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Top 10 Zombie Films

By Ally Sinyard · April 10, 2012

As with every slightly cult-ish genre that I write on, I feel the need to outline what exactly it is I’m writing about to avoid an onslaught of geeky abuse and terror. When I say “zombies,” I’m talking about the undead or, rather, the dead that have come back to life. Unfortunately, this means that I cannot count some of my favourites on the list: REC (2007) and 28 Days Later (2002) as they are more to do with the spread of a virus, and the Evil Dead trilogy, which is more along the lines of demonic possession. I’m also ruling out vampire-like creatures, such as in I am Legend (2007) and doctor-aided resurrections, like in Re-Animator (1985) and, of course, Frankenstein (1931).

Zombie films have recently made their way back into the spotlight and have become a major player in popular culture. In cinema’s ongoing state of being a bit postmodern, this of course means that the newer films heavily play upon and reference the old. In the world’s ongoing state of capitalism, consumerism, fast paced developments in technology and so on, there’s something about zombie films that strikes a chord with people. This is perhaps due to the idea of being all of a sudden plunged into a world where just surviving is all that matters and the characters in these films are reduced to their primal states. Of course, no one really believes that a zombie apocalypse will ever happen, but it helps to have a baseball bat or a chainsaw close by…just in case…

10. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

For those new to the genre, Dawn of the Dead is a remake of George A. Romero’s classic 1978 film of the same name. Like Romero’s film, it depicts a handful of survivors trapped in a shopping mall, which is surrounded by zombies. However, slight changes have been made to bring the film up to date, such as giving the zombies the ability to run! It takes a lot more to freak out a 21stCentury audience than the audiences of 1978. Fans of Romero, and Romero himself, generally responded negatively (well, that’s a bit of an understatement) but, as a stand-alone film, there can be no denying that it is immensely enjoyable! Sure, it lacks the original movie’s prolific use of subtext, satire and character development, but it makes up for it in scares, effects and excitement. Call it base, but a good gory zombie film is a good gory zombie film! Zack Snyder’s debut here “brought the genre up to date” and made zombies “cool and mainstream” (Sheridan Passell, “Movie Moron.) It also gives us one of the most terrifying opening 10 minutes of any zombie film ever!

9. Day of the Dead (1985)

The 3rd film in Romero’s Living Dead series, it is also his own personal favourite and often regarded as an “unrecognised masterpiece” (Rob Humanick, “Projection Booth.”) Given Romero’s love of subtext in his movies, the point of Day of the Dead is to demonstrate “how a lack of human communication causes chaos and collapse even in this small little pie slice of society.” It is set some time after the events of Dawn of the Dead, as we see that the zombies have overrun the world. What is left of the U.S. Government and military are now attempting to locate survivors. The most infamous character in the film is the odious Captain Rhodes (Joseph Pilato), who provides a sneering and antagonistic presence that makes the ultimate zombie massacre, and his own glorious punishment, a “sincere relief” (Paolo Cabrelli, “Stylus Magazine.”) Rhodes has since become an iconic character in zombie movies. Day of… may not have had the same impact as Night of… and Dawn of…but it makes up for with its examination of zombie psychology and physiology, “providing more insight than any other film into what makes zombies tick” (“The Boston Globe.”) Sheridan Passell of “Movie Moron” also writes that it has “the most realistic gore effects in any zombie movie to date.”

8. Cemetery Man (1994)

From Italian director Michele Soavi and starring a pre-Hollywood Rupert Everett, the lesser-known Cemetery Man (aka Dellamorte Dellamore) is about the caretaker of a graveyard who searches for love whilst protecting the town from the undead. It mixes comedy, horror, spaghetti western and sexploitation to form a concoction of one of the strangest zombie films you’ll come across, and we all know that is saying something. It is a film where you truly need to suspend disbelief, get lost in the ridiculous plot and just go with it. It won’t make a whole lot of sense, but the surreal humour, “charmingly” hand-crafted sets and “inventive” visual style will keep you interested (Graham Gough, “One Metal.”) It is a thought-provoking allegory about friendship and romantic deception, featuring some truly cracking one-liners like “I’d give my life to be dead” and “At a certain point in your life, you realize you know more dead people than living.” Martin Scorsese called it one of the best films of the 1990s, and Russell Lewin of SFX called it “one of the most visually elegant horror films ever made.” So if you feel like getting a little out of your head, give it a watch!

7. Zombieland (2009)

Zombieland is the film that announced all things zombie as a recognised part of 21stCentury pop culture. Described as “‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ for the Facebook generation”, Zombieland follows a group of survivors as they make their way across the Southwestern US in order to find a sanctuary (Josh Levin, “Slate.”) Starring Facebook God himself Jesse Eisenberg, Zombieland is a zomcom that, although is heavy on the “com,” provides enough gore to satisfy horror fans. It is smart, genuinely funny, visually arresting and features “the single most outrageously entertaining and unexpected celebrity cameo of any film – genre or otherwise” (Marc Savlov, “Austin Chronicle.”) The four lead characters are also extremely likeable, as opposed to the standard blank-faced stock characters that we hungrily await the demise of. Woody Harrelson’s character “Tallahassee”, for example, is just a wandering survivor who is driven solely by his desire to find Twinkies. Eisenberg’s character “Columbus” is essentially Woody Allen at the end of the world. Hardcore zombie fans may not rank it up there with the best, but this witty, wonderful and very polished road movie will undoubtedly become the “zombie-comedy cult classic for the current generation” (Sam Bathe, “Fan the Fire.”)

6. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

After the release of Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, he and the film’s co-creator John Russo went their separate ways. Russo retained the rights to any titles featuring “Living Dead” and, with the help of Russo’s novel of the same name, The Return of the Living Dead was born. It was unlike Night of…in many ways, particularly with its heavy use of comedy and nudity. Although Romero purists will marginalize its impact on the zombie genre, there are certain effects that cannot be denied: first, it featured fast-moving zombies long before the likes of 28 Days Later and Dawn of the Dead. Second, it introduced “the zombie call-to-arms:” BRAAAAAINS!! (“The Boston Globe) Unlike previous zombie films, these monsters have intelligence and the ability to speak and reason. This gave The Return of the Living Dead some of the more amusing moments in zombie film history, like when a paramedic has just been devoured and the zombie reaches for the radio and tells the ambulance crew to “send more paramedics.” If you’re loyal to Romero, you may not enjoy this film, but there is no denying that it provided a “fresh and immensely entertaining take on the zombie genre” (Pete Vonder Haar, “Film Threat.”)  Oh yeah…and the stunning (and rather naked) Linnea Quigly!!

5. Zombi2 (1979)

This movie has many names: Zombi2, Zombie, Zombie Flesh Easters, Island of the Living Dead, Zombie Island but Google prefers Zombi2, so I’m sticking to it! The original Zombi is the European cut of Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, but it doesn’t actually have any connection to this “semi-sequel.” However, it did spark a zombie craze across the continent and made Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci a horror icon, with many critics even today maintaining Zombi2 to be his best film. As is typical of 1970s Italian horror, what it lacks in storytelling, it makes up for with fantastically grotesque moments. Need I say more than “eye gouging,” “burst eyeball,” “unfortunately placed splinter?” Had enough yet? As is also typical of Italian cinema, it swaps story for expressionism and impressionism, encompassing its audience in a mood of “claustrophobic desolation,” whilst giving us all a “visceral blow to the breadbasket” (Budd Wilkins, “Slant Magazine.) The opening four shots alone pretty much set the standard of “Sod things like Exposition” from the get go. Its uniqueness in this way is what has helped it achieve its cult status. Well…that and the famous zombie vs. shark scene that I can only ask you to check out for yourself.

4. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Since writing for The Script Lab, I’ve said this countless times, but Shaun of the Dead really is just one of the best things ever! It topped my list on “Top 10 British films of the last 10 years” and ranks highly on this list for its bountiful awesomeness. My knowledge of zombie films before researching this list was very limited, so I can only imagine the immense geeky pleasure that zombie film fans got from picking out all of the zombie movie references in this film! Hugely enjoyable as a film in its own right, Shaun of the Dead is the perfect genre mash-up of monster movie, comedy, romance, and buddy movie. When I first saw the title, I presumed it’d be just another crappy spoof, but what we actually find is a “brilliant deconstruction of the zombie genre” (David Holmes, “Stylus Magazine.) One of my favourite parts is possibly when our two leads, played by Nick Frost and writer (along with director Edgar Wright) Simon Pegg, reference George A. Romero’s refusal to ever actually use the word “zombie:”

Ed

Are there any zombies out there?

Shaun

Don’t say that!

Ed

What?

Shaun

That.

Ed

What?

Shaun

That. The Z word. Don’t say it!

Ed

Why not?

Shaun

Because it’s ridiculous!

Ed

Alright…are there any out there, though?

3. Dead Alive (1992)

Also known as Braindead, you might be surprised to read that this zombie classic is in fact a creation of Peter Jackson. Yes, homoerotic-hobbits director Peter Jackson. This man is responsible for giving the world, without question, the goriest zombie film ever. Don’t believe me? In the climatic final scene, we see our hero stuffed into the womb of his gargantuan zombie mother before cutting his way back out. Lord of the Rings will never be viewed in the same light again. It’s a ridiculous film, but I say that in a good way. It features a Kung-fu priest who uses such lines as “I kick ass for the Lord!” and a final scene involving carnage and lawnmower. It maintains this good-natured, Gonzo feel that helps it stay fairly light as heads are snapped off from bodies, and yet what is amazing is that the production values are still “excellent” and the film itself has been described as “technically fine” by David Stratton of “Variety.” An over-the-top, gory and ridiculous film doesn’t necessarily equate to a poorly made film and, by proving this, Dead Alive has achieved legendary status amongst horror fans.

2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This is the movie where it all began. Sure, there were zombie movies before Night of…, but all of the ones that followed cannot deny this film’s overwhelming influence. It is this movie that gave George A. Romero his title of the “Father of Zombie Films.” It laid down all the rules for the zombie genre, from the shuffling, cannibal undead to the killing technique of “removing the dead or destroying the brain” to its social satire. In the case of Night of the Living Dead, this satire regarded the “social unrest caused by the Vietnam War” (Stuff Magazine.) One of the most powerful aspects of this film is the effect of its low budget; the “almost news-reel” black and white footage gives it an eerie “found footage” quality that makes us question the reality of what we are seeing (Yannick LeJacq, “Stylus Magazine.) As a critique of 1960s American society, one can also find themes of disillusionment with the government, the paternal nuclear family and even a segregation of the “Other” in bourgeoisie American society. Film historian Robin Wood asserts that the victims of the zombies, who symbolise capitalists, in fact representative of feminists, homosexuals, civil rights activists and counter-culturalists. See! It’s not all gore, guts and brain scoffing!

1. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

“When there’s no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth.” Taglines don’t get much more chilling than that! Or cooler! I know that I am not alone when I call Dawn of the Dead the best zombie film ever; Roger Ebert even called it “one of the best horror films ever made!” There is often much debate between Dawn of… and Night of… but I feel that this could just be a purist thing. Dawn of the Dead surpasses its predecessor in every way: there’s the sly take on “brainless consumerism,” the undercurrents of existential dread, the unique atmosphere of the shopping mall, an assured director and the “imaginatively gruesome FX” from Tom Savini (Sheridan Passell, “Movie Moron.”) Romero is almost Brechtian in his use of violence, using it to shock complacent audiences into paying attention to his social commentary. He antagonises his audience, showing them to be like the characters in the film, desperately trying to recreate some sort of middle class social norm and distracting themselves with wealth and material pleasures as they barricade themselves inside the mall. On top of this, bodies and faces are torn apart and entrails are “eaten by the handful,” so fans really do get the best of both worlds (Patrick McKay, “Stylus Magazine.”) This is everything you could want from a zombie movie and more!