Well, the third season of
The Walking Dead has drawn to a close, but
that doesn't mean that we can't find time to celebrate our favorite
films featuring zombies. In fact, it might just get the bitter taste
out of our mouths after sitting through that lackluster season finale.
Yes,
seeing legions of the undead advance on the living has seldom been so
en vogue, but this sub-genre has offered up a great many quality films
over the years. Many of them rank among my personal favorites, and I
would be lying if I didn't say that I consider myself to be an expert of
sorts on the subject. So then, let's get this party started. I hope you will share your thoughts, and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Top 5 Zombie Films
1)
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. There aren't enough people out there who
cherish Dan O'Bannon and actors like Clu Galager and James Karen were
never household names, but it doesn't matter.
Return of the Living Dead
is an absolute blast, an insane riff on zombie movies that winds up
improving upon the very pictures that it was inspired by and set out to
rib. This surprising outcome isn't necessarily tied to the steady
direction or the the terrific performances, and it can't be attributed
directly to the rollicking punk score or the quality effects either.
No,
Return of the Living Dead works as well as it does because it is a sum of its parts, and they fit together perfectly.
Every
role is given the same weight, and that is one of the keys to the
movie's power. Every second matters, and time is running out. Every
scene counts. Every death is striking. This is no horror film fueled
by senseless nudity and a body count, but it isn't going to disappoint
anyone looking for such cheap thrills either. At the end of the day,
everyone should be happy.
This is a fast-moving story
with incredible momentum and some of the finest dialogue ever scripted.
It boasts fast zombies and it was made long before recent trends made
that the norm. ROTLD marries itself to the punk rock scene to terrific
effect, to include a morbidly charming band of teenage rogues at the
forefront, and that superb soundtrack. There are songs from The Cramps
and The Damned and the music really adds a lot to the movie. The script
is wildly inventive, the pace is relentless, and the special effects
are totally convincing.
Most of all, though, it's that
acidic dialogue that really makes this one work. As the shit hits the
fan and stress levels rise, the characters gripe, plead, sob, taunt, and
snarl at one another in a most realistic fashion. Sometimes they're
all talking at once, and the tension is palpable as they face off in
verbal duels that resonate. Exchanges like this one make ROTLD a
genuine pleasure:
Chuck: Hey, Casey, do you like sex with death?
Casey: Yeah, so fuck off and die.
Or this one:
Suicide: How come you guys only come around when you need a ride someplace?
Spider: 'Cause you're one spooky motherfucker.
Here's another of my faves:
Frank: What are we gonna do, Burt?
Burt:
I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to be sued by the Darrow
Chemical Company. I might even be investigated by the government. I
might become very famous. I might even lose my business. I might even
go to jail, goddamit! That's what I'm going to do!
And, of course:
Frank: Watch your tongue, boy, if you like this job!
Freddy: Like this job!?!
Return of the Living Dead is
volatile, it's scary, it's disgusting, it's lean, and it's just a hell
of a good time. It has to be one of my favorite movies over all, and
I'm officially pegging it as my top zombie flick. It's a quick and
bumpy ride that is packed with thrills and laughs, and it remains a
fresh take on a beloved sub-genre long after it should have grown
stale. In fact, I think the opposite is true, and as horror features
that generate as many chuckles all too often veer
into parody,
this dazzling blend of terror and humor is becoming more and more
potent. Yes, it's a wild ride, but it also has some serious bite. This
one has it all, and though it may be a strange pick for the top spot on
this list, I think it is ferocious enough to warrant it.
2)
Dawn of the Dead (original) - 1978
No
one says: "Screw the MPAA, we'll release the damn thing unrated." No
one. Well, no one except George Romero, who landed a major hit in the
process. No one else could capture the goriest satire ever and perhaps
one of the most profound statements on commercialism we'll ever see on
film. No one else would have been able to dig so deeply into the premise,
lovingly mining each character and the fragile relationships this
nightmarish scenario gives birth to. No one else could have brought us the
sheer heartbreak that comes as a result of watching these determined
survivors struggle, facing off with both the undead and their futile
attempts to pretend that things really aren't all that different when
there aren't zombies trying to knock down the door.
Dawn of the Dead follows
four survivors trying to find their way in a zombie apocalypse. They
set up shop in a mall and make an attempt to find some sort of solace.
They find some measure of peace, but it isn't long before a marauding
band of bikers/looters come barreling through. It's a
tragedy, really, but there are thrills, and there's a lot of humor, and
somehow this one doesn't wind up feeling like the downer it truly is.
While the viewer must pay an emotional toll, there is a lot of fun to be
had along the way. This film has a little bit of everything, to
include terror,
drama, suspense, and comedy, and it strives to be a character study of
the highest order.
It should be noted that none of the
leads were established stars, but that doesn't stop these thespians from
putting on a hell of show. The four lead roles are all rather complex,
but all of the performers involved deliver. Tom Savini shines in a
small but crucial part, and his effects work is still impressive to
behold. That man was a wizard, and his importance to the horror genre
can't be overstated. I believe this was his finest hour and his
strongest contribution to the industry.
Dawn of the Dead is
certainly Romero's best movie, and it may just be the richest zombie
film of all time. I enjoyed the remake, but it lacked the depth and the
scope of the original. In truth, this is the biggest and most
remarkable zombie picture of them all, and it is amazing to think that
George set his sights so high and delivered such a rousing feature.
Dawn of the Dead
is a true juggernaut, a massive film that continues to shock and
entertain. Many will argue that it should hold the top spot on this
list, and, in fact, it did when I last sat down to rank the best of the
zombie films. I have the utmost respect for this film, and I can
appreciate the argument that it should be king of the mountain. I just
chose to go in a different direction this time.
3)
Night of the Living Dead (original) - 1968
The
little picture that started it all is still a potent horror film; it
remains genuinely disturbing and continues to inspire conversation some
45 years after its release. Throughout this lean descent into terror,
Romero offers up one deft observation after another. Despite the
presence of the undead fiends who have risen from the grave, it is
George's ability to stage conflict amongst the living that makes NOTLD
so worthwhile. This is a theme that he would explore in greater detail
throughout his career, but this is Romero at his most bloodthirsty, and
the end result is damn impressive.
This is a scary
yarn, 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 original release. Additionally, people
often think that this film is lacking in gore, but I would argue that it
merely seems that way because it was shot in black-and-white. The gore
is there, make no mistake about it, 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, that might have a lot to do with longer running
times.
This is a true ensemble piece, following a
group of survivors who are immediately thrust into a world gone mad, a
world where the dead eat the living. They take refuge in a desolate
farmhouse, and it isn't long before they begin to turn on one another.
This "family" under duress doesn't co-exist well and the tension is
almost unbearable at times. Yes, it's a simple premise, but it serves
as the foundation for a rewarding picture that has garnered legions of
fans. The movie works, and the bare-bones premise yields a lot of wit, a
lot of insight, and a wealth of scares.
10 years before Romero directed
Dawn of the Dead,
his talent and his love for the genre were evident. Though his career
trajectory has represented a decline, this film announced the arrival of
a genuine presence. Romero's debut film starts with a bang and never
relents, and everyone watching knew that the director of this feature
was a voice to be reckoned with. He would produce at least one more
classic, a superior film entitled
Dawn of the Dead, but that film has its own spot on this list. This spot belongs to
Night of the Living Dead,
a movie that is one of the most significant horror films of all time
for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, NOTLD is a
highly-entertaining piece of social commentary that has proven to be a
timeless frightfest.
4)
Braindead (a.k.a. Dead Alive) - 1992
Zombies
have rarely been so much fun. In 1992, Peter Jackson managed to make
one of the sub-genre's most gleefully disgusting pictures of all time.
Braindead is a bizarre love story that is packed with laughs and oozing
blood, and you're not likely to find another picture like it. Indeed,
this film goes to such extremes that it nearly becomes a spoof. There's
a kung-fu priest who kicks ass for the lord, a fiendish zombie tot who
our hero takes to the park, a vicious Sumatran Rat-Monkey, and the most
domineering mother of all time. Seriously, that mother is a real piece
of work. She makes the Sumatran Rat-Monkey seem like Mickey Mouse.
Forget
the plot, this isn't that kind of movie. This is a movie that is
determined to disgust you and tickle your funny-bone in equal measures,
and it so far-fetched that it actually becomes quite cartoonish. While
the fright factor is rather low, the film is consistently funny and
exciting.
Honestly, I can't emphasize enough just how disgusting
Braindead is, but it may just be the bloodiest movie ever filmed.
Romero got an "X" when he submitted
Dawn of the Dead to the ratings
board in 1978, and it's hard to see how this film fared any better.
Perhaps the MPAA gave Braindead the benefit of the doubt because of the
tone, but chuckles aside, this movie is incredibly gross.
There
are entire scenes where our hero wages war in a crimson landscape
littered with body parts. The finale is deliriously over-the-top and
positively revolting, and it presents a "rebirth" that would have made
Freud loose his lunch. Yes, I went there, and no, I don't have a
fever. Peter Jackson had a fever, and the only prescription he was
interested in 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. Yes, that means I'm placing
Braindead above Jackson's
LOTR pictures, which are far superior films. Yet they're rather boring in
comparison to this unsettling gem that never fails to provide me with a
killer case of the giggles.
5) Zombie
(a.k.a. Zombi 2) – 1979
My
choice for #5 on this list is the finest offering from a man hailed as
the "Godfather of Gore" for good reason. Some of the films soon to be
unveiled here are loaded with quirky humor, but this one is a grueling
watch from start to finish. Yes, Lucio Fulci was known for making his
audience squirm, and he was at the very top of his game here. Some
might argue that The Beyond is his best film, but I strongly disagree.
Here, Fulci is on fire, making great use of an ominous score with tribal
flourishes and a spooky tropical setting. Additionally, unlike many of
his features, the plot is rather coherent this time out. Having said
that, there's still room for a truly absurd scene where a zombie duels
with a shark that will have you admiring the guts (or stupidity) of a
man who may just be the world's bravest stuntman. Yet the true
highlight of the picture may be the infamous "eyeball scene" that some
of you may have heard about, and that bit is still guaranteed to make
you cringe.
The
plot is simple enough: a gutsy reporter and a daring damsel head to a
mysterious island in search of her father. Score 10 points if you
expect them to stumble into a nightmare filled with flesh-eating corpses
that have somehow come back to life. Give yourself an additional 10
points if you don't expect anyone to make it out alive. Yet the power
of Zombie has little to do with plot, and owes a great debt to the
atmosphere and the horror that Fulci unleashes.
Zombie
is exceptionally gory, and I think it features the most frightening
zombies ever depicted on film or television. There is one sequence
where the dead rise from an overgrown cemetery in the midst of the
jungle that is positively terrifiying. Lucio wasn't known for his
finesse, and as such this one can be a bit clumsy at times, but it
remains tense and frightening after all these years. In fact, it is
probably the scariest film that will be featured on this list. It might
be the most depressing as well, for the 70s were known for
gut-wrenching horror flicks with downer endings, and Zombie is no
exception. Speaking of which, the ending is a classic. Zombie remains
one of the most intriguing zombie films ever put on film. If you
haven't experienced Lucio Fulci's most competent shocker, now would be a
good time to let this Zombie take a big bite out of you.
. . .
Well, what do you think?
What's your favorite zombie film?
What movie should land at the top of the list?
Note: I have to give a shout out to all the cool people over at RVA Magazine
who have been so supportive of me and my work over the years. I have
published a great many Top 5 pieces for them, and this will be an
updated version of one of them. I would just dust off the original, but
every time I sit down with one of these lists after a little time away,
it changes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this Top 5, because you can
certainly look forward to more, and if you're not familiar with RVA, do
yourself a favor and check them out.
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