Zombie Films: American vs. European

[3pidemiC]

With all of the zombie films that have come out since the 1960's, a majority of them seem to come from two main areas of the world; The United States and Europe. But which area has made more zombie films that you consider to be good?

Let's take a look at the choices...

The United States:
Night of the Living Dead '68/'90
Dawn of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Land of the Dead
Diary of the Dead
Return of the Living Dead
Dawn '04
The Re-Animator

Europe:
Zombi 2
City of the Living Dead
Hell of the Living Dead
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue
Burial Ground
The Beyond
28 Days/Weeks Later
Shaun of the Dead
Zombie Holocaust
City of the Walking Dead

I'm sure that there are some that I forgot...but you get the idea.

[Choas]

I have to pick the U.S. mainly because Gar's movies are the best.But some of those zombie movies from Europe are great too.

[Mike70]

the american ones hands down.

aside from 28 days, shaun and manchester morgue, the european movies are mostly by hack italian directors like fulci (there are other offenders but fulci is the worst in my book) and are total and complete ripoffs.

[MinionZombie]

Went for USA as well of course - straight off the bat you've got GAR's 5 zed flicks.

Although, Shaun is awesome, as is Manchester Morgue, and I totally dig Zombi 2, despite it's Dawn-riffing title and being a bit rip-offy.

A lot of the Euro-Zombi flicks are entertaining, but only because they're so awful...

Mind you, American zed flicks also include Children of the Living Dead, Flesheater (aka Zombie Nosh - it's soooooo baaaaaaad :lol:) and ... *cracks knuckles, grins knowingly* Yawn04. :D (Couldn't resist, you all knew I'd say it anyway, so don't be so shocked, enjoy the humour of it for cryin' out loud :p).

[Skippy911sc]

U S A...U S A...U S A...U S A...

Everbody

U S A...U S A...U S A...

What was the question again?

[Choas]

USA...USA...USA...:hyper:

[Mike70]

Went for USA as well of course - straight off the bat you've got GAR's 5 zed flicks.

Although, Shaun is awesome, as is Manchester Morgue, and I totally dig Zombi 2, despite it's Dawn-riffing title and being a bit rip-offy.

A lot of the Euro-Zombi flicks are entertaining, but only because they're so awful...

Mind you, American zed flicks also include Children of the Living Dead, Flesheater (aka Zombie Nosh - it's soooooo baaaaaaad :lol:) and ... *cracks knuckles, grins knowingly* Yawn04. :D (Couldn't resist, you all knew I'd say it anyway, so don't be so shocked, enjoy the humour of it for cryin' out loud :p).

having thought a bit more about this, i think that any movie genre has some cream at the top (those few movies that define the genre) and loads and loads of walrus crap sticking to the bottom.

i would still say that the italian zombie movies are mostly walrus crap. fulci's in particular. aside from argento and soavi, i don't have a lot of love or respect for italian horror.

BUT america has put out its share of chaff too. like MZ mentioned, children of the dead, flesheaters, and the most recent offensive piece of garbage, ghey08. even given that i still think the great american movies rise above the great european one's. for better or worse, romero's zombie movies have been and will be (for many, many moons to come) the movies that have defined this genre and made a lot of other folks go out and make one, e.g. shaun.

[Choas]

You forgot House of the dead. That really blew.

[Mike70]

You forgot House of the dead. That really blew.

i forgot that on that purpose. that movie's dead to me.

[Choas]

Ever see House of the dead 2.

[Mike70]

Ever see House of the dead 2.

now you are just being torquemada cruel.:lol::lol:

no i haven't and based on the first one i'm not missing anything.

[Choas]

now you are just being torquemada cruel.:lol::lol:

no i haven't and based on the first one i'm not missing anything.

Your not missing much.It's just as bad as the first one.:barf:

[3pidemiC]

As I expected, the US will most likely win this this.

I voted for US as well.

But I really do have a soft spot for cheesy zombie films, most of which come from Italy. (Zombi 2 is one of my favorites).

But the UK has produced a few gems as well...mainly 28 Days/Weeks Later and Shaun of the Dead.

[EvilNed]

I say European because aside from Romero (who kicks the most ass), I have gotten the most kick out of watching European ones. And I'm more likely to switch on a european zombie film than an american one.

[SRP76]

U.S. gets my vote. Of all the European ones listed, I only saw 2 of them....and couldn't stand either one.

So, all the U.S. side needed was one movie that I liked to get my vote. Obviously, it met that number pretty fast.

[Danny]

i say europe because, aside from georges movies, the u.s has produced a plethora of crap on a scale that dwarfs the other countrys combined.
plus theres some great asian and aussie ones too, how do they figure?

[axlish]

I'll have to think on this one.

Sure USA has Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Return, Dawn 04...

But Europe has Zombie, Dellamorte Dellamore, Hell of the Living Dead (!), 28 Days/Weeks, Zombie Holocaust, Nightmare City Burial Ground...

I'm going to have to side with Europe on this one, for sheer bulk alone.

[Griff]

Take Romero out of the equation and the US has little left to offer. I dig ROTLD but I'm not keen on these zombie action films like the DAWN remake or the RESIDENT EVILs. They're just too routine with a mainstream sensibility that doesn't interest me.

I love the European stuff, whether its skillfully made (DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE), hiliarously absurd (NIGHTMARE CITY) or a combination of both (Fulci's flicks).

[bd2999]

Have to go with American to be honest. Romero is the king that basicly gave the world the flesh eating ghoul and has been copied all over. Aside from him the U.S. has had a few good zombie films but not to much near that tier.

Europe, as others have sad, has movies like Shaun (I love the movie so much), Zombie and so on and so forth. Good movies, but at the same time I think the average film is lower. There is less plot and to me the characters seem a bit more idiotic. Not in all of them, at worst thye are just straight rip offs of Romero films, or just gore fests. I enjoy most of them, no question but overall they fall into a lower average.

Now there are also some truely dreadful American independent zombie films. And many of those are more recent and I think some of them make me want more 80's Italian zombie films...

[clanglee]

You know. . .I have to point this out. 28 Days later is a European flik. . yes. . But Weeks is a hollywood movie through and through.

[C5NOTLD]

But Europe has Zombie, Dellamorte Dellamore, Hell of the Living Dead (!), 28 Days/Weeks, Zombie Holocaust, Nightmare City Burial Ground...

I'm going to have to side with Europe on this one, for sheer bulk alone.

Don't forget Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (The living Dead at Manchester Morgue).

[3pidemiC]

i say europe because, aside from georges movies, the u.s has produced a plethora of crap on a scale that dwarfs the other countrys combined.
plus theres some great asian and aussie ones too, how do they figure?

I really wanted to include the assuies in this because of Dead Alive, but unfortunately, that is all they had to offer (right?)

[axlish]

I really wanted to include the assuies in this because of Dead Alive, but unfortunately, that is all they had to offer (right?)

Undead (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339840/)

[Danny]

^ you beat me to it, for theproduction values of it undead was a bit more professional than some independant zombie flicks and i really enjoyed it.

[MinionZombie]

Well, Undead is fairly big on the indie scale I'd have thought, but it's a bloody good movie I say. I really enjoyed it.

Not that it's at all a zombie movie, but because it's also an indie horror flick with good comedy - Evil Aliens - it's a Brit film, a good laugh, I re-watched it recently and it's still solid fun, check it out if you fancied Undead.

[Choas]

Take Romero out of the equation and the US has little left to offer.

But you can't leave Gar out of the equation.That's not right.

[EvilNed]

You know. . .I have to point this out. 28 Days later is a European flik. . yes. . But Weeks is a hollywood movie through and through.

The creative team behind 28 Weeks Later are mostly european. The director is spanish. And IMDb lists it as a "UK / Spain" film, So, there ya go.

[bd2999]

But you can't leave Gar out of the equation.That's not right.


Nope, because if you take him out than I have good money that none, or they would be very different movies, European or American movies would have been made. To be honest they are top tier of zombie films that everyone agrees on. At best the best american or zombie movies that are not GAR are on the second tier, and IMO there are alot more plotless Euro movies. Not that I don't like them and everything, but overall I think many are bad, and yes there are lots of terrible U.S. zombie films. Loads of them.


The creative team behind 28 Weeks Later are mostly european. The director is spanish. And IMDb lists it as a "UK / Spain" film, So, there ya go

Probably, so. I know the first one was anyway. Its sort of hard to tell with many British films anymore. Much of the film industry there is so intertwined with Hollywood that it becomes difficult to say what movie is what. I mean I think parts of the Dark Knight were made in Englund and parts of soley British looking films are made in the U.S. Although I agree with what you are saying, but they only come into the talk if we are using all living or dead zombies going at it. I like the 28 movies though. Pretty good.


But Europe has Zombie, Dellamorte Dellamore, Hell of the Living Dead (!), 28 Days/Weeks, Zombie Holocaust, Nightmare City Burial Ground

Just a curious question more than anything but am I the only one who did not like Dellamorte Dellamore at all. Hell of the Living Dead as nothing specal and so on. Not knocking them to much. I mean I own them and watch them from time to time and love them, but for the most part those movies are enjoyable because they are so cheesy.

[Danny]

does everyone else count the serpent and the rainbow though?

[SRP76]

does everyone else count the serpent and the rainbow though?

I wouldn't count that. I would only count "living dead flesheaters" plots as part of this particular genre.

[kidgloves]

US hands down.
There is a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig drop off from Romero to the next tier of zombie movies. If you took Romero out the equation as others have said it would be Europe but not by such a big margin.

[bd2999]

does everyone else count the serpent and the rainbow though?

No, but a good movie none the less. Just like a film like White Zombie, a great movie, but it is based more on vodoo myth and such and not the flesh eating craze that Romero started. Not that George did not take from other places to make his movies to start with but he was the first one to bring them together as far as I know.

[axlish]

I mean I own them and watch them from time to time and love them, but for the most part those movies are enjoyable because they are so cheesy.

Pretty much, yeah.

[Mutineer]

I voted USA.

MY FAVS:

In order:
Return of the Living Dead
Day of the Dead
Dawn '04
Shaun of the Dead
28 Days Later
Night of the Living Dead '90
Dawn of the Dead
Night of the Living Dead '68

[capncnut]

I voted America for GAR only. I should have gone for European as there are more zombie film directors to choose from. I love Fulci (especially Zombi 2/ZFE) and find his movies far from cheesy, along with the many other Italian filmmakers. Also, 28 Days Later, The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue, The Grapes Of Death, Demons, Dellamorte Dellamore, Tombs Of The Blind Dead, heck even The Zombie Diaries are all worth of a mention too.

[3pidemiC]

Yeah, I find myself gathering up DVD from movies that I really don't like (i.e. Burial Ground or City of the Living Dead) just for the sake of having them and watching them when I want to watch some zombie cheese.

[ZombieGrrL]

As it stands I have to say the USA.

Although I would love to see more European zombie movies, I know Europe's up for the challenge but they have a bit of catching up to do! :)

[Bruiser235]

I voted America, even though Europe has it's own stellar fare (Shaun, 28 Days Later, Cemetery Man). GAR is simply a force to be reckoned with, and he alone largely holds together American zombie films.

[Yojimbo]

You forgot House of the dead. That really blew.

American zombie film but directed by a euro director, so maybe House of the Dead can be listed on the Euro side rather than the USA side. (Just trying to do my best to distance USA from that truly awful "zombie" film) :sneaky:

Can't say anything nice really about the films that originate in the land of my ancestors,though, since most of the Japanese zombie films I have seen blew big time.

[EvilNed]

Yojimbo, that is actually a good point. It's not always where the money comes from that makes the difference. Tho I do wager that a large part of the crew were american, so it's probably a mixed effort.

[clanglee]

The creative team behind 28 Weeks Later are mostly european. The director is spanish. And IMDb lists it as a "UK / Spain" film, So, there ya go.

Yep, you are quite right. There I go spouting off before I research. I stand corrected.

[major jay]

What would you consider Uwe Boll's movies?
I think the whole debate hinges on that question.

[Zombill]

What would you consider Uwe Boll's movies?
I think the whole debate hinges on that question.
Uh just plain awful is what I'd consider them

[DjfunkmasterG]

I vote both... I like films from both for equal reasons... but I am not a FULCI fan at all. His film ZOMBIE was just boring as hell and aside from seeing the zombies walking into NY, the shot of Traffic going both ways killed any creepy vibe it should have had.

[major jay]

Uh just plain awful is what I'd consider them
Yeah they suck. But would you consider them European or American made?

[DjfunkmasterG]

Well they were mostly filmed overseas or in Canada, their financing is from german investors... so I would say European. However, HOTD was a video game property I believe developed in Japan.

[Yojimbo]

Yojimbo, that is actually a good point. It's not always where the money comes from that makes the difference. Tho I do wager that a large part of the crew were american, so it's probably a mixed effort.

EvilNed speaks the truth. Technically it is an American film.


I would guess that Boll is so detestable a director that the Euro industry would rather he not be lumped in with them, AND he is so bad that only a tasteless American hack producer would back him.

(NOTE: after initial posting, I stand corrected thanks to DJ. This was funded by Germans and filmed in Canada, and came about from a Japanese property as DJ pointed out, so it is definitely more euro than american, though I still think that neither the Americans or the Europeans would be likely to call this crapfest their own!)

[MinionZombie]

I will point out that 28 Days/Weeks Later aren't zombie films.

It's a plague movie with "infected" people who never die during the transformation. It's basically a movie about super-rabies.

Also, the filmmakers - i.e. those who wrote and directed them - have continually insisted they are not zombie films, they reference a couple of GAR's flicks, but that's it. They were never intended to be zombie films, they weren't made as zombie films, and if the people who made it said it isn't - it isn't. :p

But I'm not getting into that friggin' conversation again, I just wanted to bring that up as it hadn't been mentioned here.

Laters.

[clanglee]

A zombie film, by any other name. . . .

[jim102016]

I will point out that 28 Days/Weeks Later aren't zombie films.

It's a plague movie with "infected" people who never die during the transformation. It's basically a movie about super-rabies.

Also, the filmmakers - i.e. those who wrote and directed them - have continually insisted they are not zombie films, they reference a couple of GAR's flicks, but that's it. They were never intended to be zombie films, they weren't made as zombie films, and if the people who made it said it isn't - it isn't. :p

But I'm not getting into that friggin' conversation again, I just wanted to bring that up as it hadn't been mentioned here.

Laters.


Minion, you know you aren't ever going to win an argument about 28 Days/Weeks being a zombie movie! But, I happen to agree with you.

It did make me wonder...If you locked someone who's infected in a room with one of GAR's creatures, what would happen?

[Zombill]

If you locked someone who's infected in a room with one of GAR's creatures, what would happen?

You'd probably get a raging zombie:hyper:

Oh no Dawn 2k4 all over again

[Mike70]

It did make me wonder...If you locked someone who's infected in a room with one of GAR's creatures, what would happen?

eddie izzard would emerge?:D

[Yojimbo]

eddie izzard would emerge?:D

:lol:

[jim102016]

:lol:

Keith Richards?

[MinionZombie]

http://zombielore.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=1

That sums things up fairly nicely...tried to find an enterview with Danny Boyle and Alex Garland stating themselves it's not a zed flick, but I can't be arsed to search long enough. :lol:

[MontagMOI]

i would still say that the italian zombie movies are mostly walrus crap. fulci's in particular. aside from argento and soavi, i don't have a lot of love or respect for italian horror

I would glady swap Fulci for Soavi's tepid efforts. Nice bloke - lame films. I know a lot of people dont get Fulci's films (and the later ones especially are VERY poor) but after watching The Church, The Sect and Dellamorte Dellamore i think i would rather have a load of excessive violence than a sleepfest. My personal pick of the Euro films is Manchester Morgue but that comes after ALL of George's movies (yes i not only like Land, i love it). But to be honest most US zombie films suck too :)

[EvilNed]

I will point out that 28 Days/Weeks Later aren't zombie films.


They are not zombies, but the film is a zombiefilm. It uses the same conventions as zombiefilms, and genres are NOT defined by small, unimportant details. They are defined by conventions. 28 Days/Weeks Later uses horror movie conventions and also zombiefilm conventions. It therefore falls into the zombie-film genre.

[3pidemiC]

Yeah, regadless of the technicalities of it I still condier them to be zombie films.

[Loneshambler]

Well, I don't know that I've seen enough European zombie films to really make a fair decision. I love Fulci's Zombi 2, even if it IS a bit boring in spots. I wasn't too crazy about City of the Living Dead, and The Beyond is the only other of his films that I've seen (that features zombie's briefly, but can hardly be considered a "zombie flick"). Hell of the Living Dead is great simply for being so incredibly bad, and the fact that the creators of that film (including hack director Bruno Mattei) went to suck great lengths to rip off Dawn of the Dead (1978), that he even ripped some of Goblin's music from the film. Now THAT's bold.

Seeing as Zombi 2 is praised as being one of the better Euro zombie movies, I can't imagine there is much else out there that is comparable to that, much less any of GAR's films. I'm going to have to side with American zombie flicks on this one, based on GAR's film's alone. The original "Dead trilogy" is just unmatched.

[clanglee]

"The Grapes of Death" Is a pretty decent psuedo-zombie flik. French film I believe. Really not quite zombies, but as EvilNed presented above, it falls into the zombie film category. If you haven't seen it, check it out. The cinematography is beautiful for a low budget horror movie. Gore is good. And there is nudity!! Always a bonus. :evil:

[EvilNed]

I just watched [REC] and it's definetly the best non-Romero zombiefilm I have ever seen. And it's without a doubt the scariest zombiefilm I've ever seen.

[major jay]

The reason I love European zombie films so much is because of how well they shamelessly rip off Romero's.
They come across as a bit of a tribute to him.
Zombi 3 is a good one.
It was codirected by Fulci and Mattei.