In the summer of 2003, after watching the British horror movie 28 Days Later... (2002), a group of friends discussed how they would have handled the challenges faced by the characters in the film and asked themselves that very same question. Their discussion became the inspiration for the Zombie Squad, a non-profit community service and disaster preparedness organization that uses the "Zombie Apocalypse" metaphor for any natural or man-made disaster. It is just one example of how a love of film can be a force for good in the world, with the organization now totaling over fifty "official" chapters and a thousand plus members worldwide.
In May 2011, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sanctioned a tongue-in-cheek campaign that tapped into the public's fascination with zombie apocalypse films to raise public awareness of emergency preparedness. It kicked off its campaign, Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse, with the tweet:
"If you're ready for a zombie apocalypse, then you're ready for any emergency." Overnight, the tweet went viral with 1.2 million followers and the resulting influx of web page traffic overwhelmed and crashed the CDC emergency preparedness website.
Every May, the Zombie Research Society sponsors Zombie Awareness Month, intended to bring awareness about zombies and the possibility of a future zombie apocalypse. Taken together, these three campaigns clearly demonstrate that movies can be a great way to educate on any topic, with zombie apocalypse preparedness or general emergency preparedness being no different.
Which of these selected zombie apocalypse movies did the best job of educating you on how to survive a zombie apocalypse or alternatively made you the most prepared to survive any other type of disaster?Discuss the topic here.
