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Zombies may have existed in film before George Romero’s horror milestone from 1968, Night of the Living Dead.  But the affable Pittsburgh filmmaker must be credited with creating the undead rules we all know so well.

• One, zombies devour the flesh of the living.
• Two, a zombie bite will turn a normal into a zombie quickly.
• And three, the only way to “kill” a zombie is to inflict major head trauma, preferably with a shotgun blast to the head.  Well, a blunt instrument will work, but a shotgun blast is perhaps the coolest way since the result is an exploding head!

These three rules are consistent both in and outside the Romero-verse of zombie movies where the undead walk the earth.  Sure, other filmmakers have taken license with the rules such as 28 Days Later which introduced us to the infected that run really fast.  Some may have seen recently deceased that could compete in the 50 yard dash as sacrilege, but it served to only advance both the genre and our love of those stupid flesh-eating corpses.  No matter how many new rules have been added to zombie lore via films, books, graphic novels like the amazing Walking Dead or videogames like Left 4 Dead, those three rules have always remained the same.

There seems to be no shortage of love for these poor undead creatures.  So to expand your horizons, here are some lesser-known zombie movies each worth boarding up the windows and locking yourself indoors to watch.

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1. Dead Set
This zombie outbreak takes place in the U.K. on the set of the popular reality show Big Brother.  The undead can be seen on the rise during disturbing news reports about “unrest and riots” spreading across the country.  After the production crew is nearly wiped out, all that remains are the ignorant and drama prone contestants from the Big Brother show. This five-episode mini-series from the BBC has yet to make it to the U.S., but it is perhaps the best use of a zombie apocalypse to make social commentary in decades.  So, if there were an Oscar for the Best use of zombie apocalypse to make social commentary, then Dead Set would be the clear winner.

2. Braindead (aka Dead Alive)
One of Peter Jackson’s earlier films is not only influenced by Romero’s zombies, but Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead series.  In addition to a creepy overly affectionate mother, this bloody flick combines comedy and horror in truly gruesome ways.  Perhaps the greatest innovation here is the creative use of gardening tools to off the undead.  Yes, you will believe a lawn mower can be used for more than grinding mulch.

3. American Zombie
This mockumentary by filmmaker Grace Lee, takes a comedic approach in dealing with the social issues created by Americans who deny zombies basic, um, “human” rights.  The film is not too heavy-handed and provides a perfect way to explore anti-immigration sentiments in the United States… but with y’know, zombies instead of Mexicans.

4. Fido
An idyllic 1950s suburbia could only be destroyed by a zombie invasion… unless those zombies become delightful household pets.  Unfortunately these pets do have their bite.

5. Tokyo Zombie
Two wrestling numbnuts somehow survive a zombie outbreak in Tokyo through their sheer stupidity.  Okay, one is bitten by a zombie with no teeth and somehow thinks he has become a zombie, even though he has not. Then after Tokyo is quarantined, entertainment is provided by wrestlers who take on zombies, which is lucky for these numbnuts whose wrestling skills save the two of them.  Based on a bizarre Japanese comic book, the zombie kills in this must be seen to be believed.

By Chris Gore

4.50 (4 votes)

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