Railsback , who played Captain Carlsen of the Churchill, in the film is believed to be a Seiko Synchrotimer Speedmaster (Ref. 7A28-7039) . Equipped with the world's first analog quartz chronograph movement, Cal. 7A28, this multi-function watch is a sci-fi gadget that gives the impression of being the most cutting-edge technology of the time.
Zombie Legend
THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW (1987)
*Source: https://www.filminquiry.com/
Scientist Dennis ( Bill Pullman ) heads to Haiti to investigate the mystery of the phenomenon of bodies coming back to life at the request of a pharmaceutical company. While investigating Voodoo rituals and other themes, Dennis succeeds in contacting a man who is said to have actually returned from the dead and obtains a secret medicine called "zombie powder". However, he is captured by the local secret police led by black magician Petrou ( Zakes Mokae ).
Directed by Wes Craven, known as the creator of popular horror series such as " A Nightmare on Elm Street " (1984) and " Scream " (1996), this film is based on the classic zombie theme, in which "the sorcerers who create and control zombies are scarier than the zombies themselves." The climax of the film depicts a battle not against zombies, but against the black magician Peytolow.
*Source: https://www.bandrewscott.com/
The main character, Dennis, is played by Bill Pullman, known for his role as the US President in Independence Day (1996). In this film, he wears a Seiko Sports 100 Quartz (Ref. 6923-7109) . The "N" on the bezel is because the watch has a compass function. This watch is perfect for this film, which is a zombie movie but has a strong adventure element.
Dawn of the Dead
DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004)
*Source: https://www.moviepilot.de/
Anna ( Sarah Polley ), a nurse, lives a peaceful life with her husband. One day, she wakes up to find a girl with severe facial injuries in her bedroom. With superhuman speed, the girl attacks her husband and bites off his neck. Immediately afterwards, her husband becomes violent and attacks Anna. Not understanding what is going on, Anna narrowly escapes the house and flees in her car, only to find that many people are being attacked on the streets and the city has become a lawless zone. During her escape, Anna meets a black police officer and a pregnant woman, and they take refuge in a nearby shopping mall, but...
In the 1990s, low-budget B-movies were rampant and zombie movies lost their popularity as a genre. It was this film, " Dawn of the Dead" (2004), that changed that situation and revived horror movies as a popular genre in the 21st century. It was director Zack Snyder, who later worked on popular films such as " Justice League " (2017), who created the unprecedented setting of " zombies attacking humans at full speed" and established the genre that could be called "action horror". Although it is a remake of " Dawn of the Dead " (1978), it is a powerful zombie movie that is hard to believe is his debut work.
*Source: https://www.moviemistakes.com/
The watch that appears in the film is the one worn by Andre ( Meki Phifer ), a young black man whom the heroine Ana meets. It looks like a G-SHOCK, but the case doesn't seem to have many bumps or grooves, and the strap shape seems different. Other than the fact that it is a digital watch with an LCD display, unfortunately I was unable to identify the brand or model, so I would like to continue researching this watch.
Shaun of the Dead
SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
*Source: https://www.esquirelat.com/
Shaun ( Simon Pegg ), who works at a home electronics retail store, is a dull man who is completely looked down upon by his younger subordinates at work. The day after he is dumped by his girlfriend Liz ( Kate Ashfield ), the dead turn into zombies and start attacking people in the city. In order to get back together with her, Shaun saves his mother and Liz, defeats the zombies, and tries to prove himself as a "dependable man". After rescuing the two with his childhood best friend Ed (Nick Frost) and escaping his zombie roommate and stepfather, he heads for his favorite Winchester pub as a place of refuge (because he wants to have a drink).
" Shaun of the Dead " (2004) was the debut film of director Edgar Wright , known for his hits " Ant-Man " (2015) and " Baby Driver " (2017), and was also a memorable film that launched the best friend duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost into the world. While closely following the format of "Dawn of the Dead" (1978), it is a masterpiece of a new generation of zombie movies that packs in as much laughter as horror.
*Source: https://casiofanmag.com/
The watch that appears in the movie is the Casio W-86 worn by Ed ( Nick Frost ), the childhood friend, best friend and roommate of the main character Shawn. It is a watch that falls into the category commonly known as "cheap Casio." Ed, a NEET who spends all day playing games from morning to night, is a character who looks like a child who has grown up only in appearance. There is no doubt that "cheap Casio," which children often buy with their pocket money, plays a part in the presentation of the character.
summary
What did you think.
Since the release of " Dawn of the Dead " in 1978, most zombie movies have focused on depicting "battle" and "the collapse of civilization," so dress watches and luxury brand watches are rarely used. The wealthy who wear luxury goods seem to have strong security in their homes, and it seems like they could manage even if the zombies overflowed if they were holed up in their millionaire apartments (lol).
If you are familiar with zombie movies, you may be thinking, " There are movies like that, right ?" We would like to cover that in "Watches that appeared in zombie movies [Part 2]". So, if you like horror movies, please look forward to the next one! If you don't like them, I'm sorry!
see you!