Movie Goodness: The Horror List-Zombies
The zombies are coming…
Dawn of the Dead (2004): I love this movie. I can’t compare it to the original as I haven’t seen it but so much of this version impressed me, and is what really got me into all things zombie or, How I stopped being afraid and learned to love zombies. A group of survivors find themselves trapped in the local mall following a zombie outbreak. Time to go shopping. Zack Snyder directed this flick based on the classic George A. Romero 1978 film and the wonderful cast includes Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Ty Burrell, Michael Kelly and a special appearance by Tom Savini.
28 Days Later (2002): Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up in an empty hospital and ventures out into a completely deserted London. He finds the streets lined with pictures of missing people and when he enters that last sanctuary of a desperate man, a church, he encounters blood thirsty people (zombies or infected people?) who want to tear him to pieces. He hooks up with 3 other people and they leave the city in hopes of escaping the infected. Things go from worse to even worse when their saviours, a group of rogue soldiers, takes them hostage to fulfill their own needs. I wasn’t crazy about this flick when I first saw it but after a second viewing, I really did enjoy it. This one is more of an infection film, not really zombies but I’ll let you debate that issue.
Resident Evil (2002): Based on the video game of the same name, this flick finds Alice (Milla Jovovich) with amnesia and being led through an underground labyrinth by a group of soldiers after the release of the deadly T virus in the underground lab. I think this franchise is on number 6 but really, this is the best of them all. The story was well done and didn’t go to weird extremes with clones and super human elements. It’s just good old fashion zombie fun.
The Crazies (2010): Another remake of a classic 1970’s horror movie. Again, I have not seen the original, so I can’t compare but I can say this was an enjoyable movie about a small town that becomes infected with a virus that makes people homicidal. Not like in 28 Day Later; the infected aren’t salivating, marathon runners but ordinary people just out to kill. So, more of an infection movie than zombies. The wonderful and talented Timothy Olyphant stars along with Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson and Danielle Panabaker.
Zombieland (2009): Oh, how I love the zombie apocalypse. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a loner and shut in, rarely venturing from his home when the apocalypse forces him into a ruined world. He meets up Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and they head to California in hopes of finding a zombie free sanctuary. Funny and zombierrific.
Dead Snow <Død snø>(2008): Nazi zombies are unwittingly unleashed by a group of vacationing college students in the mountains of Norway. Gory, over the top, well done and terribly entertaining. It’s only slightly distracting to read the subtitles as the zombie action unfolds but it’s good stuff.
Return of the Living Dead (1985): I believe this is the first zombie movie that I ever saw and it did scare me. How times have changed. Even with some of the silly one liners, this movie has good zombie effects and a good story line. Two workers at a medical supply warehouse open a tank of a deadly virus that turns living people into zombies and reanimate the dead into brain craving zombies. Add in some ’80’s teenage punks and you have nothing but awesome.
Honorable Mention: Day of the Dead (1985), Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Dead Girl, The Children, 28 Weeks Later, Quarantine 2: The Terminal, Return of the Living Dead: Part II, Planet Terror, Night Of The Living Dead
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glad to see The Crazies make the list. good movie. nice job!
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