Time for the Dead: Zombies-A Love Story
FANTASY HORROR SCI-FI SATIRE FUNNY
2000s,20th Century (multiple decades)
Mike Gutowski
Logline
The struggle is real for Witches, Zombies, and Humans in the hundo p crazy West Kansas plains. It had become okay to play with dead things. Just had to be careful. Dead things may bite.
Genre
Fantasy,Horror,Sci-fi,Satire,Funny
Short Summary
Adam Lincoln, a farmer, died a year ago of circumstances uncertain to him, as he tried to recollect in the darkness of unknown origin. After much reflection, he realizes he is buried. He breaks free into the above-ground world where he is immediately attacked by flying squirrels.
Adam and his friend George Pullman, aided by son Cain, daughter Lilly, and Adam's undead wife Eve and a recruited Zombie army, launch a final assault against Miss Zelda, the matriarch of a conniving Witch coven that has plagued the farmers and towns for decades.
Setting
Meadow City, Kansas
Based on a True Story
No
Plot - Premise
Overcoming Monster/Villain,Internal Journey/Rebirth,Rebellion Against 'The One'
Plot - Other Elements
Happy Ending,Twist
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity,Extreme Violence
Main Character Details
Name: Adam Lincoln
Age: 64
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Clumsy,Insecure,Sarcastic,Funny,Blunt,Underdog
Additional Character Details
Name: George Pullman
Age: 60
Gender: Male
Role: Mentor
Key Traits: Confident,Gracious,Honorable,Skillful,Selfless,Leader,Heroic,Underdog
Additional Character Details
Name: Lilly Lincoln
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Role: sidekick
Key Traits: Aspiring,Charming,Confident,Engaging,Educated,Underdog,Modest,Sexy,Strong Moral Code,Honorable,Skillful,Selfless
Additional Character Details
Name: Cain Lincoln
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Role: sidekick
Key Traits: Masculine,Aspiring,Confident,Decisive,Heartthrob,Honorable,Leader,Educated,Selfless,Skillful,Secretive
Development Pitch
The West Kansas plains had been almost completely overrun and controlled by a powerful Witch coven, headed by Miss Zelda, as revenge for human persecution administered by Meadow City for almost a century. Two stubborn families had yet to yield: the Lincolns and the Pullmans. After the unexpected deaths of Adam Lincoln and his adulterous, drug-addicted wife Eve, murdered by the Witch coven, one year later each rises from the dead. And so begins the effort of the Lincolns and Pullmans to fend off and stop total domination by the Witches. Adam and his best friend, George Pullman, plot the Witch coven demise. Along this path, Adam is arrested for eating some college protestors and their professor protest leader one a food trip to Meadow City with daughter Lilly, a recent law school graduate, and licensed lawyer. Adam's daughter Lilly defends him at the murder trial against Miss Zelda, the City prosecutor, but the only escape from a guilty verdict is to eat the Judge. Aided by Adam's son Cain, a Zombie horde, previously infected by Adam, is unleashed upon the Courthouse to allow Adam and Lilly's escape. Miss Zelda then takes matters into her own hands in a final battle of Witches vs. Zombies on the West Kansas plains.
Genre
COMEDY, ACTION, FANTASY
Brief
Adam is shot to death but figures out a way to come back to life a year later thanks to GMO seeds. He and his friend George are the only two families who haven't lost control to the local witches. They recruit more zombies to fight off the witches power. Adam tries to bring back his wife as a zombie but his children remind him how she got him killed in the first place.
Overall Rating
FAIR
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: GOOD
Characterization: FAIR
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: GOOD
Pace: FAIR
Premise: GOOD
Structure: FAIR
Theme: FAIR
Accuracy of Book Profile
The logline is more like a tagline rather than a one or two sentence summary of the story. The tagline is very catchy, but too vague to work as a logline. By explaining Adam's plot in fighting the witches as a zombie the dynamics of the story and the antagonist will be clearer.
Draw of Story
At first there is a lot of terror in Adam's confusion before he realizes he is buried and possibly dead but then right after he reemerges he starts eating squirrels as his daughter watches. This breaks the tension in a comedic way as it is wholly unexpected and quirky. It is a striking visual to have zombie squirrels and quite memorable.
Possible Drawbacks
How the zombies are created with the GMO seeds makes sense but within the world building what makes zombies remember things, have control or loose control and what makes some more sentient than others remains a bit hazy.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES HEAVILY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The hook is that GMO zombies must fight witches in Kansas in order to protect their remaining human relations. There are also zombie squirrels and the trial for zombie murder ends in the judge getting eaten.
Fanbase Potential
Depending on if the film follows the comedic horror genre or takes the zombie genre seriously this could have a medium sized audience. The horror comedy would have a larger audience than a supernatural thriller because of the unique visuals and zombie rules of the universe.
Awards Potential
Given its supernatural and horror nature this in unlikely to gain awards. It might win popular awards for its comedy but not esteemed awards due to the zombie factor.
Envisioned Budget
LARGE BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
SCOUT'S GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, JOHNNY DIES AT THE END, ZOMBEAVERS, THE ODD FAMILY: ZOMBIE ON SALE, ZOMBIELAND
What’s New About the Story
The comedic use of the zombie and their sentience as well as the GMO angle along with the charm of elderly Kansas farmers create memorable characters and plot moments. Incorporating the witches as dynamic characters and firmer settings about the zombie rules of existence would help make the conflict easier to follow.
Lead Characters
Adam is the protagonist but as a zombie he is unpredictable. He does bad things like eating the judge and squirrels which does beyond being an antihero and yet he is still likable and loyal.
Uniqueness of Story
This is definitely one of the most creative zombie stories proposed but stronger monster guidelines and less existential dread at the beginning would help eve out the tone and remove plot holes. One such plot hole being that the zombies are explained as wanting only meat and yet Adam wishes to save his wife despite being a Zombie.
Possible Formats
Film - Indie, Film - Streaming, Film - Studio
Analyst Recommendation
WORK IN PROGRESS
Justification
While the story has many positive points, it has room for improvement (see possible paths below). If you can't change the story at this point, my suggestion is using your notes as a guide to highlight the best aspects of it when taking the next steps, either putting a pitch page together, a treatment, or a presentation.
Tips for Improvement
By being consistent with zombie behavior, their actions can still be surprising but also logical. Also providing the antagonist witches with deeper internal conflict will help make their villainy more dynamic.