October has arrived and like last year I'm going to do a new review every day. Thirty-one days and thirty-one reviews is my promise to you! I thought rather than just cover random horror movies I was watching like I did last year I would instead focus on zombie movies. George Romero is my favorite director and his big three zombie movies are among my favorite things to watch this time of the year. With that in mind I've decided to focus on those movies made after the original Night of the Living Dead in sixty-eight. I am more interested in the genre after Romero reinvented it and created the sandbox that all the filmmakers making zombie pictures afterwards had to play in.
I've wasted enough valuable time explaining the "rules" to this marathon. Time to actually get to some movies and kick off the 2018 Horror Dude Zombie movie marathon. Since I mentioned Romero it is time to look at one that really pissed me off!
October 1st - Day of the Dead Bloodlines (2017) - If this movie were called Max the creepy stalker zombie who wants to rape you I'd still hate it, but probably not as much as I do when they use the name of a classic to push their dreck. Why do inferior filmmakers keep trying to remake Romero's movies knowing that they can't possibly live up to the original? This is a terrible idea and in particular this is an awful movie. Perhaps I shouldn't have started off the marathon with such a negative review, but then again things can only get better. The full review can be found here.
October 2nd - Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies (2017) - For the second movie in the marathon I thought it would be fun to check out a movie that is clearly playing the zombie sub genre for laughs. This can be a difficult thing to pull off with many if not most failing, but here I found myself laughing enough. They tossed in enough gore and zombies with the attempts at humor to keep it interesting. The full review can be found here.
October 3rd - Return of the Living Dead (1985) - Not all of the movies I'm covering have to be unknown or new entries into the sub genre of zombies. This is also my way of not burning out on some of the dreadful zombie flicks that I know are coming later in the marathon. Any I am bringing something new with this review since I'm covering the Blu-Ray that came out last year with a bunch of special features. But really I just wanted to watch zombies that I actually liked before moving on. The full review can be found here.
October 4th - Return of the Living Dead part II (1988) -I enjoyed watching the original so much that I decided to follow it up with the first sequel. While not as good as the first movie I think that part II has enough going for it that compared to most movies in the zombie sub genre it is at least top twenty. Plus the bit with the returning characters has always amused me. The full review can be found here.
October 5th - Locked Away (2017) - This time around I chose to watch an independent zombie movie that I had heard some good things about. These low budget affairs can be a mixed bag, as you will see later on. But I have to say that Locked Away was a decent movie. The lead actor and the script were great and I found myself caring about the characters. That is very unusual for a low budget flick like this. The full review can be found here.
October 6th - Not Another Zombie Movie...About the Living Dead (2014) - So I'm having pretty good luck with this batch of independent zombie flicks. This is a comedy and has some funny moments. While it isn't something that I'll want to watch again it was worth the time to check out. The full review can be found here.
October 7th - A Zombie Invasion (2012) - I keep tempting fate with these independent zombie movies. So far they have been pretty good. This one has an interesting story with some decent effects work and characters I liked. Don't be scared off by the first twenty minutes, which makes the movie appear to be awful, because once it gets rolling it is fun. The full review can be found here.
October 8th - Death Metal Zombies (1995) - Okay it finally happened. I knew that if I kept blind watching independent zombie flicks that I'd finally find a terrible one. What does surprise me is that it took me this long. Death Metal Zombies is poorly made, had no budget, and is a waste of time. If you insist on more the full review can be found here.
October 9th - Corpse Eaters (1974) - I had this one in my pile of DVDs to watch for a quite a long time. I always pick up oddball zombie flicks when I see them, but I don't have the same motivation to watch them right away. In fact that is one of the reasons I did this marathon is to thin out my stack of unwatched zombie movies. This one is an odd little gem made by the owner of a drive-in to play at his establishment. It is strangely entertaining. The full review can be found here.
October 10th - Curse of the Blue Lights (1988) - For as many hours as I spent digging thru the shelves of video store you would have thought I'd seen everything. I had never seen Curse of the Blue Lights before it was pointed out to me by Tim Gross of Gross Movie Reviews. This is a decent low budget movie that was fun to watch. While the zombies don't appear until the very end they are worth the wait. Plus there is an ancient demon God! Who doesn't love that? The full review can be found here.
October 11th - Ravenous (2018) - A French Canadian zombie movie. Well I am trying to cover flicks from all over the world so the more the merrier. The tone and story here focuses more on the characters and less on the zombies which is cool but can make for some slow spots. I also wasn't terribly fond of the unexplained habits of these walking corpses. Still this isn't an awful movie. The full review can be found here.
October 12th - Dawning of the Dead (2017) - I was ready to hate this one. Given the name I figured that this was some attempt to cash in on Romero, but it isn't. The movie wasn't even shot or shown under this title until it was picked up for distribution. What we have is a cool independent zombie movie with some fun special effects and an interesting story. I liked it way more than I thought I was going to. The full review can be found here.
October 13th - The Jurassic Dead (2018) - You would think that a movie about zombie dinosaurs would be awesome. Well that might just be me, but I was excited to check it out. I shouldn't have been because this is a miserable mess. Terrible special effects, zero story, boring, and generally just a terrible movie. The full review can be found here.
October 14th - Zone of the Dead (2010) - See now this is what I expected when I decided to watch and review a bunch of independent zombie movies. Zone of the Dead is from Serbia and stars Ken Foree from Dawn of the Dead as an Interpol agent transporting a mysterious prisoner. Zombies happen and people get bitten. It isn't a good movie. Seriously don't be fooled by the decent looking makeup on the zombies, this one is bad. The full review can be found here.
October 15th - Seoul Station (2016) - Time to switching things up and watch something totally different. Seoul Station is the animated prequel to one of the best zombie movies of the last five years, Train to Busan. We get to follow a different set of characters during the beginning of the outbreak and see how they do or do not survive the night. Plus this is my first animated zombie movie! The full review can be found here.
October 16th - Zombie Spring Breakers (2018) - This is another movie that I found on Amazon Prime. The title caught my attention so I gave it a chance. This isn't a great nor is is a bad movie. Sometimes the attempts a humor work and other times they fall flat. The zombies look good but all the kills are CGI. Basically it is a forgettable and mediocre flick. The full review can be found here.
October 17th - Late Afternoon of the Living Dead (2007) - I should have known better. Given the title and the fact that they shot this in black and white it had all the hallmarks of being an awful attempt at making a "cool" zombie movie. Lacking gore and decent zombies are the final nails in the coffin. The full review can be found here.
October 18th - Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies (2017) - This movie restored some of my faith in independent zombie flicks. The filmmakers have their own unique twist to the genre with Kudzu animated corpses, which I thought was cool. Also the zombies and the gore are decent. As an added bonus there is a zombie clown! We get a little too much CGI, especially towards the end, but I dug it. The full review can be found here.
October 19th - Better off Zed (2018) - And just like that my faith has been crushed again. Better off Zed has an interesting story to tell about a man and wife in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. That is right up until the end where they totally rip off Night of the Living Dead. Pass on this one. The full review can be found here.
October 20th - Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972) - I've had enough with these Monkey Fighting indy zombie movies on this Monday to Friday Plane! Seriously, it is time for me to start watching and reviewing movies that I love. There are plenty of zombie movies that fall into that category and none more so than this classic from director Bob Clark. The full review can be found here.
October 21st - Garden of the Dead (1972) - This is another favorite of mine that had to make it into the marathon. Here we have convicts that sniff formaldehyde before being gunned down during an escape. Of course they rise from the grave for revenge and another hit of the good stuff! Silly but fun Garden of the Dead is always worth a watch this time of the year. The full review can be found here.
October 22nd - Zombie Town (2007) - This movie gets lost in the glut of zombie flicks that came out in the fifteen years. Most of them have been disappointing mixes of CGI effects and plots that thinly rip off what Romero had already done much better. But Zombie Town has it's own story and characters that I liked a lot. This one is worth your time! The full review can be found here.
October 23rd - Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015) - This is another newer zombie movie that I really dig. It is a weird combination of horror and teen comedy that works really well together. We get gross zombies and some equally gross out jokes. I found the movie to be really funny but then maybe I never grew up... Hell I know I never did! This one is a good time. The full review can be found here.
October 24th - Zombie (1979) - When I realized that I hadn't covered Fulci's classic it went right on the list. Though I made myself hold it until the last week of the month. Sort of a reward for sitting thru some other not so great zombie movies. Do I even have to explain why this is a great movie? I would imagine that if you are here reading these reviews you are aware of Zombie already. If not the full review can be found here.
October 25th - Dead and Deader (2006) - I've always had a soft spot for this one. Dean Cain stars as a zombie soldier who is trying to stop other zombies from bringing about the zombie apocalypse. Along with a love interest... hey even zombie Dean Cain is a hit with the ladies... and comic relief he heads off on a road trip to catch and destroy the undead. Being a T.V. movie the gore is light but the movie is entertaining. The full review can be found here.
October 26th - Dead Snow (2009) - I love this movie. It is a fresh take on the zombie genre. Infused with humor and gore this plays more like something from the twisted mind of a pre-Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson then George Romero. Pretty sure the filmmakers knew that because one of the characters is sporting a Brain Dead t-shirt. The full review can be found here.
October 27th - I Survived a Zombie Holocaust (2015) - I kept hearing about this one so I decided to take one final risk on blind watching an independent zombie flick. Not a bad movie with decent effects work and a cast that I like. The full review can be found here.
October 28th - Train to Busan (2016) - This South Korean flick set the internet on fire when it came out a couple of years ago. I was dubious of the hype, but I'll be damned if it didn't live up to it. Great zombies/infected, an awesome setting (I'm a sucker for movies set on trains), and characters that you can root for. I predict that this movie is going to have legs and be talked about for a long time. The full review can be found here.
October 29th - Night of the Living Dead (1968) - It shouldn't be a suprise how I'm going to end this marathon. Romero is my favorite filmmaker and with Night of the Living Dead he redefined the subgenre. This is one of those movies that is considered a classic and genuinely deserves it. The full review can be found here.
October 30th - Dawn of the Dead (1978) - Yesterday's movie was Night today's is Dawn. I wonder what tomorrow's might be? Dawn of the Dead is a the best zombie movie ever made and my favorite movie period. Other zombie movies, including the next one, might out do Dawn in gore or zombie design but none can touch the quality of character and story. The full review can be found here.
October 31st - Day of the Dead (1985) - Started off with a shitty remake of Day of the Dead might as well end it with the classic that spawned it. Great gore and zombies make this the must watch Halloween movie and an excellent follow up to Dawn. The full review can be found here.
Hopefully you are enjoying things so far. If you are interested in what I covered the first time I did a zombie movie marathon you can check it out here. As always thanks for stopping by and reading my crappy movie reviews.
I've wasted enough valuable time explaining the "rules" to this marathon. Time to actually get to some movies and kick off the 2018 Horror Dude Zombie movie marathon. Since I mentioned Romero it is time to look at one that really pissed me off!
October 1st - Day of the Dead Bloodlines (2017) - If this movie were called Max the creepy stalker zombie who wants to rape you I'd still hate it, but probably not as much as I do when they use the name of a classic to push their dreck. Why do inferior filmmakers keep trying to remake Romero's movies knowing that they can't possibly live up to the original? This is a terrible idea and in particular this is an awful movie. Perhaps I shouldn't have started off the marathon with such a negative review, but then again things can only get better. The full review can be found here.
October 2nd - Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies (2017) - For the second movie in the marathon I thought it would be fun to check out a movie that is clearly playing the zombie sub genre for laughs. This can be a difficult thing to pull off with many if not most failing, but here I found myself laughing enough. They tossed in enough gore and zombies with the attempts at humor to keep it interesting. The full review can be found here.
October 3rd - Return of the Living Dead (1985) - Not all of the movies I'm covering have to be unknown or new entries into the sub genre of zombies. This is also my way of not burning out on some of the dreadful zombie flicks that I know are coming later in the marathon. Any I am bringing something new with this review since I'm covering the Blu-Ray that came out last year with a bunch of special features. But really I just wanted to watch zombies that I actually liked before moving on. The full review can be found here.
October 4th - Return of the Living Dead part II (1988) -I enjoyed watching the original so much that I decided to follow it up with the first sequel. While not as good as the first movie I think that part II has enough going for it that compared to most movies in the zombie sub genre it is at least top twenty. Plus the bit with the returning characters has always amused me. The full review can be found here.
October 5th - Locked Away (2017) - This time around I chose to watch an independent zombie movie that I had heard some good things about. These low budget affairs can be a mixed bag, as you will see later on. But I have to say that Locked Away was a decent movie. The lead actor and the script were great and I found myself caring about the characters. That is very unusual for a low budget flick like this. The full review can be found here.
October 6th - Not Another Zombie Movie...About the Living Dead (2014) - So I'm having pretty good luck with this batch of independent zombie flicks. This is a comedy and has some funny moments. While it isn't something that I'll want to watch again it was worth the time to check out. The full review can be found here.
October 7th - A Zombie Invasion (2012) - I keep tempting fate with these independent zombie movies. So far they have been pretty good. This one has an interesting story with some decent effects work and characters I liked. Don't be scared off by the first twenty minutes, which makes the movie appear to be awful, because once it gets rolling it is fun. The full review can be found here.
October 8th - Death Metal Zombies (1995) - Okay it finally happened. I knew that if I kept blind watching independent zombie flicks that I'd finally find a terrible one. What does surprise me is that it took me this long. Death Metal Zombies is poorly made, had no budget, and is a waste of time. If you insist on more the full review can be found here.
October 9th - Corpse Eaters (1974) - I had this one in my pile of DVDs to watch for a quite a long time. I always pick up oddball zombie flicks when I see them, but I don't have the same motivation to watch them right away. In fact that is one of the reasons I did this marathon is to thin out my stack of unwatched zombie movies. This one is an odd little gem made by the owner of a drive-in to play at his establishment. It is strangely entertaining. The full review can be found here.
October 10th - Curse of the Blue Lights (1988) - For as many hours as I spent digging thru the shelves of video store you would have thought I'd seen everything. I had never seen Curse of the Blue Lights before it was pointed out to me by Tim Gross of Gross Movie Reviews. This is a decent low budget movie that was fun to watch. While the zombies don't appear until the very end they are worth the wait. Plus there is an ancient demon God! Who doesn't love that? The full review can be found here.
October 11th - Ravenous (2018) - A French Canadian zombie movie. Well I am trying to cover flicks from all over the world so the more the merrier. The tone and story here focuses more on the characters and less on the zombies which is cool but can make for some slow spots. I also wasn't terribly fond of the unexplained habits of these walking corpses. Still this isn't an awful movie. The full review can be found here.
October 12th - Dawning of the Dead (2017) - I was ready to hate this one. Given the name I figured that this was some attempt to cash in on Romero, but it isn't. The movie wasn't even shot or shown under this title until it was picked up for distribution. What we have is a cool independent zombie movie with some fun special effects and an interesting story. I liked it way more than I thought I was going to. The full review can be found here.
October 13th - The Jurassic Dead (2018) - You would think that a movie about zombie dinosaurs would be awesome. Well that might just be me, but I was excited to check it out. I shouldn't have been because this is a miserable mess. Terrible special effects, zero story, boring, and generally just a terrible movie. The full review can be found here.
October 14th - Zone of the Dead (2010) - See now this is what I expected when I decided to watch and review a bunch of independent zombie movies. Zone of the Dead is from Serbia and stars Ken Foree from Dawn of the Dead as an Interpol agent transporting a mysterious prisoner. Zombies happen and people get bitten. It isn't a good movie. Seriously don't be fooled by the decent looking makeup on the zombies, this one is bad. The full review can be found here.
October 15th - Seoul Station (2016) - Time to switching things up and watch something totally different. Seoul Station is the animated prequel to one of the best zombie movies of the last five years, Train to Busan. We get to follow a different set of characters during the beginning of the outbreak and see how they do or do not survive the night. Plus this is my first animated zombie movie! The full review can be found here.
October 16th - Zombie Spring Breakers (2018) - This is another movie that I found on Amazon Prime. The title caught my attention so I gave it a chance. This isn't a great nor is is a bad movie. Sometimes the attempts a humor work and other times they fall flat. The zombies look good but all the kills are CGI. Basically it is a forgettable and mediocre flick. The full review can be found here.
October 17th - Late Afternoon of the Living Dead (2007) - I should have known better. Given the title and the fact that they shot this in black and white it had all the hallmarks of being an awful attempt at making a "cool" zombie movie. Lacking gore and decent zombies are the final nails in the coffin. The full review can be found here.
October 18th - Attack of the Southern Fried Zombies (2017) - This movie restored some of my faith in independent zombie flicks. The filmmakers have their own unique twist to the genre with Kudzu animated corpses, which I thought was cool. Also the zombies and the gore are decent. As an added bonus there is a zombie clown! We get a little too much CGI, especially towards the end, but I dug it. The full review can be found here.
October 19th - Better off Zed (2018) - And just like that my faith has been crushed again. Better off Zed has an interesting story to tell about a man and wife in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. That is right up until the end where they totally rip off Night of the Living Dead. Pass on this one. The full review can be found here.
October 20th - Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972) - I've had enough with these Monkey Fighting indy zombie movies on this Monday to Friday Plane! Seriously, it is time for me to start watching and reviewing movies that I love. There are plenty of zombie movies that fall into that category and none more so than this classic from director Bob Clark. The full review can be found here.
October 21st - Garden of the Dead (1972) - This is another favorite of mine that had to make it into the marathon. Here we have convicts that sniff formaldehyde before being gunned down during an escape. Of course they rise from the grave for revenge and another hit of the good stuff! Silly but fun Garden of the Dead is always worth a watch this time of the year. The full review can be found here.
October 22nd - Zombie Town (2007) - This movie gets lost in the glut of zombie flicks that came out in the fifteen years. Most of them have been disappointing mixes of CGI effects and plots that thinly rip off what Romero had already done much better. But Zombie Town has it's own story and characters that I liked a lot. This one is worth your time! The full review can be found here.
October 23rd - Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015) - This is another newer zombie movie that I really dig. It is a weird combination of horror and teen comedy that works really well together. We get gross zombies and some equally gross out jokes. I found the movie to be really funny but then maybe I never grew up... Hell I know I never did! This one is a good time. The full review can be found here.
October 24th - Zombie (1979) - When I realized that I hadn't covered Fulci's classic it went right on the list. Though I made myself hold it until the last week of the month. Sort of a reward for sitting thru some other not so great zombie movies. Do I even have to explain why this is a great movie? I would imagine that if you are here reading these reviews you are aware of Zombie already. If not the full review can be found here.
October 25th - Dead and Deader (2006) - I've always had a soft spot for this one. Dean Cain stars as a zombie soldier who is trying to stop other zombies from bringing about the zombie apocalypse. Along with a love interest... hey even zombie Dean Cain is a hit with the ladies... and comic relief he heads off on a road trip to catch and destroy the undead. Being a T.V. movie the gore is light but the movie is entertaining. The full review can be found here.
October 26th - Dead Snow (2009) - I love this movie. It is a fresh take on the zombie genre. Infused with humor and gore this plays more like something from the twisted mind of a pre-Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson then George Romero. Pretty sure the filmmakers knew that because one of the characters is sporting a Brain Dead t-shirt. The full review can be found here.
October 27th - I Survived a Zombie Holocaust (2015) - I kept hearing about this one so I decided to take one final risk on blind watching an independent zombie flick. Not a bad movie with decent effects work and a cast that I like. The full review can be found here.
October 28th - Train to Busan (2016) - This South Korean flick set the internet on fire when it came out a couple of years ago. I was dubious of the hype, but I'll be damned if it didn't live up to it. Great zombies/infected, an awesome setting (I'm a sucker for movies set on trains), and characters that you can root for. I predict that this movie is going to have legs and be talked about for a long time. The full review can be found here.
October 29th - Night of the Living Dead (1968) - It shouldn't be a suprise how I'm going to end this marathon. Romero is my favorite filmmaker and with Night of the Living Dead he redefined the subgenre. This is one of those movies that is considered a classic and genuinely deserves it. The full review can be found here.
October 30th - Dawn of the Dead (1978) - Yesterday's movie was Night today's is Dawn. I wonder what tomorrow's might be? Dawn of the Dead is a the best zombie movie ever made and my favorite movie period. Other zombie movies, including the next one, might out do Dawn in gore or zombie design but none can touch the quality of character and story. The full review can be found here.
October 31st - Day of the Dead (1985) - Started off with a shitty remake of Day of the Dead might as well end it with the classic that spawned it. Great gore and zombies make this the must watch Halloween movie and an excellent follow up to Dawn. The full review can be found here.
Hopefully you are enjoying things so far. If you are interested in what I covered the first time I did a zombie movie marathon you can check it out here. As always thanks for stopping by and reading my crappy movie reviews.
© Copyright 2018 John Shatzer
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