Favorite Zombie DVDs and Books
Some favorites in no particular order
DVDs
Night of the Living Dead - 1990 remake - I thought it was better than the original, but not everyone agrees; it is probably my favorite zombie movie, regardless.
Night of the Living Dead - 1968. George Romero's website is here. Kyra Schon's website is here. Ms. Schon played "Karen Cooper" in the 1968 movie.
Dawn of the Dead - 1978 - find the Director's Cut if you can; it's in the 4-disc Ultimate Collection. A tribute site is here. The Monroeville Mall's website is here. They even have maps - if you're in to roleplaying games or wargames, you might find them handy. A classic, even with the pie fight included.
Day of the Dead - The original script is quite a bit different from the final version - more like "Land of the Dead". You can find a link to the original script in the "Films" section of the Homepage of the Dead. The underground "bunker" is the Meritex Commerce Center in Wampum, PA. No maps, though.
Land of the Dead - The official website is here. There's even a "supply run" game.
Dawn of the Dead - 2004 - more of a reimagining than a remake. The official website is here. They have a "dark parking garage full of zombies" game.
Shaun of the Dead - Billed as "A Romantic Comedy...With Zombies!" Just a lot of fun. The official site is here. Trivia bit: Simon Pegg ("Shaun") and Edgard Wright (of "Shaun of the Dead") had zombie cameo bits in "Land of the Dead".
Wild Zero - Japanese punk rock superheroes vs. yakuza, aliens, and zombies! What more could you want? "Rock 'n' Roll is NOT over, baby. Rock 'n' Roll never dies!" The official website is here: "Brutality of Screen!!! TRASH AND CHAOSSSS!!!! The Great Psycho of Them All! Thrill, Speed, and Stupid Zombies. Pretty good review here. The band, Guitar Wolf, has a website too. A fan site states that Bass Wolf passed away on 30 March 2005. More details here.
28 Days Later - Yeah, so they're not really dead, and there are plot holes big enough to throw a flaming bus full of Infected through. It's still a good movie. Rumors of a sequel called "28 Weeks Later" are making the rounds.
Meat Market - low budget indie, but good use of stock footage combined with end-of-the-world scenes and sets). The sequel is just as gruesome, and way more bizarre. These are somewhere between Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Wild Zero. Gratuitous Lucha Libre, bisexual female vampire wrestlers, weird quotes from Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula, etc. Odd stuff. Your mileage may vary.
Chopper Chicks in Zombietown - Goofy, but fun. Martha Quinn, VJ from the early years of MTV, has a part. Billy Bob Thornton is there too. This one is somewhere between SHE DEVILS ON WHEELS and CHUD II: Bud the CHUD.
Bubba Ho-Tep - Elvis and JFK (played by Ossie Davis) vs. Eqyptian undead in an East Texas nursing home. It's got everything! Based on a short story by author Joe Lansdale, featuring Bruce Campbell as Elvis (or Sabastian Haff if you prefer). Best line: "You treat me like a baby again, I'll wrap this godd@mn walker right around yer head!"
Last Man on Earth - Based on "I Am Legend", the short story that inspired "Night of the Living Dead". Vincent Price versus the walking dead (why was I not surprised?). Dated, but good. Moody. Price did a good job with the creeping insanity part (again, why am I not surprised*?).
The Omega Man - Heck, why not? It's vaguely related to "I Am Legend" and "The Last Man on Earth". Updated version of The Last Man on Earth, but now dated. And odd. Uber-macho lone survivor versus mutated neo-luddite victims of biological warfare. There's a lot more "not sick" survivors in this version too.
*But that's not a slam on the late Mr. Price. I met him once, many years ago. He was, to all appearances, a very polite and friendly fellow, and tolerated several dozen college-aged horror movie fans with admirable aplomb.
Print
Night of the Living Dead, John Russo - The novelization of the movie that started it all. Out of print now, but worth the effort if you can get a copy. The characters in the movies get a lot more detail and development - you finally learn where Ben was heading and why Johnny was ~really~ giving Barbara such a hard time.
The Zombie Survival Guide : Complete Protection from the Living Dead, Max Brooks - Well, you never know...It might come in handy some day, and the survival information is accurate for the most part.
The Dead, Mark E. Rogers - The seas and the graves gave up their dead, and man were THEY pi$$ed!
The Rising, Brian Keene - Yeah, okay, the rogue military sexploitation stuff is annoying, but there's a shortage of decent zombie novels out there. It's got some nifty scenes in it, and a slightly different take on the zombie genre.
City Of The Dead, Brian Keene - sequel to The Rising. Don't expect a happy ending. Or do. Depends on what you want in an ending. It reminds me a lot of "The Dead" (Mark Rogers).
BOOK OF THE DEAD - Short stories inspired by Romero's films. "Jerry's Kids Meet Wormboy", "On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert, With Dead Folks" and "Like Pavlov's Dogs" are too cool.
BOOK OF THE DEAD 2 : STILL DEAD - And its sequel.
Wet Work, Philip Nutman - Expands on a short story in "Book of the Dead". There's a new and improved version in the works, but I don't have any details on it.
All Flesh Must Be Eaten: Revised Edition RPG, Eden Studios - THE zombie survival horror RPG! If any of you remember the old days of dice and paper RPGs, this is the one. Any sort of zombie scenario can be developed with these rules. Can't recommend them highly enough.
I Am Legend, Richard Matheson - The short story that inspired "Last Man on Earth", "Night of the Living Dead", and "The Omega Man".
Field Guide to the Apocalypse : Movie Survival Skills for the End of the World, Meghann Marco - Loads of fun! AND there's a zombie section. AND the science and survival info is solid. This book has it all!
Dawn of the Dead, George Romero, Susanna Sparrow - Out of print, but worth the search if you're a completist.
TZ
DVDs
Night of the Living Dead - 1990 remake - I thought it was better than the original, but not everyone agrees; it is probably my favorite zombie movie, regardless.
Night of the Living Dead - 1968. George Romero's website is here. Kyra Schon's website is here. Ms. Schon played "Karen Cooper" in the 1968 movie.
Dawn of the Dead - 1978 - find the Director's Cut if you can; it's in the 4-disc Ultimate Collection. A tribute site is here. The Monroeville Mall's website is here. They even have maps - if you're in to roleplaying games or wargames, you might find them handy. A classic, even with the pie fight included.
Day of the Dead - The original script is quite a bit different from the final version - more like "Land of the Dead". You can find a link to the original script in the "Films" section of the Homepage of the Dead. The underground "bunker" is the Meritex Commerce Center in Wampum, PA. No maps, though.
Land of the Dead - The official website is here. There's even a "supply run" game.
Dawn of the Dead - 2004 - more of a reimagining than a remake. The official website is here. They have a "dark parking garage full of zombies" game.
Shaun of the Dead - Billed as "A Romantic Comedy...With Zombies!" Just a lot of fun. The official site is here. Trivia bit: Simon Pegg ("Shaun") and Edgard Wright (of "Shaun of the Dead") had zombie cameo bits in "Land of the Dead".
Wild Zero - Japanese punk rock superheroes vs. yakuza, aliens, and zombies! What more could you want? "Rock 'n' Roll is NOT over, baby. Rock 'n' Roll never dies!" The official website is here: "Brutality of Screen!!! TRASH AND CHAOSSSS!!!! The Great Psycho of Them All! Thrill, Speed, and Stupid Zombies. Pretty good review here. The band, Guitar Wolf, has a website too. A fan site states that Bass Wolf passed away on 30 March 2005. More details here.
28 Days Later - Yeah, so they're not really dead, and there are plot holes big enough to throw a flaming bus full of Infected through. It's still a good movie. Rumors of a sequel called "28 Weeks Later" are making the rounds.
Meat Market - low budget indie, but good use of stock footage combined with end-of-the-world scenes and sets). The sequel is just as gruesome, and way more bizarre. These are somewhere between Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Wild Zero. Gratuitous Lucha Libre, bisexual female vampire wrestlers, weird quotes from Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula, etc. Odd stuff. Your mileage may vary.
Chopper Chicks in Zombietown - Goofy, but fun. Martha Quinn, VJ from the early years of MTV, has a part. Billy Bob Thornton is there too. This one is somewhere between SHE DEVILS ON WHEELS and CHUD II: Bud the CHUD.
Bubba Ho-Tep - Elvis and JFK (played by Ossie Davis) vs. Eqyptian undead in an East Texas nursing home. It's got everything! Based on a short story by author Joe Lansdale, featuring Bruce Campbell as Elvis (or Sabastian Haff if you prefer). Best line: "You treat me like a baby again, I'll wrap this godd@mn walker right around yer head!"
Last Man on Earth - Based on "I Am Legend", the short story that inspired "Night of the Living Dead". Vincent Price versus the walking dead (why was I not surprised?). Dated, but good. Moody. Price did a good job with the creeping insanity part (again, why am I not surprised*?).
The Omega Man - Heck, why not? It's vaguely related to "I Am Legend" and "The Last Man on Earth". Updated version of The Last Man on Earth, but now dated. And odd. Uber-macho lone survivor versus mutated neo-luddite victims of biological warfare. There's a lot more "not sick" survivors in this version too.
*But that's not a slam on the late Mr. Price. I met him once, many years ago. He was, to all appearances, a very polite and friendly fellow, and tolerated several dozen college-aged horror movie fans with admirable aplomb.
Night of the Living Dead, John Russo - The novelization of the movie that started it all. Out of print now, but worth the effort if you can get a copy. The characters in the movies get a lot more detail and development - you finally learn where Ben was heading and why Johnny was ~really~ giving Barbara such a hard time.
The Zombie Survival Guide : Complete Protection from the Living Dead, Max Brooks - Well, you never know...It might come in handy some day, and the survival information is accurate for the most part.
The Dead, Mark E. Rogers - The seas and the graves gave up their dead, and man were THEY pi$$ed!
The Rising, Brian Keene - Yeah, okay, the rogue military sexploitation stuff is annoying, but there's a shortage of decent zombie novels out there. It's got some nifty scenes in it, and a slightly different take on the zombie genre.
City Of The Dead, Brian Keene - sequel to The Rising. Don't expect a happy ending. Or do. Depends on what you want in an ending. It reminds me a lot of "The Dead" (Mark Rogers).
BOOK OF THE DEAD - Short stories inspired by Romero's films. "Jerry's Kids Meet Wormboy", "On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert, With Dead Folks" and "Like Pavlov's Dogs" are too cool.
BOOK OF THE DEAD 2 : STILL DEAD - And its sequel.
Wet Work, Philip Nutman - Expands on a short story in "Book of the Dead". There's a new and improved version in the works, but I don't have any details on it.
All Flesh Must Be Eaten: Revised Edition RPG, Eden Studios - THE zombie survival horror RPG! If any of you remember the old days of dice and paper RPGs, this is the one. Any sort of zombie scenario can be developed with these rules. Can't recommend them highly enough.
I Am Legend, Richard Matheson - The short story that inspired "Last Man on Earth", "Night of the Living Dead", and "The Omega Man".
Field Guide to the Apocalypse : Movie Survival Skills for the End of the World, Meghann Marco - Loads of fun! AND there's a zombie section. AND the science and survival info is solid. This book has it all!
Dawn of the Dead, George Romero, Susanna Sparrow - Out of print, but worth the search if you're a completist.
TZ
posted by TexasZombie at 22:19
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