Adam's Top 10 Zombie Movies

Hola,

I wanted to take another detour from the whole MS thing, so I figured I would switch over to another passion of mine: Film.  I love movies, and one of the more popular genres at the moment are zombie films.

My first exposure to zombie films came as a freshman in high school.  Up until then, my exposure to horror movies included Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Halloween, etc.  That all changed when a friend gave me a VHS of Dawn of the Dead ('78) and Day of the Dead ('85.)  These films had a profound impact on me.  The tense atmospheres, graphic violence, and the underlying messages effectively changed my life.

This launched an obsession that lasted for years.  I began seeking out every critically acclaimed and notorious films in the genre.  When those ran out, I started looking for less popular and critically panned movies... and even looked for underground and homemade z-grade films.  There were amazing movies, and movies that were amazingly bad... but all worked to satiate my desire to see more and more of the genre.

In recent years I have become disillusioned with the genre.  Up until 2004's Dawn of the Dead remake, zombies were an underground sub-genre.  The '04 Dawn brought zombies into the limelight, and now anyone with a camera and a couple of bucks can make one.  The dozens and dozens of movies, mostly horrendous, have diluted what was once my favorite type of film.  This has all culminated with the horrible World War Z (2013,) which I am hoping killed this new trend.

I have written about this before, but never in this level of detail.  Out of the dozens and dozens of zombie films, I have narrowed down my 10 favorites.  You may recognize some entries on this list, but I suspect that the majority will be brand new to most.  Some of these are famous, while others are notorious... but for any fellow horror movie enthusiast, these are movies to seek out.

1 - Day of the Dead (1985)  This is an obligatory entry, as almost everyone is familiar with the original George Romero zombie trilogy.  Our of those films, I consider Day of the Dead to be the golden standard.  Night of the Living Dead ('68) has the most poignant of all messages, and was quite revolutionary at the time; but it is slow moving and somewhat sloppy.  Dawn of the Dead ('78) is more of a comic book romp, and is as cartoonish as it is bleak.  Day of the Dead is the most disturbing of the trilogy.  Romero takes a deep look at the Regan years and the miliary industrial complex, and it makes you give up all hope in humanity.  I feel that this is the zombie movie that all others should be measured by... especially via gratuitous violence.

2 - Zombi (1979)  This is one of the more notorious zombie films of all time.  Also known as Zombi 2 or Zombie Flesh Eaters, it was marketed as the sequel to Dawn of the Dead ('78) (released as Zombi/Zombie) in European markets.  Lucio Fulci crafted one of the most claustrophobic environments I have ever seen in a horror film.  The special effects in Zombi are unparalleled, and are quite something for those who enjoy gory films.  This is an unrelenting film that has a breakneck pace, and is unapologetic. (If you do end up watching this movie, please mentally prepare yourself for some very realistic gore)

3 - Shaun of the Dead  The single best horror comedy this side of Young Frankenstein.  There are a tremendous amount homages paid to the genre, so many that it took multiple viewings to notice them all.  The reason I have this as high on the list as I do is a combination of the intelligent humor and the overt message about society.  The resonating message of the film is that we are all zombies, blindly marching through our daily lives... to the point that a zombie outbreak would not only go unnoticed, but would barely interfere with our society.

4 - The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974)  This is the first real "rip-off" of Night of the Living Dead ('68.)  I believe that the film itself is not as well crafted as Night, but the messages contained therein are much more interesting.  Manchester Morgue is a take on the militant, hyper conservative state of the U.K. at the time; but also has a powerful message concerning our treatment of the environment.  It's an interesting film... one that I believe any zombie film fan should see.

5 - The Beyond (1981)  Another entry for Lucio Fulci just highlights how his work in the genre was groundbreaking (albeit never copied or fully appreciated in its' time.)  Italian horror from the early 1970's through mid 1980's saw some truly mind bending, thought provoking, and shocking films.  The Beyond is a perfect example of how a non-linear concept can be used to keep your audience on edge.  The Beyond has no real underlying message, but has textbook usage of Gothic imagery and themes that can easily hit a nerve.  This is one of my absolute favorite films of all time... but make sure you are not easily spooked before watching it.

6 - [REC] (2007)  I have to clarify my position on this film right off the bat.  I hate... and I mean HATE... the found footage genre.  Out of all the films that use this device, only 3 are worth watching, [REC] being one of them (the other 2, FYI, are Cannibal Holocaust and The Bay.)  [REC] is a Spanish entry into the zombie genre, and although it keeps to tried and true plot points, there are some genuinely scary moments.  There was an English version, released as Quarantine, which was practically scene for scene, word for word.. but I feel the Spanish version is more entertaining.

7 - Undead (2003)  Undead is akin to Shaun of the Dead in its' hilarity, but goes an extra step further in the gore and ridiculousness department.  This Australian addition to the genre is also the first cross over (at least that I'm aware of) that mixes zombies and other creature types (I don't wanna give anything away, but I assure you that nothing moves in the direction you think it will.)  The humor is very organic and the action sequences are quite entertaining.  If you get the chance, definitely get your hands on Undead; and as you watch, remember to ask the question: "Where in the heck did he get those guns??"

 8 - The Dead (2010) This is the most recent entry in the list, and is probably the only good zombie film made in the last few years.  There are several underlying themes throughout this movie, and is very thought provoking.  Most zombie films glance over characters, and even plot, in favor of grand action or intense gore.  The Dead takes you on an intimate journey with your main character; and you only see events through his perspective.  This is one of the few movies in the zombie genre that focuses on character development.  I am very eager for the sequel that should hit the states in the next few months.

9 - Dead Alive (AKA Braindead - 1992)  Dead Alive is the brain child of Peter Jackson, and is another notorious entry.  This film is silly and ludicrous at times, but spares no expense on the gore.  This has a rather unique plot, and will keep you both laughing and grossed out.  Dead Alive also boasts one of the most insane end sequence that piles up an insurmountable body count.  This is probably the most unique entry in this list, and one that is a can't miss for both zombie and Peter Jackson fans.

10 - Tokyo Zombie (2005)  I wrestled with which movie should sit in the final spot, and decided that another lighthearted film was just a little better than some of the others.  Tokyo Zombie is based after a series of Manga comic books, and is shot to feel like a comic book romp.  It is a quirky film with lots of silly moments, but is one of the more endearing zombie films around.

Honorable Mentions
There are just so many zombie films out there that it is very difficult to narrow the field down to 10.  I had almost made this a list of top 15, but decided to go with the obligatory 10.  Below are a few movies that should definitely be mentioned, and ultimately viewed.

-Pontypool:  This is a recent film out of Canada, and the setting of the film is what makes it stand out.  There is very little action in the film, but it is none the less tense as you are in the midst of piecing events together from the perspective of a radio show host.

-28 Days Later:  I always question whether or not 28 Days and 28 Weeks should be included in a zombie discussion.  Ultimately, the antagonists are not really "zombies" per se, but the same basic conflict exists.  28 Days Later is just a more focused version of The Crazies (1973.)  The action sequences are very well crafted, and leave you with a sense of helplessness.

-Fido:  Fido has a novel premise: what if humans were able to domesticate zombies in the midst of a zombie apocalypse?  This film also explores the concept of what constitutes humanity, although it's a very thin exploration.  I feel that this is a solid zombie comedy and a must see for any zombie enthusiast.

-Dead Snow (Dod Sno):  This was almost my 10th choice for the aforementioned list.  This is a fast paced, zombie nazi film with a touch of organic humor.  Dead Snow also marks the very first successful entry for the zombie nazi... many have tried before, and all have failed.  There is also a sequel coming out later this year that I am very jazzed for.

-The Mad:  This is one of those films that should be better received than it is.  The Mad has a solid cast and an obvious concept that has not, for some strange reason, been used before.  After watching The Mad, although not the most serious of films but by no means a comedy, made me wonder at the plausibility of certain scenarios.  (In fact, there was a great article on Cracked many moons ago that sorta hits on this topic: 5 Scientific Ways a Zombie Apocalypse Could Actually Happen)

I'm definitely up for discussion on this one, as I fully expect to have snubbed certain fan favorites.

Thanks for reading,
Adam