From Far & Wide, From High & Low Vol 12
A list of 100 titles from a wildly diverse selection of genres
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- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.George MARTIN Romero & John CHILDREN OF THE LIVING DEAD Russo collaborated on this phenomenally successful almost universally praised indie zombie film which became ground zero for the genre just in the way Universals 1931 version of DRACULA starring Bela Lugosi became the template for vampirism. A handful of strangers barricade themselves inside a farmhouse as flesh-eating re-animated corpses come calling. It's quite impossible to say just how vast the influence of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD has spread because the movie lapsed into public domain almost immediately so has been an easy target for fan-made films and plagiarists not to mention a string of direct sequels directed by Romero himself which concluded with SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD shortly before his death. And part of the appeal was no doubt those stark black and white images of zombies greedily devouring human flesh which have haunted viewers for decades. Originally shot in B&W colorized prints are floating around for those who prefer them. Followed by DAWN OF THE DEAD.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDavid EmgeKen ForeeScott H. ReinigerDuring an escalating zombie epidemic, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter and his TV executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.George THE CRAZIES Romero & Italy's Dario DEEP RED Argento put together this ground-breaking zombie masterpiece under Romero's direction. The idea was to release two versions with the Italian release edited to suit Argento's taste. Additionally DAWN OF THE DEAD was given an X-Rated release for gore (a considerable amount of it too thanks to the up and coming special effects artist Tom Savini). It was a marketing strategy that broke open a lot of doors for horror film-makers especially. A group take possession of a shopping mall in the dying days of human civilization. Their struggle to stay alive and maintain a semblance of normalcy is chronicled while the world crumbles around them & their time runs out is perfectly staged by the director. It's arguable the greatest zombie film ever made. Easily on par with the original. Remade in 2005. Followed by DAY OF THE DEAD in 1985
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsTisa FarrowIan McCullochRichard JohnsonStrangers searching for a young woman's missing father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately seeks the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.Following the international success of George Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD which was released in Italy as ZOMBIE by collaborator Dario Argento this unofficial sequel was rushed into production. When a death ship drifts into NY harbour a young couple decides to follow the trail of death back to the island of it's origin. Together they and their friends discover flesh eating zombies brought back to savage life via voodoo rituals. ZOMBIE 2 is a terrible movie on it's face value. It's so close a steal Romero is said to have sued. Lucio Fulci has a certain cult following these days but even his most devoted fans would be lying through their teeth if they said they didn't know he was a hack. But there's enough vulgar and extreme horror action here to make it work. Eyeballs are skewered, guts are munched & by the final scene it's the end of the world staged in a manner which managed to trump even Romero. And let's not forget the scene depicting a duel between a zombie and a great white shark. It just goes faaar beyond what you'd ever imagine or expect. Begrudgingly, I like this one a lot more than it deserves. Followed by Zombi 3
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsLori CardilleTerry AlexanderJoseph PilatoAs the world is overrun by zombies, a group of scientists and military personnel sheltering in an underground bunker in Florida must decide on how they should deal with the undead horde.In an underground military bunker, the last remaining human scientists struggle to find a cure for the apocalyptic plague of undeath. joseph Pilato is the nearly psychotic army chief Rhodes who threatens to shut the place down despite promising results from a domesticated zombie named Bud. Tom NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD Savini handled the gruesome special make up effects while George THE DARK HALF Romero directed this third film in his legendary series. This movie is rock solid across the boards. There's not a weak moment to be seen. The ending especially is a crowd pleaser. You'll hold your breath watching the elevator descend. It's a show-stopping sequence you won't soon forget. Followed by LAND OF THE DEAD, poorly sequeled by DAY OF THE DEAD 2: CONTAGIUM, remade badly in 2008 & 2017 and most recently had been scheduled to appear as a 10 episode series on the SyFy network in 2021
- DirectorDan O'BannonStarsClu GulagerJames KarenDon CalfaWhen two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.Dan ALIEN O'Bannon helmed this in-name-only adaption of John THE MAJORETTES Russo's trashy novelized sequel to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. A diverse group of young people decide to party in the local graveyard the same night a secret cannister of militarized nerve gas leaks at the nearly medical supply store causing the dead to rise. O'Bannon keeps his cliches fresh and funny & the old school make-up effects front and center for maximum impact. The cast functions quite well as an ensamble and is clearly having a great time with some rather quotable dialogue. The soundtrack is also far better than zombie fans are used to. THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD sat on the shelf before it's lack-luster release but did find a lot of cult classic love in video rental stores. To date this unexpectedly fine horror film has spawned four sequels.
- DirectorKen WiederhornStarsJames KarenThom MathewsMichael KenworthyCurious kids unearth the barrels that previously helped revive the dead, which proves the second time's an undead charm.SHOCK WAVES director Ken Wiederhorn did an ok job with this 'family friendly' gut-munching follow-up to the 1985 cult hit. The cast (including a few hold overs from the original) has plenty to do and the special effects work is rather well done considering it's relatively low budget. Unfortunately, it's not nearly as smart, scary or funny as part one. Rotten Tomatoes gave this a 0% rating but it's a perfectly average horror pic genre addicts should enjoy to a limited extent. Followed by RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3.
- DirectorLucio FulciClaudio FragassoBruno MatteiStarsDeran SarafianBeatrice RingOttaviano Dell'AcquaWhen a terrorist's body, infected with a stolen chemical, is cremated by the US military, a virus is unintentionally released into the atmosphere over a small island.Cult film-maker Lucio Fulci was nearing the end of his career making ZOMBI 3; one of several films which were marketed as a direct sequel to ZOMBIE 2 including BURIAL GROUND: THE NIGHTS OF TERROR & RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES. The run time on this derivative Italian gut muncher came up short so Bruno HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD Mattei completed additional scenes in the Philippines after shooting wrapped. Most of it looks plagiarized from DAWN OF THE DEAD. The special effects are low end and the cast is mostly forgettable. Followed by ZOMBIE 4: AFTER DEATH.
- DirectorClaudio FragassoStarsJeff StrykerCandice DalyMassimo VanniA woman goes back to the island where her parents were killed. They had been working on a cure for cancer and accidentally raised the dead by angering a voodoo priest. With the woman is a group of mercenaries and they meet up with some other researchers. They raise the dead again and all hell breaks loose.ZOMBIE 4: AFTER DEATH was a late entry in the wave of Italian gut-munchers inspired by Lucio Fulci's ZOMBIE 2. I'm giving it an extra star for casting bisexual porn star Jeff Stryker as a lead but there's not much else to recommend about this bargain basement tale of voodoo curses and magical amulets. Follwed by ZOMBIE 5: KILLING BIRDS which was filmed 2 years before this mess. Director Claudio Fragasso is notorious for work on TROLL 2
- DirectorClaudio LattanziJoe D'AmatoStarsLara WendelRobert VaughnTimothy W. WattsA group of college students go into the woods to study birds. They encounter a strange blind man who's connected to the killer zombies that prowl a dilapidated house deep in the forest.Robert SUPERMAN III Vaughn stars as a murderous vet who killed his adulterous wife but spared the son they made together. On the day of their reunion the dead rise to seek revenge. It's more odd than scary. Other non seqitor sequels followed with everything from Jesse Franco's A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD to PANIC to ABSURD falsely marketed and thrown into the mix.
- DirectorTom SaviniStarsTony ToddPatricia TallmanTom TowlesWhen the unburied dead return to life and seek human victims, seven refugees shelter in a house in the Pennsylvanian countryside.Make up artist extraordinaire Tom Savini directed this smart remake of the George Romero horror classic from 1968. Tony CANDYMAN Todd & Patricia Tallman recreate the roles of survivors Ben & Barbara and offer fresh takes on the themes of race relations & feminism despite a screenplay which remains quite faithful to the source material. Savini not only keeps the characters fresh and interesting but he makes the most of the gruesome special effects that are the driving engine of any good zombie pic. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is not only very good, it's very under-rated.
- DirectorBrian YuznaStarsJ. Trevor EdmondMelinda ClarkeKent McCordHaving recently witnessed the horrific results of a top secret project to bring the dead back to life, a distraught youth performs the operation on his girlfriend after she's killed in a motorcycle accident.Brian BRIDE OF REANIMATOR Yuzna directed this slow simmering take on ROMEO AND JULIET set in the world of trioxin zombies. And it works! Melinda THE O.C. Clarke stars as a free spirited young woman in love who employs self mutilation as a means of maintaining her reason during the inevitable process of becoming a zombie. It opens up a wonderful conversation about body art and feature modification that probably wasn't intended at the time of it's production. Get over the rough patch at the beginning and you'll be treated to a practical effects butcher shop of climactic horror mayhem. I liked this a lot. Quite unique. Followed by a tv movie sequel in 2005.
- DirectorJohn A. RussoStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA re-edited version of Night of the Living Dead (1968) by a few members of its creative team, excluding director George Romero. It cuts 15 minutes from the original and replaces it with 15 minutes of newly-shot footage.I shouldn't dislike THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION as much as I do but I HATE IT! It looks like a cheap distributer buddied up to John Russo and the two conspired to release their own version of George Romero's classic as a cash in designed to spin off a zombie franchise. Russo filmed addition black and white footage to insert into the Romero film and also layered in a sub-standard soundtrack. The additions are amateurish and distracting. The loose sequel CHILDREN OF THE LIVING DEAD was even worse.
- DirectorTor RamseyStarsTom SaviniMarty SchiffDamien LuvaraIn a small Pennsylvanian town, Matthew has just taken over an old farm property in order to start his new car dealership. Unknown to him the farm is located on the site of a graveyard, which the local townsfolk claim should be left alone.Director Tor Ramsey complained bitterly that interfering producers were responsible for the fiasco that was CHILDREN OF THE LIVING DEAD but nothing that made it to the screen is good. Writer John NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Russo also expressed dissatisfaction with the filming experience and wanted to quit early on. The focus is on a zombie outbreak associated with the resurrection of a serial killer named Abbott Hayes. Make up star Tom CREEPSHOW Savini signed on for a cameo before he knew what a stink-bomb this film was going to be.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsSarah PolleyVing RhamesMekhi PhiferA nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.Zack SUCKER PUNCH Snyder's DAWN OF THE DEAD wasn't a big critical or commercial hit despite being a remake of the George Romero zombie classic from 1975. It has in the years since been somewhat vindicated by a devoted cult of admirers who swear they prefer this version. I can see why. The zombies are a swarming sea of cannibalism overwhelming everyone in their path. The survivors are hopelessly outnumbered. The violence and scares are plentiful and the special effects are strong. Snyder is planning a follow up film called ARMY OF THE DEAD due to premier on Netflix in 2022
- DirectorAna ClavellJames Glenn DudelsonStarsLaurie BaranyayStan KlimeckoJohn F. Henry IIIn 1968, in the Ravenside Military Hospital in a military facility in Pennsylvania, the army loses control of an experiment of a lethal bacteriologic weapon that changes the DNA and transforms human beings into zombies. A group of soldiers is sent to the hospital to eliminate the infected staff and interns but private DeLuca steals a test tube with the virus and hides it inside a vacuum flask. He is transformed into a zombie and killed but the vacuum flask falls in the grass. In the present days, a group of patients in the mental institution Ravenside Memorial Hospital finds the vacuum flask and later when one of them opens the vessel, the culture tube drops on the floor of a bathroom contaminating the group and their Dr. Donwynn.This 'from poverty' prequel to the George Romero cult classic is certain to disappoint fans. The special effects are sloppy and the script is terrible. There's not a 'name' actor in the cast and if the directors have any previous films under their belts I'm drawing a blank. An alien virus thought contained in 1968 is released on the inmates at a psychiatric hospital.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsJohn LeguizamoAsia ArgentoSimon BakerThe living dead have taken over the world, and the last humans live in a walled city to protect themselves as they come to grips with the situation.LAND OF THE DEAD is the 4rth film in George Romero's cult classic zombie franchise following NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAWN OF THE DEAD and DAY OF THE DEAD. This rather lavishly budgeted (for Romero) post apocalyptic horror movie finds a segment of Pittsburgh still under human control; a neighborhood bordered by an electric fence and water. Inside the city, the corrupt overlords live in a secured tower while the poor live in the slums in the street. To keep supplies coming the villainous Kaufman (played by Dennis Hopper) has built a zombie proof tank. During an earlier raid the survivors caught the attention of an unusually smart zombie named Big Daddy who is leading an army towards the city in retaliation. I didn't hate LAND OF THE DEAD. It wasn't as scary or fresh as his earlier installments but it kept me watching. Followed by DIARY OF THE DEAD.
- DirectorEllory ElkayemStarsAimee-Lynn ChadwickCory HardrictJohn KeefeA group of teenagers, in an attempt to rescue their friend from an evil corporation, end up inadvertently releasing a horde of bloodthirsty zombies.RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 4: NECROPOLIS is a sy-fy original filmed back to back with RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD V: RAVE TO THE GRAVE as a cost cutting measure. An unrated disc containing more explicit violence was made available after the television film initially aired. Peter SPHERE Coyote stars as a spy sent to Chernobyl to retrieve canisters of the reagent Trioxin 5. The military needs the gas to develop zombies equipped like cyborgs. Their plot to create an army of undead super soldiers is exposed when a group of young people go looking for their missing friend who is being used as a human guinea pig. It's not bad as tv zombie pics go. The special effects are plentiful if not high end and the cast is attractive. Nothing special but worth a look.
- DirectorEllory ElkayemStarsPeter CoyoteAimee-Lynn ChadwickCory HardrictA college student creates a drug called "Z" and sells it on campus, inadvertently resurrecting the living dead, who wreak havoc at a Halloween rave.RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD V: RAVE TO THE GRAVE was a sy-fy network television movie shot back to back with RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 4: NECROPOLIS to lower production costs. While the Eastern European locations are lovely to look at the special effects afforded by Eastern European film crews are often not. The practical old school special make up effects are terrible! They do pile it on though. It's like an all you can eat buffet of substandard make up effects. The young cast (some of whom carry over from Necropolis) and a busy script help make up for the shortfalls. Peter Coyote returns as a dealer of Trioxin 5 who is killed by zombies when a canister leaks. A group of kids discover the reagent and believe it's a new kind of Ecstasy. Don't be surprised if 'Tar-Man' doesn't drop by for a visit! A Slight improvement over part 4.
- DirectorJeff BroadstreetStarsBrianna BrownJoshua DesRochesSid HaigBoth an homage to and a re-imagining of the original 1968 film, this update follows a group of survivors trapped in a farmhouse battling a siege of undead zombies....in 3D!Jeff SEXBOMB Broadstreet directed this 2nd remake of George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD in 3D. Not that it helped. Sid 3 FROM HELL Haig stars as a mortician named Tovar who accidentally began the zombie apocalypse by reanimating his father. The original story of how Ben, Barbara etc survive plays out loosely against the new, inferior concept. The gore is poorly presented even in 3D and the scares aren't there. Followed by a prequel; NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATION 3D.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsMichelle MorganJoshua CloseShawn RobertsA group of young film students run into real-life zombies while filming a horror movie of their own.This 5th film in George MONKEY SHINES Romero's epic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD saga exists during the timeline of that original film as the zombie outbreak begins to impact civilization. Romero opted to utilize the found footage style approach sometimes necessitated by a small budget but still employed a proper cinematographer to give it some polish. For the most part, it works. Romero's strength as a director is felt but in the end his efforts are undermined by poorly drawn characters and an over-reliance on the same zombie tropes we've been watching for 50 years. Personally speaking; these 'found footage' things rarely work for me even when there's a competent director present. Followed by SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD
- DirectorSteve MinerStarsMena SuvariNick CannonMichael WelchWhen a small Colorado town is overrun by the flesh hungry dead a small group of survivors try to escape in a last ditch effort to stay alive.Steve Minor has a hit & miss career. He's capable of solid work but you'll not see any evidence of it here. A strange chemical developed by the military causes the citizens of a city to turn into wall-crawling, super fast, flesh-eating zombies. Stark Sands plays the vegan zombie Bud and Ving DAWN OF THE DEAD Rhames tackles the role of Captain Rhodes. It never gets old watching zombies running along the ceiling. It never gets scary either.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsAlan Van SprangKenneth WelshKathleen MunroeOn an island off the coast of North America, local residents simultaneously fight a zombie epidemic while hoping for a cure to return their un-dead relatives back to their human state.SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD was the 6th film in THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD franchise & the cinematic swan song for director George Romero. A rifleman from DIARY OF THE DEAD makes it to an island where the dead & the living exist in a dangerous truce where the inhabitants are trying to domesticate the zombies. There's nothing fresh about this Canadian made low budget horror pic although Romero still knows his moves. It's a good looking film but the screenplay is vague & ultimately unsatisfying.
- DirectorJeff BroadstreetStarsAndrew DivoffJeffrey CombsSarah LievingAfter inheriting the family mortuary, a pyrophobic mortician accidentally exposes hundreds of un-cremated bodies to toxic medical waste. As the corpses re-animate, the mortician's inheritance-seeking younger brother unexpectantly shows up, stumbling upon a full zombie outbreak!Andrew WISHMASTER Divoff stars as a mortician named Tovar who accidently brings the dead back to life via exposure to toxic medical waste. Jeffrey CASTLE FREAK Combs co-stars as the gold-digging estranged brother. Every bit as cheap and unnecessary as Jeff Broadstreet's earlier NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD 3D which this film prequels. Unwatchable even in 3D.
- DirectorZebediah De SotoKrisztian MajdikStarsAmanda NilesGus MalliarodakisDanielle HarrisA group of survivors trapped in a New York apartment fight to stay alive against legions of zombies.NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: DARKEST DAWN is an CG animated remake of the 1968 George Romero zombie classic set in modern NYC & featuring some voice work by Tony Todd as Ben; a role he earlier played in the 1990 remake by director Tom Savini.
- DirectorHèctor Hernández VicensStarsSophie SkeltonJohnathon SchaechJeff GumA small group of military personnel and survivalists dwell in an underground bunker as they seek to find a cure in a world overrun by zombies.A scientist looking for a way to halt the spread of the zombie-virus discovers the cure she's seeking may be found in the body of an unusually smart 'rotter'. In life, the zombie who holds the cure stalked the scientist & even attempted to rape her. As a flesh-eater, it still has a thing for her. DAY OF THE DEAD: BLOODLINE tears the guts out of George Romero's 1985 cult classic leaving only the bare bones concept of a human outpost located in a military bunker and this less than compelling business of a horny zombie layered on top. Attractive cast tho'.