Horror is probably my favorite movie genre, and I have a special place in my heart for zombie movies. If you’re a zombie movie fan, here’s a list of movies I’ve seen, some are better than others, but hey, zombie entertainment!
My Top Five – In Order
- Dead Snow: This movie vaulted into first place for me. It doesn’t get any more over the top than this one. The sequel, Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead, may even be better. Hard to believe.
- Army of Darkness: I don’t think I would have passed the California Bar Exam without this movie. This movie is hilarious, and will kill whatever stress you have. Gimme some sugar, baby.
- Evil Dead 2: Wow. It was wonderful craziness when I first saw it, and it holds up 20+ years later.
- Reincarnation: Such an odd little film, very atmospheric, and one of the few movies about reincarnation that doesn’t suck, in my opinion. The only movie on this list that doesn’t include slapstick humor. It’s Japanese with subtitles, stick with it, you’ll be rewarded. It’s got a great twist ending – no peeking at spoilers!
- Dead Heat: This movie is just a hoot – it’s a buddy movie, with zombies. It’s from the ’80s, so it might be hard to find, and Vincent Price and Darren McGavin have fun cameos.
The Rest of the List
Cemetery Man: Love and death. The main character is a caretaker at the cemetery where the dead have a habit of returning to life.
Fido: Vivid 1950’s-style technicolor colors, and vivid satire to boot. Must see.
Night of the Comet: The Earth passes through a comet. Some people turn to dust, others turn into zombies.
Night of the Creeps: I have a soft spot for movies that beg you to ask, “It’s over, isn’t it?”
Night of the Living Dead: I think I can safely say this is the most influential zombie movie of modern times. Yes, the special effects aren’t that special anymore, but it’s still a good story. If by some chance you haven’t seen it, put it on your list.
Dawn of the Dead + the remake: The first Dawn of the Dead was good satire too. Thanks to Tom Savini, the special effects state of the art. Many people liked the remake, but I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of fast zombies. I liked the cast, and there were several good set pieces, but overall, I liked the original better.
Day of the Dead: The bleakest of the bunch, but good visuals, and a good plot.
Land of the Dead: This film could have been more, but it had a great cast, and keeps its politics intact.
Diary of the Dead: An updated version of the Night of the Living Dead movies in an age of social media. Again, a few good set pieces, and I loved the panic room, but it fell a little short. I’d still give it a watch though.
Re-animator: Based on the HP Lovecraft story, Herbert West: Re-animator. It was funny, but I don’t think Mr. Lovecraft would have been amused.
Shaun of the Dead: I loved the original tag line – “A romantic comedy – with zombies”. So much good stuff in this movie. If I’d been doing a “top six” movie list, this would have made the list.
The Return of the Living Dead: George Romero’s zombies will eat all of you. The zombies in this movie (and its sequels) only want your brains. They have reasons.
Wicked Little Things: Revenge child zombies! I really liked this one – if the HorrorFest/8 Films To Die For hadn’t come around, I would have missed Wicked Little Things.
Zombi: Low budget and bad – but so bad it’s good. It makes almost no sense, but just go with it. This is the one with the underwater shark v zombie scene. It’s a classic.
There are many more, but I either haven’t seen them, or I forgot to list them. What else needs to be on the list?