Feeling a little undead, are you? Getting hungry for a hunk of human flesh? That wicked zombie lifestyle is a favorite for Halloween this year, brought on in part by an infatuation with the gory horror-comedy hit film “Zombieland.”
But even the very proper Jane Austen has been drawn into the bloody fray with a horror revision of her classic novel, now charmingly — if incongruously — titled “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” The cover illustration is captivating and worth emulating.
Meanwhile, zombie purists are sticking with the resurrected corpses of a simpler time, modeling their costumes on the cult classic “Night of the Living Dead.” That 1968 low-budget indie film popularized the zombie in American culture (and used chocolate syrup to simulate blood because the movie was shot in black-and-white).
Finally, if your inner zombie cries out for a local angle, with the help of a team of homegrown ghoul experts, I’ve created a special Chicago Loser zombie. It features the city’s 2016 Olympics bid, the Cubs and the Sox. The living dead? You betcha.
CLASSIC ZOMBIE
Inspired by: George Romero’s 1968 “Night of the Living Dead”
What you’ll need: normal street wear (from the ’60s for extra authenticity); zombie makeup; a stupefied, shuffling walk
Where to get it: makeup at Grand Stage Co.; clothing from thrift stores such as American Thrift Store, 1718 W. Chicago Ave.
JANE AUSTEN ZOMBIE!
Inspired by: New York Times best-seller “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (Quirk Books)
What you’ll need: neckline frills; skeleton makeup; fake blood; refined yet gory attitude
Where to get it: stage blood, $4.99; “Skull kit” makeup,” $19.99; “Jane Austen Ingenue” costume, $85 rental, all at Fantasy Costumes. Other demure ruffled clothing at thrift stores or Kimchi Blue crochet applique top, $42, Urban Outfitters, 935 N. Rush St., urbanoutfitters .com; paperback “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” $12.95, Urban Outfitters and bookstores
CLOWN ZOMBIE
Inspired by: character in “Zombieland,” the movie
What you’ll need: clown costume; wig; zombie makeup; clown nose; a room full of people suffering from coulrophobia (fear of clowns)
Where to get it: clown suit and hat, $17, Wal-Mart, walmart.com; “family makeup kit,” $4.99, Walgreens, walgreens.com. From Fantasy Costumes: green bald wig, $19.95; clown costumes to rent, $55 and up, including wig and shoes; or buy, $32.99 and up (suit and hat only); clown nose, $1.49 and up; suspenders $9.99; giant bow tie, $4.99 and up
CHICAGO LOSER ZOMBIE
Inspired by: this year’s local sports failures
What you’ll need: Sox, Cubs and Chicago 2016 Olympics logo clothing; zombie makeup; fake blood; spray paint or colored hair spray; optional prop bloody limbs; a defeated demeanor
Where to get it: Sox and Cubs clothes, hats, $2 and up, thrift stores such as Unique Thrift Store, 3748 N. Elston Ave.; DIY Olympics rings with Sharpies (Google “Olympics logo”); prop leg, $16.99, Fantasy Costumes, 4065 N. Milwaukee Ave., fantasycostumes.com; paint for blood, $6.49, and costume, $3.49, Ace Hardware; or colored hair spray for costumes, Grand Stage Co., 630 W. Lake St., grandstage.com, $5.70, or Fantasy Costumes, $3.99
How’d we do that?
A step-by-step guide to our zombie’s look. Page 6
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shopellen@tribune.com
