Living Dead Series & Other Zombie Flicks - When there's no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the earth....

[RollerGator]

I've been buying DVDs that I remember renting and hating and giving them another chance. Ghost Lake from 2004 was actually a decent comfy watch even though it clocks in at nearly 2 hours long which is insane for a low budget horror movie but this one kept my interest.

The zombies are ghostly and can teleport or disappear. I liked the practical effects, the zombie makeup was well done they looked like drowners and there was also a great hand puppet dead kid zombie. I'd definitely recommend it if you like weird dream like horror movies.

 

[AnOminous]

The only drawback is how do you tell that story in "current year?" You make the voodoo priest who makes the zombies a black guy? You're accused of perpetuating outdated racist stereotypes of poor countries like Haiti. Make him a white guy? You're accused of "cultural appropriation" and or "white washing."

Make it in Serbia and don't have to give a single fuck.

 

[Internet War Criminal]

Day is obviously so much fucking better than Dawn and the patrician's choice, how the fuck are Dawn and ROTLD winning the poll over it?

 

[BrunoMattei]

"Patience is the chief virtue for those who have faith. Mahatma Gandhi, New Delhi, 1946."

"Up your ass. Lieutenant Mike London, Shit Creek, the year is now."

Hell of the Living Dead.

 

[Zemporer]

"Patience is the chief virtue for those who have faith. Mahatma Gandhi, New Delhi, 1946."

"Up your ass. Lieutenant Mike London, Shit Creek, the year is now."

Hell of the Living Dead.

Hell of the Living Dead is such a bonkers film. The scene where the one soldier stops to put on a tutu and goof around before the zombies get him always cracks me up.

Speaking of Italian zombie schlock, what's everyone's favorite? Fulci's "Zombie" (Zombi 2/Zombie Flesh Eaters) ranks as my favorite (and probably one of his best films).

 

[BrunoMattei]

Hell of the Living Dead is such a bonkers film. The scene where the one soldier stops to put on a tutu and goof around before the zombies get him always cracks me up.

Speaking of Italian zombie schlock, what's everyone's favorite? Fulci's "Zombie" (Zombi 2/Zombie Flesh Eaters) ranks as my favorite (and probably one of his best films).

It's funny. Hell of the Living Dead is bad, no doubt about that. But, when you compare it to other shit today it holds up a lot better. At least the zombie makeup and gore is top notch. Great (stolen) soundtrack on top of that.

I wouldn't say it's schlock but Fulci's Zombie is probably a masterpiece. It's the perfect interpretation of the voodoo legend of zombies.

 

[AnOminous]

Day is obviously so much fucking better than Dawn and the patrician's choice, how the fuck are Dawn and ROTLD winning the poll over it?

I'm going to watch all of them again. Day was my least favorite on initial watching and rewatching and rewatching again, but the arguments here have really made me rethink it. It clearly didn't get to do what it wanted to do, but what it wanted to do was beyond its time, apparently.

It was actually a lot more subtle with its social commentary than Dawn, to the point I didn't even really notice it until watching it again. That may actually make its commentary better than the blunt force trauma of Dawn.

That said, I think that in terms of plot, effects, and general cinematography, Dawn is the best. I'll reevaluate after watching again.

 

[Schmeckel]

It's funny. Hell of the Living Dead is bad, no doubt about that. But, when you compare it to other shit today it holds up a lot better. At least the zombie makeup and gore is top notch. Great (stolen) soundtrack on top of that.

That's one of the reasons I like going back and watching some of those bad zombie movies. They have that certain...charm and are endearing with how they made due with what crap they had to work with. Nowadays, anyone with a decent smartphone and an acquired (arrrrr) version of aftereffects and premier pro can slap a stock-CG effects nightmare together with little to no investment other than time. I mean, I know there's more to it than that. But still. Clever cuts, gooey effects, good makeup and prosthetics just add so much to the overall product.

 

[AnOminous]

Nowadays, anyone with a decent smartphone and an acquired (arrrrr) version of aftereffects and premier pro can slap a stock-CG effects nightmare together with little to no investment other than time.

Diary of the Dead is pretty much what you get if someone like George Romero decides to do something like that.

 

[Zemporer]

It's funny. Hell of the Living Dead is bad, no doubt about that. But, when you compare it to other shit today it holds up a lot better. At least the zombie makeup and gore is top notch. Great (stolen) soundtrack on top of that.

I wouldn't say it's schlock but Fulci's Zombie is probably a masterpiece. It's the perfect interpretation of the voodoo legend of zombies.

Good point. I don't consider Fulci's Zombie schlock, but what comes later sure would be (Zombi 3, Zombi 4: After Death, etc.). But it is entertaining schlock.

Another highlight is Let Sleeping Corpses Lie.

 

[AnOminous]

Burial Ground deserves a slot here just because of the sheer bizarre nature of Peter Bark being cast as a child, resulting in absolutely ludicrous scenes.

I mean seriously, who didn't ask themselves "what the fuck am I even watching" when they saw this?

Spoiler: it's only a nipple but think about what he's about to do to it.

 

[BrunoMattei]

That's one of the reasons I like going back and watching some of those bad zombie movies. They have that certain...charm and are endearing with how they made due with what crap they had to work with. Nowadays, anyone with a decent smartphone and an acquired (arrrrr) version of aftereffects and premier pro can slap a stock-CG effects nightmare together with little to no investment other than time. I mean, I know there's more to it than that. But still. Clever cuts, gooey effects, good makeup and prosthetics just add so much to the overall product.

I'm not even really comparing it to no budget indie flicks that cost under 10 grand but comparing it and the other ripoffs at that time like Burial Ground to something like... World War Z, it's clear which movie has better zombie makeup and gore. At least Hell of the Living Dead and it's ilk had nasty and unapologetic gore.

Burial Ground deserves a slot here just because of the sheer bizarre nature of Peter Bark being cast as a child, resulting in absolutely ludicrous scenes.

I mean seriously, who didn't ask themselves "what the fuck am I even watching" when they saw this?

Spoiler: it's only a nipple but think about what he's about to do to it.

View attachment 2204808

Trivia: When Severin did their Blu of Burial Ground they included a sticker of the infamous scene:

Edit: not my pic.

 

[Still Anonymous For This]

Watched Army of the Dead. Batista is a real gem when he wants to be. Batista and the zombie tiger are the two best parts of the movie.

There's a scene where the tiger fucks around with one of the characters, literally playing with him like a cat would play with a mouse, before he kills him by biting his face off. Unlike most other films, it does not pussy out and shows us the full scene.

Supposedly there will be a prequel. I really just want it to be a movie following zombie tiger running around killing people, because that was the highlight of the film.

 

[Internet War Criminal]

I'm going to watch all of them again. Day was my least favorite on initial watching and rewatching and rewatching again, but the arguments here have really made me rethink it. It clearly didn't get to do what it wanted to do, but what it wanted to do was beyond its time, apparently.

I think there are two major problems with Day:

1) It follows after Dawn
2) People take it as part of a trilogy instead of a standalone movie

Dawn is, overall, completely atonal in contrast to Night and Day. Night is claustrophic, Day is hopeless. Dawn is very optimistic, happens in a mall, funny goofy stuff happening with the zombies, nice ending where the heroes literally ride off into the sunset to find a safe harbor until the crisis ends.

Then you start Day, and you're back in a helicopter, and you see that there is absolutely nothing left of civilization. It's not a promise of freedom, it's a promise of flying as far as the gas can take you, landing then dying. Your literal best hope is that you might maybe just maybe make it to a tropical island and die, alone, the last vestige of humanity.

In Dawn there is hope for the future. All of the tools of civilizations are there for the picking, if somehow you're able to make yourself a safe environment, life will go on as it always did. There are threats, sure, but isn't that what life's like? Night by contrast was claustrophobic. At any moment the threat could burst in and you were constantly worried you might die. With Day death is the inevitability, the question is are you gonna get there because someone will fuck up, because you end up eating your own gun, or you're driven insane by the few assholes left alive and you all kill each others before the zombies even have a chance to get you.

All those movies happen in the same universe, so to speak, but they are not really a trilogy, anymore than John Carpenter's Apocalypse trilogy was a continuation except thematically. People come off the nice happy vibe of Dawn and then they start Day and it's a fucking whiplash of depression, hopelessness and a bunch of cunts arguing together constantly. You don't really have anyone left to root for, because the kind of person you'd want to root for has already been turned into a zombie already.

Night was about how people react in the midst of a tragedy. Dawn was about how they cope and try to ignore the bad things going on around them. Day is about just how low people will go once they know it's all over.

That said, I think that in terms of plot, effects, and general cinematography, Dawn is the best. I'll reevaluate after watching again.

That's where I have to disagree the hardest. The effects and cinematography of Day are far superior to Dawn's. You fucking feel like you're in those mine shafts, the whole place is drab and depressing and that's exactly what it's supposed to feel like.

And, I mean, those effects:

Spoiler

 

[BrunoMattei]

I think there are two major problems with Day:

1) It follows after Dawn
2) People take it as part of a trilogy instead of a standalone movie

Dawn is, overall, completely atonal in contrast to Night and Day. Night is claustrophic, Day is hopeless. Dawn is very optimistic, happens in a mall, funny goofy stuff happening with the zombies, nice ending where the heroes literally ride off into the sunset to find a safe harbor until the crisis ends.

Then you start Day, and you're back in a helicopter, and you see that there is absolutely nothing left of civilization. It's not a promise of freedom, it's a promise of flying as far as the gas can take you, landing then dying. Your literal best hope is that you might maybe just maybe make it to a tropical island and die, alone, the last vestige of humanity.

In Dawn there is hope for the future. All of the tools of civilizations are there for the picking, if somehow you're able to make yourself a safe environment, life will go on as it always did. There are threats, sure, but isn't that what life's like? Night by contrast was claustrophobic. At any moment the threat could burst in and you were constantly worried you might die. With Day death is the inevitability, the question is are you gonna get there because someone will fuck up, because you end up eating your own gun, or you're driven insane by the few assholes left alive and you all kill each others before the zombies even have a chance to get you.

All those movies happen in the same universe, so to speak, but they are not really a trilogy, anymore than John Carpenter's Apocalypse trilogy was a continuation except thematically. People come off the nice happy vibe of Dawn and then they start Day and it's a fucking whiplash of depression, hopelessness and a bunch of cunts arguing together constantly. You don't really have anyone left to root for, because the kind of person you'd want to root for has already been turned into a zombie already.

Night was about how people react in the midst of a tragedy. Dawn was about how they cope and try to ignore the bad things going on around them. Day is about just how low people will go once they know it's all over.



That's where I have to disagree the hardest. The effects and cinematography of Day are far superior to Dawn's. You fucking feel like you're in those mine shafts, the whole place is drab and depressing and that's exactly what it's supposed to feel like.

And, I mean, those effects:

Spoiler

I think it's just that people who hate Day of the Dead are faggots.

Present company excluded, of course.

 

[Internet War Criminal]

One of my all time favorite piece of trivia about cinema is about Rhodes' death in Day:

About 2 minutes in, when he starts to make that weird breathing, choking noise.... that's not on purpose. He really sells that death scene but it's not because he's a great actor (I mean his character is great but he's far from a great actor).

They used real cow guts for the scene. Problem is, the fridge was unplugged for 5 hours, so they were spoiled and starting to rot. Then he spent 5 more fucking hours in a hole with them. The smell of being bathed in rotting cow guts is why he's breathing weirdly and his reaction are authentic.

Him and Savini telling the story (about 19 minutes in):

I think it's just that people who hate Day of the Dead are faggots.

Present company excluded, of course.

Oh yeah, that too.

 

[A Grey Cat]

if anyone's interested i found an upload of the simon and shuster audiobook version of night of the living dead.

I don't know what year it's from but it seems to be a mix of the 1968 version and the 1990 version.

 

[Zemporer]

Dawn is, overall, completely atonal in contrast to Night and Day. Night is claustrophic, Day is hopeless. Dawn is very optimistic, happens in a mall, funny goofy stuff happening with the zombies, nice ending where the heroes literally ride off into the sunset to find a safe harbor until the crisis ends.

Then you start Day, and you're back in a helicopter, and you see that there is absolutely nothing left of civilization.

It’s funny that you mention Dawn’s optimism. I had (or have) a draft of the script for Dawn where at the end Peter does blow his brains out and Fran stands up into the helicopter’s rotor blades when she realizes Peter ain’t coming to the roof. I read this version long after I’d seen the movie originally and the difference surprised me.

 

[Internet War Criminal]

It’s funny that you mention Dawn’s optimism. I had (or have) a draft of the script for Dawn where at the end Peter does blow his brains out and Fran stands up into the helicopter’s rotor blades when she realizes Peter ain’t coming to the roof. I read this version long after I’d seen the movie originally and the difference surprised me.

Yeah they even went as far as making the prop of her head chopped off by the rotor but they basically decided to make the movie more upbeat.

Would have preferred the downer ending but ~themes~ and all

 

[biophonic]

Yeah they even went as far as making the prop of her head chopped off by the rotor but they basically decided to make the movie more upbeat.

Would have preferred the downer ending but ~themes~ and all

That dummy head prop actually got used in dawn of the dead after they changed the ending.

The scene in the apartments where a guy gets his head exploded was the dummy prop Savini used for Fran, They changed the skin tone to be darker, stuffed the head with livers and whatever was on the food table, Added fake blood and Savini used a real shotgun to blast the dummy head.