Zombie Films 'naturally' Cult?

[362311]

To what extent would you agree with the notion that the zombie film as a genre is naturally cult and if in agreement what films would you cite as the most important texts within the genre that provide the benchmark for what other zombie films can be measured by? Obviously Romero's works will be suggested; but beyond his films which directors and films do you find most culturally significant? Are rare foreign zombie flicks held in more esteem then their US counterparts for example? Also why do you think the zombie film has transcended horror as a genre and attracts such a dedicated following of fans and online communities? Is it purely their extravagant excess in gore and splatter or their ability to offer social and political commentary through such diverse means.

[Wyldwraith]

Well, I don't believe any genre is inherently likely to develop a cult following/become a cult classic. That said, I believe good zombie movies often achieve such status simply due to how derivative, remake/reinterpretation-oriented the horror genre has become. Literally the majority of box office offerings in a given year are either remakes of older successful films, book to movie conversions, sequels, or extensions of successful TV shows. On the topic of what zombie movies have been influential aside from GAR's...I would probably say the Resident Evil and Return films are next in line. The one offers a more standard, social commentary-free (or at least a minimum) look at the genre, and has had the money behind the franchise to move forward regardless of individual quality. The other opened the door/served as the genesis for the "Zomedy". I can't speak intelligently about foreign zombie flicks, because other than Uwe Boll's craptastic offerings I've simply never been interested in any of them. Not making any assertion either way as to their quality. I would LOVE to see the Survival Horror genre given more opportunities in general to make larger budget, studio-backed movies, because I feel there's only so far you can go with Indie films. Unfortunately, it seems like every time the major studios take a chance on one they get burned, because it turns out to be crap. (Example: The recent Crazies release) Until that changes I believe the genre will continue to draw closer to hitting a hard and fast plateau. BTW, I do NOT believe the solution lies in making the individual zombies more dangerous as so many scriptwriters seem to think lately. Rather I believe new territory as regards scale of the story being told, and more integrated views of the affected society's reactions are needed. WWZ wasn't so well like because it's just that awesome. It tried something different scale-wise, and the gamble paid off. Unfortunately, that leads us back to the core problem with movies of ALL kinds currently. Studios won't give healthy budgets to any movie they aren't nearly positive will generate X financial return, based on how the original did. It's understandable to an extent, but unless a solution is found to this conundrum, I foresee a day where former moviegoers as a whole refuse to shell out the ever-increasing amount of cash it takes for a night at the movies. Hollywood has lost touch with its roots as a creative pioneer, and unless/until they reconnect with them, there's no reason to believe the density of remakes/sequels/prequels/book-to-movie conversions and TV to movie conversions won't continue to increase. As a niche genre, Survival Horror just happens to be approaching Critical Disgust Mass a bit ahead of the curve.

[fulci fan]

Obviously Romero's works will be suggested; but beyond his films which directors and films do you find most culturally significant? Are rare foreign zombie flicks held in more esteem then their US counterparts for example?. It depends who you talk to. I think foreign horror is better than general, trendy American horror. There are only a few American directors that I would put on the same pedestal with my favorite Italian and Spanish directors. A lot of people hate European horror and zombie films. In my opinion, I think horror should be taken a bit more serious. I think that film schools should show Fulci and Romero films as much as they show the original King Kong and Casa Blanca. My favorite American directors are George Romero and John Carpenter by far. And I, of course, love Lucio Fulci. Some other European directors you might want to check out are Umberto Lenzi, Michele Soavi, Dario Argento, Mario and Lamberto Bava, Sergio Leone, Joe D'Amato, Ruggero Deodato, Andrea Bianchi, Jorge Grau, Amando de Ossorio, and any film with Paul Naschy.

[bd2999]

I think Romero's films have had the most influence by far and have the most cult status. It spawned the craze in Italy and other markets in the first place. And I think they were and are cult classics with real staying power. Out of the Italian films I think they are even a more select sort of cult film. They are very different than what you normally think of, and Fulcili for instance preferred visuals over plot at times. Making his movies somewhat confusing but very gory. I do not think they have the popularity of the Romero films but are important in their own way. They are a bit more artsy but at the same time that only goes so far alone. Other than that it is fairly hit or miss. I like Return of the Living Dead as much as anyone, but I do not think it's cultural impact was that big at all really. Recently if you were to ask me the movies that sort of revived the genre (for good or ill as it were) I would say 28 Days Later, Resident Evil, the Dawn of the Dead remake are probably the three that I think of. The former being a very good movie IMO although not true zombies as most of us understand them, Resident Evil was not a pure zombie movie and had problems and the last one causes a fire storm if you talk about it in the presents of some hardcore Dawn fans. I love the original Dawn, but the new one helped cement the running zombie back into things along with 28 Days. And that is what most people think of anymore.