Zombies, somewhat inexplicably, have captured the attentions of American culture and don’t seem to be letting go anytime soon. Most representations, however, as perhaps best befits the shambling, brain eating, flailing creatures, are deliciously low-brow, from low budget horror films to trashy fright night novels — that is, until this week, when Colson Whitehead’s Zone One hit the shelves, reminding us all that zombies can be intellectual too. His literary use of the undead walkers in his post-apocalyptic vision of New York has led us to consider other high-brow treatments of zombies in pop culture, which have slowly been emerging to varying degrees of success as the gross-out creatures continue to gain popularity. Click through to see a few of our favorite highbrow zombies across the board, and let us know if we’ve missed any in the comments.
There have been casting rumors swirling around Pride and Prejudice and Zombies since the film adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s mashup parody of the Jane Austen classic was first announced, but this has to be the strangest one yet: Twitch is reporting that Blake Lively has been offered the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet in the film.
From where we’re sitting, this makes little to no sense. Lively — while she does a lovely job of annoying us week after week as Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl — isn’t in the same league as actresses like Natalie Portman, Emma Stone, Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johansson, or Mia Wasikowska — who have all previously been mentioned as contenders for the part. Our friends over at The Playlist think that budget concerns (which were the reason why director David O. Russell handed over the reigns to Mike White who handed them over to Craig Gillespie) are the primary reason that she’s being considered. It certainly can’t be based on her previous big-screen performances in films like Green Lantern, The Town, or The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
We’re curious: What do you think of Lively as a zombie slaying heroine? Are the casting gods seeing something in her that we’re just missing (you know, other than the fact that she’s really hot)?
Painfully wholesome, G-rated American children’s television of our current kid-tested, mother-approved era not doing it for you? Yeah, we’re not feeling it, either. As the fall TV season kicks off, we assume most adults are concentrating on all of those highly anticipated season and series premieres — but we think it’s time to devote some attention to the deliciously dark and downright bizarre children’s entertainment from around the world. Our roundup of creepy kids’ TV shows, past and present, is after the jump.
1. A full but unofficial version of Beyoncé’s new single, “Girls (Who Run the World),” has leaked. Listen to the track, which was produced by Diplo and Switch and is reportedly the lead single off her forthcoming album, here.
2. After weeks of speculation, Lionsgate has hired Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl) to direct its adaptation of Seth Graham-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which is being produced by Natalie Portman. [via ComingSoon]
3. James Franco will star with Winona Ryder in The Stare,
a Black Swan-sounding drama in which “a playwright (Ryder) finds her mind beginning to warp as she struggles to launch her next production.” Franco plays one of her actors. [via Deadline]
4. 1991: The Year Punk Broke — the classic documentary about Sonic Youth touring Europe with Nirvana way back when — is coming to DVD in an extended 20th anniversary edition of the movie later this year. [via Pitchfork]
5. Paul McCartney has picked some of his favorite photographs taken by his late wife Linda for a new book called Life In Photographs. Preview some of the images here.
1. The British royal family has confirmed that Prince William is finally engaged to Kate Middleton. They have been dating since 2003. [via CNN]
2. Baz Luhrmann has confirmed that Carey Mulligan will play Daisy Buchanan in his adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Leonardo DiCaprio will play Jay Gatsby, and Tobey Maguire is expected to play his friend, Nick Carraway. [via Deadline]
3. Mike White has signed on to direct Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the adaptation of the Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel of the same name. No word on casting yet. [via Deadline]
4. Watch the first trailer for MTV’s new show Teen Wolf, but don’t be disappointed when there’s no van surfing. [via Vulture]
5. Apple is rumored to be announcing today that The Beatles music is going to be available on iTunes. Are you as excited about it as they are? [via NME]
Now that book publishing is dying and all, struggling imprints are doing whatever they can to stay in business. Often, that can mean finding a successful formula and sticking to it. Cue literary mash-up mania! After the runaway success of Seth Grahame-Smith‘s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, publishers everywhere are looking for their very own smash-hit 19th-century novel remix. (This spring, look out for Jane Slayreand Little Women and Werewolves, among others.)
While we find these efforts amusing, we can’t help thinking the Victorian maiden + monster equation is already getting old. Instead, we’d like to see classic novels combined with current cultural obsessions and internet memes for maximum relevance. After the jump, check out our 10 best suggestions. Oh, and agents? If you’re game to shop some of these titles around, you know where to reach us.
1. It’s official: Betty White will be hosting Saturday Night Live on May 8. Former cast members Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer, and Rachel Dratch will also appear in the Mother’s Day episode. [via PopEater]
2. The surviving members of Pink Floyd have won their court case against record label EMI; they’re now banned from selling Pink Floyd’s music online. [via Spinner]
3. Actor Corey Feldman remembers Corey Haim: “This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend.” [via NYP]
4. Get your first look inside of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel. [via Pop Candy]
5. James Franco is set to tackle film adaptations of Charles Bukowski‘s Ham On Rye and a biography of poet Hart Crane, The Broken Tower. Ham On Rye will be a collaboration with his hot little brother, Dave Franco. [via The Playlist]
Coachella giveaway: We use Yahoo! Search to help find the top culture stories of the day. Now we’re giving you the chance to play editor, and you just might win a trip to Coachella.
Use Yahoo! Search to find an interesting link about Betty White, and drop it below in the comments. Our favorite entry will receive The Golden Girls – The Complete First Season, and more importantly, be entered to win a VIP trip for two to Coachella. Topics will be changing throughout the week, so get your search on and keep playing to increase your chances of winning!
Just in time for Halloween comes this exclusive scoop from Entertainment Weekly: “Quirk — the publishing house that brought you Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters — has planned a new title, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, which goes on sale March 23, 2010.” Check out the cover to the right.
According to Quirk ed Jason Rekulak in this latest book, readers will be able to see how Elizabeth Bennet went “from an innocent teenager to a deadly slayer of zombies.” Readers of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies got to know Lizzy’s inner martial arts star — something Jane Austen was obviously hiding from us all those years.
Mystery writer Steve Hockensmith, known for his Sherlock Holmes-style Westerns, is doing the literary mash-up honors. Unlike the previous book, this one contains Austen characters, but no familiar plot points.
Remember our friends at Quirk Books, who published Pride and Prejudice and Zombies back in April? Well, it must have done well, because they’re back with the next Austen-classic-meets-classic-monster novel in the series: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Author Ben H. Winters told Entertainment Weekly, readers will have this to look forward to:
“A giant rampaging mutant lobster. Octopi with glittering tentacles. And pirates — I couldn’t resist pirates. I studied pirate lore, from R.L. Stevenson to Pirates of the Caribbean.”
It goes on sale September 15. View the book’s trailer (alas, poor Mr. Willoughby!) and let us know if you’ll be snatching up a copy, or if you prefer your Dashwood sisters sans rabid sea monsters. Read More »
, publishers everywhere are looking for their very own smash-hit 19th-century novel remix. (This spring, look out for 
