My poll 44 is inspired by a conversation with an American. He talked to me about how the middle-class in Bangkok are living their lives in department stores and are oblivious to the facts about the reality of Thailand and the poor people of Thailand. His description about the class problem of Thailand makes me feel as if I was living in LAND OF THE DEAD. So I think it’s time I should make a list of favorite zombie films I have seen.
When I was a little child, I used to like the fact that many people in Thailand choose to cremate the bodies of their relatives, because that’s mean Thailand would have less zombie problems than other countries in which the burial is more popular than the cremation. When I grew up, I came to understand that zombies in many films may have metaphorical meanings, other than being scary things.
I regret I haven’t seen many classic or great zombie films, such as Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DAY OF THE DEAD. I also haven’t seen FIDO, LES REVENANTS (2004, Robin Campillo) and ZOMBIE STRIPPERS! (2008, Jay Lee).
THESE FILMS ARE ABOUT ZOMBIES. WHICH FILMS DO YOU LIKE?
1.CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS (1972, Bob Clark, USA)
2.DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978, George A. Romero, USA)
3.DEAD SNACK (ขอขบเคี้ยวสักนิดก็ยังดี) (2008, Pichanund Laohapornsvan, Thailand)
This is a short film.
4.DIARY OF THE DEAD (2007, George A. Romero, USA)
5.GHOSTS OF MARS (2001, John Carpenter, USA)
6.HOMECOMING (2005, Joe Dante, USA)
Some parts of this film make me want to cry. I also think this film should be adapted for Thailand, because a part of this film is about zombies who try to protest the right-wing who cheat the general election. If it is remade in Thailand, maybe it should be called ZOMBIES VS. COCKROACH GOVERNMENT.
7.I, ZOMBIE: THE CHRONICLES OF PAIN (1998, Andrew Parkinson, UK)
This zombie film concerns with lonely feelings like Wong Kar-wai’s films.
8.LAND OF THE DEAD (2005, George A. Romero, USA)
9.LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE (1974, Jorge Grau, Spain/Italy)
10.OTTO; OR UP WITH DEAD PEOPLE (2008, Bruce La Bruce, Germany/Canada)
11.PLANET TERROR (2007, Robert Rodriguez, USA)
12.PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987, John Carpenter, USA)
13.RESURRECTION (2008, Sorrawis Rawitiwagul + Harin Paesongthai, Thailand)
This is a short film.
14.SARS WARS (2004, Taweewat Wantha, Thailand)
Wise Kwai wrote about this funny film here:
http://thaifilmjournal.blogspot.com/2005/04/review-sars-wars.html
http://thaifilmjournal.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-dvd-in-hong-kong-sars-wars.html
15.SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004, Edgar Wright, UK)
16.28 DAYS LATER...(2002, Danny Boyle, UK)
17.28 WEEKS LATER (2007, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Spain)
18.UNDEAD (2002, Peter Spierig + Michael Spierig, Australia)
19.ZOMBIE CHICK (อีสาวซากดิบ) (2007, Thitimon Mongkolsawat, Thailand)
This is a short film.
20.ZOMBIE SELF-DEFENSE FORCE (2005, Naoyuki Tomomatsu, Japan)
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14 comments:
My own vote is for DEAD SNACK, DIARY OF THE DEAD, HOMECOMING, LAND OF THE DEAD, OTTO OR UP WITH DEAD PEOPLE, and PLANET TERROR. I like the twin sisters in PLANET TERROR very much.
because i'm a big fan of ZOMBIE FILMS (i think you know that) so ivoted for all movies i've seen including DIARY OF THE DEAD/ I, ZOMBIE: THE CHRONICLES OF PAIN/ LAND OF THE DEAD ./LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE/ OTTO; OR UP WITH DEAD PEOPLE /PLANET TERROR/ .SARS WARS /SHAUN OF THE DEAD /28 DAYS LATER... /28 WEEKS LATER / UNDEAD/ .ZOMBIE CHICK (อีสาวซากดิบ)
i love I, ZOMBIE i think it shows pain of solitude , being freak teuly zombie!
I'm especially intrigued by the idea of Thai zombie movies, and I've had the same thoughts as your American friend, about Bangkokians walking around in a zombified state. We are all zombies.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul at one time was set to make a movie called ZOMBIE TRUCK for Sahamongkol, but that deal fell through.
I'd still like to see that movie someday.
I am behind in my zombie movie viewing, so there are many I have yet to see.
SARS WARS, obviously and wholeheartedly gets my vote. But also SHAUN OF THE DEAD, 28 DAYS LATER and PLANET TERROR.
And yeah, LAND OF THE DEAD. I even enjoyed the RESIDENT EVIL films.
By the way, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is in the public domain, and it's freely downloadable from the Internet Archive.
Great poll! You should check out the early Val Lewton zombie films such as I Walked With A Zombie.
I am sure you remember Stefan Popescu an Australian who made extreme cult experimental films. He said he would shoot a zombie film in Thailand. I hope he can find some spare time left from organizing his yearly Sydney Underground Film Festival.
--Filmsick, I need to thank you for all the DVDs + VCDs you gave me, including CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS, I ZOMBIE, LET SLEEPING CORPSES LIE, and ROMERO’S DAWN OF THE DEAD. Without your gifts, this list wouldn’t exist.
--WiseKwai, I didn’t know about the ZOMBIE TRUCK project. It sounds very interesting.
There’s another Thai zombie film I saw. It’s CURSE OF THE SUN (2004, Anat Yuang-ngern + Kittipong Panyataweesap, C), but I don’t like this film, so I didn’t include it in the poll. However, I like the next film by Anat Yuang-ngern very much. It’s THE BRUTAL RIVER (2005, A-), which is about a killer crocodile. I don’t know why the qualities of these two films are very much different, though Anat directed both of them.
http://www.thaifilmdb.com/en/tt00398
I like RESIDENT EVIL (A-), and RESIDENT EVIL 3 (A-), though I think RESIDENT EVIL 2 (B ) is boring. I think RESIDENT EVIL is exciting, and I like some ideas in RESIDENT EVIL 3, such as the zombie crows and the moment when Milla Jovovich regained consciousness and started fighting again.
--Matthew, I hope to see I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE soon.
--Filmvirus, yes, I remember Stefan Popescu. One of his short films is very creepy. I think it would be great if he can direct a zombie film in Thailand as he wishes.
--Has anyone seen ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST (1980, Marino Girolami)? I think its synopsis is very funny.
I wonder whether we can call these characters Zombie or not?
-The pets and human in Pet Sematary.
-Beetlejuices
-Both ladies in Death Becomes Her
-Many characters in Body Snatcher
: )
Yes, I was lucky enough to see Zombie Holocaust in 35mm, introduced by excellent horror-film critic Kim Newman. It's a fun film, the highlight being a zombie getting attacked by an outboard motor!
dear VESPERTINE
i think two ladies in DEATH BECOME HERS was very fit in ZOMBIE TYPE (no brain no death haha)
Voted. Our fav is '28 Days Later'.
I like how a Zombie functions. Slow and in a slumber state. Works together in groups. A different kind of "ghost" I should say. Something you can almost feel like you can handle.
See, I don't like it when they can run. Pretty much like when a cockroach can fly. Just too damn out of control. It kills all the beauties.
Still, DAWN OF THE DEAD is awesome! Just because I don't really have to met one myself.
I would like to see Homcoming so much
Now'I choose Otto and 28 Weeks Later
--Vespertine, your question is very interesting. I don’t know the definition of zombies, but I think most zombies have the capacity of infection, so I’m not sure if the living dead who can’t infect other people are zombies or not.
I am confused sometimes, too. I thought the monsters in I AM LEGEND (2007, Francis Lawrence) are zombies, but they are actually categorized as vampires.
--Matthew, thank for the information on ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST. This film was shown in Thailand when I was a little child. I didn’t go to see it, but I still remember its Thai title, which can be translated as CANNIBALS EAT ZOMBIES.
--1minutefilmreview, thank very much for your vote. I haven’t seen the new film by Danny Boyle yet, but he can direct great films in many genres. I don’t know if he can be considered an auteur or not.
--Boat, I think flying cockroaches are very frightening, but what is more frightening are cockroaches who become prime minister and government members. Hahaha.
--Initial A, I definitely recommend HOMECOMING. I also like what Joe Dante said very much. He said that HOMECOMING is a horror film because most characters in this film are Republicans.
the reason i wrote about those 4 movies are..
-The pets and human in Pet Sematary.
I think it is actually Zombie cause it is living dead. The appearance of the dead child and dead wife is actually zombie. But i m not sure if it is infected.
-Beetlejuices
I think the overall appearance of Beetlejuice is zombie. But he has a twistm cause he has so many magic and he is living in a dream.
-Both ladies in Death Becomes Her.
It's the same as Pet Semetary.
-Many characters in Body Snatcher.
Your comment about I Am Legend made me think about another movie : 30 Days of Night which is a vampire movie but it moves like zombie.
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