Zombie Movie History: A Reference for Zombie Masters
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 The early zombies were merely mindless slaves, and typically had white faces and blackened eyes - held wide and expressionless. |
In the period of time that I like to call B.R. (Before
Romero) the zombie as we know it did not exist. Pre-1968 zombies were
something entirely different. These animated corpses were a product of
voodoo and the movies portrayed them as such. In films such as White
Zombie (1932) and Revenge
of the Zombies
1968: Birth of the Modern Zombie
Just when the idea of rotting reanimations were about to go the way of an Ed Wood film, along came a man who would revolutionize the horror genre and breath new life (or undeath) into the zombie. A small budget black and white film titled Night of the Living Dead , written and directed by George A. Romero, hit theaters and drive-ins in 1968. The effects of Romero's ground-breaking treatment of the theme are still being felt today.
From the moment that we heard "They're coming to get you Barbara", the zombie became fair game again, and the gore effect became a staple of the genre.
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| The George Romero arisen ones had the look of "every day". Their dress consisted of either the clothes that they wore in the casket at their funeral, or normal work clothes (i.e. waitress, mechanic). Injuries such as missing limbs were also common. Their intelligence was very low, and movement stiff and slow. |
The 1970s: Zombie Genre Growing Pains
The zombies from Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things
were very simple: Blue/green face, blackened eyes, messed up hair,
splattered with blood and outfits from the second-hand store. Be stupid
and move slowly and you're all set. |
The seventies were a decade that consisted of a lot of
growing pains for the Zombie genre. Filmmakers were not quite sure how
to properly utilize this new tool that had been thrown into the horror
toolbox. There were a couple of decent attempts such as Children
Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972) and Garden
of the Dead
 Some of the European entries
to the genre opted for the "dead a LONG time" look. Skulls, some
residual facial hair and monk robes were standard fare for the deadly
derelicts from the Old Country. |
 Romero stayed true to his original vision with
normal clothing. Now in color, the faces are a bluish tint, and random
injuries and blood mark the Romero zombie. Still slow and not too
bright. |
In 1978 Romero gave the genre a much needed "fatherly" shove in the right direction with Dawn of the Dead (1978). The first to gather an understanding of where the genre was going was Lucio Fulci who ended the decade with the release of Zombi 2 (1979, 1980 U.S.).
The Roaring 1980s
Like a child with the training wheels taken off, zombie films took off in the eighties.
 The zombies from Evil
Dead were the result of possession by evil spirits, so their faces
quickly developed a white crust over them. Pure white eyes with black
circles around them are also typical. These demonic heartbreakers could
carry on conversations and attack with focus. |
 This is "Bub",
the pet zombie from Day of the Dead. Bub is a little smarter
than his typical brethren, and is often seen with a walkman. Wrinkled
bluish face ala Romero. |
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The list of movies adding to the Zombie Movie History from the 80s
is
long and includes many of the classics if the genre: Dead
and Buried
It was also during this time that certain rules became staples of the genre, some accepted, some rejected, and others made fun of:
• If you didn't die first, you ain't a zombie.• Zombies are not cannibals. They do not feed on each other only living flesh.
• The only way to stop a zombie is a well placed head shot. (Hammer, ice-pick, gun, axe, etc.)
• Intelligence is not a their strong point.
There are other rules that are deemed acceptable to bend if necessary, but these are pretty much untouchable.
1990s: Zombie Film Makers Lost Their Way
 Braindead is considered the goriest movie EVER. The zombies reflect this, with blood and guts everywhere. Also characterized by black eyes and ripping flesh. |
 The undead from Dellamorte Dellamore
(Cemetery Man), as you can see, have lots of ripped skin and
plant-matter on them. They can also be a bit "frisky". |
Teenagers, you see, think they know everything and that they are
bullet-proof. It is during the teen years that the most mistakes are
made.
That is what the nineties were to the zombie film -
mistake time. Though there were a few greats, such as Braindead
(1992) and Dellamorte
Dellamore
2000 - Present: The Future Looks Bright
Today, it seems as though the zombie genre is moving into responsible adulthood.There have been some good films released so far in this decade, notably Land of the Dead (2005), Dawn of the Dead 2004 (2004), and Shaun of the Dead (2004).
There are a few remakes in the works that I am a little hesitant about, but I am very optimistic about what the future holds for zombie fans everywhere.
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 Because they are
regularly hunted AFTER they became zombies, the undead in Romero's Land
of the Dead are a bit bloodier than normal Romero fare. Otherwise,
pretty consistent with the classic formula. |
So, just remember...If work is weighing you down, home life is racking
your nerves, and nothing seems to be going right, there is nothing more
calming than a good healthy dose of gory, human flesh eating, zombie
mayhem. Whether you want to blame "the Man" for societies woes, or just
like seeing rotted walking flesh rip apart their victims and eat their
guts out, a zombie movie marathon will surely cure what ails you.
If there are any questions, confusions, or any other "sions" we have created a special section just for you:
Ask the Zombie Master about Zombie movie History or any other zombie question you have.
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