Hmm, well what do you think would work best?

Zombies move SLOWLY.  There is no other way or it doesn't count as a zombie movie.

The zombie onslaught can be at the very end and the intestine thing will still work.  It's a really quick kill.

Guy's aggravated about the "people" on his lawn, sees the punk kid, flips out cause he's dead....

Slowly backs up.  "You're dead.  You're deeeeaaaddd!"

Bang!

Human salad bar.

Yeah I'm partial to the soulless and ravenous zombies myself. And slow moving too.

Because this is a horror with comedy and not a comedy with horror.

Perhaps the ones who bite you eat your soul and you join the ranks of the undead. Or something like that.

I'd think it's happen slowly. Sort of like a Cronenberg Fly kind of decay.

And I like the undecay part. That might work.

And I'd think of the zombies sort of as soul collectors, you know.

I think we should elaborate on who and what built the underground lair. There needs to be a mythology behind that, you know.

OK, Topher.  I read through this thread of yours.  Here are some free thoughts.

*  Your beginning -- the accidental death -- is too reminiscent of Six Feet Under.  I think better to begin with an embalming.  Do some research and give us "in your face" details of this procedure that will make us sick.

*  Lenore passing away in her sleep is lame.  She should die by some horrific accident -- while Morty watches.

*  The power to raise the dead is cool.  Keep that.  A Pet Cemetery kind of thing going on.

*  This lady that leaves the notes -- I don't get that at all.  Maybe you have some solid ideas you haven't put out there yet, but I wouldn't commit too firmly to that aspect of the story if I were you.  Be prepared to abandon that if it doesn't work out, as I suspect it won't.

*  He should be embalming people down in the cellar.  And all the blood from the bodies -- for all those years -- unbeknownst to Mort -- has been draining into this secret room of yours.  Perhaps there is a clog in the pipes or something -- the blood backs up and floods his cellar -- and when he investigates, with a shovel or whatever -- he discovers this hidden room.

He should be embalming people down in the cellar.  And all the blood from the bodies -- for all those years -- unbeknownst to Mort -- has been draining into this secret room of yours.  Perhaps there is a clog in the pipes or something -- the blood backs up and floods his cellar -- and when he investigates, with a shovel or whatever -- he discovers this hidden room.

I actually really like this idea better then my original. I'm going to do some research on the process.


*  This lady that leaves the notes -- I don't get that at all.  Maybe you have some solid ideas you haven't put out there yet, but I wouldn't commit too firmly to that aspect of the story if I were you.  Be prepared to abandon that if it doesn't work out, as I suspect it won't.*

She's suppose to be a messanger of death. I'm working out a mythology for that.

The mythology includes "Soul Collectors" (zombies) Revivers (Mort) and Death Messengers (Ashly Morte). We just need to hammer the details out a bit.

Yeah, something quaint. Where I don't know. Just cities are too impersonal, you know.

This is from wikipedia. I'm going to look other sources as well just to make sure, you know.

Embalming as practiced in the funeral homes of the Western World uses several steps. Modern embalming techniques are not the result of a single practitioner, but rather the accumulation of many decades, even centuries, of research, trial and error and invention. A standardized version follows below but variation on techniques is very common.

The first thing an embalmer should do is verify the identity of the deceased (normally via wrist or leg tags) and perform basic tests for signs of death, such as clouded-over corneas, lividity, and rigor mortis. While people awakening on the mortuary table is largely the province of horror fiction and urban myth, testing for death is still a final additional precaution. Any clothing on the corpse is removed and set aside; jewelry, also, is inventoried. A modesty cloth is then placed over the deceased's genitalia for dignity. Following this the corpse is washed in disinfecting and germicidal solutions, shaved, and groomed. The embalmer bends, flexes and massages the arms and legs to relieve rigor mortis. The eyes are closed and kept closed with an eyecap that keeps them shut and in the proper expression. The mouth may be closed via suturing with a needle and ligature, using an adhesive, wire or a needle injector, a specialised device most commonly utilised in North America and unique to mortuary practise. Care is taken to make the expression look as relaxed and natural as possible and ideally a recent photograph of the deceased while still living is used as a template. The process of closing the mouth, eyes, shaving etc is collectively known as setting the features.

The actual embalming process usually involves four parts:

Arterial embalming, which involves the injection of embalming chemicals into the blood vessels, usually via the right common carotid artery. Blood is displaced from the right jugular vein. The embalming solution is injected through a mechanical pump and the embalmer massages the corpse to ensure a proper distribution of the embalming fluid. In case of poor circulation, other injection points are used.
Cavity embalming, the suction of the internal fluids of the corpse and the injection of embalming chemicals into body cavities, using an aspirator and trocar. The embalmer makes a small incision just above the navel and pushes the trocar in the chest and stomach cavities to puncture the hollow organs and aspirate their contents. He then fills the cavities with concentrated chemicals that contain formaldehyde. The incision is either sutured closed or a "trocar button" is screwed into place.
Hypodermic embalming, the injection of embalming chemicals under the skin as needed.
Surface embalming, which supplements the other methods, especially for visible, injured body parts.
Most good embalmings are completed in two or three hours, although an easy case may take less and complicated cases can take days.


Restoration tools, Museum of Funeral CustomsAfter the body is rewashed and dried, cosmetics are applied to make it appear more lifelike and to create a "memory picture" for the deceased's friends and relatives. In the United States and Philippines baby powder or other deodorizers are used on the body for a pleasing fragrance. For babies who have died, the embalmer applies a light cosmetic massage cream after embalming to provide a natural appearance; massage cream is also used on the lips to prevent them from dehydrating, for the infant's mouth is often left open a little bit for a more natural expression. If possible, the funeral director uses a light, translucent cosmetic; sometimes, heavier, opaque cosmetics are used to hide bruises, cuts, or discoloured areas. Makeup is applied to the lips to mimick their natural color. Sometimes, a very pale or light pink lipstick is applied on males, while brighter coloured lipstick is applied to females. Hair gels or hair spray is applied to style the hair, especially for deceased who are male. Mortuary cosmetizing is not done for the same reason as make-up for living people; rather, it is designed to add depth and dimension to a person's features that the lack of blood circulation removes. Warm areas, where blood vessels in living people are superficial, such as the cheeks, chin and knuckles have subtle reds added to recreate this effect, while browns are added to the palpabrae (eyelids) to add depth, especially important as viewing in a casket creates an unusual perspective rarely seen in everyday life. During the viewing, pink-coloured lighting is sometimes used near the body to lend a warmer tone to the deceased's complexion.

A photograph of the dead person in good health is often sought in order to guide the embalmer's hand in restoring the corpse to a more lifelike appearance. Blemishes and discolorations (such as bruises, in which the discolouration is not in the circulatory system and cannot be removed by arterial injection) occasioned by the last illness, the settling of blood, or the embalming process itself are also dealt with at this time. Various funeral homes have different practices as to whether the corpse will be clothed during the time of application of the cosmetics, or whether the cosmetics will be applied first and the corpse clothed afterwards.

The foregoing describes the usual process for "cosmetic" embalming, wherein long-term preservation is not the goal; rather the natural appearance of the body is paramount.

As for clothing the body, tradition has been for the decedant to wear semi-formal clothing (a suit jacket and tie for men; a dress for women). In more recent years, the family often chooses to dress the decedant in more casual wear (such as a T-shirt and blue jeans), especially if the deceased was young. If a person is a member of the clergy of some religions, the person is often buried in religious vestments; as well, a member of the military, a police officer or firefighter is often dressed in his/her uniform.

I'd think present day, but the era isn't a definate.

It'd leave an inbalance in the mythology. It's like ying and yang. Ashly Morte is a death bringer. Mort becomes a reviver. Revivers are able to return the dead back to life. But not the life they know. Instead to a life of mindless servitude.

Unbeknownst to Mort what happens to him in the hidden room is slowly making him become the true villian. I'd thought that'd be a majour struggle within the film.

Ashly Morte is not a murder. It is not that she self picks her victims. It's their time. Part of the reason the room was sealed was to trap the evil spirit that resides.

The spirit that infects Mort. Ashly is sent there by the forces of good to try to prevent this from happening. She leaves the notes as her way of saying to The Reviver, I'm here. The balance will be kept.

It seems odd to Mort because he doesn't know about it - but it's a gesture for the evil spirit that is slowly absorbing into his body.

We could throw around ideas. But nothing to "Final Destination" you know.

Yeah and it's a yin and yang kind of thing. The idea is that they both serve for different overbeings.

Ah I get it now, sorry I was kind of slow there. But yeah that might work.

Mythology within "Mortuary Mort":

Dazbog (God of Light)

Death Messengers are servants of Dazbog. The benevolent God of Light. They are there to keep balance between life and death.
Death Messengers are in an eternal conflict with The Revivers.  

Zlibog (God of Darkness)

Revivers are the servants of Zlibog. They are a thinking spiritual entity that exsist to disrupt the balance between life and death. Initially there are seven Revivers. The seven were locked away in an underground tomb called a Spritual Krypta. The tomb traps them between their world and ours.
Well they are given the power to revive the dead. They cannot truly revive the souls of the dead. They can only reanimate the body.

The reanimated corpse is then possessed by a Soul Collector. A Soul Collector  a spiritual automatron. They work off pure instinct.
They exsist to collect other souls - often unwilling - to the realm Zlibog.

Dazgevers are an ancient sect. Forged in secrecy and long forgotten they were mortal servants of Dazbog. They wished to bring order to life and were ultimately the ones who trapped the seven Revivers with the Spiritual Kryptas.    

Yeah, let's have animal zombies. That's hardly seen.

I think if you're bitten it should be a slower process. It consumes your body.

Haha.

We should work on a character list, you know - at least for the beginning.

And perhaps a list of the customers who come into the mortuary. I'd like to see a good variety within those who come.

Zombie animals would be fun!!!! And I have the perfect idea!




We can have zombie goldfish!!!!



Sean