Interview: Creator of Atomic Zombies
In the vein of Idiocracy (2006), Atomic Zombies (2016) and The Poor Guy series weaves Horror through creative zest, humor, and passion. In these little to no budget pieces, the talent in irony deliverance is evident and calls for our attention. Follow along to learn more about this valuable Horror creator.
With all the creative outlets available to you, why movies?
Lots of reasons… I love seeing a creation start out as words or pictures on paper become a full video with music, dialogue, props, location, actors, etcetera.
When I was younger, I’d write down all these stories, then read them to the tape recorder (like, cassette) I had. The process usually involved doing voices and sound effects for a bunch of random characters, including re-occurring characters, like Dr. Gizmo. I’d also create voices for two toy dinosaurs I got from the dentist. They’d constantly break buildings made from Jenga blocks, and go to jail in Jenga blocks rearranged.
Later, someone in my neighborhood got a VHS camera that had to be connected to the wall for power, and we made a bunch of videos about skateboarding. We also recorded nonsensical “army” skits; we had a bunch of toy guns, used ketchup as blood, and moved slowly for dramatic slow-motion parts.
Eventually, I got a Hi8 camera, and made a bunch of videos with my action figures and LEGO‘s, part stop motion and part video. Finally, I got into asking friends and family to be in the videos (which worked out better than I was expecting) and then just used whatever resources we had to make whatever dumb ideas we had into short movies.
After I got a digital camera and some editing software, we made even more dumb ideas come to life with slightly more production value. At this point, I like that we can put a little more time into something and make it look better or we can do a stream-of-consciousness video for fun and have it finished in one day (like the Pizza, Pasta and Fried Zucchini Competition videos I did on YouTube).
Why Horror?
I was pretty sheltered when I was younger, but I would always fixate on any violence I could get a hold of. Some specific movie examples would be the VHS fast-forward version of the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) face-melt scene, the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) aging-to-death scene, and The Matrix (1999) Morpheus-getting-punched-whilst-tied-to-a-chair scene… You get the picture.
When I finally got into actual horror movies, I loved them. The jokes, the characters, the creators behind everything, and, of course, the gore. There is also a camaraderie amongst horror movie enthusiasts which doesn’t exist among any other genre of movie. Our scope of movie entertainment often extends to lower budgets and stranger storylines than the casual movie goer may enjoy. We are often rooting for the villain, and we are all aware that every one of us is a little sick in the head.
Tell me about your creative process. How does a video start? An idea, thought, message, scenario, etc.?
I always have a bunch of random sketches or notes that I’d like to incorporate into a video. With my webseries, Poor Guy, I often just voiced random conversations between the characters while I was working; by myself and outside all day. Once in a while I’d stumble into some kind of bit that I’d want to use in an episode. Thinking back, I probably looked like a crazy person talking to himself.
I’d make a storyboard and comics of jokes or interactions, and when I had enough to use together, I’d turn them into a skit. We always have a fun time filming, which can add more jokes along the way. Sometimes they’re for the audience, sometimes they’re just for ourselves to laugh at later. Many on-the-spot jokes in Poor Guy ended up becoming recurring jokes throughout the series. Although Poor Guy isn’t suspenseful or a gore-fest, I tend to think of it in the horror genre. Maybe more Psychological Horror or a Dark Comedy. Either way, it draws a lot of inspiration from the Horror.
One of the nice things, which can also be one of the worst things, about YouTube is the ‘Comments’ section. It provides instant feedback, and a couple times I’ve used suggestions from them in videos. I even ended up getting some voice-over lines from a commenter, which turned out great (Hi AJ).
Also, I try to only write stories that involve locations, props, and people I have access to. For Atomic Zombies, I designed and drew up a few pictures of a Mad Scientist, Dr. Gizmo, an evil Nazi version of the character I mentioned before. There’s also a friend I have who’s awesome at building props and costumes who was able to make a mask based off those few drawings.
I also have a friend who has an amazing studio, basically catered toward an old sci-fi lab, which was perfect for Atomic Zombies. It can be hard to film an apocalyptic wasteland near one of the biggest cities in the country, but as long as the camera is pointed away from traffic, we make it work. I have little to no musical talent, but luckily I know a couple people who are the opposite, and have put together some really awesome music for the weird videos I make.
Which piece are you most proud of, and why?
Atomic Zombies 2 is in production and looking pretty good, but I think my favorite finished video so far is the Poor Guy Christmas Special. I put it out after almost a full year of regular Poor Guy episodes, and it was about four times longer than most of them. It is based off a parody of A Christmas Carol that I had written years earlier. No Spoilers, but it was fun to bring back some characters we killed off earlier. I love stop motion, and since lots of Christmas specials are Rudolph-esque animations, I put some stop motion in my version.
The special also developed a character who turned into one of my favorites, named Balaam. A floating, talking deer head, who tries to help out Guy, played by ShadowBeatz (music sensation, who also created a Christmas rendition of the theme song), but rarely succeeds. Poor Guy Christmas Special introduces another one of my favorite characters, Tasha. She’s a ghost who calls herself a superhero, but seems to act more like an evil villain.
List any favorite movie creators or specific pieces, tell me how your work has been influenced by them.
If I had to pick just one, I’d say Robert Rodriguez. I’ve always enjoyed his movies, even Spy Kids. I love his story, how he started out with Bedhead (1991) and El Mariachi (1992).
Where can I find your work and the work of your helpers?
- Twitter @Johnmckech
- Atomic Zombies News on Facebook @atomiczombies
- YouTube Poor Guy
- ShadowBeatz Twitter @ShadowBeatz
- Monster Masks Facebook @mymonsterfx
- Chapman Productions Facebook @ChapmanProductions
- Eric Britton Instagram @scratch_build
I’m very interested on your thoughts on this interview! Take a look at my previous interview with comic author, Jesse James Baer. Who should we interview next? Let me know in the comments below!
PARZZ1VAL: How to Connect
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Movies n TV
“How to Split an Atom,” a Scientific Return to Evil
The assessors return to investigate a particle accelerator with a damning history in “How to Split an Atom.” Season 4 Premiere of Evil.
The assessors return to investigate a particle accelerator with a damning history in “How to Split an Atom.” David (Mike Colter) can’t seem to shake off the dire warning of his vision. Kristen (Katja Herbers) reaches her breaking point. Ben (Aasif Mandvi) sees the light and faces some uncomfortable realizations.
“How to Split an Atom” is the first episode of season 4 of Evil, created by Michelle King and Robert King. The central cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Christine Lahti, and Andrea Martin. As of this review, it’s available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
What I Like about “How to Split an Atom”
While “How to Split an Atom” does start in season 3’s conclusion, it’s still a satisfying introduction through Kristen’s reaction alone. While it’s less effective and necessary in the era of streaming services, it reminds viewers of the last season’s execution to re-establish tension.
“How to Split an Atom” sets Kristen and Ben to face their most personal challenges. While Kristen often gets a good amount of material to explore, Ben receives the least development of the three assessors. Now that the titular scheme suggests a scientific focus, Ben seems to earn more attention.
- In the final season, Kristen, David, and Ben continue to assess cases that involve wayward technology, possessed pigs, demonic oppression and infestation, a dance muse conjured by alleged witches, and an evil relic
- Throughout, Leland attempts to lure Kristen into raising a baby antichrist who was conceived with her ovum
- David is recruited by the Vatican’s secret service to remote view a paranormal ability to see the unseen to detect evil
- From creators Robert King and Michelle King (The Good Wife), Evil is a critically acclaimed psychological mystery series that examines the origins of evil along the dividing line between science and religion
- A skeptical female psychologist (Katja Herbers) joins a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) and a contractor (Aasif Mandvi) as they investigate the Church’s backlog of unexplained mysteries, including supposed miracles, demonic possessions, and hauntings
- This 13-disc collection includes all 50 episodes, along with deleted scenes and more!
Last update on 2025-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
In comparison, David takes a step back, but the performance shows a man haunted by his vision. You see this conflict in his performance as he seems more held back and reserved throughout the episode.
Though far from unique to this episode, I haven’t yet found the opportunity to dive into the opening credits. These credits embody the idea of evil as an intrusive force against the good. It visibly displays the famed “problem of evil,” showing how the darkness intrudes against the light.
“How to Split an Atom” prepares the viewer for a new norm across every character. While that doesn’t evoke a truly haunting experience, it remains effective in building the foundation for the final season of Evil.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Andy (Patrick Brammall) spirals in this episode, induced by trauma and manipulation. His interactions with Kristen showcase several toxic behaviors. While these issues hold merit and other forces manipulate him, this might not matter to some.
Though not directly stated, a minor character seems to suffer a psychotic break, leading to their death. “How to Split an Atom” doesn’t confirm if this is a suicide, a demonically assisted act, or a complete accident.
What I Dislike about “How to Split an Atom”
“How to Split an Atom” explores a similar titular scheme as last season, but it doesn’t resonate as well. It feels like it retreads season 3, focusing instead on science but still lingering in a similar design.
There’s a strange scene where Sister Andrea and David speak in a low whisper despite being alone in her room. If “How to Split an Atom” wants to imply that spies listen in, “How to Split an Atom” doesn’t show this idea effectively. However, I think it’s intended to parallel Catholic confession, but it still doesn’t make logical sense in execution.
As streaming shows become standard practice, starting a new season in the prior season’s conclusion makes the episode more dependent and repetitive. While the execution remains effective in “How to Split an Atom,” I can’t help but linger on that thought.
Final Thoughts
“How to Split an Atom” establishes a definitive timeline where all the forces of Evil will collide. It has its strengths but doesn’t haunt the viewer. The ramifications of Ben’s descent and Kristen’s breaking point keep this episode from blending into the background, but only slightly.
(3.5 / 5)
We’ve reached the end of Goosebumps, The Vanishing. And after eight episodes of quality going up and down, I’m sad to say that the finale held to that theme.
The story
We begin this episode with the teens getting ready to go down into the fort to save their dad. Dr. Pamani gave them serum injections to keep them from being turned into pods. Then she locks them in, intending to never let them out again.
Through a series of quick thinking and bravery, everyone makes it out of the fort, though. Including Matty, Nicole, Hannah and Sameer.
For a time it looks like everything is going to be alright. Until Anthony tells Jen that they’ve got to do something about the alien ship that’s still trapped within the fort.
By the way, watch this with the caption on. It’s fantastic.
Jen and Anthony go back to Dr. Pamani’s lab in time to realize that no one is safe. Least of all, their kids.
What worked
You might notice that the ‘rescuing Dad from the pod’ part of this episode was over pretty fast. That’s because the actual story of this episode was about what came out of the facility rather than what was going on down there. And that was a surprising misdirect. I enjoyed that I didn’t see this misdirection coming. Well done.
I will also say that this episode was fun to watch. The critters were equal parts creepy and kind of cute. The dialog was fun and there were a lot of laughs.
This ending was also satisfying. All the questions are answered. Everyone gets a happy ending and all the people you want to get together do. It was a solid ending with no loose threads.
What didn’t work
Unfortunately, that’s all the good things I can say about this episode.
Let’s start with the continued superficiality of the whole story. I just didn’t feel much of anything for any of these characters. I had a little twinge of bittersweetness when Matty looked through the box of his old things. But that was about it.
The problem here was that everything was going too fast. We jumped from chaos to chaos so fast that the emotions didn’t have time to sink in. It was like rain on a dry field. No matter how much falls, if it can’t be absorbed it’s not going to do much good.
Here’s the real problem I have with this episode, though.
You’ll recall that in the last episode, I was irritated by how quickly Dr. Pamani decided to help the kids. It should surprise exactly no one that she didn’t decide to help them, but to trap them in the facility to be podded forevermore.
- Goosebumps now on Disney+!Jack Archer is convinced something strange is going on at his neighbor’s house
- Mr
- Fleshman always wears all black, hardly ever leaves his house, and never says hello to anyone
Last update on 2025-02-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
While I’m thrilled that Dr. Pamani didn’t just change her mind, I still think it was dumb as shit that anyone, especially our main characters, thought she did. These teens aren’t dumb. Kids aren’t dumb. We shouldn’t be portraying kids as dumb in a show for kids.
I’m not saying this series was pure garbage. I’m not saying it was dangerous or unwatchable. I’m just saying that, if it didn’t have the name Goosebumps, I probably never would have watched it. This story just doesn’t have the same staying power that the original stories do. It was fine to watch, but in the end, just didn’t have enough substance to warrant a rewatch.
(3.5 / 5)
After a shaky start, Goosebumps The Vanishing is still on shaky ground with this penultimate episode. While there were some surprises, a lot of them were rather disappointing.
I feel like I say this a lot, but if you’ve read the original book then you might have a hint about where this is going. But it won’t tell you the whole story. So let’s take a trip to Camp Nightmare and see what’s waiting for us.
The story
We begin this episode with a flashback to the Fort before it was a fort. A group of Camp Nightmoon campers is hiking there with the worst camp counselor ever. It was almost a relief when the mysterious monster reached up from the cliffside and grabbed him.
Back in the present, the teens are putting the pieces together. They track down Dr. Pamani’s father and even find a book he published. They then locate the address of her lab and break in. There, they find her journals that chronicle the discovery of the monster, and how it managed to kill her entire team.
What worked
In this episode, and in fact this season, scientists are not the bad guys. Which is a relief. Science fiction and horror tend to hold up a mirror to society, showing us what we’re really scared of using monsters and ghosts as allegories. So often, when people are wary of science and scientists, we have horror movies that demonize them.
But that’s not what happened here. The scientists are not necessarily the good guys, but the ones who tried to save the world. Even though they failed, they tried.
One good example of this was Dr. Pamani telling her father, “We’re scientists, not soldiers.” This is a great line. And this episode had a lot of great lines. The dialog was on point. Nothing felt forced, but it also felt polished and impactful. It was just overall well done.
I also enjoyed, to a point, the flashback scenes to 1969. It was interesting to see the people who tried to contain this entity. To learn from it. The flashback was also ominous. Because never did the characters explain how this entity got there. They didn’t seem interested in that, only in how to destroy it. Since we don’t know why or how it came to New York, we don’t know if there are more of them somewhere else. And since everyone’s being so secretive, we might never know.
Until it’s too late.
What didn’t work
Unfortunately, this episode failed more than it succeeded.
Let’s start with the sudden change of heart Dr. Pamani has. For decades, she’s been controlling and containing this creature. She’s been careful to never take risks that might release it into the world. So when Cece and Devin want to go save their dad, she says no.
At first. Then, after a not-so-passionate plea by Cece, she changes her mind and agrees to help them save Anthony.
Which seems like a really quick departure from her stance just moments before. Honestly, this wasn’t believable at all. It was lazy. It felt like they just didn’t have a good enough reason for her to change her mind, so they just handwaved it away.
This wasn’t the only part of the story that was too easy. This whole investigation went smoothly for them. They wanted to find the book by Dr. Avi Pamani, and they found it at the library. They didn’t even find it. The librarian found it for them. They wanted to find Dr. Pamani’s address. They found it in seconds and also found her credit score. They got into her lab by doing nothing more than cutting a chain holding the door shut. And we’re supposed to believe that no one ever thought to do any of this? Four teenagers vanished in the 1990s, and none of their family members were ever able to put all this together. That just doesn’t make sense to me.
Both of these issues feed into the main problem with this episode. The whole thing felt watered way down. Especially after the hints about some horrific medical experiments taking place at the fort. I love a good horrific medical experiment story, so I was looking forward to that.
But that’s not what happened. Instead, it was a watered-down alien invasion story with a bunch of people who did their best and failed. It just felt like, frankly, not enough. It felt like there could have been so much more, should have been so much more. Instead, we got the Great Value version of what we could have had.
At this point, I think I’m too invested to give up. After all, there’s just one more episode left. But I’d be lying if I said that was something I’m looking forward to.
(3 / 5)
