Zombie movies continue to be popular among horror fans, adding more bodies to their shambling army every day.
Fans of horror movies, and zombie movies in particular, will often site Night of the Living Dead and the sequel, Dawn of the Dead, as the most influential zombie movies in the history of cinema, and they would be correct. However, there are several properties, all of which pay respect to these films, which have become the new zombie cult classics.
While it is true that hundreds of zombie creations are made each year, only a few remain on the radar long enough to achieve cult status with followings of rabid fans. The following properties have even managed to infect a number of mainstream viewers.
The first, and probably most famous, of these properties is the romantic horror comedy (and social parody) Shaun of the Dead. The movie stars Simon Pegg as the titular character, and Nick Frost as his lazy and somewhat bumbling friend Ed.
One morning, Shaun and Ed wake to find a zombie infestation has taken hold. Shaun can think of nothing but getting to his mother and girlfriend, while Ed is mostly concerned with sucking down another pint. Shaun of the Dead is a fun and smart film that stands up to multiple viewings.
The recent film Fido takes a slightly different approach to the whole zombie genre. Space dust from a comet causes the dead to rise and wreak havoc. The film picks up several years after the great zombie war. Humans live in fenced in towns reminiscent of a ‘perfect’ version of the 1950s. Thanks to the protection and inventions of a company called ZomCom, people now use zombies as servants. Wild zombies still roam the outer lands, however.
It is a hilarious cross between Lassie and Night of the Living Dead; and it even has a boy named Timmy who befriends his family’s new zombie and names him Fido. Everything seems to be getting better in young Timmy’s life, until Fido eats the grouchy neighbor. The incredible Billy Connolly plays the character Fido.
Xombie is an internet cartoon created by James Farr. It follows the adventures of a zombie with a heart and the ability to kick butt in times of need, as he helps a young girl find her family in a zombie-plagued world. There is also a graphic novel (Dead on Arrival) and online comics available for those who can’t get enough of Dirge and his faithful dog Cerberus.
These inventive creations, along with novels by Brian Keene and Max Brooks, should be enough to prove that there is still life in this undead genre.
