Night of the Living Dead – George A. Romero (1968)
Romero’s classic remains the very definition of the genre. Not only was he the core inspiration of the what zombie horror is today, but Night of the Living Dead remains one of the earliest introductions most of us have to horror to begin with.
Taking place in rural Pennsylvania, the film goes on without providing background or context for why the dead have risen, though there is a vague guess towards radioactive contamination, a theory that recalls the tensions surrounding nuclear might during the Cold War.
Romero essentially started it all, despite the fact that he basically ripped off Matheson’s I Am Legend, and the image of little Karen Cooper eating her father is one that stayed lodged in plenty of kids’ brains who shouldn’t have been watching Night of the Living Dead to begin with.
Re-Animator – Stuart Gordon (1985)
Another entry from the horror comedy subgenre, Re-Animator is also one of the only real attempts at a Lovecraft adaptation that ever got any real traction. Following the tale of medical student Herbert West, the film combines gore porn theatrics with extreme scenery chewing in a display that’s every bit as gross and memorable as it is hilarious.
Starring Jeffrey Combs, has gone on to be a cult classic and still appears at late night theater showings, a la Rocky Horror and has even seen its franchise crossed over in comics and other media with Army of Darkness.
The Walking Dead – Frank Darabont (2010-present)
It’s hard to downplay the cultural impact AMC’s The Walking Dead has had on all of us since its television debut five years ago. Based on the award winning comic series by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, the series has been a hit and the gritty setting and dark choices the characters have had to make to survive have becoming water cooler legend.
The show has also gone a long way towards pushing the horror genre into the prestige spotlight shared by shows like Mad Men and Game of Thrones, so it has definitely earned its place on any sort of zombie ranking. With season six just a couple of months away, executive producer David Alpert has already gone on record as being hopeful for what lies in wait for seasons 11 and 12.
The beauty in 2002’s 28 Days later was that it marked a return to legitimate zombie horror after a huge dearth in the genre. Not only did 28 Days Later examine the breakdown of society and guess at the government’s reaction to such an event, it also gave us a creature that not only stalked its prey, but did so with speed and vigor. Danny Boyle’s modern classic isn’t the shambling carrion of the 60’s, instead it borrows from the trope of the Animal Wrongs Group and served up a ghoul that could run just as fast as those it chased.
Zombies are all the rage right now. While these flesh-feasting creatures stumbled into the limelight with shows like AMC's The Walking Dead, zombies actually have a long history. Check out some of the best zombies in history below.
Evil Dead/Army of Darkness – Sam Raimi (1981)
While some might bellyache over the inclusion of Raimi’s Deadites and claim they aren’t actual zombies, they’d be wrong. Or, at the very least, I’m taking enough liberties with this list to make them wrong. Granted, the Deadites are a very specific form of (Kandarian) zombie, but reanimated, ravenous flesh they still be.
The Deadites have helped cement The Evil Dead as one of those most well known examples of Horror Comedy, with good reason. The films’ winning combination of gallows humor and solid practical effects that have helped slow the aging of the entire series. For fan’s of the classic Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi team up, there’s good news- Ash vs. Evil Dead will bring them all back (plus Xena) in a new series on Starz starting on Halloween.
