QUARANTINE isn't exactly a zombie movie, but a mysterious disease that causes people to go crazy, and infect others by biting them is close enough... So, with QUARANTINE having hit UK cinemas last Friday, we're taking this time to look back at over 80 years of movies following the creepy undead and other disease films.
1930
1932 - White Zombie
Directed by Victor Halperin, the American horror film starred Bela Lugosi and was the first movie about zombies, in which a fiendish plantation owner uses the undead to work in his sugar mill (no problems with the unions then).
1936 - Revolt of the Zombies
Director Victor Halperin returns to zombie territory with this tale about a group of explorers heading over to Cambodia to destroy an ancient formula that turns men into zombies.
1940
1940 - The Ghost Breakers
American comic Bob Hope stars in this supernatural comedy with zombies.
1943 - Revenge of the Zombies
John Carradine plays a mad German scientist, working in the Louisiana swamps. Who's looking for ways to bring the dead back to life.
1943 - I walked with a zombie
A Canadian nurse has a brush with voodoo when she tries to find some scientific reason why one of her patients is mysteriously ill.
1950
1955 - Zombies of the Stratosphere
Martian "Zombies" plan on knocking earth out of the Stratosphere so that Mars can take its place.
1957 - Zombies of Mora Tau
A group of young treasure hunters battle the dead crewman of a sunken ship off the African coast.
1959 - Plan 9 from Outer Space
Considered the worst horror film of all time, this 50's B-movie by the notorious Ed Wood had space aliens attacking earth by resurrecting the dead to attack the living. Highlights include car hub caps dangling on fishing lines to represent flying saucers, cardboard gravestones and stock footage of Bela Lugosi filmed before his death.
1960
1960 - Creature of the Walking Dead
This "interesting" Mexican horror film, with a lot of new reshot footage from US director Jerry Warren has a mad scientist bringing a dead man back to life by sucking the living energy out of nubile young maidens.
1964 - The Last Man on Earth
Starring Vincent price, this was the first of 3 adaptations of the novel "I am Legend" and provided the inspiration for George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead".
1966 - Plague of the Zombies
Taking inspiration from "White Zombie", the hammer horror film transplants the action from a South-American sugar mill to a Cornish tin mine.
1968 - Night of the Living Dead
This black and white film, directed by George Romero is the first of five Dead films
and has been remade twice. This film is the originator of the modern day zombie film, in which the dead rise up to eat the flesh of the living.
1970
1971 - Tombs of the Blind Dead
Spanish director Amando de Ossorio releases the first of four films of undead templar knights riding zombie horses, who hunt by sound. 3 sequels followed.
1973 - Horror Express
Telly Savalas takes time out from playing Kojak to investigate zombies on board a train.
1973 - Return of the Blind Dead
Second of Amando de Ossorio's "Blind Dead" films sees the Templar Knights attacking a town.
1974 - Living Dead at Manchester Morgue
Spanish director George Grau remade "Night of the Living Dead", but set it in the Lake District (some distance away from the city on the films title).
1974 - Ghost Galleon
Also known as "Horror of the Zombies", this third of of Amando de Ossorio's "Blind Dead" films sees the Templar Knights all at sea in a film co-incidentally similar to John Carpenters "The Fog".
1974 - Night of the Seagulls
The fourth and final "Blind Dead" film has a local doctor trying to thwart attempts by local villagers from sacrificing young maidens to the Templar Knights.
1978 - Dawn of the Dead
Second in Romero's Dead series, this film shows the apocalyptic effect of a zombie epidemic whilst a group of survivors hold up inside a shopping mall.
1979 - Zombie Flesh-Eaters
Italian director Lucio Fulci produced this zombie gore fest to cash in on the international success of "Dawn of the Dead"
1980
1981 - The Evil Dead
Directed by Sam Raimi who would go on to direct the "Spiderman" films, this cult classic spawned two sequels, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness.
1981 - Nights of Terror
Also known as "Zombie Dead" and "Burial Ground", this Italian shocker featured badly made up zombies attacking a bunch or guests at a manor house, including an ugly dwarf posing as a 12 year old.
1985 - Day of the Dead
Third of George Romero's "Dead" series, this time about a group of scientists and soldiers trying to survive together in an underground bunker.
1985 - Return on the Living Dead
Often regarded as the illegitimate son of "Night of the Living Dead", this horror comedy saw a group of punk rockers taking shelter in a local mortuary when the dead start to rise from their graves.
1985 - Re-Animator
Based on a story by HP Lovecraft, a medical student invents a glowing green serum that brings the dead back to life.
1987 - Evil Dead 2
More problems for Bruce Campbell as he returns to the cavern in the woods.
1988 - Return of the Living Dead 2
The dead are on the march again, this time terrorising a town.
1990
1990 - Night of the Living Dead (remake)
Special effects magician Tom Savini directed this "official" remake of George Romero's original 1968 film.
1991 - Re-Animator 2 : Bride of Re-Animator
Herbert West returns in this cheeky reworking of "Bride of Frankenstein".
1992 - Braindead
Before Peter Jackson became a household name with his "Lord of the Rings" films, he cut his cinematic teeth with exceptionally gory horror films, such as this grotesque horror comedy which features an army of zombies, a mutant baby and a kick boxing vicar!
1993 - Army of Darkness
Third of the Evil Dead films sees Bruce Campbell battling zombies in medieval England.
1993 - Return of the Living Dead 3
Ditching the "jokey" atmosphere of the previous films, this movie about a boy and his "zombie" girlfriend was directed by Re-Animator creator "Brian Yuzna"
2000
2002 - 28 Days Later
This post-apocalyptic science fiction film set in London shows the destruction of society after a contagious virus is released. Led to a sequel and a graphic novel.
2002 - Resident Evil
One of the first zombie films based on a popular computer game.
2003 - Beyond Re-Animator
After 12 long year Herbert West returns again and is now raising hell at the county jail (literally).
2004 - Dawn of the Dead (remake)
Zack Snyder's remake of the 1978 original has zombies running like hell.
2004 - Resident Evil : Apocalypse
Second of the video game inspired films see's the zombies on the march in Racoon city.
2005 - Return of the Living Dead 4: Necropolis
After a 20 year absence the "Living Dead" return.
2005 - Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave
2005 - Land of the Dead
Last of Romero's original lineage of "Dead" films, but more zombie movies would follow.
2007 - 28 Weeks Later
The infected return, this time to plague Robert Carlisle.
2007 - Resident Evil : Extiction
Third of the video game based films sees the films leading characters battling zombies out in a decimated Las Vegas.
2007 - Diary of the Dead
George Romero starts afresh with a new zombie outbreak.
2007 - Rec
Co-directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, this Spanish horror film is the inspiration for Quarantine
2008 - Zombie Strippers
It's got zombies and strippers in, what more's to say ?
2008 - Quarantine
On March 11, 2008, with no explanation, authorities sealed off an apartment complex in Los Angeles. The residents were never seen again. No details. No witnesses. No evidence.Until now...
Quarantine was released November 21st through Sony Pictures.
Article compiled by Simon Taylor (The Dark Angel of Horror)
www.realmofhorror.co.uk
