Back from the Dead

I was inspired to blog about some of my favourite zombie films following the beginning of The Walking Dead series which started showing in the UK on FX last week. This seems to have prompted a resurgence in the genre and has proved popular enough to be commissioned for a second series. This should not be considered a ‘top four’ but represents the evolution of the genre from beginnings in the golden era for horror through to the social relevance of the sixties, the video nasties of the eighties and to the present day.  

The roots of the zombie in cinema can be traced back to 1932’s White Zombie which stars Bela Lugosi as voodoo practitioner Murder Legendre. Acknowledged as the first full-length zombie feature, White Zombie sees Lugosi’s character assist the wealthy Charles Beaumont in his advances towards the young Madeleine Parker. Legendre oversees a sugar cane mill complete with full zombie workforce and decides that Beaumont’s feelings would be best realised by the transformation of his desired. As you would expect Beaumont soon regrets his decision but finds trouble in convincing Legendre to reverse it. Lugosi’s portrayal is the highlight of this film which is plagued by poor acting from many of his co-stars. Following on the heels of Frankenstein (1931) , White Zombie is clearly an attempt to cash in on the success of Universal’s horror boom and was filmed primarily on Universal’s lot; borrowing props from previous films. 

I would argue that the genre can be defined by, and subsequently measured against, George A. Romero’s 1968 classic, Night of The Living Dead. Filmed in black and white with a minuscule budget, Night of The Living Dead has gone on to become one of the most influential films of the sixties. This is in no small part due to the social commentary contained within the story of seven people and their attempts to survive the night. Night of The Living Dead comments on racism and the involvement of the US in Vietnam are easy to interpret from the content. Night of The Living Dead has a stark realism, rarely achieved from the horror genre of its time which results in the content and commentary containing an added relevance. Romero’s film was the catalyst for change within the horror genre and for me it’s influence can be traced through Wes Craven’s Last House on the Left (1972) right through the slasher genre to the present day.

1981 saw the release of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead starring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams. Considered controversial for the graphic nature of its content, the film follows college students and their vacation to an isolated cabin where they unwittingly summon the (un)dead. The characters are possessed one by one and become ‘deadites’ before attacking their former friends. One of the most controversy courting scenes sees Ash’s sister Cheryl being raped by a demon possessed tree, which along with the film’s excessive gore and violence, led to it being banned on release in several countries. The Evil Dead continues the low budget trend in the genre, made for $375,000 and resulting in a moderately successful box office take and two sequels. The Evil Dead’s success should be measured more in its elevation to cult status in the years since its production.

A more recent outing for the undead masses was 2009’s Zombieland starring Woody Harrelson and Jessie Eisenberg. Currently standing as the highest grossing zombie movie in the US, Zombieland sees the attempt at survival of four characters from varying backgrounds pitted against the elements of zombie apocalypse and the search for Twinkies. Similar to the horror rules outlined in Wes Craven’s Scream (1996), Eisenberg’s character Columbus has devised a set of survival rules which he adheres to throughout the film. The 30 rules include “Beware of Bathrooms” and “Check the Back Seat”. One of the most memorable scenes is the cameo from Bill Murray who plays himself  as the characters seek refuge in his Hollywood mansion. Zombieland proves that the zombie, and the genre, really is comparable to its depiction of the undead in its timeless appeal.