Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Thanks for the support! While there was a little thought about a sequel, I think I'm going to head in a different direction with the next project, which I will hopefully start (and even more hopefully finish) over the summer. Should be sort of a throwback to old-school rubber suit monster movies. I'm going for more of an original take on it than I did with HYGZiYBy. Hope you stick with us. -Greg

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Hey, I can dig a little rubber suit action! Keep us posted!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Woo-hoo! Marvel has hinted that there may be a direct-to-DVD Marvel Zombies animated feature in our future!

With that in mind, here's a cool little item for ya!

Note: not for wimps.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Zombie Rampage - Micro cinema auteur Todd Sheets' debut feature has a gang leader (decked out in a suit and tie, natch) raising the dead (using the paperback edition of some evil tome) who then run riot in....Kansas City. Poorly recorded and haphazardly put together, this seems more like a collection of random scenes than a linear film. Still, if you've ever wanted to see a baby ripped apart by zombies...

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Horror Hospital - Offbeat Brit horror has a hippie rocker retreating to a countryside health resort for some much-needed rest. Unfortunately the place is run by a mad doctor who loves to turn upstart youngsters into zombies! Biker goons, a dwarf henchman, blood, boobs and a limousine with a very special attachment make for an entertaining ninety minutes.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Exhumed - Ambitious film from Meat Market trilogy director Brian Clement. A triptych of tales centering on the undead, the first has a 19th-century samurai encountering the living dead while passing through a wood. In the second tale a lady private eye investigates a missing ex-wife and ends up involved with a rash of grave robbings. And in the post-apocalyptic future of the third part, mankind is losing a war against werewolves and vampires (with a few gladitorial zombies thrown in for good measure). As I said, ambitious. Unfortunately it's also confusing, ponderous (incorporating elements from the Meat Market films) and terminally underlit. At least Clement was thoughtful enough to throw in a lesbian make-out scene!

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Graveyard - Clerks meets White Zombie in this tale of two book store clerks who work the night shift (!) and discover that their evil boss has put something in their coffee. Diverting little short.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

The Invasion of the Dead - A strange black sphere crashes to Earth and causes the dead to rise and attack the living. Can Mexican wrestler Blue Demon and escape artist (too bad he couldn't get out of this movie) Zovek save the day? Maybe, but Zovek hogs the spotlight and gets the girl while Blue Demon spends much of his screen time bickering with the comedy relief. (Somehow though, two crappy-looking werewolves are worked into the plot and the azul avenger gets to smack 'em around a bit.) The DVD I watched didn't have English subtitles and with my Spanish being poor I suppose I missed some of the finer points. Still, I know queso when I see it. Es muy stinky.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


The Face of Marble - Old school zombie flick stars John Carradine as a scientist so wrapped up in his experiments with life and death that he ignores his wife. Their voodoo-trained housekeeper who dotes on the wife then plots to hook her up with Carradine's assistant. But the untimely arrival of the assistant's fiancee complicates matters and results in a bad case of soap opera zombies! Well, only one actually (two if you count the intangible dog zombie) and she's not really all that scary. I'm pretty sure there were lesbian undertones in that bedroom scene with the wife and the fiancee so I'm not really sure why zombies were even needed. For fun, do a shot whenever Carradine refers to his assistant as "my boy."

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: zero out of ****


Voodoo Man - More old school zombie madness. Bela Lugosi stars this time, with John Carradine relegated to the role of a retarded lackey (poor George Zucco gets to play the owner of a gas station). Unlike Carradine's character in The Face of Marble, Bela plays a scientist who loves his wife too much. So much so that he's willing to sacrifice any number of young women in his quest to revive her long dead body! Doesn't take itself too seriously and there's a cute joke at the end.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: zero out of ****


One Dark Night - Weird eighties horror flick stars Megalicious Tilly as a student who wants so badly to get into a school clique that she's willing to go through an initiation rite that requires her to spend a night in a mausoleum. Too bad for her (and the clique members who sneak in to scare her) that a recently entombed psychic turns out to be not so deceased! This electrified (don't ask, I ain't got time) Uri Geller escapes from his coffin and begins using his telepathic powers to levitate the dead so they can smother the living with their rotting bodies. Yeah, that's what I'd do if I had telepathic powers, forget about undoing Meg's bra. Entertaining enough though, with a gooey climax.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


The Dead Don't Die - The tan man himself stars in this Robert Bloch-scripted telezombiefilm set in 1930s Chicago. After his brother is executed for a murder he possibly didn't commit, navy man George Hamilton launches an investigation to clear his name but runs up against a voodoo master who controls a squad of killer zombies! Undead dames, ballroom dancing and Ray Milland all figure into the plot. Nifty mix of horror and noir.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****



The Zombie Hunters - B movie staple Billy Drago goes slumming in this SOV cheapo that has him playing a mad scientist who wants to interbreed humans and zombies. (Humbies? Zombans?) Fortunately for us the government sics the Zombie Hunters on his method acting ass. Unfortunately the Zombie Hunters (all two of 'em) spend too much time acting goofy and drooling over the hot secret service agent accompanying them. Not bad, but weighed down by too many dumb moments.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Day X - Or 28 Days Later in the Colonies. The usual ragtag group of survivors holes up in an abandoned warehouse after a mysterious epidemic turns humans into raving cannibals. Modestly-budgeted affair is sketchy, but good of its type.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Better Off Undead - Or Comic Book Guys Vs. Zombies. Fairly well done short has three nerdy friends trying to survive after an outbreak of the living dead. Loses half a point for ignoring my moratorium on death metal.

DVD info

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Office Outbreak - An accountant fresh from a stint on a Survivor-type reality tv show takes back to work with him a nasty virus that turns its victims into crazed cannibals. Now his co-workers have to do some surviving of their own! Dilbert meets 28 Days Later and the results are flat and pretty bloodless.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


The Veil - Squads of soldiers explore a small town devastated by a virus that turns its victims into flesh-crazed ghouls. Will they find any survivors and can they escape the ravenous hordes? Interminable, underlit and overlong, with only some cheap, over the top gore to keep you from falling completely asleep.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Note: in an effort to further blur the line between "infected" and zombie films, Office Outbreak refers to its ghouls (who are just infected and don't particularly look like the living dead) as zombies; the ghouls in The Veil are infected as well, but look like zombies, though they're never referred to as such (though I did drift off fairly often so I might have missed something).


Sabbath - There's no more room in Hell and the dead are walking the Earth. In a rural town a postal worker, a thief and twin brothers who look like rejects from the baseball gang in The Warriors try to survive against the living dead, shadow demons and the Grim Reaper himself. Apocalyptic horrorshow has some effective moments but is mostly confused and aloof.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Snuffin' Zombies - Odd little flick about a slacker who is drawn into the world of snuff films. His guilt-ridden, autistic cameraman hires a voodoo priestess to raise their victims from their graves and it's a battle royale between the living and the dead! Well, really just a few lame scuffles. Static film is way too long, padded with lame dialogue and has too few zombies.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Messiah of Evil - Cult classic about a seaside town awaiting the return of a "dark stranger," a harbinger of evil preceded by a blood moon and flesh-eating zombies! Lovecraftian overtones shape this eerie artifact of the seventies.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

The Chilling - Super cheesy zombie flick chronicles an outbreak of the living dead at a cryogenics lab. After a powerful thunderstorm causes a power outage, security guard Dan "Grizzly Adams" Haggerty pulls a major boner when he moves the lab's frozen human cadavers outside to keep them cool. (Okay, where does it say to do that in the emergency manual?) But the corpses get zapped by lightning and are reanimated (cryogenic enbalming fluid being the conductor that it is) as flesh-eating zombies! Now Dan, perky lab assistant Linda Blair (we know her character's name is Mary because she's called by name every five seconds), evil bosses, alcoholic asshole boyfriends and other assorted victims must figure out a way to survive and stop these ravenous zomsicles! The walking dead here are kinda cool but the scariest thing is watching the avuncular Haggerty flirt with perky Blair. Yikes.


Warning Spoiler! Click to show

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Zombie Cop - Unabashedly bad flick chronicles the battle between an undead police detective and the voodoo-practicing crime boss who cursed and killed him. Mercifully brief film features one of the most inept car chase/shootouts I've ever seen.

"Call me....zombie cop!"

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


What to Do In a Zombie Attack - Humorous short apes 1950s educational films, showing how God-fearin', commie-hatin' Americans can protect themselves in the event of a zombie attack. SOV effort doesn't quite hit the target but offers up some solid laughs. Not to be confused with When Zombies Attack!!

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Cube Zombies - Four overworked office drones begin to suspect their tyrannical boss is a voodoo master who's practicing his craft on them. Short is funny enough, but the ending is really silly.

"No managers were harmed during the making of this movie."

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Zombie Strippers trailer

'Nuff said.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Not to be outdone...

Rip Tease teaser

What with tampon hurling and a theme song called Nudie Bar Blues, this one definitely ain't work safe!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Zombie Hunter - A lone gardner fights a never-ending war against zombies in this well-done short, made to promote the director's finished, feature-length screenplay. Works well enough on its own.

DVD info here

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


The Revolting Dead - A small town mechanic and the world's hottest druid priestess take on a maniacal family, owners of a funeral home who rob the dead and "reuse" coffins in order to save their flagging buisness. Will anyone be safe when the priestess raises the avenging dead? Not bad little low budgeter seasoned with
some nice t & a.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Zombie Night II aka Awakening - Follow-up to Zombie Night follows two groups of undead apocalypse survivors as they battle not only the living dead, but one another. Hardly a Kubrickian example of filmmaking, but a big step up from its predecessor, with a real air of grimness about it. One scene gives new meaning to the term "bra burning."

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Creature With the Atom Brain - An exiled gangster forces a scientist to create zombie slaves for him, all part of a plot to avenge himself on the men responsible for his downfall. Nostalgic fun from the fifties.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


War of the Living Dead aka Zombie Wars - Solid little B movie set in a future where zombies have overrun the world. A band of human survivors discover that some of the living dead are sentient enough to have begun breeding human captives as food and slaves. (And what beautiful slave girls they keep!) But what ugly secret lies behind the undead "farm?" Good, cheesy fun. Not to be confused with War of the Dead (either one) or SARS Wars.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Zombiewestern: It Came from the West - The first hand-puppet animated zombie western to come out of Denmark! A runt of a cowboy battles the living dead with a steam-powered chainsaw! The secret of the Dark Butcher revealed! You need more than that? Funny shit!

"You hear the one about the zombies and the buffalo head?"

DVD info here

***1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ***1/2 out of ****


Distant Lights - Eerie obscurity from Italy finds disembodied aliens taking over the bodies of dead earthlings. How will the living react to seeing their loved ones "alive" again? Actually quite good, with a fine, haunting atmosphere. Worth tracking down.

***1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Curse of the Blue Lights - A group of teens battles a trio of ghouls who are attempting to resurrect the Muldoon Man, a hulking monster from ages past (shades of Lovecraft) who will take over the world for the sake of evil, yadda yadda. Will anyone survive when the ghouls unleash their zombie minions?

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Hey again! If anybody is interested, you can now purchase Hey, You've Got Zombies in Your Backyard on xploitedcinema at: xploitedcinema.com/catalog/youve-zombies-your-backyard-p-13491.html

Thanks and check our websites for horrific updates!

MonotonePictures(dot)com

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

I shop regularly at Xploited and noticed they had your movie up for sale - congrats!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

The Christmas Tale - Five children (including the star of Pan's Labyrinth) find a woman dressed as Santa Claus trapped in a well in the woods. After discovering she's wanted for a bank robbery, they decide to let her stay in the well until she discloses the whereabouts of the stolen money. But who will win the battle of wills? Enjoyable (if somewhat disturbing) entry in the Spanish film series Films to Keep You Awake. Of note to living dead fans for the zombie movie-within-a-movie that several of the kids are addicted to.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Half Life - Pretty good short has a college student sneaking into a body farm as part of an initiation rite. But what he doesn't know is that the corpses are coming back to life!

Watch it here.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Automaton Transfusion - Four friends try to make it home during an outbreak of the living dead. Unwieldy appellation aside, this is pretty run of the mill stuff though it does boast some neat gore. And can we arrange a moratorium on staccato camerawork? Some of us like to see what's going on.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ***1/2 out of ****


Mark of the Astro-Zombies - The sequel no one asked for! In the shittiest invasion plan since Plan 9 from Outer Space, evil aliens once again unleash their astro-zombies, mindless, skull-faced, machete-wielding killers who prowl the city streets of Earth murdering hapless humans! Meanwhile government officials jabber endlessly and an aging villainess schemes to take advantage of the situation. Somehow the New Age concept of remote viewing is worked into the plot. Wish I'd been remote viewing something else! Very likely features the most bizarre John Carradine cameo ever.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Insane in the Brain - Two cops investigate some strange goings-on at a brothel and discover that zombies have been revived by pheromones (guess my house is safe) and are busy munching on brains. Attempt to mix blaxploitation and living dead horror hits the mark in some spots but is unfortunately flat and limply directed, with many scenes going on way too long. Chop, chop, guys.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out out ****


Dead in the Water - Murky but effective horror thriller finds two sisters and their boyfriends menaced by lake-dwelling zombies while staying at a cabin in the woods. Will they discover how to stop the undead before its too late?

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

The Soldier - Creepy short has a lone, post-D-Day British soldier stumbling on a Nazi laboratory and the diseased zombies within.

*** out of ****

Watch it here.

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Livelihood - The dead are returning from their graves but they don't hunger for flesh, no, they just want their lives back! Low budget riff on They Came Back consists of three tales: an 80s rocker tries to get his band back together, a corporate drone makes disturbing discoveries about his boss and his girlfriend, and a wife tries desperately to get rid of her foul mother-in-law. The latter two are compelling enough, but the rock band segment is populated with obnoxious characters and has little dramatic heft. Shoulda stayed dead, David Lee.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Curse of the Cannibal Confederates - Troma schlock pits modern hunters versus Confederate zombies. Not really very good, but charming in its own, inept way. Better than hardtack at least. AKA Curse of the Screaming Dead. Not to be confused with The South Will Rise Again or Confederate Zombie Massacre.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Dead Heat - Two cops investigate a case of zombie crooks. When one of them is killed in the line of duty and subsequently reanimated, will his quickly-rotting corpse allow him enough time to solve the case? And how many times will star Joe Piscopo take off his jacket so we can see how ripped he is? Violent junk is flat and uninspired.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Io Zombo Tu Zombi Lei Zomba - Rarely seen Italian living dead comedy has four recently risen zombies taking over a hotel where they hope to eat the patrons. Unfortunately their incompetence and uncooperative guests (including a gangster and a suspicious little boy) prove to be too much for them to handle! Will they ever get to eat? If you're interested in seeing this, it's available on a region two DVD sans English subtitles.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Ghost Zombie - A cocky youth unstops a boulder that previously had imprisoned a demonic force and before long his small mountain village is turned into a den of flesh-eating zombies! Can a brave taxi driver - prompted by a ghost (!) - make it through the living dead hordes and rescue a visiting pop diva? Crazy little J-movie takes a while to get going but sports some nifty gore. The import DVD I watched this on may just boast the worst English subtitles ever.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Zombie Warrior - A man visits the grave of his murdered wife only to recoil in shock as she claws her way out of the ground and attacks him. And she's not the only reanimated corpse walking around! Can one man defeat the legions of the dead? Slick German zombie short sports not one, but two twist endings. Available on R2 DVD sans English subtitles.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Zombie Hunter - Another German zombie short, this one has a lone warrior battling the living dead. Not bad, but all too brief - seems more like a preview for a video game than anything else. On the same R2 DVD as Zombie Warrior. Not to be confused with the Aussie short of the same title.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Killzone - Yet another German zombie short pitting a single human combatant against hordes of the living dead. At least this one is haunted by memories of his brother and must face up to a terrifying turn of events. Also on the Zombie Warrior disc.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Mulberry St. - The tenants of a rundown New York City apartment building struggle to survive after an upswing in rat attacks turns the bitten into rodent-like ghouls. Better-than-expected infected flick.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Outpost - A squad of mercenaries escorts a CIA operative to an abandoned Nazi bunker in Eastern Europe. There they discover an odd device that holds in thrall murderous Nazi zombie ghosts! Murky but enjoyable mix of Predator and Nazi ghoul flicks.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


The Rage - A mad scientist vows revenge on the world and plots to destroy it with a "rage" virus. Unfortunately for him and his intended victims, vultures (!) throw a monkey wrench into the works. Goofy, bloody film doesn't know when to stop.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Hunting Creatures - German schlock has crooks and scientists teaming up to destroy fanged zombies. Typical Teutonic zombie fare features lots of Cherry Kool-Aid blood and a grating soundtrack.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Dead Fortunate - Scottish black comedy has a Gypsy fortuneteller handing out portents of doom to two young men. And both of the grim forecasts call for death by zombie! Wants to be another Bad Taste but comes up lacking, though it does sport a novel method of zombie killing.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Enter the Zombie - Low rent but ingratiating short has a quartet of karate enthusiasts battling undead masters of the martial arts while on a road trip. Goofy fun even has a cameo by Elvis!

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Zombie Chronicles - A mysterious hitchhiker relates to a reporter several tales of the living dead: a vicious Army sargeant gets his comeuppance while three campers battle a notorious (and now zombified) cowboy. But who is this strange storyteller? Okay cheapie sports some nasty gore.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Eat the Living - Another anthology of zombie terror, this one has a vampire relating three tales of zombie mayhem to a would-be consort: a husband refuses to destroy his undead wife, a group of post-apocalypse survivors fight a losing battle against the living dead, a man receives and watches a terrifying videotape. Not horrible, but there's nothing much to any of the stories while the linking segments are just dull.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Museum of the Dead - Two girlfriends out on Halloween night decide to visit the titular museum, but little do they know they're in for a night of zombies and ancient Aztec warriors! Cube-esque tale. File this under forgettable time-killers. High praise indeed.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Song of the Dead - The U.S. is at war in Iraq, zombies are menacing the nation, serial killers are on the loose, Reggie Bannister is the president, and folks still have time to sing and dance! Typical tale of the undead embellished with not-so-memorable rock and roll musical numbers.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Rome Against Rome - A rebel leader and mystic raises the dead bodies of massacred Roman soldiers to do his bidding, mainly, destroy the Roman Empire! Can a lone centurion defeat him and get the lovely slave girl? Cheesy tale mixes zombies with swords and sandals to not-so-great effect. John Drew Barrymore stars!

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Trailer Park Zombies - Pretty funny zomedy mixes undead shenanigans with satirical observations of white trash culture (politically correct it ain't). A meteorite lands smack dab in the middle of a backwater trailer park which just happens to have been built on top of an ancient Indian burial ground. Naturally the space rock carries with it a strange type of radiation that causes living dead Indian warriors to rise from their graves. Hungry for human flesh, they attack the living and it's every dirtbag for himself! Run, Cletus, run!!!

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


NASCAR Zombies - Terrorists spike the beer supply at a NASCAR track with a virus that turns its victims into flesh-eating ghouls. Can a ragtag band of brave NASCAR drivers survive their living dead fans? NASCAR aficionados need not apply, but zombie nuts should love it (at least for the record-setting number of zombie heads squashed by car tires).


Warning Spoiler! Click to show

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ***1/2 out of ****


Whore of the Dead - Sleazy trash has a zombie hooker selling her stuff to a variety of scummy clients. There's a lot of t & a, bizarre necrophiliac sex scenes and salacious humor, but its overlength really hammers home the fact that there's no point to any of it (unless you enjoy wallowing in bottom of the barrel exploitation fare). Oh well, at least the lead actress (so to speak) has nice boobs.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Dracula Vs. the Living Dead - Deservedly obscure Turkish horror fare finds the big D himself beseiged by the living dead at his Transylvanian castle. Oddly, no explanation is given for the army of zombies (all ten of them) being there. Maybe they were hungry for Drac's hot female consorts? Or maybe something was lost in the translation? Needless to say, ol' Dracky kicks undead butt (actually he just gives 'em the evil eye and they keel over). Dumb and cheap, but enjoyable if you like Turkish junk cinema. The lead actor bears a striking resemblance to Josef Stalin!

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Al Capone Meets the Zombies - Forgotten Poverty Row feature (with an budget of about ten bucks) has the infamous gangster battling a rival gang comprised (or is that zomprised?) of living dead thugs. Pretty dull considering the title, but there is one big laugh featuring a moll who finds her charms don't work on zombies. There, I just saved you from having to watch this!

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: zero out of ****


Campaign of the Dead - Or Hey, There's a Zombie in the White House! Funny undead short about a zombie who decides to run for president. Slight, but features enough jabs at the right to keep us liberals in stitches.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Dawn of the Living Dead Dinosaurs - Weird claymation short shows us that it wasn't an asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. No, it was a zombie plague! Just plain bizarre, sort of the bastard offspring of George Romero, David Lynch and Jack Horner.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Day of the Dead (2007) - The army's cutest little corporal (Mena Suvari) and a motley crew of associates take on a town of flesh-eating ghouls in this gory undead actioner. Not bad as far as these things go, but lazily scripted and often just silly - did these amped-up zombies get bitten by radioactive spiders or what? Has very little to do with the Romero film aside from character names.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Biohazardous - Cheap horror thriller has partying teens, suspicious cops, boozy security guards, slimy corporate scientists and religious fanatics all caught up in a zombie outbreak at a genetics research facility. Not too bad, but hardly an exercise in originality.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Stiff Odds - Crazy little cheapie finds the Grim Reaper in a jam. After losing a bet he's forced to send a trio of zombies to Earth to fix some wagers in his favor. Unfortunately for him, they're more concerned with getting revenge on the gangsters who killed them! With two oddball teens complicating matters even further, can he set his undead angels back on the right path? Very weird, and admittedly original, but also too frenetic and often dumb. If you're looking for gore (or rather, cheap splatter), fast forward to the climax.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Route 666 - Federal Marshals Ritchie Valens and Tank Girl take on ghostly chaingang ghouls and crooked sheriffs as they escort a prisoner along the titular stretch of asphalt in this entertaining time killer.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


What has C. Thomas Howell been up to?

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Steve is there an indicator, or symbol you could use to indicate if the film is available on dvd? I love this thread, but the searching to see if the titles are ready to snap up on dvd is starting to wear me down. Thanks!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Good idea! Most of the titles I watch are available on R1 DVD and I do sometimes make note of it if they're not. With online shorts I usually provide links. I'll try to be a little more consistant in the future.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Children of the Plague - Zombie short about a group of teens trapped in a school by zombies. One of them manages to escape and is rescued by a sinister couple. Pretty obvious where it's going from there...

Watch it here.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Space Zombie Bingo - Troma cheesefest cheerfully apes Plan 9 from Outer Space in its tale of alien invaders using zombies to take over the Earth. Pretty awful, but if you thought Plan 9 was a hoot... Available on R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Vampires Vs. Zombies - Vague adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla finds a man and his daughter traveling cross country to avoid the dual threats of zombies and vampires. Along the way they run over the occasional zombie (stress that) and pick up a mysterious young woman who crushes on the daughter (cue lesbian titillation). If the titular bout makes you wet your pants, well, don't - it never happens! Available on R1 DVD.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


The Roost - Deftly helmed tale of four friends whose car breaks down in the boondocks. Unfortunately for them the nearby farm where they seek help is infested with killer bats whose bites turn their victims into crazed ghouls! Unnecessarily bookended (and interrupted by) a faux television horror show host. Still, better than expected and reminiscent of those gritty seventies horror flicks. Available on R1 DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Skin Crawl - Cheapo chiller has scream queen Debbie Rochon playing a murdered wife who comes back from the grave for revenge against her husband and his scheming girlfriend. Rochon is easy on the eyes (even zombified), but this E.C. Comics-styled tale offers little else. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Destruction Kings - Annoying no-budgeter has Don King wannabee Bonejack (some guy in blackface) and the horny Teen Ape (another guy wearing a mask) tracking down monsters Dracula, the Wolf Man and Funkenstein (a hip, black version of Frankenstein). Working out of the Paranormal Institute (the P.I.A, which looks suspiciously like a high school) and aided by a big-bosomed recruit (who provides endless distraction for Teen Ape), three nerds and the P.I.A.'s "Q" (a brother and sister team of gadget makers), can our heroes stop the monster triumvirate from zombifying the world? Cheap, crude and pretty much worthless. R1 DVD.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


[Rec] - A television news crew follows a trio of firemen on a rescue mission to an apartment building, little knowing that some of the residents are infected with a virus that's turning them into flesh-eating maniacs. And killing them doesn't help - that just turns them into flesh-eating zombies! Spanish horror hit emulates the video camera POV technique of films like Cloverfield and Diary of the Dead with pretty tense results. The upcoming Quarantine is the English-language remake. PM me for info on this title.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Pot Zombies - Shitastic offering from the Troma bilge about an outbreak of the living dead caused by contaminated marijuana. No real plot, just a series of increasingly tired vignettes showing potheads smoking it up and getting zombiefied. Probably wouldn't even be watchable if the viewer were high. Where the hell are Cheech and Chong when ya need 'em? R1 DVD.

BOMB!

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


The Newlydeads - Or Revenge of the Transvestite Zombie. The spirit of a murdered transvestite returns as a vengeful zombie and murders the newlyweds staying at a honeymoon lodge. Can the lodge owner (also the transvestite's murderer) and an annoying psychic put a stop to his bloody rampage? Cheap but watchable mix of the ghost, zombie and slasher genres from the ever lovin' eighties. Crappy VHS.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Dead Patrol: Episode One - First in an online series has two soldiers battling zombies while they try to escape a city targeted by a nuclear weapon. Brief but well done; whets the appetite for further entries.

Watch the Dead Patrol

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Diary of the Dead - George Romero's latest undead opus follows a group of film students as they use their cameras to chronicle the first night of a zombie uprising. But can they stay alive long enough to complete their documentary? Not quite a classic, but this is Romero after all which puts it miles ahead of much of the competition. R1 DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


One for the Fire - Solid documentary on the genesis and filming of Night of the Living Dead. Available as an extra on the Night of the Living Dead 40th Anniversary Edition DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Zombies Anonymous - Well written account of the dead returning to life. Though dead, these zombies retain their intelligence and emotions and want only to go back to their old lives. Unfortunately the living refuse to cooperate and subject the dead to the humiliation of second class citizenship. With human extermination squads and zombie terrorist cells popping up all over the place, it isn't long before war breaks out! While the film's low budget is obvious, and the climatic battles go on too long, this thought-provoking zombie outing is well worth seeing. Originally titled Last Rites of the Dead. R1 DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


The Final Day - Winning short from a MySpace contest follows a guy as he discovers the army's plan for dealing with a zombie epidemic. Okay, but I've seen better. On the Diary of the Dead DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


& Teller - Magician Teller deals with an outbreak of zombies in this MySpace contest runner-up. On the Diary of the Dead DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Opening Night of the Living Dead - Zombies go the movies in this humorous MySpace contest runner-up. Available on the Diary of the Dead DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Run for Your Life - Humans flee for their lives from suburban zombies in this forgettable MySpace contest runner-up. Available on the Diary of the Dead DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Deader Living Through Chemistry - Some people in an apartment must decide what to do with a friend who might be turning into a zombie. Another forgettable runner-up from the MySpace contest. Available on the Diary of the Dead DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


I Love Sarah Jane - Engaging Aussie short about a young boy whose crush on the girl next door remains unperturbed by a zombie epidemic.

Watch it here.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Night of the Living Dead (2007) - This no-budget Canadian effort caused a minor furor with zombie fans due to it being an unauthorized remake of George Romero's classic. Title aside, there are only a few similarities: the dead return to life and attack the living, there are radio reports of an irradiated Venus probe returning to Earth, character names are the same. The story follows a handful of people as they deal with an outbreak of the living dead: a young man tries desperately to get home to his adopted sister but ends up seeking refuge with a man who claims to be a cop, meanwhile his best friend is trapped in a basement with a very disturbed woman. Taken on its own this is a perfectly acceptable homegrown zombie flick, hardly the best of its type, but far from the worst. In an interview on the DVD, the director (in a perhaps too-frank interview) discusses his thoughts on remaking a classic. Filmmaker-produced DVD-R, now OOP.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Zombie Strippers - Boobs, blood and existential humor collide in this tale of a strip joint infested with the living dead. Uneven but enjoyable, filled with wall to wall splatter (much of it CGI). Cable viewing, should be out on DVD soon.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Summer of the Dead - Amateurish production values hamper this interesting story of a small town quarantined after a zombie outbreak. Inside the guarded barricades the living co-exist with the living dead, preying on each other in a war of attrition that sees the living becoming more inhuman than their undead opponents. Loses points for its silly zombie makeup. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Medieval Dead - An evil necromancer raises an army of the dead and uses them to attack a medieval village. Stop motion short is well-made but leaves you wanting.

Watch it here.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Dead Patrol: Hardware - Second episode in the online series finds our heroes in a bind after one of them is bitten by a zombie.

Watch it here.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


I Ran from a Zombie - Funny short has three friends describing what they'd do in the event of a zombie outbreak. Owes a lot to Shaun of the Dead.

Watch it here.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Steve, I've noticed you've got quite the knowledge in regards to Zombie films. What would you consider the Top 10 BEST Zombie films to check out.. the best of the best.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

My top ten, sticking strictly to what I consider essential (and varied) zombie viewing:

Night of the Living Dead (Romero)
Dawn of the Dead (Romero)
Zombie (Fulci)
Dead Alive
White Zombie (got to have at least one old school zombie flick in there)
Shaun of the Dead
Tombs of the Blind Dead
They Came Back
Re-Animator
The Return of the Living Dead

Pretty basic I know.

Runners up:

The Grapes of Death (got to have a little Rollin!)
Cemetery Man (for its sheer weirdness)
I Walked With a Zombie (little zombie action but has atmosphere that's hard to beat)
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
Distant Lights

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Thanks Steve.. got to check out a few of those I've never seen (or even heard of before today)

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Biker Zombies from Detroit - An evil supernatural force transforms killers and rapists into hog-ridin' zombies and sends them on a murderous rampage through good ol' Detroit. Caught in the fray are two young lovers whose romance is imperiled by these living dead bikers! Silly and shoddy undead entry from the cheapo depot lacks focus but does sport a surprisingly grim finale. Not to be confused with Motocross Zombies from Hell, Hot Wax Zombies on Wheels or Chopper Chicks in Zombietown. R1 DVD.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Living Dead Lock Up 3: Siege of the Dead - Or, Curse the Completist in Me. Finale to the series (unless the the director scrounges up the change to make another) finds our heroes' hospital refuge under attack from the evil warden Steed and his living dead minions. (More like a guy in a cheap mask and a handful of computer-animated zombies.) As incoherent and incompetent as the other two installments, with bad acting, an overbearing score and unnecessary artistic flourishes (scratchy, over-exposed print) to make it even more unbearable. Thankfully it's short. Herschell Gordon Lewis has a one line cameo. R1 DVD.

BOMB!

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


American Zombie - Mockumentary explores the lives of the latest minority: the living dead! Focusing on a quartet of zombies, the filmmakers follow them to a mysterious, undead only retreat where a horrifying secret is revealed! (And I'll bet you can't guess what that is!) The serious approach helps. R1 DVD.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Dead Patrol: Hell With the Lid Off - Episode three in the online series has two members of the DP literally running into trouble as they're fleeing a zombie-infested city slated for nuclear demolition. As with the previous episodes this is pretty brief - just when you're getting into it it's over, but I'm still looking forward to part four.

Watch it here.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Picnic of the Living Dead - A squabbling undead family goes on a picnic (brain sandwiches!) only to have their outing interrupted by a zombie hunter. Good-looking short is poorly-directed and aimless.

Watch it here.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Retardead is coming!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Chainsaw Maid - Gory little claymation short from Japan has a maid protecting the family she works for after zombies invade their home. Guess what her weapon of choice is? Short and sweet.

Watch it here.

*** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ***1/2 out of ****


Holy Shit...Zombies! - Slackers turned Avon salesmen and bickering redneck hunters face off against rampaging zombies in this obscure backyard epic. Lots of juvenile humor here, some of which is funny, but one offensive white trash sex scene near the beginning taints the whole thing. Does boast a unique vector for zombification: toxic tampons! R1 DVD.

*1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Holiday of the Dead - Low rent wunderkind Hawkeye (hey, I'd never heard of him either) churned out this snoozer of a short that has a husband and wife taking over a house and defending it against the living dead. In between zombie attacks they watch undead-related news on the television. Lots of potshots at politicians and celebrities, but most of the humor isn't very clever or funny. No onscreen zombies either, unless they turned up the two or three times I nodded off. R1 DVD.

* out of ****

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


Operation Dead 1 - Sloppy, chintzy (not to mention familiar) tale of a squad of marines sent on a mission to contain a zombie outbreak at a viral research facility. The military here must have had the same budget as the filmmakers: there are only four soldiers and they have to walk to the hot zone! R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Fields of the Living Dead - A reporter trying to get to safety during a zombie uprising runs afoul of a yokel family in this cheap black and white saga. Not bad story-wise, but the amateurish production values relegate it to the forgettable end of the undead spectrum. It's probably a good thing this isn't better known - the filmmakers cop much of the soundtrack from Night of the Living Dead and liberally use rock and pop songs that they probably didn't pay for the rights to! R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Fan of the Dead - A French fan of George Romero's zombie films made this travelogue featuring visits to the locations used in the Dead trilogy. A bit too slight and haphazard, but worth a look for the curious. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: zero out of ****

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Of the Living Dead - Two guys fight zombies and try to find the cause of the undead uprising in this cheapo cure for insomnia. Conveniently titled by the filmmakers so the viewer can add their own fecal prefix (I prefer Diarrhea of the Living Dead), this snoozer has the dubious honor of being the worst film I've screened yet for this thread. Sure, I've seen other zombie films that are more technically inept, but this incredible bore seems twice as long as its 95 minute running time. Rife with grade school dialogue and a general air of stupidity, I can't imagine the ego it took to think this shit was watchable. But then I DID buy the R1 DVD. As will some sucker on eBay. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!

BOMB!

Splatometer rating: * out of ****


After the Day - Interesting low budgeter sees a post-holocaust California taken over by a communist government that confines its citizens to their homes. There they toil away for the communal good while zombies roam the streets. Our hero must deal not only with the living dead, but with an annoying neighbor, a vampiric sister and the government soldier sent to slay her! The ad copy claims this was filmed with no script and no money but it remains surprisingly entertaining (if not all that great). R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


The Signal - A mysterious television transmission turns humans into murderous fiends in this uneven indie effort. Its trio of tales focus on a married couple and the wife's lover whose troubled lives are threatened by the outbreak of bloodshed. Worth seeing once, but also rather forgettable. R1 DVD.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


The Grand Horror - Fleeing a horde of ghouls, a band of survivors takes refuge in an old theater. There, deep in its bowels, they discover an even greater horror! American indie effort comes across as The Blair Witch Project by way of Japan (check numerous J-horror touches). Low rent and obtuse, but the setting lends it a creepy ambience. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: ** out of ****


Rise of the Flatline - Woodland hikers battle zombies and a pair of troubled sibling serial killers in this low rent but engrossing short. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


Long Live the Dead - Four cons escape a wrecked prison bus only to discover they've landed right in the middle of a zombie outbreak. Gets better as it goes along though the the uniform bad acting is a debit. R1 DVD.

** out of ****

Splatometer rating: **1/2 out of ****


The Girls Rebel Force of Competitive Swimmers - Crazy little Japanese import follows a mysterious teenager as she enrolls in a new school only to be caught up in a maelstrom of murder and mayhem. A rampant virus is threatening the school but it's the vaccine that's turned the students and teachers into flesh-hungry fiends! Why are the girls on the swim team (including our newly-arrived heroine) the only ones not affected? And what is the flute-playing villain up to? Who cares? Ya got swimsuit-clad (and often less) Japanese schoolgirls, gratuitous lesbianism, deadly ruler-wielding zombie teachers and lots of cheap splatter! All region NTSC DVD with crap English subtitles.

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****


Retardead - Finally, the long-awaited sequel to Monsturd! The evil Dr. Stern is back and working on a new project: a serum that transforms the "special people" of Butte County into geniuses. Unfortunately the side effects turn the poor little buggers into ravenous zombies! Weary from their battle with the poop monster (as seen in Monsturd), the heroic county sheriff and his bumbling deputies join forces with a saucy FBI agent and a rogue masturbator to fight the living dead! But with the zombie horde increasing in number, they must ask for help from the scheming Dr. Stern! Will his duplicitous nature get the better of them or will they fall prey to the hungry Retardead? Horror comedy boasts lots of crude humor (most of which is funny if you're watching this with the guys) and some surprisingly decent gore. Slows down a bit during the somewhat choppy second half, but overall a real hoot. Not to be confused with Special dEaD. R1 DVD.

"Dr. Stern is back and he's hatching a plan! Gonna get revenge for his dead shitman!"

**1/2 out of ****

Splatometer rating: *** out of ****