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Zombie flick have been made and enjoyed for decades , in some form or another . In the pre - Romero age , they were typically portrayed as some type of hoodoo monster . After Romero , they were often portrayed much as they are today - mindless , shambling remains hellbent on eating flesh .
There have been many grand and massively influential zombie films throughout the years . And as is often the case , there have been numerous snag - offs as well . Some rip - offs are actually quite adept . Others are cheap , quickly - assembled films that were draw a blank just as quickly as they were made . These are but a few .
Revolutionized: White Zombie (1936)
White Zombieis often consideredthe very first mainstream zombie pic . Directed by Victor Halperin and inspired by a 1929 novel calledThe Magic Island , White Zombieconcerns a woman who is turn into a zombie spirit via fetich . The picture show is notable not just for introducing voodoo zombie to the mainstream , but for starring Bela Lugosi as voodoo master " Murder " Legendre . While the acting for certain allow for a mess to be desired , White Zombieis prominent within the zombi literary genre , and its influence is just undeniable .
Ripped Off: Countless
In fact , its influence is so extraordinary and massive that countless crosscurrent - offs halt from its success . It serve well as the archetype for many following movies , most of which " borrowed " heavily fromWhite Zombie ’s dash and element , which let in elements of voodoo , brain - dead zombie , manual labor - performing zombies , and the eerie battering of voodoo drum . Some of its more prominent countercurrent - offs let in 1940’sThe Ghost Breakers , 1941’sKing of the Zombies , 1943’sI walk With a Zombie , and 1966’sPlague of the Zombies . White Zombiestarted a phenomenon .
Revolutionized: Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
nighttime of the Living Deadmay very well be the most influential zombie film ever made . Made by George A. Romero for just $ 114,000(about $ 850,000 today),Nightwas a different form of snake god movie . Out were the cheesy voodoo automaton movies of the ' 40s , ' 50 , and ' 60s , in were the bloodthirsty walking corpses . While it ’s insinuated that the zombie plague is the result of some type of space radiation , that ’s not really of import . Night of the keep Deadwas a genuinely terrific cinema that not only changed how zombi were portrayed , it changed how the integral writing style was made .
Ripped Off: Tombs Of The Blind Dead (1972)
Romero did n’t just change how zombi were portrayed or how the intact genre was made - he change how zombie spirit moving picture weretitled!Tombs of the Blind Deadwas an obvious Spanish - Portugese rip - off ofNight of the Living Dead , put out under its original Spanish nameLa noche del terror ciego .
It examine implausibly successful in its aboriginal Spain , even kickstarting a popular roaring in horror motion picture that sink in the early ' 70 . Director Amando de Ossorio has in a flash stated thatNight of the Living Deadwas a major influence on the creation of his film .
Revolutionized: Dawn Of The Dead (1978)
As influential asNight of the Living Deadwas , Romero arguably top himselfwithDawn of the Dead . Arguably the most famous zombie movie ever made , Dawnwas made for $ 1.5 million - about 13x the budget ofNight . The results were obvious - a more expansive and challenging scope ( including the horrifying first twenty minutes draw the end of the world ) andlotsmore blood and gore . Many zombie filmmakers would borrow heavily fromDawnthroughout the years , and it ’s truly regarded as the seminal automaton flick .
Ripped Off: Hell Of The Living Dead (1980)
Tombs of the unsighted Deadwas undoubtedly shape byNight of the Living Dead , butHell of the Living Deadis a straight - up tear - off ofDawn . Directed by Bruno Mattei , the movie was written to capitalise on the newfound bonanza of zombi films . The book was given to Mattei , who conspired to make a lighter version ofDawn of the Dead . The story concerns a French news squad who is sent to inquire a zombi outbreak in Papua New Guinea . The movie borrows to a great extent fromDawn , even straight - up slip the iconic Goblin medicine that permeate the classic .
Revolutionized: 28 Days Later (2002)
28 daylight Laterdid something a small dissimilar , and it changed how zombie movies were made throughout much of the 2000s . Despite train place in a quiet , desolate England,28 sidereal day Laterportrayedfast - moving zombie that ran towards their victims , viciously beat them up rather than bite them , and screech with an creature - corresponding , pierce howl .
Out were the shambling , slow - act corpses , in were the track , skreak zombies of the raw millennium .
Ripped Off: Dawn Of The Dead (2004)
This geological fault in direction for the new millennium is perhaps most rife inthe 2004Dawn of the Deadremake . The Romero original consists of the traditional slow - moving zombie that utilize numbers over force and speed . But slow moving zombi were old tidings , and the remake use the tight - affect , screeching zombies of28 years Later . This certainly helped in regards to the film ’s step , as the remake is far faster - paced and action - orientate than its ho-hum , more melodious forerunner .
Revolutionized: Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
Shaun of the Deadis quite possibly the best zombi spirit clowning of all meter . Numerous zombie comedies have come before ( admit Peter Jackson ’s wonderfulDead Alive / Braindead ) , but Shaun of the Dead in effect changed the game . The movie help popularize Simon Pegg as an actor and Edgar Wright as a music director , and many critics adore itsunique English style of humor , the zombie - base repulsion , and the blending of Shaun ’s coming - of - old age story with the zombie apocalypse . Zombie comedies will forever be compare toShaun of the Dead .
Ripped Off: Zombieland (2009)
Zombielandmay not have much in uncouth withShaun of the Dead . Its sense of humour is much more " American " , the story was unconnected ( apart from the zombies ) , and it wasfar faster - paced . However , it was universally equate toShaun of the Deadowing to its status as a zombie comedy . Even to this day , fans may deliberate the qualities between the two and " argue " about which is better . Of course , " better " is down to subjective personal preference . But the comparisons between the two will always be made .
NEXT:10 Zombie Movies With A Better Story Than George A. Romero ’s Dawn Of The Dead