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Top 5 Must Own Zombie Movies
Surviving, Learning and Growing in Zombieland By
Robert T. Trate
September 29, 2009
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Kate Ashfield in Shaun of the Dead recently released on Blu-ray
© Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Zombies have really grown into their own from the very beginning with Bela Lugosi in White Zombie (1932) to birthing their own genre with George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968). Every other year it seems that there is a least one interpretation of a Zombie holocaust and this year we have been supplied with Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland. Zombie movies are always fun as each and every writer and director tries to put a spin on it so that the audience sees something it hasn’t before. This can be anything from survival tactics, a Zombie’s allegory or a different type of Zombie. Here is the DVD Shopping Bag’s Top 5 Must Own Zombie Movies.
5. Zombi 2(1979)
Lucio Fulci’s unofficial follow up to George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (1978) is a twisted, scary and fun romp in the Zombie genre. After a sailboat shows up in New York harbor with the undead on it Anne (Tisa Farrow) and Peter (Ian McCulloch) go looking for the boat’s owner. Their journey takes them to Matul Island where a mad man is bringing the dead back to life. Part voodoo and part science this shocking tale reveals the dangers when one person decides to play God. The film has a realistic nightmare quality to it as if somewhere this might have actually happened. To get anyone to watch the film all you have to say is “Zombie vs. Shark” (seen here on Youtube) and you’re there.
4. Night of the Living Dead(1968)
George Romero’s original film breaks down a lot of social barriers when it comes to its cast of characters. Many film fans are quick to note that Duane Jones’s Ben, a black man and savior to all those involved is ground breaking for 1968. Film historians take note of this but also know that Romero stated he was simply the best actor for the role. Night of Living Dead gives us that first microcosm of the world in a Zombie flick. The Zombies quickly take a back seat to the desires and disagreements of the surviving humans. This creates the real conflict as the will to survive becomes the strongest desire of all.
3. 28 Days Later(2002)
Danny Boyle kick started the genre again with running Zombies. It might seem like a small thing but his “infected” become terrifying for the first time since 1968. By setting the film in England, Boyle gave American audiences a different spin on the genre. There were no rednecks with guns running wild. Here the survivors had to bash Zombies over the head to survive. To do so ran the risk of becoming infected. The film, shot on digital video was raw and unrelenting. The infected take second chair as we see the birth of a family of survivors and how they deal with the surrounding world. When the father figure falls one character has to break from his shell and become the new head of the family. Boyle redefined the genre and changed Zombie films forever.
2. Shaun of the Dead(2004)
Edgar Wright’s Zombie Romantic Comedy not only broke away from the genre but paid homage to it time and time again. Shaun (Simon Pegg) is your basic working “zombie” walking through life and not really growing as a person. His job is going nowhere and his relationship with Liz (Kate Ashfield) has also ceased to grow. It is only after the Zombie Holocaust, beautifully brought to life by Wright, that Shaun emerges from his state and realizes that the one thing worth fighting for is Liz. Shaun of the Dead not only pokes fun at the genre but teaches us that life is still worth living long after the world has ended.
1. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Romero returned ten years later and gave his survivors a bigger and well supplied place in which to stay, a mall. Initially the film is all about surviving in a Zombie wasteland. Stephen, Peter, Francine and Roger seem to have it all as they come across a deserted mall. They have food, weapons and entertainment. Slowly though one turns into a Zombie and there Romero’s allegory’s take place. The mall has become their cage and the survivors stop living and just exist. It is only after the introduction of a third party, not the Zombies, that they find the will and desire to fight for their lives. Romero gave his characters and the audience an incredible fantasy only to show them the nightmare it would become.
ACTION / ADVENTURE / KUNG FU/ THRILLERS / WESTERNS
Behind Stone Walls ~ Eddie Nugent
Bill Cody Double Feature: Six Gun Justice (1936) / Texas Rambler (1935) ~ Bill Cody
Billy Jack [Blu-ray] ~ Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Clark Howat, and Howard Hesseman
Cowboy Rarities Of The 30s: Code of the Fearless (1939) / Songs and Saddles (1938) ~ Fred Scott
Enigma ~ Kate Winslet, Dougray Scott, Jeremy Northam, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Fallen Angels - Director's Cut
Fermat's Room ~ Alejo Sauras, Lluis Homar, and Santi Millan
Feud of the Range ~ Bob Steele
Les Milles ~ Ticky Holgado, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Philippe Noiret, and Francois Perrot
Lies & Illusions ~ Jr. Cuba Gooding, Christian Slater, Lochlyn Munro, and Christa Campbell
The Living Coffin ~ Carlos Ancira, Maria Duval, Gaston Santos, and Pedro de Aguillon
Mafia Connection ~ Florinda Bolkan, Peter Carsten, Antonio Sabato, and Lee Burton
Omen ~ Apichej Kittikornjaroen, Woravej Danuwong, and Kavee Tanjararak
Phantom of Santa Fe ~ Norman Kerry
Range Busters: Land of Hunted Men ~ Ray Corrigan, Max Terhune, and Dennis Moore
Roy Rogers Double Feature: Ridin' Down the Canyon (1942) / On the Old Spanish Trail (1939) ~ Roy Rogers
Sea Racketeers ~ J. Carroll Naish, Penny Singleton, Lane Chandler, and Syd Saylor
Snakes on a Plane [Blu-ray] ~ Samuel L. Jackson, Julianna Margulies, and Nathan Phillips
Terrifying Girls' High School ~ Nobuo Kaneko, Kenji Imai, Reiko Ike, and Miki Sugimoto
Texas Ranger Double Feature: Marked for Murder (1945) / Bad Men of Thunder Gap (1943) ~ Dave O'Brien, Tex Ritter, and James Newill
Thundering Gun Slingers ~ Buster Crabbe
ANIME
Big Windup: Part 2
Black Lagoon: The Complete Series Set
Blade of the Immortal Volume 1 ~ Rina Satou
Burst Angel: The Complete Collection (includes OVA) [Blu-ray]
Ergo Proxy: The Complete Series Box Set (Viridian Collection)
Green Green-Complete LiteBox
Heat Guy J: The Complete Series Box Set
Huntik Seekers and Secrets Volume 1 ~ Yuri Lowenthal
Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Season 1, Part 2 (Limited Edition)
Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Season 1, Part 3
Naruto Shippuden, Vol. 1
Negima!: The Complete Series Box Set (Viridian Collection)
One Piece: Season Two, Third Voyage
Pokemon Elements, Vol. 3: Water
Pokemon Elements, Vol. 4: Electric
Princess
Sola: Anime Legends
CARTOONS
A Very Brave Witch...and more Halloween stories
Disney Animation Collection 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol ~ Edward Brophy, Ruth Clifford, Pinto Colvig, and Dessie Flynn
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Series ~ Cam Clarke, Brian Dobson, Nicole Oliver, and Gabe Khouth
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Origins
The Littles: Christmas Special
Monsters vs. Aliens ~ Seth Rogen, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, and Will Arnett
Monsters vs. Aliens [Blu-ray]
Monsters vs. Aliens/B.O.B.'s Big Break in Monster 3D: Ginormous Double Pack
The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (Two-Disc Special Edition) ~ Eric Bauza, Xander Berkeley, Clancy Brown, and Corey Burton
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies [Blu-ray]
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (Single-Disc Edition)
COMEDY AND LOVE Mania Style
Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa ~ Whoopi Goldberg, Jane Krakowski, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg
HORROR
42nd Street Forever 5: Alamo Drafthouse Edition ~ Charlton Heston, Sonny Chiba, Franco Nero, and Robert Englund
Bangkok Haunted ~ Pimsiree Pimsee
The Black Pit of Dr. M ~ Rafael Bertrand, Gaston Santos, Mapita Cortes, and Mapy Cortes
Blind Beast vs. Killer Dwarf ~ Lily Franky
Bloodwine ~ Melissa Johnson, Lora Meins, Vanessa Leinani, and Heather Whitsell
Brainiac ~ Rosa Maria Gallardo, Mauricio Garces, Carmen Montejo, and Ariadne Welter
Burke and Hare ~ Harry Andrews, Stewart Bevan, John Carney, and Noel Coleman
Daughter of Darkness ~ Honor Blackman, Anne Crawford, Siobhan McKenna, and George Merritt
Dinner With a Vampire ~ George Hilton, Patrizia Pellegrino, Isabel Russinova, and Valeria Milillo
Dracula's Fiancee ~ Brigitte Lahaie, Jacques Regis, Thomas Desfosse, and Cyrille Iste
Farmhouse
Flesh, TX ~ Joe Estevez, Kathleen Benner, Jose Rosete, and Dale Denton
The Hanging Woman ~ Paul Naschy
Haunting of Winchester House ~ Lira Kellerman, Michael Holmes, Patty Roberts, and Tomas Boykin
The Hills Run Red ~ William Sadler, Sophie Monk, Tad Hilgenbrink, and Janet Montgomery
The Horror Vault, Vols. 1 & 2 ~ Heather Tom, Claire Ross-Brown, Kim Sønderholm, and Jonathon Trent
Lucifera: Demon Lover ~ Sara (Rosalba Neri) Bay, Robert Wood, and Edmund Purdom
The Man and the Monster ~ José Chavez, Ofelia Guilmain, Enrique Rambal, and Martha Roth
New York Ripper, The (Special Edition) ~ Jack Hedley, Almanta Keller, Howard Ross, and Andrea Occhipinti
Nightmare ~ Jason Scott Campbell
No Through Road ~ George Shevtsov, Sam Barrett, James Helm, and Megan Palinkas
Screwed ~ Nijiko Kiyokawa, Hideo Sunazuka, Kaoru Mizuki, and Tadanobu Asano
Shortcut ~ Shannon Woodward, Dave Franco, and Drew Seeley
Stepfather II (DVD Special Edition) ~ Terry O'Quinn, Jonathan Brandis, Meg Foster, and Caroline Williams
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) [Blu-ray] ~ Jessica Biel
Tokyo Psycho ~ Seiji Chihara, Sachiko Kokubu, and Yuka Hayashi
Trauma (2004) (Steelbook) ~ Mena Suvari
The Uninvited ~ Park Shin-yang
The Vampire Collection ~ Abel Salazar
The Witch's Mirror ~ Rosita Arenas, Armando Calvo, Isabela Corona, and Dina de Marco
SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY
The Dark Crystal [Blu-ray]
Decoder ~ William S. Burroughs, Matthias Fuchs, Bill Rice, and Ralf Richter
Grindhouse Double Feature: Zontar, The Thing From Venus (1966) / In The Year 2889 (1967) ~ John Agar
In a Spiral State ~ Bianca Barnett, Lizzy Strain, Juliana Fine, and Mae Moreno
Labyrinth [Blu-ray] ~ David Bowie
The Storm Riders ~ Sonny Chiba, Anthony Wong, Roy Cheung, and Aaron Kwok
The Wizard of Oz (70th Anniversary Two-Disc Special Edition) ~ Judy Garland, Billie Burke, Ray Bolger, and Jack Haley
The Wizard of Oz (70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition with Digital Copy and Amazon Exclusive Set of 4 Collectible 8x10 Character Posters) [Blu-ray]
The Wizard of Oz (70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition with Digital Copy and Amazon Exclusive Set of 4 Collectible 8x10 Character Posters)
TV LAND
Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet, Volume 15 ~ Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Nelson, David Nelson, and Ricky Nelson
Adventures of Robin Hood, Volume 20 ~ Richard Greene
All in the Family: Fan Favorites ~ Carroll O'Connor
Barney Miller: Fan Favorites ~ Max Gail, Ron Glass, Hal Linden, and Steve Landesberg
Bewitched: Fan Favorites ~ Richard Sargent
Cagney & Lacey: The Return ~ Sharon Gless, Tyne Daly, John Karlen, and Susan Anspach
Cagney & Lacey: The Menopause Years (Box Set)
Cobra: The Complete Series ~ Michael Dudikoff, Allison Hossack, and James Tolkan
CSI NY: The Complete Fifth Season ~ Gary Sinise, Melina Kanakaredes, Carmine Giovinazzo, and Anna Belknap
Daybreak: The Complete Series ~ Taye Diggs, Moon Bloodgood, and Victoria Pratt
Diff'rent Strokes: Fan Favorites ~ Conrad Bain, Todd Bridges, and Gary Coleman
Good Times: Fan Favorites
The Guild: Seasons 1 & 2 ~ Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis, and Sandeep Parikh
How I Met Your Mother: Season Four ~ Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, and Neil Patrick Harris
How I Met Your Mother: Season Four [Blu-ray]
I Dream of Jeannie: Fan Favorites ~ Larry Hagman, Bill Daily, and Hayden Rorke
The Jeffersons: Fan Favorites ~ Sherman Hemsley
Kings - Season One ~ Ian McShane, Christopher Egan, Susanna Thompson, and Allison Miller
The King of Queens: Fan Favorites ~ Kevin James, Jerry Stiller, Patton Oswalt, and Victor Williams
Life on Mars: The Complete Series ~ Jason O'Mara, Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli, and Gretchen Mol
Married... With Children: Fan Favorites ~ Ed O'Neill
The Patty Duke Show: Season One ~ Patty Duke, Jean Byron, William Schallert, and Paul O'Keefe
Sanford and Son: Fan Favorites ~ Redd Foxx, Whitman Mayo, Nathaniel Taylor, and Demond Wilson
Traffik ~ Bill Paterson, Lindsay Duncan, Jamal Shah, and Talat Hussain
Ultraman: The Complete Series ~ Akiji Kobayashi, Susumo Kurobe, Akihiko Hirata, and Masanari Nihei
The Unit: Season Four ~ Dennis Haysbert, Regina Taylor, Audrey Marie Anderson, and Robert Patrick
The Unit: Season Four [Blu-ray]
The Unit: The Complete Giftset ~ Dennis Haysbert, Max Martini, and Robert Patrick
BOX SETS
Johnny Mack Brown Western Classics (Desert Phantom (1936) / Guns In The Dark (1937) / Everyman's Law (1936) / Between Men (1935) / Under Cover Man (1936)) (5-DVD) ~ Johnny Mack Brown
Lee PowellCollection: Trigger Pals (1939) / Texas Manhunt (1942) / Lone Ranger (Lost Chapter) ~ Lee Powell
Sam Elliott Western Collection (Rough Riders / You Know My Name / The Desperate Trail) ~ Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, Gary Busey, and Brad Johnson
Tom Selleck Western Collection (Monte Walsh / Last Stand at Saber River / Crossfire Trail) ~ Tom Selleck, Virginia Madsen, Wilford Brimley, and David O'Hara
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The opening scene of 28 weeks latter was was truly horrifying. I loved how they tried to make Robert Carlyle look guilty for leaving his wife even though the reality of the situation was pretty hopeless.