So what is about zombie movies that make them so appealing and fun for so many of us to watch? Also, what are your top few zombie movies not only from the 80's, but from any decade?
This thread is actually inspired by a recent comment from Ronnie, so I thought it might be fun for us to all to discuss our appreciation for all things zombie!
This might sound strange, but I actually have two movies in my top 20 from the 80's with zombies in them, but if we are talking strickly fav flicks with concentration on the word zombie.. I just have to go with "The Return of the Living Dead".
However, most everyone knows I enjoy both NotC movies and consider them awesome flicks:
I actually can't get enough of any of these movies. Just watch "The Return of the Living Dead" late at night recently and it was just an amazing experience all over again.
So what are your fav few Zombie flicks you hold above all the rest?
[ 10. July 2011, 18:06: Message edited by: Valley ]
Posted by Helen_S (Member # 5804) on :
Posted by Earl Keese (Member # 7986) on :
Very cool thread Valley! You definitely hit my tops as did Helen_S! Night of the Comet probably being right at the very top and probably Dawn of the Dead right behind it. Not only zombie movies, but movies being "fun" just don't get much better.
In other movies I loved certain scenes or certain things about them. I absolutely love Night of the Living Dead and the scene at the beginning in the cemetery with the what you don't know yet to be an undead shuffling along in the background in the middle of the afternoon...terribly unsettling to this day! They're coming to get you indeed! I thought several years later George Romero came back to fine form with Land of the Dead that was just a great, fast little survival story and an awesome exit scene from Dennis Hopper.
I loved the recent Zombieland and 28 Days Later was pretty amazing when that one hit. I remember being a bit jaded by that time until Mr. Boyle showed us that zombies could run...like really fast! Posted by Johnny Roarke is reckless (Member # 9826) on :
I'm gonna name only one ! (..well, for now..)
Zeder (1983, directed by Pupi Avati)
This one is completely different from what you might expect from a zombie-flick.. but also seriously creepy ! If you haven't seen this one, check it out !
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Johnny.. I remember your movie from possibly renting it years ago. I picked it up not realizing it was a foreign film because it had a title like "Revenge of the Dead" or something like that. I felt cheated at first, but after giving it a chance.. I must say it was quite haunting. The coffin scene actually stuck with me. Definitely a different kind of a zombie flick.
Helen.. some excellent choices.
Earl.. that cemetary scene in the original "Night of Living Dead" still gives me chills. I enjoyed both the original and the remake with Tony Todd. Always thought it was cool that the great Tom Savini directed the remake. Plus, cool twist at the end. Posted by Johnny Roarke is reckless (Member # 9826) on :
Valley,
you're right about that ! I've read somewhere that it was retitled 'Revenge of the Dead' in the US. Such a title indeed gives wrong expectations of this movie.. but for horror-fans it's such a rare find. It truly builds to a harrowing ending.. I'm glad you agree, and hopefully more people will go see it after they read this !
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
Great topic
My all time favorite zombie movie is The Return Of The Living Dead . It's a movie I can watch over and over and laugh everytime! I own part II but not crazy about the 3rd. Parts 4 & 5 were decent but very low budget.
I also like,
Prince Of Darkness (just watched it again, this evening, I bought the soundtrack as well, great music) Night Of The Creeps Day Of The Dead and since it recently came up...I'll add Re-Animator since it's a fun movie that I am dying to watch again. Oh, does Deadly Friend qualify??
Another one I like and one of the last movies I purchased at Suncoast Motion Picture Company...
Nighmare City.... anyone here see it?
I love the Night Of The Living Dead remake. I own it on both vhs and dvd. I didn't grow up seeing the original. I think I've only seen it once, actually. I like the remake more.
I also love Brain Dead...aka Dead Alive, 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later were awesome!
Two more recent ones I enjoyed a lot.. well, it's from 2004 .....Zombie Honeymoon.
It's a bit absurd in a funny way, but it's a zombie movie with a romantic spin, if you will. I loved it.
and Dance Of The Dead (where highschool kids prepare for Prom) If you haven't seen it, it's on Netflix and it's a must see for zombie movie lovers.
And then there are the other zombie comedies, like Shaun Of The Dead, Black Sheep, and Zombieland, which I can't say I like as much as I thought I did.
I also recommend Flight Of the Living Dead as well!
As for Romero, I am one of the few (I think) who actually like Land Of The Dead, Diary Of The Dead and Survival Of The Dead. Saw Diary in the theaters, and it freaked me out.
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
I'm no expert, but:
* I only recently have seen the original Night of the Living Dead....liked it alot. * The Rewind introduced me to Night of the Comet.....love love love it! *I really liked 28 Days Later....haven't seen 28 Weeks Later yet...should I? * I may be a minority...but I liked Wil Smith's Legend * I also love the new TV series....The Walking Dead...have seen all six episodes and can't wait for the new season....come to think of it....anyone know when this starts? * I've yet to see Night of the Comet....tops on my list for the next Halloween season....
Posted by Pyro (Member # 7658) on :
First, I'll start off with a pick of one of my newer favorites..
Dead Snow (2009)
Though it's only a couple years old, I enjoyed this one enough to instantly place it among my all time favorite zombie movies. Plenty of gore mixed with a good dose of humour to keep you laughing.
Now, a pick of just one of my many favorite Classics...
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1975)
Just a great straight-up zombie flick complete with realistic zombies of the "freshly dead" variety. Definitely a must have for any zombie movie fiend.
[ 11. July 2011, 02:12: Message edited by: Pyro ]
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Kev.. I thought I warned you to always say 'NotC' when referring to "Night of the Comet" or "Night of the Creeps". I learned that long ago when I was all excited about the "Night of the Creeps" Blu-ray release and mentioned to Ronnie how awesome it was going to be to finally have "Night of the Comet" on DVD! Probably more than once.. We have laughed about that several times since, so I thought it was cute that you just did it too.
So is it "Comet" that you've seen and love?
DMK wants to know! Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Pyro.. I've seen parts of "Let Sleeping Corpes Lie" on a horror movie documentary, but never the entire movie. Looked creepy and received tons of praise as an underrated gem.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Ronnie.. what a brilliant zombie ramble!
I totally enjoyed "Dance of the Dead" .. I've always been into the comedy/horror films.. so this was a great addition for a newer movie. Nothing can compare to RotLD or NotC, but still a nice addition.
And I watch "Deadly Friend" every Halloween season.. so put it on our list!
From horror master Wes Craven starring Matthew Laborteaux and Kristy Swanson comes a dark tale about a Halloween night prank that went very wrong. The tone of this movie is extremely wicked and twisted.
I highly recommend "Deadly Friend". I actually saw this movie at the theater, I wasn't expecting much and was totally surprised how creepy the feel of it was as I watched it. Definitely stuck with you for awhile after it was over.
There is an infamous scene from "Deadly Friend" involving a grumpy neighbor that anyone who's seen this movie will most likely remember. A bouncing basketball and Mama Fratelli from "The Goonies" make for a haunting combination as a young kid sitting in a dark theater.
If you haven't seen it.. please click my Rewind Movie Page link above and watch the trailer!
[ 11. July 2011, 10:08: Message edited by: Valley ]
Posted by Crash (Member # 7484) on :
As for Romero, I am one of the few (I think) who actually like Land Of The Dead, Diary Of The Dead and Survival Of The Dead. Saw Diary in the theaters, and it freaked me out.
Count me in on the newer Romero films. I like them all too. A lot of folks seem to despise "Survival of the Dead" especially, and while it's hardly the best Romero zombie film, he at least tried something different, and it's entertaining.
I love "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie" too. The sound effect that they used for the zombies is terrific.
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Ronnie, i have Nightmare City. Hilarious flick with radioactive zombies
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
Opppps.....my bad Valley....I've seen NotC....but not NotC! Well....you said......
* Seen and love Comet....have not seen Creeps...but have a copy. Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Kev.. I love both movies .. so 'Night of the Comet Creeps' works for me.
NotC rules! Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
I just found this Zombie poll that a respected site did with its readers and here's their Top 10 of all-time:
1. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
2. Braindead (1992) - #2 really?
3. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - sorry Ronster not the remake! (as if you care)
4. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
5. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
6. Deadgirl (2008)
7. Zombie (1979)
8. Dawn of the Dead (2004) - remake
9. Day of the Dead (1985)
10. Fido (2006)
Wow.. not sure if I respect them anymore now. ha!
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
I wasn't crazy about Dawn Of The Dead remake, but love the original.
Pyro, I saw Dead Snow about a year ago..pretty decent flick!
Thanks for the review on Deadly Friend Val. Its a favorite of mine. Haha I remember making my younger cousins watch it with me and the scene where the moms makes a comment about her coffee tasting great...and the friend spits his milk out cracked everyone up..we kept rewinding that scene to keep us laughing.
I'm glad others have love for recent Romero. I really thought Diary was great. Posted by Earl Keese (Member # 7986) on :
Ronnie, Prince of Darkness...awesome! All hail Carpenter! Not many zombie flicks can coherently incorporate quantum physics and matter breaking down at a sub-atomic level
I also love Romero's later work (Land of the Dead being one I really enjoy and watch once a year). While I love the other two as well (Survival and Diary), I have a pretty good guess at what the hang up is for most people and that is the production value. Expected when you put in a movie from the late sixties or early seventies...a little more shocking when you watch it sandwiched between The Crazies and Dawn of the Dead remake. People are fickle. I really quite like Survival though.
Pyro, I have been walking past Dead Snow at the video store for some time now. A thumbs up from my Rewind brethren has finally sealed the deal though...I'll get it this weekend!
Valley, I watched the linked trailer to Deadly Friend. I was 18 in 88. HOw in the name of all that is Holy have I never seen this movie. It looks awesome! I almost want to buy this one sight unseen!
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Earl.. I really enjoyed the remake of "The Crazies" .. quite a bit actually. Probably because it had a mystery to solve along with the bizarre happenings going on. Is it considered a zombie flick?
And while I'm not as big a fan of "Diary of the Dead" as you and Ronnie .. I did have fun watching it and I dug the documentary idea within the film. And it was blast trying to figure out all the news voices.
"Prince of Darkness" was a great re-teaming of John Carpenter and Donald Pleasence. But Victor Wong is my fav in this movie. The music score is perfect and Alice Cooper even does a great job. All that combined .. so very creepy.
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
quote:Originally posted by Earl Keese: I also love Romero's later work (Land of the Dead being one I really enjoy and watch once a year). While I love the other two as well (Survival and Diary), I have a pretty good guess at what the hang up is for most people and that is the production value. Expected when you put in a movie from the late sixties or early seventies...a little more shocking when you watch it sandwiched between The Crazies and Dawn of the Dead remake. People are fickle. I really quite like Survival though.
Very well put. and I really liked The Crazies. I love Timothy Olyphant in just about anything..
What about Planet Terror?
Loved it! Posted by Earl Keese (Member # 7986) on :
You're right Valley, more "infected" than the truly "undead", but we play it fast and loose 'round these parts... Posted by Earl Keese (Member # 7986) on :
Loved Planet Terror (along with Death Proof) and wins my (and forgive my step back in time here) totally grody award...but in a good way!
Olyphant definitely da' man...again, apologies...that was my "Chicago" coming out...
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
Loved Death Proof, Earl. Awesome song selections by Tarantino, I ended up downloading the soundtrack from itunes.
Never seen Let Sleeping Corpses Lie... I have to check it out, thanks to this thread.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
I thought "Death Proof" was awesome! I've always been a Kurt Russell fan and his reactions were hilarious when the tables got turned on him.
And the slo-mo tire scene was just wicked!
Excellent tune Ronster
"Planet Terror" was very good too, but I rank "Death Proof" just a bit higher.
Posted by the young warrior (Member # 9554) on :
deadly friend was a really fun 80s horror movie ,not quite elm street but still very underated! if only wes cravens latest stuff (not seen scream 4 so can't comment on that) was half as entertaining as this one we'd be alright!
return of the living dead's got to be top of the list for me also,prince of darkness and night of the creeps not far behind!
would like to see shockwaves(1977) which was directed by ken wiederhorn,watched (1981) slasher eyes of a stranger the other day which was also directed by ken wiederhorn and the victim near the begining was watching shockwaves on tv and it looks quite creepy!
come to think of it ken wiederhorn also directed return of the living dead 2 - i see there's not much love on here for that one!
[ 12. July 2011, 03:11: Message edited by: the young warrior ]
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Warrior..
Another "Deadly Friend" fan!
I actually enjoy "The Return of the Living Dead: Part II".. but comparing it to the original is no contest. The sequel was unable to match the chemistry of the actors from the first film. Still a fun movie though.
It was hilarious to see James Karen and Thom Mathews back for part two, though obviously in different though similar type roles. Thom even makes a funny comment about it that fans of the original will enjoy. Also, great to see an 80's horror fav Suzanne Snyder as Thom's girlfriend.
My fav characters were actually played by Marsha Dietlein and Dana Ashbrook.
And definitely trackdown Helen's "Shock Waves" suggestion.. as long as you're not afraid of the water. Wait, you might be after watching it! ha.. the underwater zombie shots are way creepy.
Posted by Helen_S (Member # 5804) on :
Haha, yes those shots are so good Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Here´s one "zombie" flick i like very much:
One Dark Night (1983) Starring Meg Tilly, Melissa Newman, Robin Evans and Elizabeth Daily. It was even called "Zombies - The Demons of the Night" here
If you enjoy comedy/horror.. definitely check this movie out!
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Here's the rest of my day:
Brain Dead 2007
Night of the Living Dead Part 2
Neon Maniacs
Zombie Strippers
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
Shock Waves
and finally.. I might go to sleep watching:
One Dark Night
[ 17. July 2011, 18:52: Message edited by: Valley ]
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
This isn't a movie and definitely not from the 80's... but who else is excited about season 2 of the AMC tv series "The Walking Dead"?
Actually .. ha.. to no surprise.. Ronnie reminded me to put the Sunday October 16th season 2 premiere on the calendar.
For anyone who is still in the dark .. "The Walking Dead" is based on the graphic novels by Robert Kirkman. And while I've never read them, I have to think that the AMC tv series is doing a decent job of showing the novels due justice. I say this because the tv series is surprising shocking and quite suspenseful in my opinion. The first episode is just so good and sets the tone.
If you have Directv and missed out on this show on the first run.. now is your chance to catch up with it being available on demand at the moment. If you enjoy gory zombie flicks in the style of "Night of the Living Dead" .. you definitely should check this show out! Posted by xchazx (Member # 7158) on :
this is one of my favorites:
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
For any of you Netflix junkies waiting until October to start watching scary movies .. I want to alert you that "Dance of the Dead" is only available on instant watch until this Saturday October 1st.
Ronnie brought it up in her Zombie ramble and I want to highly recommend it as well.
I saw a review on the internet recently that described "Dance of the Dead" as: 'John Hughes meets the Return of the Living Dead'. Obviously, it can't quite match those expectations, but it gives you an idea of the premise.
So if you were thinking about giving it a try.. time is running out it seems.
[ 27. September 2011, 09:03: Message edited by: Valley ]
Posted by cindymancini (Member # 679) on :
"Zombies are the new Vampires..."-True Blood (quote from a recent episode)
Ooh, I like this topic...for me, very simple, Creeps & Comet.
Didn't really think about Deadly Friend...in fact, I should probably check this one out again.
And Valley, the cover art alone of Dance of the Dead has me sold! Never heard of this movie but I'm adding it to my Netflix asap! Thanks!!
Posted by Crash (Member # 7484) on :
Here's another plug to the ones already here for two excellent, but obscure, foreign zombie films. "Zeder," a/k/a "Revenge of the Dead," a/k/a "Voices from the Darkness," an Italian film, was directed by the great Pupi Avati. It has no blood, but atmosphere to burn and is incredibly creepy. Stephen King likes it too. (I've always wondered whether "Pet Semetary," especially the ending, is an intentional homage to "Zeder." It sure looks like it.) "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie," a/k/a "Don't Open the Window," a/k/a "Breakfast at Manchester Morgue, a/k/a "The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue," a Spanish/Italian co-production, was director Jorge Grau's homage to the original "Night of the Living Dead." By contrast, it's a very gory and nasty zombie film where the noise of the zombies is just great sound design. "Zeder" was originally released in a really crummy transfer from Image, and "Let Sleeping Corpses" is on BluRay as "Living Dead..." from Blue Underground. Check them out. You won't be disappointed by these two very different zombie films.
Posted by Megaforce (Member # 7183) on :
A movie I like, although it might not be so scary is ... The Midnight Hour from 1985
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
Valley, I want to see Dance of the Dead soon. Just watched the trailer, because it's been awhile for me..
Deadly Friend is on my list for Halloween flicks to watch. Posted by cindymancini (Member # 679) on :
I'm getting confused...Dance of the Dead...is this an 80's movie?
I went to add it on Netflix but it says 2008...and the cover art is completely different...
Huh?
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
Cindy, Dance Of The Dead is from 2008. Netflix has a different cover than the one Valley posted. It has 3 teens, one with a tuxedo on and it says Ghost House on the side of it. Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Sorry for the confusion Cindy.. this thread started with 80's movies such as "The Return of the Living Dead" and "NotC".. then evolved from there to all decades Zombie.
My posting above contains the movie poster from "Dance of the Dead" which does look so 80's at first glance... almost "Night of the Creeps" style wise.
Below is the DVD cover that Ronnie mentioned above:
The DVD contains several extras that I can't wait to dig into later this month.
Posted by cindymancini (Member # 679) on :
Okay, thanks Ronnie & Valley...yep, that's the one I saw on Netflix & was unsure about.
Still worth a watch even though it's "new" horror? Okay, I trust ya'll.
Posted by J2ME (Member # 5728) on :
The Return of the Living Dead is also my favourite.
-- BRAINS! Live brains!
Posted by cindymancini (Member # 679) on :
So I finally got around to watching Deadly Friend in it's entirety & I liked it. Not sure how Wes Craven went from Freddy to the Samantha character...a beautiful blonde girl w lots o' blue eyeshadow?!?...Nevertheless it has it's place. The neighborhood & houses used was cool but could have been shot a little more creepy in my opinion. I was not prepared for the level of gore in some scenes, hence that basketball death! Wow!!! Guess it made up for Miss Swanson's beauty that almost overshadowed her evilness! Oh and the ending when he opens the drawer, didn't see it going that way...kinda odd right?
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
(click to view Rewind thread) 
(click for Rewind thread)
(click for Rewind thread) 
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
We have laughed about that several times since, so I thought it was cute that you just did it too. 
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
-- BRAINS! Live brains!