Top Ten Zombie Movies:
#10: I Am Legend – I put this one on at #10 only because it’s only half of a zombie movie. If you read the book, then technically the creatures that Robert Neville faces are vampires. In the movie, they have weaknesses that are similar to vampires… but they sure behave like zombies. They come out in force at night, and also have a “horde” mentality. Will Smith makes a great Robert Neville, and the ending is pretty solid. As in most cases with book to movie conversions the book is way better, but the movie makes a great effort of recreating the theme and frightening nature of the book.
#9:Dawn of the Dead (The 1978 original) – I may catch some flak for putting this one at #9 being that I am huge Romero fan. While I love the story and concept the special effects just didn’t make it realistic enough for me. Granted it was 1978, and special effects in movies had not reached the level of sophistication that they have now, I still think that the pale blue look of the zombies makes the movie almost comical on some levels. While Romero openly admits that the story is based on a social satire, the main concept being that people are slaves or “zombies” to consumerism (hence the mall theme), I wanted to be more scared by the movie in general. It is a monument to zombie lovers, but given its low budget it could have been so
much more.
#8: 28 Weeks Later – I like the fact that this movie revisits the scene of the original (28 Days Later), and that most of the action takes place at night adding an even creepier vibe. We get to see what happens to some of the characters from the original, and also what has happened to London since the infection started. The “infected” are much different from Romero’s zombies, and in some ways far more frightening. The only drawback is that the movie starts off slow and then climaxes in about 30 minutes of action. Fans of the original should enjoy.
#7 Land of the Dead – Finally. Romero has access to a big time Hollywood budget. For fans of the Romero films, this is a must see. The special effects are top notch and the story adds a whole different layer to the genre. As in Day of the Dead, these zombies can think. In some parts of the movie they can even communicate. This makes them an organized threat to the last stronghold (as far as they know) of humanity. Big time Hollywood actors star in this one, and everyone in the film seems to be a big fan of George Romero making their perfomances that much more believable. While I wasn’t impressed with John Leguizamo’s acting in this one (he goes off-script and rewrites his own lines sometimes), how he meets his end is truly legendary. I love Dennis Hopper’s character and can always watch a movie in which he is the “bad guy”. Zombies walking through water…. need I say
more?
#6 28 Days Later – This movie terrified me the first time I saw it, which is exactly what you want in a zombie flick. The concept is truly unnerving, a man wakes up from a coma in a hospital only to discover that London has been totally evacuated due to a viral outbreak. He slowly but surely discovers what has happened, and what the infection has done to the residents of London. The beginning shots of a totally empty London are epic and truly give you a sense of the terror that someone in a similar situation must feel. The fact that the “infected” run rather slowly lumber around like zombies of Romero lore creates some truly scary scenes and narrow escapes. For fans of zombie movies, this film is a must because it changes the image of what we think of when we say “zombie” and reinvents the idea to be more prevalent in a world that fears viral outbreaks. The fact that all of the chaos is caused by a virus updates the “zombie” into the modern world.
#5 Day of the Dead (The original and not the crappy remake) – Zip and I disagree on this one, but I think it’s a solid zombie movie. While the plot is somewhat weak, and the film primarily takes place underground in a military bunker, it helps to progress the lore of the “Romero” zombie. George makes the decision that in this film, he will give his zombies the ability to think, reason, and even feel emotion. The effects are top-notch in this one thanks to Greg Nicataro and his maturing special-effects abilities. The scene at the beginning of the film will go down in zombie movie history as one of the most disturbing and freighting ever, especially when the title of the film appears. Enjoy this one, while there is not as much
urban zombie fighting as you might like, I think that you will find that it delivers some truly terrifying moments.
#4 Dawn of the Dead (2004) – I know true Romero zombie fans will criticize me to a degree for choosing the remake over the original, but honestly I found this one to be far scarier. Not only are the special makeup effects phenomenal in this one (thanks to the great Greg Nicotero who did the effects on Day of the Dead), but the intensity in which the zombies attack adds some true desperation to the whole situation. Instead of lumbering around and “walking” like the zombies in Romero films and The Walking Dead, these zombies run after you with a sense of urgency. They need to feed…. on you, and they are very determined to do so. There is some comedy thrown in with good measure and respect to the original, and also some excellent zombie kill scenes. If you are a fan of the original, there should be plenty of hidden nods to the Romero classic if you are looking for them. Zack Snyder’s zombie film debut doesn’t disappoint and the ending is something that will leave you shocked. Enjoy.
#3 Night of the Living Dead (1968) – We have to give kudos to the film that started it all, the original black and white Romero classic. Without this film, the zombie horror genre wouldn’t even exist. Never in a million years could George Romero have imagined that there would e a serial TV show about zombies like The Walking Dead. George was truly making movie history. The basic elements of this film are repeated in some fashion in every zombie drama. A girl in distress who takes it upon herself to not be a victim anymore. A strong character who helps to bring her out of her shell. It also deals with the psychological elements of how a person would react if the dead started to return to feast on the living. This is evident when Barbara’s brother comes back after being killed in the cemetery. How would you react? Could you “put down” a fallen relative for good? Would you fall apart? Or would your survival instinct kick in? These are all elements that are repeated again and again in the zombie film and now the television world. If you call yourself a true zombie film fan, then you must see this film. Without seeing it or even owning it, zombie film fans will give you no credibility.
#2 Night of the Living Dead (1990 remake) – I know, I know. I put the remake before the original. There are several reasons for this. For one, I love Tom Savini as a director. Not only is he one of the most talented special makeup effects artists in the business (also the mentor of Greg Nicotaro), he is great in the directing chair. If you are familiar with the Romero film series, then Tom Savini should be no stranger. Not only is he a close personal friend of George, but he has worked on several of the living dead films, so he was the perfect selection to direct the remake. George Romero still helped produce and write the film behind the scenes which adds a lot of credibility to the story of the film. The second reason I chose this film over the original is because it scared the s*** out of me. Honestly. Not only are the effects and zombie kills in this one awesome, but Tony Todd delivers a truly memorable performance. There are several subtle differences between this one and the original, but most of the changes only help to improve the storyline. Barbara is a much different character from the classic, she is less of a victim and more of a fighter. In the beginning she falls apart, much like anyone would, but by the end she is determined to survive and ***SPOILER ALERT*** she is the only one who survives. She begins to realize that the world in which the dead are coming back to life is reality and because of this she is able to take charge and help defend herself and the characters around her. Turn the lights off, watch this in the dark, and tell me it’s not the stuff of nightmares.
#1 Shaun of the Dead – Here were. #1. It’s been a long journey to here. I am quite proud of my choice. Some will disagree and say that a Romero film belongs here and if this movie wasn’t so good I would agree with you. Written by the director Edgar Wright and main actor Simon Pegg, this film delivers the full zombie movie experience. Not only are Edgar and Simon huge Romero fans, they also hide nods to the original within the story itself. It has plenty of lighthearted and humorous moments but also moments of pure drama when the characters are faced with their own death. You will be quoting this movie with your friends for some time. Sure there is some British comedy that you might not fully understand until you Google it, but this is by far my favorite zombie movie of all time. It’s got romance, for the ladies. Zombie gore for the guys, and plenty of comedy for both. If you claim to be a fan of the zombie horror genre and you haven’t seen this film yet, do yourself a favor and buy it. Totally worth the 10$. Stay scared my friends, and Happy Halloween!
