Romero's '... Of The Dead' Movies Discussed

Some zombies, one in a toga [source]

 Beause of the weather, I've been on somewhat of a zombie movie binge recently. Particularly George A. Romero zombie movies. They're pretty archetypal for zombie movies: the zombies are slow, their origins only hinted at, and the focus is more on how the survivors deal with things, rather than the threat of the zombies themselves. They're perhaps not great art, although at least one is culturally significant, but they are great fun. The following '...of the dead movies' which I've seen are reviewed in chronological order. There are a couple of new ones that I a) can't be bothered tracking down, and b) have heard that they are terrible, so they remain unwatched and unloved for now. The plots are disparate, but seem to suggest that they take place in the same zombie infested world as time progresses. While the first movie shows the resistance against the zombies, the middle two show that the struggle is failing, while the fourth seems to have made an uneasy compromise between zombies and mankind. The Zombies are shown to be evolving through the series, posing a continual, increasingly intelligent threat to mankind. There are also political subtexts available to them all, but thankfully these are not necessarily at the expense of gore, fighting, and insane deaths. Simultaneously smart and stupid, they are immensely entertaining and enjoyable. Please note, this contains spoilers, so if you're a wuss who'll bitch about a list of which the newest movie is nearly a decade old, kindly punch yourself in your respective reproductive organs.

01. Night Of The Living Dead [1968]

There is far too much going on in this poster. [source]

Plot In One Sentence: Throughout America, the dead are rising and attacking the living,- can a disparate group of people put their differences aside and survive in a barricaded, under-siege house? (Not a sentence)

What's The Underlying Political Theme? Racism and the contemporary Civil Rights Movement

Thoughts: A genuinely great movie, deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the  Library of Congress. It accurately shows the panic and finger-pointing that would likely arise in a similar, quickly spreading plague. Television and radio, when available, shows armed militia (largely rednecks) destroying zombies systematically as politicians and the press to deal with the situation. The mindless hive of a violent dead being taken on by a group of gun toting rednecks, aptly reflects the contemporary debate and prejudices of the Civil Rights Movements. Confused newsreaders and politicians draw a link between a passing meteorite that is making the dead rise again, but it's never clearly explained. This mystery as to 'why' the zombies exist is never answered definitively in any of movies in the series, and adds to the mystique.

Some of the gang tune in to look at a chair and listen to the radio. [source]

In this particular movie, the humans trapped in the house are largely unsympathetic. Most obviously, the cowardly father of the child, who locks himself and his family downstairs out of nothing more than self-interest. He also has an attractive wife and a zombie daughter. He is quick to anger, and seethes with a barely concealed racism at the hero of the movie, a handsome, resourceful black fellow. This ugly side of humanity is painfully evident throughout the series, and is a common contributor to disagreements and deaths. Similarly, the lead woman, in a state of shock, is beyond useless. However, the hero, and a couple of others, are intelligent enough to barricade the house, and make plans to either escape or survive. Together, they bicker and try to escape, and then survive, for the night, before a superb, poignant and politically charged ending. Brilliant on its own, and brilliant for spawning the modern zombie movie. 

Overall Zombie Rating: Not as gory as others on this list, but an excellent piece of film-making, tense, tight. It is simultaneously socially and politically conscious, and viable entertainment.The original, and possibly the best, modern zombie movie. Also, I covered this in a copyright law lecture, that it is freely available online legally, get it right now.

02. Dawn of the Dead[1978]

The source has this for sale at £199. Irony? [source]

Plot In One Sentence: Some survivors head to the local mall where they battle the zombies and a bike gang.

What's The Underlying Political Theme? Consumer Culture.

Thoughts: A solid, belated sequel to the first movie, which shows that as time has passed, both zombies and the human survivors are adapting to their new situations. We're shown police and military forces gradually losing the war against zombies, with crime, particularly armed crime, being an unnecessary drain on the rapidly diminishing forces. Meanwhile, tv and radio transmissions have all but ceased as emergency broadcasts take over. We follow a group who end up in a large mall, which is soon fortified. the dynamics of the four main characters: two policeman and a couple, are again shown to be the most important in their own survival. It's rare in a Romero movie that someone careful and thoughtful is killed, rather deaths arise because of rash decisions or out of anger. This is particularly true here.

This is on most posters for the movie, despite being a huge spoiler [source]

  The zombies are shown to have a residual memory of their lives, leading them to continue to swarm to the mall. We're told that this is because "it was an important part in their life". From a social standpoint, there are some noteworthy aspects here: the racism evident in the first movie is still evident here, particularly in a racially charged siege of an apartment block at the movies beginning. Furthermore, like the first movie, Romero chooses to have a big black guy as probably the most sympathetic person in the movie. The same is true, to a lesser extent, in all the other movies. Other than that, there is casual domestic abuse and misogyny, and a character telling of her pregnancy while chain-smoking. Most amusingly of all, scenes which show the characters rummaging through stores and trying on the latest fashions reveals some of the most unalluring clothes of all time. The ending is again largely negative, but it is humans rather than the zombies themselves, which are the real threat. It is, however, far too long, at well over two hours, which is just too long for a zombie movie largely set in one mall.  Personally, I think this one is a little overrated: good, but my least favourite of the four reviewed here.

Overall Zombie Rating: The movie is good, and shows a good development both of how mankind and how the zombies are moving on from the first movie. Surprisingly, the 2004 remake is also good.

03. Day Of The Dead [1985]

Evidence of the 'Every dollar we spend on posters is a dollar not spent on booze' movement. [source]

Plot In One Sentence: Army guys and scientists fight it out in an underground lair over how best to deal with zombies.
 What's The Underlying Political Theme? Unbridled aggression by the armed forces aggression, and scientific engineering.
Thoughts: This is slow, and stupid, but I have a huge soft spot for it. It's not the 'best' Romero zombie movie, but it's definitely my favourite. The boss of the military guys is absolutely awesome - he looks like an evil version of Jason Bateman, and his evilness is played with obvious relish. He has some great lines too, him screaming "I'm running this monkey farm now!" is something I say whenever I'm drunk and in charge of organising things, which is surprisingly frequent. There is also time for a debate on the religious and sociological significance of the zombie outbreak too, with a relaxed Jamaican helicopter driver and his drunken Irish pal. The impasse that the scientists and soldiers come to is a cynical reflection on the military-industrial complex, as well as, perhaps the fear America has of science, but the point isn't particularly laboured. There is also evidence of the increasing intelligence of some zombies, notably the character Bub, who seems to retain some memory of his life. The movie suggests that while humanity bickers and dies out, the zombies continue to rise.

This is Michael Bluth, and he's not happy. [source]

There are some good deaths, always important in a zombie movie. My two favourites are "choke on 'em!" and a soldier laughing himself to death, both of which need no explanation if you've seen it.  On a lighter note, the Mexican soldier, with the beard and the one arm, looks surprisingly like an old friend of mine, and we used to make him do the voice and tantrum thing he does throughout the movie. He's not nice to his girlfriend, and this is the third one to suggest domestic abuse so far, although this is more than hinted at here. I'm glad that the most recent one (below) stands up against violence against women. However much I like this movie though, it's not without its flaws. The army guys are perhaps too unpleasant and unsympathetic, and the escape at the end, through a tunnel, is both thrilling and stupid (they have very limited ammo, but literally unload clip after clip into one zombie's torso,). Almost unforgivably, the movie ends on an 'it was all a dream' note - luckily waking from that dream still involves a zombie filled nightmarish reality.

Overall Zombie Rating: A good mix of survival techniques, politics, humour and zombies. I have a huge soft spot for this, so I argue that it is recommended.

04. Land of The Dead

[source] the best poster yet, and it's still not great.

Plot In One Sentence: Dennis Hopper is a tyrant in a new walled city, doing his best to keep the regular people, and zombies, away from him and his self-appointed elite.

What Is The Underlying Theme? Increasing financial inequality.

Thoughts: This isn't bad, but it's not great either. It's pretty well shot, and the budget for it is probably ten times the budget for the other three combined. This, weirdly, makes it look a little cheaper, and less charming, than its predecessors. Humans have been reduced to scavenging for food in their forays beyond their heavily fortified walls, effectively allowing the rest of the world to zombie control. The real distinction is shown to be not between the humans and the zombies, but the suit-wearing elite, and everyone else. The zombies and the people at the bottom are both shown to be mindless, miserable, and with no chance to improve their lives. This is perhaps a rather heavy handed allusion to the follies of capitalism and inequality. The zombies are also shown to be evolving: from mindless instinct in the first movie, now they (and one in particular) is capable of rallying, outsmarting the people, and then seemingly going their own separate ways at the end. The whole thing is dragged down, however, by John Leguizamo, who is terrible, even by zombie movie standards, while Dennis Hopper adds a surprising amount of charisma to his evil plutocrat. The rest of the human characters are largely one dimensional, which is surprising. 
 

I have this to thank for me 'Hot zombie movie survivor' fetish  [source]

Overall Zombie Rating: interesting, and certainly not terrible, although the Samoan guy is obviously a Mexican.

In conclusion, these are largely well scripted, well plotted, with realistic behaviours in a hopefully unrealistic situation. There is gore and violence, but also a close look at the inherent nature of humans, and some other aspects of contemporary life. If anyone snobbishly dismisses Romero's zombie movies as puerile nonsense, bite them in the throat.