Zombies in the Snow
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| Zombies in the Snow | |
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| First mentioned | The Reptile Room |
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| Created by | Dr. Gustav Sebald |
Zombies in the Snow is a fictional film presented as the last movie created by the fictional film director Dr. Gustav Sebald before his death in the children's novel series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket (a.k.a. Daniel Handler).
The movie itself, created for Snicket's 1999 book The Reptile Room, is clearly modeled after the classic science fiction/horror genre common in 1950's cinema (Creature from the Black Lagoon, 1954, Man From Planet X, 1951, Brain From Planet Arous, 1957, etc.), but with a singularly unusual twist at the end.
Aside from making its debut in The Reptile Room, the film appears in Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography. Zombies in the Snow serves as a coded message to Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, a flamboyant but absent-minded member of the Herpetological Society and the V.F.D. (a secret organization founded to prevent arson and keep the world peaceful). Unfortunately, Dr. Montgomery fails to decode the message, leading to his subsequent death at the hands of the series' antagonist, Count Olaf.
The film itself is a satire that emphasizes the series' themes through exaggerated characters, situations, and dialogue, while presenting the reader with a better understanding of the novels.
In the words of Snicket's fictional film critic Lena Pukalie, "[It] is such a strange film, with such awkward dialogue, that one wonders if it is meant to be a piece of entertainment at all, but instead some sort of coded message[1]."
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[edit] Dr. Sebald and the film's role in the books
[edit] Gustav Sebald
Dr. Gustav Sebald was Dr. Montgomery's assistant, who aided him in his research and the construction of reptile traps (jobs that were later given to the Baudelaires, orphans sent to stay under the doctor's care) so that Dr. Montgomery (called "Uncle Monty") could acquire new specimens for his reptile collection.
Aside from acting as Uncle Monty's top assistant, Dr. Sebald was a little-known director, familiar only to the V.F.D. for such obscure films as Werewolves in the Rain, Vampires in the Retirement Community, Realtors in the Cave, and most notably, Zombies in the Snow, all of which are suggested to have been coded warnings for the V.F.D..a
Soon before the Baudelaires’ arrival at Uncle Monty's residence, Count Olaf abducted Dr. Sebald and either forged or had forged a note of resignation to be given to Uncle Monty. He then proceeded to drown Dr. Sebald in the nearby Swarthy Swamp.
Count Olaf, under the guise of Uncle Monty's new assistant Stephano, took Dr. Sebald's place in the Montgomery residence (a position which apparently required a great deal of responsibility and, on Monty's part, a great deal of trust) eight days after the Baudelaires first arrived. In accordance with the doctor's frequent habit of taking the children to a movie, the children, Olaf, and Uncle Monty went together to see Zombies in the Snow at the nearest multiplex (in the town of Tedia).
[edit] The Code
Before his imminent death, Dr. Sebald had added a section to the film (on pp. 98-102 of the script) that held the following coded message (punctuation added for effect; it was not written by Dr. Sebald):
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- "Attention! Hidden in the snowman is a survivor of the fire. Meet us in the town where this film takes place. Bring the three children. Your new assistant is not one of us! Beware!"
Unfortunately, Uncle Monty had never taken the time to learn the Sebald Code (a mandatory step in V.F.D. training), and thus was unaware of Olaf's treacherous scheme to kill him and of the possibility that someone had survived the Baudelaire fire, the Quagmire fire, or one of the Snicket fires.
The V.F.D. quickly became aware of the problem, and Snicket arranged for a meeting with Dr. Sebald out on a rowboat in Swarthy Swamp (just north of Lake Lachrymose, near Opportune Odors Horseradish Factory) to discuss the issue and dispose of the coded script of Zombies in the Snow. Unfortunately, due to his death, Dr. Sebald was unable to attend the appointment.
[edit] Plot
The film, crafted by Snicket in a mock-horror fashion, with musical numbers and a happy twist at the end, elegantly illustrates the books' recurring themes of irony, uncertainty, and the misunderstood intelligence of children, as well as foreshadowing the Baudelaires' later encounters with Count Olaf that illuminate the villain's innermost nature and personal feelings.
The plot of Zombies in the Snow is not stated in direct detail in either The Reptile Room or The Autobiography (although it is outlined in the former). Bits and pieces of it are given, sometimes in order, sometimes not, in both books. The rest is up to conjecture. The following plot summary is a generally acceptable interpretation of what is "known". Whenever the summary includes anything not found in the novels, the text is so noted.
The story is set in a rural fishing village in the Swiss Alps where the citizens make their living by fishing and canning. The village's government is a council-manager government, run by men known as the town fathers, or "Stadtväter".
The story beginsb one night when two boys from the village go out into the forest to ice-skate with the woodland animals. In the midst of their nighttime play, they are horrified to witness a reawakening of the living deadc, wherein zombies begin rising from the surrounding snowbanks.
The boys hurry back to the village to alert the villagers of this nocturnal horror. Already, hundreds of zombies have begun to come up from the snowbanks and are heading toward the village. The villagers, terrified, head for the fishing cannery to find refuge.
The zombies, having reached the town, begin trying to eat the villagers (whether anyone is ever actually eaten remains uncertaind). Bereft of weapons, the villagers use the large icicles hanging from the cannery's roof to ward off the frozen undead. One woman, perhaps Dolores, along with a young girl, flees from the zombies by boarding a sledge. The vicious zombies chase her in what is an apparently memorable sled chase. Just as dawn approaches, the zombies are forced (through some aversion to light) to return to their snowy lairs.
What happens next is uncertain. If the film plays out like a typical 1950's horror film, then the villagers believe the danger is gone for good when morning comes. They go on with their everyday lives, forgetting all about the event. During the following evening, the zombies return, hungry for human flesh.
Whether or not that is how the story goes, it is clear that Gerta, a young milkmaid, begins to wonder whether the zombies would prefer to make friends with the villagers rather than eat them. She tries to convince the town fathers to test this theory, but they repeatedly reject it (three hundred times, according to Gerta).
During the daylight hours, the town fathers construct a sturdy oak barrier to protect the citizens. Unfortunately, the zombies quickly eat through this barrier the following evening. Undaunted, the town fathers build another (presumably thicker) wall of oak[2]. As evening again approaches, Town Father #1 rings the tocsin to call everyone back in, proclaiming that "soon hundreds of hungry zombies will be in our beloved village! We must hide behind the barrier[3]."
Young Rölf, a foolhardy young boy, refuses to take refuge behind the wall, insisting on building a snowman. After arguing with him, the town fathers give up on Rölf, leaving him for the zombies. Gerta is shocked by the town fathers' behavior, and decides to stay with Rölf out in the open as evening arrives.
Soon, zombies begin to rise from the snowbanks, heading straight for the oaken barrier. Without hesitation they eat their way through the wood, sending the villagers screaming in panic. As the zombies turn to Young Rölf and Gerta building their snowman, the milkmaid stops and asks them to "please stop eating villagers[4]," suggesting that they become friends. The zombies delightedly agree, and together the zombies and villagers celebrate a joyous May Day.
[edit] Characters, cast, and crew
As already addressed, the film was directed by Dr. Gustav Sebald. It is possible that it was filmed by Sally Sebald (Dr. Sebald's sister), since her stationery includes an insignia of a film camera with her name and the title "executrix of the Sebald estate" superimposed on it[5].
- Dolores: Dolores has at least two songs in the film[6], but otherwise seems to serve little purpose.
- Gerta: A young milkmaid who makes friends with the zombies and subsequently saves the village.
- Town Father #1: The town father responsible for leaving Young Rölf out during the evening.
- Town Father #2: A more sympathetic town father.
- Young Rölf: A young boy who would risk being eaten by zombies in order to build a snowman. He is probably played by Count Olaf.e
- Villagers: The villagers generally follow the town fathers without question.
- Zombies: Several hundred zombies attack the village before making friends with its citizens.
The following members of the cast are never specifically named:
- Two Boys: Two boys who go into the forest.
- Girl: The girl who accompanies the woman (possibly Dolores) in the sled chase.
[edit] External links
- The Astounding B-Monster Archive — a list of famous movie monsters.
- The Sebald Decoder — a website which will decode anything in the Sebald Code.
- 1950's Science Fiction Movies
- LemonySnicket.com
- LemonySnicket.co.uk
- UnfortunateEventsMovie.com
- TheQuietWorld.com — a fan site.
- BrettHelquist.com
[edit] Notes
- Note a: For a more complete list of Dr. Sebald's films, see Dr. Sebald's films.
- Note b: It is possible the story begins before this.
- Note c: Whether this reawakening is witnessed in the forest or when the boys return to the village is indeterminable.
- Note d: In Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography, Dolores says, "I am very, very vexed. Who knows who they'll eat next?" (p. 61), implying that people have been eaten, while Gerta says, "[The] zombies don't want to hurt us, or our children" (p. 63), implying that there is no evidence against the zombies.
- Note e: In Sally Sebald's letter to Lemony Snicket, her caption to the "Omar" photo says that the actor's name escapes her, and that it could be Omar. Since Omar is often confused with Olaf, this seems very likely. Also, while in Madame Lulu's caravan, Olaf says that he started his acting career "when a young director came to [his] school."
[edit] References
- ^ p. 165, Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography.
- ^ p. 64, Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography, as the town fathers hide behind the barrier, Gerta protests that "they already ate one wall of sturdy oak."
- ^ p. 61, Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography.
- ^ p. 81, The Reptile Room.
- ^ p. 66, Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography.
- ^ "I Am Very, Very Vexed", p. 61, and "I'm Just a Meal For the Walking Dead", p. 65, in Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography.
[edit] Sources
- Snicket, Lemony (1999). The Reptile Room (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-028313-0.
- Snicket, Lemony (2002). Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-000719-2.
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