D-4! Sources of apocalypse, symbols of the degradation of Man and his powerlessness to contain epidemics, zombies have always fascinated populations. We have seen it in particular with the success of the book Guide to survival in zombie territory written by Max Brooks or the series The Walking Dead. As we can not talk about horror movies on Halloween without mentioning zombie movies, here is a selection of ten of them to spend a good evening.
Fears
In Italian zombie cinema, it is impossible to miss the Italian master in the field: Lucio Fulci. The selection is tough to determine which of his films deserves to be presented, as they compete in terms of quality. The choice I made is therefore a totally personal one, given that I selected the first of his films that I had the opportunity to watch, while The Beyond is considered his greatest masterpiece. Made in 1980, Frayeurs tells the story of a journalist and a media outlet to save the world from a zombie invasion. At the time of his suicide, a priest has opened the door leading to the underworld, and the latter pour into Earth, the dead returning as zombies. The curse can only be broken before All Saints' Day, because after that it will be too late. Lucio Fulci's touch is extremely recognizable in that the visual aesthetics of his films are impressive. Although very gory and violent, the scenes of his films are always filled with a supernatural magic that can only bewitch the viewer. A real feast for the eyes!
Dellamorte Dellamore
In 1994, Michele Soavi directed Dellamorte Dellamore, adapted from the book by Tiziano Sclavi. Francesco Dellamorte is a rather melancholic cemetery keeper. Accompanied by Gnaghi, his faithful companion not very talkative, he must finish off the dead who rise seven days after their burial. With a superb image, the film impresses and fascinates. Between love, desire, murder, zombies in a magnificent setting, Michele Soavi signs a work of great poetry that we never get tired of. Always in the tradition of Italian films, we find this visual touch so special and so magical that transforms settings yet common into beautiful and disturbing places.
Lovers from Beyond the Grave
With The Lovers from Beyond the Grave, episode of season 1 of the Masters of Horror directed by John McNaughton in 2005, we remain in the theme of the love story accompanied by an incredible visual.A man desperate for the loss of the woman he loves is desperate to bring her back from the dead. An old lady then tells him a past story to test his willingness to see his wife again, whatever the cost. Les Amants d'Outre-tombe is a reflection on the limits that Man is ready to cross both for science and for his personal feelings. The film shows us that moral boundaries are extremely personal and questions everyone what they would be willing to do out of love or pride.
Night of the Living Dead
It's hard to talk about zombie movies without mentioning the great George A. Romero and his masterpiece Night of the Living Dead, made in 1968 and yet timeless. While they go to pay their respects at their father's grave as they do every year, Barbara and her brother are attacked by a man who does not look at all on his plate. Barbara manages to escape and take refuge in a house where she finds other survivors. Locked in this space, they learn on the radio that the dead wake up and attack the living. Behind closed doors that has become cult, Night of the Living Dead has a much broader dimension and brings a reflection on our society, with a finale that leaves little room for doubt about the intentions of the director and pushes the viewer to question well after watching the film. The undead are the perfect opportunity to pass on messages that would be much less conveyed by the living!
Braindead
Directed in 1992 by Peter Jackson (yes, yes, himself!), Braindead is a nice bloodbath (what am I saying? A swimming pool!) delirious and humorous.Lionel Cosgrove has the misfortune of having a possessive mother, so possessive that, when he goes on a date at the zoo with his dear and tender Paquita, his mother watches them from afar. As if to punish her, a rat monkey from Sumatra bites her violently, communicating a previously unknown disease. Turning into a zombie who will no longer just devour her son's life but will need more substantial food, she communicates her illness to everyone who crosses her path. If you want some fiddling, Braindead is the buffet for you! Violent and gory at will, the film dips into bloody humor without ever really giving the viewer any respite.
[REC]
[REC] is a 2007 found footage film by Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero. A journalist, Angela, accompanied by her cameraman is about to shoot a program about firefighters. They follow them all night to end up at the home of an old lady, a seemingly very banal case. Once there, the team will realize that this is far from being the case. Trapped in a building infested with zombies, they will have to fight with the inhabitants of the building not to end up devoured and transformed into zombies. Extremely interesting in its way of filming the action, [REC] is worth the detour because of its search for the origin of these transformations. The reflections on religion are quite late in this first opus, but hold a prominent place in [REC] 2. If the reflection does not matter to you and you prefer the pure and hard action with a touch of humor, we advise you to turn instead to the third installment of this zombiesque series, [REC] 3 being much more crazy than its two predecessors and the action taking place parallel to that of the first film.
Simettiere
Directed in 1989 by Mary Lambert, Simettiere is adapted from the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The Creed family moves into a new house, very close to an animal cemetery that once belonged to the Indians. They realize that this cemetery is far from ordinary when they see animals that have been buried there reappear, disfigured and aggressive. But the proximity of this cemetery will take on a whole new dimension when a tragedy will totally shake up the lives of the Creed. In this adaptation of Stephen King, the question is again asked of the moral sacrifices we would be willing to make for our loved ones and the consequences of our actions guided more by emotion than by reason.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SB5VGipIdc
Outpost
Do you like zombie movies? Do you like Nazi movies? Then Outpost, directed in 2008 by Steve Barker, is for you! A group of mercenaries is tasked with escorting a businessman to an old abandoned bunker. But the secret place is none other than a former Nazi landmark in which they practiced scientific experiments aimed at modifying the metabolism of soldiers. Trapped, the team quickly understands that it is not there by chance. Excellent surprise, Outpost shows us zombie Nazis rather successful and a well-developed scenario contrary to what the theme might suggest! The characters are also interesting and far from brainless, which is especially enjoyable in this type of production. Despite some lengths, suspense and action are at the rendezvous, making Outpost a very good film that deserves to be seen!
Dead Snow
We stay in the theme of soldiers with a film a little more gory and less serious: Dead Snow, directed in 2009 by Tommy Wirkola. You are not dreaming, it is the director of Seven sisters who laid us this little jewel of zombie movie! Like what, we can know how to have fun and make serious movies at the same time. In any case, this film already foreshadowed the talent of the Norwegian director. In Dead Snow, a group of young friends go skiing together and find themselves confronted by a horde of Nazi zombies. Nice tribute to other films already mentioned and coming in the coming days, Dead Snow is a great entertainment if you are patient and enjoy black humor!
Zombie Strippers!
Directed in 2007 by Jay Lee, Zombie Strippers! is far from matching its fellow zombie movies, but still has a very good time to have. A stripper is infected with a virus that gradually turns her into a zombie. Since his illness, his shows have been an incredible success, with striptease scenes for the least original! Jealous of their comrade, other strippers want to take advantage of this opportunity at all costs. The bar gets out of control and the army is called in. You will understand, between striptease and big arms, it is better to unplug your brain before watching Zombie Strippers! But if you like zombies, once you do that, this movie is a great fun time to have!
Whether you like zombie movies for the reflection they can bring about society or ourselves, or only because you like gory and violent movies, you will certainly find in this list something to spend good moments of cinema!
