638. Dawn of the Dead

Dawn of the Dead
1978
Directed by George Romero

This movie was filmed at the mall that I always went to when I was growing up.  Funnily enough, most of the people that work there still look like zombies. Anyway, I guess technically you are reading the words of a famous person then.  Enjoy your brush with celebrity!

Basically, this is a very cliche zombie film with a very cliche zombie plot.  Four people try to survive a zombie apocalypse at Monroeville Mall.  If they hadn't gotten rid of the candy store, I wouldn't think their fates were so bad.

I suppose I can't actually call this cliche, since it is simply an original movie that has been copied an infinite amount of times.  I personally have never been a big fan of the zombie genre, since I think the kill scenes are always kind of boring.  Still, as someone who has frequently explored the worst the horror genre has to offer, this is actually quite good, if a little overacted.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Gaylen Ross refused to scream, saying that she would lose her strength as a strong female character if she did.

491. Night of the Living Dead

Night of The Living Dead
1968
Directed by George Romero

Zombies film have never exactly scared me, but they are still one of my favorite sub genres of horror.  The dialogue and special effects can be silly or serious and ultimately effective either way.

Siblings Johnny and Barbra are on their way to pay respects to their father's grave.   Just as Johnny is about to scare Barbra as a prank, the two of them are attacked by zombies. Barbra lives and must band together with other survivors in order to figure out how to live through the onslaught of murderous monsters.

The true greatness of this film stems from the interactions between the humans rather than the attacks from the zombies.  It kind of reminded me of Hitchcock's Lifeboat or Ford's Stagecoach: a group of people having to abandon their prejudices and trust issues in order to survive.  The difference here is that the chances of ever getting back to normal are slim to none.

This is probably the best zombie film I ever seen.  Great dialogue and hey, entertaining action to boot.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

One of the most successful independent films of all time.

First movie filmed in Pittsburgh. My home town. Yay!

Trailer: