The issue of stagnating Zombies.

I just watched the first episode of Frank Darabonts and AMC's 'The walking Dead'. As it stands it seems to be a good, gory show with a classic 'man seeks family' emotional centre.
Now i LOVE zombies, i really do. I would put them ahead of the wolf-man and Dracula in the movie monster stakes, they may not have had their own set of commemorative stamps (yet) but they are none the less an important icon in horror history.

But since Zombies really hit the mainstream after the release of films like dawn of the dead (remake) and 28days later
(i personaly dont view them as zombies but as i am part of a pedantic minority i will include the film for the sake of argument)
the whole sub-genre has become stale....still cool, but stale.

Enough already with the protaganist who wakes from a coma to find a world devestated by a zombie plague, dispense with the search for loved ones and rumors of protected military bases and possible cures.
Yes, in the reality of a zombifying viral outbreak this may be the logical scenario so why not play it out over and over again in a fictionalised film universe, after all it works. An audience can relate, perhaps this is what they would do if this actualy occured. And the whole set up has been proved to be a money spinner for studios and independants alike.

But c'mon this is movie-land use some imagination, put a fresh spin on things, broaden the horizon and send our festering friends places they have never been before. Focus on the zombies, forget the humans who are by this time outnumbered by around 50,000 to 1.

I have had some ideas....

1: Zombie political/social drama- After zombies inherit the Earth, and gain total dominance over mankind they begin to evolve socialy.Diverging into various groups with their own political and religious agendas. A power struggle ensues, those who wish to stick with the old ways of pack hunting which got them where they are in the first place and those who look to the future, who see the dwindling supply of fresh meat looming and choose to aim for a more socialy complex zombie race who work together on a grand scale to build infostructure to support their growing numbers.....building a zombie economy based on the farming and trading of humans.

2: Zombie sci-fi - "space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship decrepit.Its mission...to seek out new life and new civilisations, to boldly chew what no no zombie has chewed before."

3: Zombie family based sit-com - "Honey we're having the boss for dinner tonight, break out the good china..." (cue canned laughter)

Ok not so great, but at least i tried.

Dont get me wrong amongst the wave blandness there have been some standout films. Shaun of the dead being the obvious choice and my personal favourite Pontypool, an independant canadian pic about a zombie virus spread through use of the english language.

I just dont see why for every pontypool we need 5 itterations of Romeros 'dead films' or another 28days later clone.
Even if your film sucks in the end i will respect you for trying....just trying to break the mold, even just crack it slightly.
In the meantime though i will stay tuned to the walking dead and see what road darabont and co. ultimatley decide to take us down.