In April, I featured a post for Monday Mayhem called Zombie Movies. Many of my readers enjoyed the films I had chosen, adding their own suggestions to the list of works I could highlight for a future post. Well, this is the future post. As part of this list, I’m including two new entries to the zombie genre. One film had released late last year to positive reviews and the other is still in theaters. Don’t worry I won’t give away any spoilers.
World War Z—For us zombie lovers, this movie, by far, is the movie of the year. Still playing in theaters, still making money and still thrilling audiences over, the story is the brainchild of Max Brooks, son to funnyman Mel Brooks who directed Young Frankenstein, another movie about a dead guy coming back to life, but in a more affable state (yes—that was one long sentence). Although the movie is nothing like the book, the film features something other zombie movies have only hinted, fast zombies. I’m talking about freaks of nature you’d dare not mess with. The movie itself is an instant classic benefiting from multiple viewings. There’s just too much to absorb in a single viewing.
28 Weeks Later—The Rage virus that ravaged London took its toll in 28 Days Later. Six months later, the U.S. army gets involved in the quarantine of the city and the rebuilding process. Little does anyone know a carrier of the virus enters the city limits and aids in the final decimation of the population. Believe me, if you’ve seen the first movie, this second one is much of the same. The enjoyment of this film is watching how good intentions cause the greatest misery.
Dawn of the Dead—In this original George A. Romero 1978 vehicle, the zombies had less intelligence and moved slower. One could duck and crawl to safety without worrying the zombies will catch their victim. The big thing about these zombies is their tenacity. Once one of them finds a human, you’d best be sure a crowd would soon follow. It’s also a joy seeing how the survivors manage to handle their situation in a closed and confined area, a mall. The funniest segment, though, has to be the precious scene where the survivors hunt zombies to the rhythm of circus music (merry-go-round music).
Night of the Living Dead—First of all, this movie is incredibly low budget. Mind you, this is not a bad thing. For the Sixties, there were many big budget bombs, and when this movie hit the scene, no one knew what to make of it. The general premise has the recently deceased rise due to satellite radiation. The dead attack a barn, rather, the people in the barn, as they attempt to get at the victims’ brains. Another George A. Romero film, which some consider started the zombie tales, myths and legends of old. Forty-five years later, no true zombie fan should miss this zombie classic.
Return of the Living Dead—The movie’s catch phrase should tell you the whole story, “They’re back from the grave and ready to party!” This is a movie for a Friday night with lots of friends, snacks and conversation. It’s worth watching for its B-movie entertainment value. This time, the zombies rise from a deadly gas accidentally released by a couple of bumbling medical supply warehouse employees.
Warm Bodies—Not wanting to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it, this is the zombie genre’s answer to Twilight. Kind of like Romeo & Juliet, teenagers in love, having nothing but their whole life ahead of them. Can it be any sweeter? It could, if it weren’t for all the zombies getting in the way.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.
Can you think of other zombie movies I could have included in the list?
Looking to God 
Great stuff. I didn’t realise that Max Brooks was the son of Mel Brooks. World War Z is a great book, one of my favourites.
I’m sooooo far behind on my zombie movie watching. I’m going to have to stay home for a weekend (waiting for a weekend with crappy weather) and have a zombie movie marathon, in the dark!
I am so behind on my zombie movies. I’m a late bloomer.
Loved Warm Bodies, the movie and the book. Looks like I need to have a marathon.
I recently watched Warm Bodies again for the upteenth time. Such a wonderful, heartfelt story amid the chaos of a zombie apocalypse. The music is my fav. The best part? Marco Beltrami wrote the score, the same composer who wrote World War Z!
Agreed on the points about World War Z. I have never been more happy to see a film pull through against a wall of internet criticism and do decent box office numbers.
But I have to ask….Warm Bodies but no Shaun Of The Dead?!?
Have a look at my first Zombie Movies post: http://jackflacco.com/2013/04/29/zombie-movies/ You’ll find Shaun of the Dead there!
Ah, I knew it would be somewhere! Awesome stuff
Does “I Am Legend” (2007 Will Smith) count as a zombie movie? I like that one because it is a suspenseful survivor story with Christian elements included not for symbolism, but just as a normal part of the characters lives. For instance, the family quickly prays together before being evacuated and it feels completely natural.
Yes, I Am Legend counts and I included it in my first list: http://jackflacco.com/2013/04/29/zombie-movies/
Some folks talk about the creatures as being vampires, but the movie it’s rather vague in that sense. I always believed they were zombies. I totally agree about the Christian elements since much of the movie has them sprinkled throughout.
Great movie reviews!
ZOMBIES!!!
Nice list. Will be watching Night of the living dead and return of the living dead soon. Thanks for the suggestions.
I haven’t seen warm bodies yet but it’s on my list of ‘must watch soon’ movies, but I absolutely loved Wordl War Z. I’m a big an of The Walking Dead tv show too, although I find the zombies in it a little stereotypical…but really, who cares, all zombies are brilliant!
Have you ever seen the brilliant Dead Set? A zombie mini series based around the Big Brother reality TV show, the zombies in that we’re super fast too, and a recent UK series was In The Flesh, a story about re-animated dead folk who had their zombie impulses restrained by drugs, they re-integrated into society with varying degrees of success and became known as sufferers of PDS (partially deceased syndrome) , again a new take on the typical zombie story and in my opinion very good!
I’ll definitely be following your blog from now on.
Em x
I haven’t seen Dead Set, although I’ve heard of it. Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll have a gander at it and tell you what I think. Also, I’m looking forward to In The Flesh. I’ve read reviews and thought it had an interesting premise.
I haven’t seen Warm Bodies yet and I really want to! I think the concept is just brilliant. Plus I love Nicolas Hoult. I can’t believe he’s the same actor from “About a Boy” – he grew up good 🙂
The ones in the 28 days movies – are they zombies or crazies? Not meaning to come off as a geek or zombie purist or anything, but are they actually re-animated corpses?
Not really zombies. They’re more like victims of a tragic accident. They’ve been exposed to the “Rage” virus that turned them into ravenous beasts.
Went to see World War Z the other day and I LOVED it. The reviews here in the UK haven’t been great so I wasn’t expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised when I realised what a great movie this is. And the fast zombies were very, very scary.
I love your reviews, Jack, and it’s always a pleasure reading your work
Thank you so much, Marie! I appreciate your kind words!
Great list. I may have suggested the Resident Evil franchise, but technically that’s also monsters, rather than pure zombies. Both Land of the Dead and Diary of the Dead, the more recent additions to George A. Romero’s franchise I have watched several times over, the story lines being just as entertaining as the vast number of ways that zombies can be killed, and the hinting at zombie intellect in Land of the Dead is considerably spooky on its own. The great cast additionally added to the entertainment.
You do mention some older, more traditional zombie films. There have been some more recent additions to the zombie genre that have not exactly been hugely budgeted, but their unique story lines certainly add a new flavor to the feast. These, for me, would include All Souls Day and Trespassers, which was filmed on such a low budget that I actually felt cheap watching it, but the unique story on how people become zombies certainly makes up for it.
I’ve wanted to include the Resident Evil franchise but I actually ran out of time and wanted to keep the post under a reasonable 500 words. Maybe next time, though. I do consider the monsters as zombies since they fall under the criteria of getting infected and wanting to kill humanity, but that’s on the technical scale.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll keep them in mind if I should ever come out with a Zombie Movies III!
Great list you’ve got here.