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.

Dead Set Trailer – 4DVD – The most amazing videos are a click away

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

Having covered SXSW and attended as a filmmaker a few years myself, I can attest to the fact that while other festivals are necessary for business, this one offers all the networking of those other festivals with more friendly fun than can be packed into days that seem to blur together.  A simple math equation might explain this best:
Great Films + Parties + Tex Mex + Texas Women + College Town + Local Brews – Pretentious Hollywood Attitude = The Best Fest in the West

Whatever the formula, it’s a combination that works and gets better every year.  Here’s a round-up of filmmakers from South Bys’ past who offer their own take on what makes this festival rock…

“I talk a lot about not getting wrapped up in a single festival.  It’s hard work making a film and usually your team is there to share the moment with you, so it can be overwhelming to all be together to see your work screened for the first audience.  I find a few drinks help, but that’s usually my answer to most things.  So make a great film and then look down the line to the next festivals – SXSW.”
- AJ Schnack, director of the They Might Be Giants music doc Gigantic

“When we made Super High Me, we knew Sundance wouldn’t accept us because we were a comedy and we were parodying a Sundance darling in Super Size Me.  Luckily, we had a relationship with Matt Dentler at SXSW and showed him the picture, he loved it and ended up making us the opening night film in 2008.  A good film will get accepted at a good festival. I’ve seen too many filmmakers get their hopes dashed because they don’t get invited to Sundance.  However, I think it is actually a curse to get accepted to Sundance.  My first choice of festivals is always SXSW.”
Alex Campbell, producer of the docu-comedy Super High Me

“SXSW was the funnest festival by far with the best venues for screenings. In my opinion Sundance is vastly overrated and the film selection process is somewhat corrupt due to the amount of money a rare few films fetch in that marketplace.”
- Seth Gordon, director of the videogame documentary The King of Kong

“They take extremely good care of the invited filmmakers and, more importantly, show you an awesome time.”
- Jeremy Coon, producer of Napoleon Dynamite

“SXSW was the best for me. The pressure was off from the first screening and Austin is a great town.  The weather is warm and you don’t have to trudge through snow and stay in an expensive ski resort.  Plus, the audiences are amazing.  There were two sold out shows and I kept running into people later who would tell me that they had been there.  It’s just a more laid-back atmosphere than the industry frenzy of Park City.”
- Grace Lee, director of the mockumentary American Zombie

by Chris Gore