Zombie films I believe tend to be low budget Indie films with a few notable exceptions; I compare them to each other, not to films outside the genre.
Here are my film/DVD review scores:
5/5 This is a MUST see, it just doesn’t get any better.
4/5 An excellent watch, see this if you can.
3/5 An enjoyable enough watch this, but don’t expect too much.
2/5 Poor and flawed but may have some redeeming feature.
1/5 No redeeming features whatsoever, avoid it like the Zombie Plague.
"Rec (3) Genesis"
(2012)
A couple's wedding day turns horrific as some of the
guests start showing signs of a strange illness.
Spanish with Subtitles. Despoite the subtitles and not having seen the first two in hte series I enjoyed this and it did have a good (imo) ending). Score: 3/5
"The Rezort" (2015) The ReZort, a safari park, offers paying guests the
opportunity to kill as many zombies as they please following an outbreak.
An above average filnm and well worth a look just for the idea of a world after the aombie outbreak.has all but concluded. Score: 4/5
"Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse" (2016) Three scouts, on the eve of their last camp-out,
discover the true meaning of friendship when they attempt to save their town
from a zombie outbreak.
A zombie 'comedy', a theme which I don't normally like but this was well above average, even if a little low budget. Score: 4/5
"What we become" (2015) A family of four is quarantined in their home as a
virulent strand of the flu spreads into town and they are forced to the extreme
to escape alive.
If you're looking for ideas for the start of a zed campaign then this film has some great ideas. It's danish with subtitles but doesnb't suffer one bit because of it. Possibly the best of my recent viewings with all the elements I like in a zed Film - little humour, slow zombies and survivours that aren't superhumans. Score: 5/5
"The Girl with All the Gifts" (2016) A scientist and a teacher living in a dystopian future
embark on a journey of survival with a special young girl named Melanie.There are some good surprises in this film and some great acting by both Gemma Christina Arterton and the sublime, Glenn Close and a surprisingly fresh take on the zombie genre. Well above average production values. Score: 5/5
"Survival of the
Dead" (2009) On 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.The usual fare you'd expect from a George Romero film with a somewhat unnecessarily (imo) contrived plot line, but good pop-corn material for those rainy days. Score: 3/5
"Daylight’s End"
(2016) Years after a mysterious plague has devastated the planet
and turned most of humanity into blood-hungry creatures, a rogue drifter on a
vengeful hunt stumbles across a band of survivors in an abandoned police
station and reluctantly agrees to try to help them defend themselves and escape
to the sanctuary they so desperately need. This film has a slim but almost believable plot line but given the situation of the survivors I'm sure a small bunch of zombie gamers could do a better job than the current incumbents in their role. Fairly fast paced with lots of action with an interesting twist or two along the way. Score: 4/5
"Against the Dark" - (2009) A disappointing film (even by Steven Seagal standards) that could easily have been so much better. Another film that features fast zombies (that I dislike) but as zombies films go still watchable. Score: 3/5
"House of the Dead" - (2003) Teens at a rave on a desert island - you get the picture. What was interesting about this was that it was based on the Sega first person shooter of the same name and it showed ! Fast zombies mixed with magic that didn't appeal greatly. Score: 2/5
"Kill Zombie" - (2012) This filled me with dread, but I was very pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. An outbreak restricted to Amsterdam with subtitles (that didn't distract from the action) with some comical and gore moments. Score: 4/5
"Dawn of the Dead" - (2004) The remake of the Romero 1978 film, still set in a mall. This is a much better production than the first but full of stereotype characters, not as good as the first imo, but not too bad. Score: 3/5
"Before Dawn" - (2012) "An estranged couple's vacation to save their troubled relationship goes awry when they find themselves under attack from the walking dead", so the blurb goes, but it was a boringly slow film that I didn't enjoy at all. I couldn't find anything redeeming about it. Score: 1/5
"Carriers" - (2009) Not actually a zombie film but it is a very good post apocalyptic tale of survivors fleeing a lethal pandemic virus, well worth seeing Score: 4/5
"Dance of the Dead" - (2008) “Comic High School Terror”, didn’t actually fill me with anticipation, but turned out to be an excellent film Score: 4/5
"Zombie King aka Zombie Beach Party" - (2003) An “Outlandish gore-filled zombie smackdown! ” was the accompanying narrative for this, unfortunately it was none of those. Score: 1/5
"Zombie Diaries" - (2006). “In the early part of the 21st Century, an unknown virus began spreading among the populace. Within weeks it had engulfed the entire planet...”, so read the pre-amble, but it unfortunately turned out a stale and boring trek through many clichéd scenes. A poor British effort overall. Score: 2/5
"Zombie Diaries 2" - (2011) aka "World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries". This film follows on from Zombie Diaries and still had the feel of a pseudo-documentary from the various characters POVs and is a far better effort than the first in this respect. All told it’s a much better film than the first, but not one I’ll be rushing to view again. Score: 3/5
"Autumn" - (2009) A film with David Carradine in can’t be that bad - right ? Wrong! A truly dreadful film even be poor zombie film standards. There is little if anything to recommend it. Score: 1/5
"Eaters" - (2011) An Italian film with subtitles, but none the worse for that. Whilst it won’t win any prizes it is nevertheless a fairly enjoyable romp (but possibly for all the wrong reasons). It is difficult to know whether its self-contained story is meant to be tongue in cheek or not. The two main characters are believable enough whilst the rest are great stereotypes. Score: 3/5
"Remains" - (2011) Initially It had all the makings of a really good zombie film but that tailed off disappointingly quickly. Some good effects though and whilst not on must see list, it is a cut of the rest of the “B” zombie films. Score: 4/5 for the first half and 3/5 for the second !
"Zombie Flesh Eaters" - (1979) The film starts off well enough but soon went the way of most zombie films went – downhill fast. The mix of zombies (infected and long dead corpses rising from their graves) This is truly another dreadful film even by poor zombie film standards. Score: 1/5
"Resident Evil - Extinction" - (2008). An obvious big budget film and enjoyable enough, although I think that if I knew more of the Resident Evil story, I'd have enjoyed it more. Score 3/5."Pontypool" - (2008) . An interesting film set in a radio station throughout. The premise of the cause of the zombie outbreak has little credibility, but if that is ignored, the overall film is not that bad.
Score: 3/5
"Zombie Women of Satan" - (2009) Aaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhh!!! Cited as a British Zombie Comedy, - don't make me laugh (it didn't). Possibly made from an original idea of two mates down the pub over a pint (or several) as an excuse to have naked women running around. Score: 1/5
"Days of Darkness" - (2007) A comet, some parasites and a group of disfunctional survivors that have to deal with the zombie creations. A low budget zombie film with little to recommend it. Score: 2/5
"Stag Night of the Dead" - (2010) – Unfortunately not the “Boisterous bloody romp." it promised, despite the "PVC-clad stripper" and the "living dead enemies.”but yet another disappointing low-budget zombie film with little to recommend it. Score: 2/5
"Zombies: Wicked Little Things" - (2006) Not really a zombie film per se, more a horror film with incidental zombie -like baddies, not too bad, but not a zombie film for the purest. Score: 3/5
"Dead Heist" - (2007) – Centred around a bank robbery in a small town, where the robbers are trapped by vampiric zombies; hip-hop variant on the tried and tested theme but not as bad as it sounds Score 3/5.
"Last Rites" - (2006) – Two LA gangs, a drug deal in a warehouse with police watching; throw in a meteor with “otherworldly spores” and you have the setting for zombie mayhem. Score 3/5
"Wasting Away" - (2007) - A comedy take on the zombie genre, from the zombie viewpoint. The film has an innovative and interesting of relating the story. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I enjoyed it and I put it above the run-of-the-mill low budget fare. Score 4/5
"Zombie Diaries" - (2006) – I enjoyed watching this for all of its many flaws, but I think I was biased in my original opinion as its set in England – One of the few zombie films I will have to watch again (for all the wrong reasons) – Score 3/5
"DeathWatch" - (2002) – Advertised as “Zombies in the trenches of WW I” - it was anything but, more a horror film than a zombie one. I was disappointed, not that the film was bad, but I don’t particularly like horror films. Score: 2/5 (as a zombie film)
"The Crazies" - (2010) Not strictly speaking a zombie film but a good take on the zombie genre, good acting was a bonus to the varied scenes. Score: 5/5
"Grave Mistake" - (2008) It was a grave mistake on my part watching this. Not a low budget film, more like a no-budget film. Score: 1/5
"Evilution" - (2008) – Zombies moving like ninjas on drugs, not bad as zombie fare goes, but not a classic either. Score: 3/5
"The Evil Dead" - (1981) – “Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons" Very poor, low budget, dated and it shows. Score: 2/5
“Colin” - (2008). British zombie horror from the Zombie’s viewpoint which I found interesting; not essential viewing, but not cringe-worthy either. Score: 3/5
“Night of the Living Dead” – Romero (1968). The original that started it all, if you don’t watch any other Zombie film, you must watch this one. Score: 4/5
“Dawn of the Dead” – Romero (1978). The follow up to “Night”, set in the ubiquitous mall, a comment on US consumerism. Score: 4/5
“Land of the Dead” – Romero (2005). City under siege by Zombies, with some amusing touches. Score: 3/5
“Zombieland“ – (2008). Great Zombie road/buddy movie, a must see. Score: 5/5
“The Walking Dead”, - (2011), TV Series 1. Big budget series, following a group of survivors.
Score: 5/5
“The Walking Dead”, - (2011-2012), TV Series 2. Further adventures of the survivors. Score: 5/5
“28 Days Later” - (2002). Enjoyable British Zombie romp. Score : 4/5
“28 Weeks Later” - (2007). Set six months after the rage virus was introduced. Score: 4/5
“The Terror Experiment – (2010). Escape from the infested building before it explodes ! Score: 3/5
“The Rage” - (2007), Crazy Scientist, creates rage virus yadda, yadda, yadda. Score: 2/5
“Dead and Deader” - (2006). Soldier bitten by diseased bug but survives full zombieism, his comrades aren’t so lucky… Score: 3/5
“Shaun of the Dead” – (2004). Very English take on the Zombie apocalypse. You either like Simon Pegg (the Star) or you don’t, I don’t, but it’s still one of the better Zombie films around. Score: 4/5
“Day of the Dead” - Romero (1985) Romero’s third film in his “trilogy” and thoroughly enjoyanle for the special effects. Score: 5/5
“Day of the Dead” - (2008). Not to be confused with the above, this is altogether a different film and not nearly as good, sprinting zombies are not to my taste at all but it is watchable. Score: 3/5
"City of the Living Dead" - (1980): Very dated and it shows, storyline very disjoint and acting wooden: Score 2/5
Still on the “To view” list:
Kill Zombie - (2012) “Comic Splatterfest” is another one that fills me with dread, the words Comic and Splatterfest really shouldn’t be used with Zombies imo. Score: x/5
