Classification of Zombie Movies

I have determined that there are three different types of zombie movie. First, the movies that showcase the slow, but still startling zombies, like Night of the Living Dead. Night’s “zombies are slow, the humans just get themselves into trouble by reacting stupidly, or not paying enough attention to the problem.” (G.A. Romero) Next, films like Shaun of the Dead, which portray the sometimes amusing but still creepy zombies. And finally, movies like Day of the Dead (2008) which introduce the completely terrifying, gravity-defying zombies.

Night of the Living Dead presents zombies that move slowly but deliberately toward their ultimate objective which is filling their appetites for human flesh. Zombie movies of this type are the basis of all zombie films since. Night's zombies do not appear to have any thought processes, they are only driven by the smell of food and the search for food. The zombies also provide the blood and gore sought after by the horror genre when they do manage to catch their victims. This basic instinctual functioning is what makes them scary. “Zombies can overwhelm you even if they’re slow, if you make mistakes.” (G.A. Romero) The zombies in this type of movie dealing with the undead do not compare to others in speed or strength, but George Romero says himself that ”[in my] zombie movies zombies are just an annoyance it is humans who are the problem.” (fearnet.com)

Stepping up the creepiness scale a bit further, we come to the “class clown” of the zombie movie genre. Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. Shaun of the Dead’s co-writer and star says, “[our movie] makes fun of how people react in the event of massive social upheaval.” (S. Pegg) These films, while still displaying zombies on the hunt for brai...

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...to find a zombie movie that is right up their alley. It doesn’t matter if the zombies are infected and showing superhuman abilities meant to terrify even the most stoic of us all, there will always be another seat in the theatre waiting to be filled by the next zombie fanatic. Movies can show the zombies running, walking, or even tripping and it will all fall back on the gore factor that is ever present in each zombie movie category.

Night of the Living Dead. director G.A. Romero. screenplay J.A. Russo, G.A. Romero. 1 Oct 1968. web

Shaun of the Dead. director E. Wright. screenplay S. Pegg, E. Wright. 24 Sept 2004. web

Day of the Dead. director G.A. Romero. screenplay G.A. Romero, J. Reddick. 8 Apr 2008. web

Zombieland. Director R. Fleisher. Screenplay R. Rheese, P. Wernick. 2 Oct 2009. Web.< www.imdb.com>