TOP 5 FILMS: Zombie edition!

Posted by: Ian – Aug 02, 2010

So, I’m scoping out the latest happenings on RVA when I start seeing zombies. I don’t mean that zombies had invaded my home, mind you, but rather that there were zombies on my computer screen. You can probably connect the dots. If you guessed that these gore-soaked fiends led yours truly to the conclusion that it was time for a Top 5 Zombie Films, you* can promptly move to the head of the class. You should have seen the title of the piece prior to reading this paragraph anyway, so if you came to a different conclusion maybe you should come back once the room stops spinning.

Ever since George Romero unleashed the living dead on cinema patrons in 1968**, zombies have been a constant presence in the horror genre. For whatever reason, zombie films have always ranked among my favorite sub-genres, and there have been a number of significant offerings in that vein over the years.

As I write this, A&E is developing a television adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s comic book sensation The Walking Dead. With Frank Darabont at the helm and Greg Nicotero handling effects, this series is building a lot of anticipation throughout the horror community. The show will debut in October, not long after the latest Resident Evil, a 3D spectacular with the surname Afterlife, hits the big screen.

Zombies are apparently as relevant now as ever, and I have to wonder if Peter was right after all. In the original Dawn of the Dead, when an exasperated Stephen asks Peter what the zombies are, Peter coolly replies: “They’re us.” Whether he was right or not, they’re definitely here to stay. What follows are the results of another agonizing debate, as it’s time for me to unveil my Top 5 Zombie Films. Let the gut-munching commence!

1 ) Dawn of the Dead (original) - 1978

So visionary and thoughtful that even now, some 32 years after the fact, it’s still damn impressive. It’s also a testament to the creativity and the iron will that make George Romero the director he is. No one says: “Screw the MPAA, we’ll release the damn thing unrated”—no one except George, that is. No one else could capture the goriest satire and perhaps one of the most profound statements on commercialism ever on film. No one else would be able to dig so deeply into the premise, lovingly examining each character and the fragile relationships they share. No one else would bring us the heartbreak that comes as a result of watching these determined survivors struggle, facing off with both the undead and their futile attempts at trying to pretend things really aren’t that different from before when there aren’t zombies knocking down the door. This film has a little bit of everything, to include terror, drama, humor, and suspense, but I think it functions primarily as a character study of the highest order. It should be noted that none of the leads are established stars, though Ken Foree has had a nice career and is currently enjoying a bit of a resurgence thanks largely to Rob Zombie. Regardless, that doesn’t stop these thespians from putting on a hell of a show, and though of the four characters the piece centers on are amazingly complex, none of the performers fails to deliver. Tom Savini also shines in a small
but crucial part, and his effects work is still impressive to behold. That man is a true wizard within the industry, and his importance to the horror genre can’t be overstated. I sometimes wonder if this was his finest hour. It was certainly Romero’s best film, and it is easily the finest zombie film of all time. I greatly enjoyed the remake, but this is a film that will never be topped, at least so far as originality and depth are concerned. DOTD is a true juggernaut that hasn’t lost a bit of its magnificent scope and clearly remains one of the most introspective horror films of all time.

2 ) Return of the Living Dead - 1985

Look, sometimes the pedigree isn’t there, yet the end result can still turn out to be a masterpiece. I know most of you have no idea who the great Dan O’Bannon was and I know that Clu Galager is probably a stranger to you as well, but that doesn’t matter. This one isn’t necessarily about the steady direction or any one character; it is most certainly a true ensemble piece. Every part is given the same weight, and that is the secret to the film’s unnerving power. Every scene counts. Every death matters. This is no mindless horror film fueled by senseless nudity and a body count, this is a riveting piece with incredible momentum that features a wealth of stirring performances and some of the finest dialogue ever scripted. It also features senseless nudity and a body count, so everyone should be pleased when all is said and done, right? ROTLD featured fast zombies long before recent pictures made that the trendy speed for the legions of the undead that attack the big screen every year. It also marries itself to the punk rock scene to wonderful effect, to include a morbidly charming band of teenage rogues at the forefront, and a fantastic soundtrack with music from acts like The Cramps and The Damned. The script is wildly inventive, the pace is relentless, and the effects are truly top-notch. Most of all, though, it’s that acidic dialogue that really makes this one work. As the shit hits the fan and the stress level rises, these characters gripe, plead, taunt, and snarl at one another in a most realistic fashion. Sometimes they talk all over one another and sometimes the tension is palpable as they face off in verbal duels that resonate. Exchanges like this
one make ROTLD a real hoot:

Chuck: Hey, Casey, do you like sex with death?
Casey: Yeah, so fuck off and die.
Or this one:
Burt: I thought you said if we destroyed the brain, it'd die!
Frank: It worked in the movie!
Burt: Well, it ain't working now, Frank!
Freddy: You mean the movie lied?
I would stop, but now I simply have to offer up my personal favorite:
Frank: Watch your tongue, boy, if you like this job!
Freddy: Like this job?

If you are a fan of volatile cinema, I strongly encourage you to check this one out because it is an absolute riot. ROTLD is a great movie to watch with a few friends, a few brews, and a few slices of pie. Just try not to invite anyone with a taste for brains over.

3 ) Night of the Living Dead (original) – 1968

The little picture that started it all is still a potent horror film that remains genuinely disturbing. Romero offers up one deft observation after another, and despite the presence of the flesh eaters who have risen from the grave, it is George’s ability to stage divisive conflicts among the living that truly make NOTLD so worthwhile. This is a scary picture, a grim voyage that concludes on a sour note, and certainly much of the reverence the film receives is due to its ability to scare audiences decades after its initial release. People often think this film is less gory than Romero’s later films, but I think that may be a result of the film being shot in black and white. The gore is there, make no mistake about that, it’s just that it isn’t bright red. There is a lot of gut-munching and if there is more gore in George’s later efforts, I would argue that might be the result of longer running times. NOTLD is packed with gore, and like much of Romero’s work, it is an ensemble piece. This “family” under duress doesn’t co-exist nearly as well as our heroes later would in DOTD, yet that gives this picture an added layer of tension that may stand as the primary conflict within the piece. 10 years before Romero directed DOTD, his talent and his love for the genre are evident, and this engrossing film starts with a bang and never lets up. This is one of the most significant horror films of all for a variety of reasons, but most importantly it is an entertaining film that remains frightening 42 years after its initial release.

4 ) Braindead (a.k.a. Dead Alive) - 1992

Zombies have rarely been so fun, and somehow Peter Jackson managed to make one of the genre’s most gleefully disgusting pictures a bizarre love story packed with laughs. Braindead goes to such zany lengths that at times it nearly becomes a spoof. There’s a kung-fu priest who battles it out with the undead, a fiendish zombie child who our hero unwisely takes to the park, a vicious Sumatran Rat-Monkey, and the most domineering mother of all time. The gore is so extreme that it becomes quite cartoonish, but while the fright factor is rather low here, the film is consistently funny and exciting. I also can’t emphasize enough how disgusting this film truly is. Romero got an “X” when he submitted DOTD in 1978, and it’s hard to see how the MPAA saw this film any differently. Perhaps they gave it the benefit of the doubt because the tone is so much different, but that doesn’t change the fact that this could be the bloodiest film ever made. There are entire scenes where our hero wages war in a crimson landscape littered with body parts and an abundance of intestines, all dripping with blood. The finale is deliriously over-the-top and incredibly gross, and yet it represents a compelling metaphor for what Freud dubbed a “rebirth.” Yes, I went there, and no, I don’t have a fever. Peter Jackson had a fever, and the only prescription was more insanity. That’s how he went from Meet the Feebles and Bad Taste to perhaps the only film that could possibly make those productions seem tame, and that would be Braindead, his finest film to date.

5 ) Zombie (a.k.a. Zombi 2) – 1979

Here’s a film that is nearly as zany as Braindead, truth be told, yet there is nothing tongue-in-cheek about it and the fright factor is delightfully high. This is a tough watch, but then Lucio Fulci was known for making his audience squirm. This is likely his finest picture, and it is easily his most recognizable. Fulci makes great use of an ominous score with tribal flourishes and a terrific tropical island setting, and for once the plot is actually rather coherent. There is a truly ridiculous scene where a zombie duels with a shark that you may have seen in a recent Microsoft commercial, and the infamous “eyeball scene,” which remains one of the cinema’s most gruesome moments. This is another gory film, and I have always thought it features the most frightening zombies I have ever seen on film. There is one sequence where the dead
rise from an overgrown cemetery in the jungle that is positively terrifying. Lucio Fulci wasn’t known for his finesse, and this one is a bit clumsy at times, but it is perhaps the scariest film on this list, and it might be the most depressing as well. The ending is a classic, and Zombie remains one of the most intriguing zombie films ever created. If you have never experienced Lucio Fulci’s most competent shocker, now would be a good time to let this Zombie take a big bite out of you.

Other films considered:
Zombieland
Dawn of the Dead (remake)
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later
Land of the Dead
Night of the Living Dead (1990 remake)

Films that definitely were not considered:
Shaun of the Dead
Day of the Dead (pick one)
Return of Living Dead 2, 3, and so on and so forth
Anything from Italy that is not Zombi 2

*Not you, Reinhold. You’re fine just where you are.
**That’s when it started. Yes, White Zombie is a good film, but I don’t think it or any of the other fine films with some sort of zombie theme released prior to Romero’s Night of the Living Dead can be considered nearly as influential or relative to the sub-genre as we know it today.

Editor's note: While I agree with the above comment, I'd like to point out that If you only thought White Zombie was a BAND, you have no business arguing about zombie movies to begin with. Also, Rob Zombie did after White Zombie sucked, but that's a conversation for a different day. Unless you want to argue about it in the comments, in that case, go wild.