Thursday, May 17, 2012

Looking At Popular Zombie Movies

July 18, 2010 by  
Filed under Entertainment

Horror movies are a driving force in the film industry. With that being said, zombie movies are a large section of the horror genre, providing a rich and exciting sub-genre to the industry. Audiences consistently flock to theaters to experience the thrills of these types of movies, indicating that they will be around for a long time.

These films have been successfully scaring audiences for decades. You will find zombies to be an interesting and prevalent part of our popular culture, taking many different forms and tackling many ideas. Typically, these zombies come in two forms, the reanimated corpse and the mindless living human. Some films depict them as slow and posing the greatest threat in large numbers, while others show them to be fast, agile, and psychotic flesh-eaters.

General taste in zombie flicks will differ from person to person, but there are several movies which have had an undeniable impact on the genre. One of the most popular movies with the greatest impact on the industry comes from the pioneering voice of zombie movies, director and writer George Romero. His 1968, black and white independent film “Night of the Living Dead” has been frightening audiences for decades, and revolutionized popular thoughts on what zombie films should be.

George Romero soon released the second film of his “Living Dead” series. Titled “Dawn of the Dead”, it represents another, widely copied formula for the genre. The movie hit in 1978 and showed the struggle of a small group of survivors who seek safety from the zombies by barricading themselves within a shopping mall. Widely considered an ingenious critique of American consumerism, it also served as a genuine character piece.

A more recent release offers a new formula, a comedic take on the niche that is heavy in gore, social satire, and comedy. The 2003 release of “Shaun of the Dead” is widely considered a fresh, but entertaining, look at zombie movies. Largely thought of as one of the most entertaining zombie films ever, this movie explores horror, comedy, and showcases interesting characters.

2004′s remake of the classic “Dawn of the Dead” is also considered an instant classic of the zombie movie genre. Director Zach Snyder’s vision, like the original, centers on a group of survivors and their attempt at survival through barricading themselves in a mall. This remake exhibits faster and generally more psychotic zombies than the original. It is considered a faithful tribute, yet displays a new twist on the classic.

Another exciting new film that shines a new light on zombie films is titled “28 Days Later. Directed by Danny Boyle and released in 2002, this film received both critical and commercial success and is dubbed an instant classic. Made popular by lightning quick, ravenous zombies, as well as inspired shots of abandoned cities, this movies follows the breakdown of social structure due to an accidental virus outbreak.

Zombie films are an extremely popular part of the horror genre, for good reason. They are frightening and exhibit interesting subliminal themes that tackle a wide range of ideas and aspects of humanity. This is a niche with a large fan base that will be present and thriving for the foreseeable future.

Looking online for the best selection of horror movies? Then be sure to visit Frightflicks.com – offering a massive selection of horror movies, zombie movies and vampire movies.