From Drew Dietsch
| Published
Ever since George Romero changed the history of horror culture by establishing the most popular version of the zombie, the living dead have been a constant presence in the world of film. From huge blockbuster epics to intimate, low-budget art films, zombie films offer an incredible range for a wide range of audiences.
Unfortunately, thanks to factors like The walking dead Whether a TV universe lasts forever or video games are littered with the undead, many people are either burned out by reanimated corpses or can’t be bothered with zombie stories at all.
So if you had to pick a few zombie movies to discover or rediscover a true passion for the zombie subgenre, which ones should you definitely watch? I’m Drew Dietsch and this is the Giant Freakin’ Robot Zombie Movies that will make you love zombie movies.
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
As I said before, George Romero has made “zombie” a household word forever Night of the Living Deadalthough they were called ghouls in this must-see classic. And you really can’t go wrong watching his zombie outings – except maybe Diary of the deadthat can be skipped – but the one entry that best captures the anarchic joy of the subgenre is 1978 Dawn of the Dead.
The core idea of a group of survivors taking over a mall is to provide plenty of room for fun, and when the zombies take cake in the face, you’ll understand exactly what kind of vibe that is Dawn of the Dead starts. That doesn’t mean there isn’t legitimate drama Dawn of the Deadbut it’s such a bombastic concept that it would inspire an even crazier and more enjoyably ridiculous remake Dead Rising Video game franchise.
Dawn of the Dead isn’t the first zombie film, but it’s the first to take the concept and understand the potential for absolute fun without losing what’s special about the subgenre.
Return of the Living Dead (1985)
As the 1980s began, the horror genre experienced a wild flood of special effects and over-the-top comedy, and that included another Night of the Living Dead A kind of sequel, Return of the living dead.
This entry assumes that Night of the Living Dead is a film based on a true incident that is covered up by the US government. After two bumbling warehouse employees release the toxic gas responsible for creating zombies, the reanimated dead head to the party.
Return of the living dead turns the zombie film into a full-fledged black punk rock comedy satire. It also features colorful and memorable effects that, in my opinion, might be the most fun a zombie movie has ever produced. The Tarman alone is in the running for the best movie zombie of all time.
Reanimator (1985)
Released unrated and all the better Re-Animator takes inspiration from the HP Lovecraft short story and turns it up to eleven. A brilliant and, shall we say, dedicated scientist named has invented a bright green concoction that can bring the dead back to life. Unfortunately, they seem pretty angry.
As the story escalates, we are gifted with so many gifts. The extremely entertaining performance by Jeffrey Combs, the fantastic low-budget direction by Stuart Gordon, the idea of playing the villainous Dr. Beheading Hill and then bringing his head back to life! Who wouldn’t want to see that?
Granted, Re-Animator is deliberately bad taste cinema. It’s not afraid to push the limits. Damn, it tears right through. But if you appreciate the grindhouse goofiness, Re-Animator might just be one of your favorite movies.
Night of Horrors (1986)
Mix Aliens and zombies? Yes, please! Night of horrors throws a bunch of space slugs at a high school prom and the result is one of the most hilarious hidden gems of the 1980s. With his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, Night of horrors is a homage to the classic era of the 50s Science fiction Horror, but gives it all the 80s sheen possible with fun special effects and humor.
Thanks to a unique turn from Tom Atkins as a burned-out detective with a dark secret, Night of horrors has more to offer than just its B-movie homage delights. But that’s more than enough to guarantee a guaranteed good time.
Dead Heat (1988)
You know we’re excited for Treat Williams if you’ve been watching our video The Phantomand it doesn’t get much better than a revitalized Treat Williams as top cop Dead heat. After a robbery with seemingly unkillable attackers, Williams and his partner go crazy SNL Alum Joe Piscopo investigates a diabolical plan that involves reanimating corpses.
Unfortunately, Williams is killed and has to be brought back to life using the resurrection machine. He only has a limited amount of time before he disintegrates and tries to solve the case. Yes, our heroic protagonist is a zombie cop.
Dead heat is all the fun of an ’80s shoot-em-up with silly horror gags thrown into the mix. If you don’t smile when an entire Chinese butcher shop full of dead animals comes back to life, funny zombie movies might not be for you.
Braindead aka Dead Alive (1992)
Before he conquered Middle-earth, Peter Jackson made some of the most offensive and grotesque horror comedies of his time. And his undeniable masterpiece is the zombie free for all brain deadknown as Dead alive in the USA.
Thanks to a bite from a Sumatran rat monkey – who doesn’t love a Sumatran rat monkey? – A horrible old woman becomes the walking dead while her sweet but awkward son tries to keep everything normal. Things progress as more and more zombies are created, we get a karate priest, a mutated zombie baby and the best lawnmower scene in cinema history, which I don’t think we can even show here!
If you have a strong stomach for the most over-the-top gore you’ll ever see in a movie, brain dead accepts the crown as true spiritual successor The evil Deadwhich isn’t on this list because Deadites aren’t zombies! But that is beyond question brain dead is full of undead.
Cemetery Man (1994)
Director Michele Soavi was created under the guidance of Italian horror maestro Dario Argento. And after directing a few of his own films, Soavi created easily one of the best Italian zombie films of all time. Cemetery man.
Rupert Everett plays a depressed cemetery caretaker named Francesco whose dead residents are resurrected after about seven days in the earth, and he has to shoot them in the head and bury them again for good. When a breathtaking beauty enters Francesco’s life, a spiral of darkly humorous funeral capers begins, culminating in a conversation with the Grim Reaper himself.
Cemetery man will give you a flying zombie head and jokes about impotence in the same breath. It’s a truly unique horror comedy that’s as much arthouse as it is grindhouse. This film may be for more discerning zombie film lovers, but it could also be the best of the bunch.
Versus (2000)
Japan also loves its zombie films, and there are so many to choose from that this entire list could just be Japanese zombie films, but the one you absolutely have to see is Ryuhei Kitamura’s Against.
In the middle of the Resurrection Forest, an escaped prisoner comes into conflict with a Yakuza group who do exactly what they say they will and bring the dead back to life as zombies. Equal parts evil Dead, HighlanderAnd The Matrix, Against is an action-fantasy-horror hybrid in a class of its own.
The low-budget charm and downright energetic creativity make it something very special Against A truly unique film that draws as much blood as it spills.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
If you ask me, and you’ve watched the video so far, I’m guessing the best zombie movie of the 2000s is Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead. A loving homage to zombie films that simultaneously creates its own characters and stories. Shaun of the Dead sends a stupid bunch of Londoners into a zombie apocalypse and hilarity ensues.
What does Shaun of the Dead What’s great is not only how funny the cast and script are, but also that the film builds authentic and engaging characters that surprise you with how much you care for them as the film infuses real drama and conflict into the story inserts.
At this point, Shaun of the Dead should be a film that everyone sees. There isn’t a much better zombie film than this one.
Fido (2006)
The final entry on our list feels like a somewhat forgotten film at this point, and that’s a shame, because Fido is one of the most original and clever ideas I’ve seen in a zombie movie.
Set in an alternate 1950s-inspired America, Fido advances the idea that zombies exist and can be used for menial jobs, as pets, and even as romantic companions. The core story is about a boy and his dog, er, the zombie Fido, and how his love for his pet ultimately leads to the downfall of the oppressive system of societal standards.
Seriously! Fido is a bright and breezy film that touches on darker material with just the right amount to never seem preachy or get in the way of the film’s good times. If there’s one film on this list that you should seek out, it’s this one Fido. He is a very good boy.
Which zombie films do you love? Let us know in the comments! Would you like to know more about some of these films? Check this out GenreVision Podcast. I recommend ours Dead alive Consequence. And make sure you subscribe YouTube Channel, because that guarantees that we can continue making videos for you.
