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With October 31st creeping it’s way closer, many of you will be grabbing yourselves some ghoulish gear and heading out on the town for a bevvy or two… But for you Halloween Scrooges out there who’d rather stay in with the curtains tightly drawn, we’ve put together a list of our top 7 gloriously gruesome Zombie must-watches.
#1 – 28 Days Later.
A post-apocalyptic favourite for some real edge-of-your-seat horror. Directed by world renowned Danny Boyle, 28 Days later is a British movie starring Cillian Murphy, Naomi, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns and Christopher Eccleston.
A highly contagious virus is transmitted accidentally by some infected Chimpanzees and quickly spreads throughout the population.The plot follows the plight of 4 survivors in the aftermath of the zombie takeover. This film will really leave you white-knuckled – you can forget about the stereotypical lack-lustre limp shuffle because this is the first film where nightmare becomes reality: the Zombies can run!
#2 Dawn of the dead / Shaun of the dead / Juan of the dead
Retro movie fans rejoice. Set in 1978, Dawn of The dead is often heralded as the ‘classic’ zombie film choice. Director George A. Romero cast David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross as four survivors who barricade themselves into a ruined shopping mall to escape the flesh eaters. If you’re a die-hard horror fan, this film is sure to satisfy your gory needs, with generous helpings of blood, guts and a fantastically tense atmosphere throughout.
#3 For some lighter viewing, there’s Shaun of the Dead, a parody spawned from Romero’s original.
Featuring genius comic duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Shaun of the Dead is still appropriately gory but luckily (for the faint-hearted amongst you) it’s ramped up to a ridiculous extent.
Down-beaten loser Shaun from Winchester struggles through life with his dead-end job and fed-up girlfriend. After his girlfriend dumps him, Shaun vows to win her back and get his life on track, but there’s one complication… London is completely Zombie-ridden. You’re guaranteed to cringe, belly-laugh and jump out of your skin at this modern British favourite.
#4 In a similarly comical vein is Juan of the Dead, a Spanish-Cuban comedy zombie film by director Alejandro Brugués.
As the dead begin to come to life, Ne’er-do-well Juan spots a business opportunity in the zombie uprising and starts a business to profit off of killing people’s zombified loved ones. But quickly he realises that he must be the hero and guide his companions away from bloodthirsty, zombie infested Havana. Although it features cynical, overly-CGI’d gags, Juan of the Dead is regarded as Cuba’s first horror film. For an apocalypse with a Latin American twist, give this one a go.
#5 The Returned
If blood and guts from start to finish isn’t your bag, sink your teeth into The Returned. The original series is French with subtitles, but there’s also an American remake – so take your pick.
The dark, gripping plot of The Returned, tells the story of a small town in the French Alps, which mysteriously sees many deceased inhabitants return from the dead and their struggle to come to terms with their ‘undead’ state and integration to society. While these don’t look or act like your conventional Romero-esque zombies, the story is equally creepy with shocking scenes, intricate storylines and unexpected plot twists. Catch up quick on Netflix – season 2 is now airing on Channel 4.
#6 ‘I Survived a Zombie Apocalypse’
For some intense reality TV, there’s BBC3’s concept game show ‘I survived a zombie Apocalypse’ . The show, which is presented by Greg James, has been described as “The toughest reality show on TV”. In Dawn of The Dead style, it’s set an abandoned shopping centre after a zombie outbreak, and contestants or ‘survivors’ must last for 7 days.
They must overcome the challenges of apocalypse, such as obtaining essential supplies – All while avoiding contact with flesh-hunting zombies at all costs. With surprisingly real-looking effects, your heart will be in your mouth as you watch an unluckily cornered contestant’s (staged) grizzly death. Episode 1 available on YouTube.
#7 Zombieland
Another tongue in cheek movie, Zombieland could be America’s slightly less satirical answer to Shaun of The Dead. Four survivors (…do we sense a trend here?) Cowardly Columbus Ohio (Jesse Eisenburg) teams up with a zombie slaying badass named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) during the chaos of the apocoalypse in an effort to survive and make it to a place of refuge.
Later joined by sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) they follow a slightly unorthdox list of methods for survival. Zombieland combines humour, horror and a dash of romance for an almost ‘feel-good’ zombie movie experience.
If this post has got you raring for some Hallowe’en madness, join Purple Revolver’s Horne of The Dead event this Friday. You’re guaranteed to have a scream: http://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Liverpool/92-Degrees/Horn-of-the-Dead-Zombie-Flash-Mob/12549571/