Sunday, June 22, 2008

Mission to Monroeville, Part 2

When last we left our intrepid adventurers (a.k.a. my wife and myself), it was January 2001, mere months before making the commitment to parenthood, and I had managed to convince Mrs. B-Sol to accompany me on a frivolous seven-hour excursion to the Monroeville Mall, site of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead.

Let's pick up the action as the two of us explore the infamous shopping center that was once infested with fake zombies:



Here we have the very escalator upon which scores of extras in blue facepaint once stumbled around aimlessly. I was tempted to do the same, but figured I would probably wind up breaking my neck.


My lovely bride, perhaps the greatest sport in the history of good sports, patronizes her husband by posing in the same elevator in which Flyboy met his tragic demise. I couldn't find the trapdoor in the ceiling, but I'm positive this is the one, since it's the only elevator in the department store. I think it might've been covered by a drop ceiling.


The instantly recognizable windowed ceiling above the fountain. Famous from both Dawn of the Dead, and the episode of Mister Roger's Nieghborhood in which Chef Brockett participates in a bake-off at the Monroeville Mall.

And below that ceiling, the fountain, around which Tom Savini and his biker clan rode menacingly before completely screwing up everything Fran, Peter, Steven and Roger had worked so hard to establish. It's also seen during the sequence in which the protagonists are carting off all the former ghouls laying around everywhere. At the time of this picture, it was no longer in operation, and I believe it has since been ripped out.
Stay tuned for the final installment of "Mission to Monroeville"...
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In other news, I'd like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to Vault of Horror contributor Ray-Ray on his entrance into the bonds of matrimony Saturday night. Had a great time, pal. No sleep till Brooklyn!