¹Department of English, Willamette University, Salem, OR, USA

Correspondence: Dr Frann Michel, Department of English, Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA. E-mail: fmichel@willamette.edu

Abstract

This field note draws on the author's experiences reviewing films, and on the history of gothic horror narratives, to examine the recent popularity of zombie films. I argue that popular zombie films can be seen as expressions of the return of repressed cultural concerns about class antagonism and about the violent and deadening effects of modern life.