Inspired by Dead Set, I've decided to give today's countdown a zombie theme. First up is one of the best radio horror plays I've ever encountered.
On Halloween night, an easy-listening radio program is interrupted by news bulletins, first on a rash of UFO sightings on the outskirts of town, later on a wave of violence sweeping through the same area. As the situation escalates, the station's news department takes over the broadcast, and reporters file updates live as they happen at various pressure points throughout the city... right up to the bitter end.
Obviously from the description, The Peoria Plague is an update on Orson Welles' infamous version of The War of the Worlds. However, this radio drama is also one of the first productions to be inspired by George Romero's ground-breaking classic, Night of the Living Dead, released just a few years prior to this broadcast. The result is a very chilling, surprisingly graphic horror tale that still holds up today. Well, except for the music selection on Kaleidoscope, of course!
I think I discovered The Peoria Plague via an old-time radio discussion list on Yahoo Groups, way back in the day. Not much is known about the program, not even it's real name ("The Peoria Plague" being the moniker stuck on it by fans). As far as anyone knows, it was produced by Peoria, Illinois radio station WUHN-AM around 1972. No cast or crew information is available, though given the nature of the program it's a good bet that the on-air personalities were playing themselves.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a source to provide a streaming mp3 of the show. However, it's honestly worth a download. Be warned that the sound quality isn't the best - this is a nth-generation copy of a program that was broadcast only once over AM radio - but it's definitely listenable, perfect for a long drive late on Halloween night with a somewhat gullible cousin. Hi, Mikey!
Click on the link below to be taken to the RapidShare download page for this obscure gem.
The Peoria Plague
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Also on offer is the original soundtrack to another zombie classic, the original Dawn of the Dead (or Zombi as it was known in Italy). This is the original score created by Italian prog-rockers, Goblin, a favorite collaborator of Dawn producer Dario Argento. Goblin's score was used in Argento's European cut of the film, but Romero replaced much of it with stock music cues (including the beloved Gonk) for his US edit. However, the opening track, "L'alba dei morti viventi", is sure to send a chill down the spine of any Dawn fan.
I grabbed this months back, but I can't remember if I torrented it or pilfered it from another blog. My sincere apologies to the original poster if the latter is the case, and I will update this entry with the proper credit if I remember who you are.
Again, click on the link to be whisked through the intertubes to RapidShare's RIAA-enraging download page.
Zombi - The Original Soundtrack by Goblin
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