Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread - Page 2

That reminds me, I saw a very unusual "Zombie" movie the other week and I meant to come in here and mention it.



The Grapes Of Death (A.K.A. Les Raisins de la Mort) (1978) is a Jean Rollin film, yes the "lesbian vampire" Jean Rollin, and it is an odd departure from his usual erotic fare. I'm not sure if you could legitimately call this a "Zombie" film as it has much more in common with Romero's The Crazies than a true living dead film...but it also clearly takes a lot of it's cues from Grau's Let Sleeping Corpses Lie with it's ideas of environmental zombification and from Cronenberg's Rabid and it's ideas of contamination horror.
But in the end what we have here is IMO Rollin's best film and a pretty good thriller, which features some absolutely beautiful photography of the French landscape coupled up with a slightly annoying score that reminds me quite a lot of The Who's Teenage Wasteland (Baba O'Riley)....anyone who has heard this film's soundtrack knows what I mean ...anyway, it is a nice little thriller featuring some of the very first true gore effects in a french horror film and they aren't all that bad, they ain't great but pretty good for a first effort. Also this is the first time that Rollin worked with french porn star Bridgette Lahaie & she does quite a good job in the small role she is in....if you guys haven't seen any of Miss Lahaie's other work I recommend it, she is quite a beautiful women.

So, rent this from Netflix if you are in the mood for a different kind of "Zombie" film.

Well, a literal "Zombie" isn't actually "the living dead", they are effected by a drug to behave in a zombie like way, so in that frame of mind none of Romero's films are truly "Zombie" films....so, I think there are exceptions to every rule in how we define something. How about..."Zombie-esque"?

Anyone seen this set from Anchor Bay?



Think it would be worth picking up?

He was possessed by an alien spirit, not even close to being a zombie really.

Yep. Its just too bad I already bought most of those movies separately at full price. If you don't own any of those films, I definitely think its worth buying. City of the Living Dead is classic Fulci. If you're a Fulci fan, its a no-brainer. The House By the Cemetery is pretty decent too, though I think its one of Fulci's weaker efforts. Hell of the Living Dead is a cheese fest. Personally, I love a good cheesy film every now and then, so I get quite a bit of enjoyment out of it. Nightmare City has its fair share of cheese as well, but its actually a pretty interesting little flick to tell you the truth.

Let Sleeping Corpses is the best film in the set. Its a slow building, subtle film with some pretty eerie zombies. The film is full of gorgeous locations, and the environmental aspect that Grau works into the story gives it a more unique feel than you're typical zombie flick. Its most heavy on atmosphere and suspense, but if you're a gorehound, the ending should please you. It also has an arrogant chief of police character that you'll despise. Well, I despised him anyway...

Dead Heat is pure garbage. Its the only one in the set that I don't own, and I wouldn't change that. Joe Piscopo (I think that's the proper spelling) is so annoying in that movie.

I read about that and thought it looked pretty good. Glad to hear it is, I just need to track a copy down!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

I saw Living Dead Girl a few years ago. Standard Giallo fare as I recall. Might give it a try again.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Good thread. I am always looking for more Zombie movies to watch. My favorites are all the classic/cult movies.


Night of the Living Dead
Dawn of the Dead
Day of the Dead (loves me some Bub)
Shawn of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead remake
Reanimator
Evil Dead Series
Zombie



Troma! Troma! I love all of Tromas B films.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Is the film "Dead & Burried" any good? I've heard that it is a Zombie film and it's written by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, the writers of "Alien". Is it actually worth my time as a Zombie fan?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082242/

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Zombie films are silly beyond belief. How slow moving dead things have been central to more than a hundred films is hard to comprehend. Still I have seen several including a Showtime Masters of Horror episode, "The Homecoming". The Masters of Horror first season was only ok, with a few pretty good episodes but I didn't think that one was one of the good ones.

Chris

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

I am trying to remember the name of a Zombie movie from a couple of years ago. It was from Australia. About a small rural town that gets infected and the survivors holding out (Yeah, real original).

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Could it be this one, with a real original name? An IMDb link to "Undead".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339840/

Chris

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Zombie films are my favorite in the horror genre.

Lucio Fulci's "Zombie" is pretty darn good. The writing and acting isn't bad, it's just a bit slow paced.
***1/2 out of *****

"Night of the Living Dead" original better than the remake to me. Maybe because I saw it as a kid at the local drive-in theater and remember that atmospheric setting. The perfect viewing (mosquitoes and all).
***** out of ***** original
**** out of ***** remake

"Dawn of the Dead"
**** out of ***** remake
*** out of ***** original

"Day of the Dead" I deal with it just for the completeness of "The Dead" quadrilogy, but love how the zombie got the head guy at the end.
** out of *****

"Land of the Dead" Really enjoy this one.
**** out of *****

"Evil Dead" You just gotta love these trilogy's. Bruce Campbell is cool.
*** out of ***** parts 1 and 2
**** out of ***** part 3

"Resident Evil" I just love watching both. Mainly due to them just being good action flicks. Gotta love gorgeous women kicking butt.
**** out of ***** both

"Children shouldn't play with Dead Things"? What can I say: I luv it! I'm not afraid to admit the writing "SUCKED", the acting is twice as bad as the writing. But it's a cool plot, the makeup is good and the location is great.
***** out of *****

"Dead & Buried" I bought as a blind buy but just don't get in to it.
* out of *****

"Suspiria" I also bought blind, and although it has the best cinematography I've seen I just can't bring myself to watch it a second time.
* out of *****

"House of the Dead" So So, I'd enjoy it more if they left the video game clips out.
** out of *****

Just mentioned a few off the top of my head I appreciated (except the two I just don't get).

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

You are too kind to the people that made that movie. Absolutely the worst movie I have ever tried to watch. I think the goal was to be the first movie to actually involve the audience. I mean literally cause somebody to die watching it, it is so painful to watch. Uwe Boll is the worst of the worst. I understand he holds a doctorate in literature. I don't know if that is true or not, but if true, he must be making films this poorly written and directed on purpose. I just don't know what the purpose is.

Chris

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

I guess I am. It does stink but I kinda enjoy it. Think I rated it too high, removed one *.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Didn't see it mentioned, Cemetery Man is finally out in R1, and the disk looks decent. Highly recommended movie!

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Sounds like a cool NEW Zombie film called "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War".

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=15004

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

That sounds awesome. I have Max Brooks "Zombie Survival Guide" and its really good. I would prefer a tv show on either Showtime or HBO (so gore can be shown). I just don't think 2 hours is enough time. Like when I watch movies like "Dawn of the Dead". I enjoyed watching how people survived with all of the world gone to hell. I would love to see Robert Kirkman's comic "Walking Dead" turned into a tv show.

Re: Zombie Movie Appreciation Thread

Maybe someone can help me figure out the name of a movie I saw at the drive-in back sometime between 1966 and 1973. I only remember one scene. A little boy was playing outside of a house with a volley ball (or soccer ball or similar size) and it goes into a small cemetery close by the side of the house (bout 15/20 yards away) and he runs and gets the ball. As he's headed back towards the house a body starts crawling up out of a grave. I beleive that was at the start of the movie. That's all I can remember. I think it was a black&white film but not sure.