My Top 10 Halloween episodes from live-action TV shows

For every TV series I grew up with or still watch today, I always look forward to the annual Halloween episode. It’s a special time when an all too familiar TV program can get a spooky makeover and swim with the best of what my favorite holiday has to offer. Years ago, I counted down my 10 favorite Halloween episodes from animated TV programs, but now it’s time to come back around with episodes from live action TV shows. Most of them are from Sit-com’s, which can range from childhood to adult audiences. This isn’t a list based on popularity, it’s just the Halloween themed episodes that have stuck with me the most, whether it be from my childhood or adulthood. Also, only one Halloween episode per series, otherwise I'd need to make this a top 30 list. With all that said, here are my personal top 10 favorite Halloween episodes from live action TV shows.

#10 “Boo!” - Roseanne (Season 2: Episode 7) 

Roseanne Barr is often regarded as the original queen of Halloween, as she’s the one who jump started the tradition of annual Halloween episodes. It’s a common place now days for Sit-coms to have the mandatory Halloween episode, but it wasn’t so popular prior to the mid-80’s. It was a time when the network didn’t feel comfortable releasing anything Halloween related, but Roseanne Barr was really passionate about bringing the holiday to her sit-come, and she went all out to create the feel of a Halloween at home, which was such a success that every Sit-com to follow tried to recreate the same winning formula. So, in a unique way, we have Roseanne Barr to thank for the popularity of annual Halloween episodes. Her first spooky episode “Boo!” is about as simple as they get, with no supernatural oddities, it’s just Halloween in an overly decorated home, with a walk in haunted house, and the parents hilariously trying to out prank one-another. As a kid, I was always jealous that I couldn’t create an indoor haunted house as detailed as there’s, but then again … I didn’t have a TV budget.

#9 “Epidemiology” – “Community” (Season 2: Episode 6) 

While at a Halloween costume party, the students of Greendale accidentally ingest a bio hazardous substance that’s slowly turning everyone into flesh eating zombies. 

The building gets locked down, and the remaining students need to rely on their wit, reflexes and pop-cultural knowledge to stay alive. So, “Community” has never been the most subtle of comedy shows, but still … a full-on zombie epidemic is about as epic-ly over-the-top as Halloween specials can get. The episode channels the same tone of “Shaun of the Dead” mixing its comedy with high stake zombie attacks. The zombie action on display is slightly horrific, yet hilariously paired with a play-list of ABBA songs in the background. Normally something as outlandish as this would end up being a dream the whole time, but this was an actual event, and for as silly as it got, the stakes were still real. Thanks to some government officers containing the problem, the students get their memories erased, and forget they had the most epic, yet disturbed Halloween party ever.   

#8 “The Ghost in Suite 613” – The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (Season 1: Episode 19) 

This show marked the last Sit-com I’d watch before outgrowing Disney channel all together, in fact I never even finished watching this show past its second season. Regardless, I still have some nostalgia reserved for its first spooky themed venture, which always stood out to me as one of the best Halloween episodes of any Disney Channel program. Tales of a haunted hotel room peak the interests of mischievous pranksters Zack and Cody, and a wager is made to see who will last in the room longest before freaking out. It’s a goofy battle of siblings trying to out prank one-another, yet little do they know … the room is in fact haunted. This episode is outrageous in every sense of the word, and it’s a lot of fun as a result. With lots of silly spooky encounters, an over the top Séance, and one amusing gag after another. The highlight is just seeing all the details of this one location come to life, from a possessed mirror, to a goofy dancing skeleton … it’s absolutely bonkers, and all around one of the better Disney Halloween staples. 

#7 "All-New Halloween Spooktacular" - Wandavision (Season 1: Episode 8)

The former Avenger, The Scarlet Witch, has set-up her own fairytale world, in which she has kids of her own, and her late lover, as well as her late brother are both sill alive ... and quietly living out their lives like a regular neighborhood family. However, it's on Halloween night that the horrifying truth starts to rear it's ugly head ... and many begin to suspect that something isn't quiet right. Seeing The Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and Vision in cheaper looking Halloween costumes of their regular forms, is a treat in of itself. However, it's more then just a novelty, as this episode channels an effectively eerie atmosphere, as characters come closer to discovering secrets ... as well as new dangers along with them. As far as Live-Action Marvel shows are concerned ... I fond "Wandavision" to be a mixed bag ... but this Halloween episode was definitely a highlight.   

#6 “Stevil” – Family Matters (Season 8: Episode 7) 

Good old “Family Matters”, it started as a simple family sit-com, but was changed when one Steve Urkel entered the picture, and became the center of attention as the show’s delightful goofball … you can only imagine what kind of fun mischief he’d get into on Halloween. Well, near the end of the show, things get absolutely insane on Halloween night, as we meet a ventriloquist's dummy adorning the looks of Urkel, and it just happens to be alive ... and evil. Yeah, an evil Urkel dummy that’s terrorizing the Winslows, leaving Steve the only one who can stop the nasty puppet. It’s as goofy and over the top as it sounds, but that’s why it stands out as the most memorable of the shows Halloween episodes. Urkel naturally has his funny highlights, but the wicked dummy named Stevil is equally amusing with his share of looney quirks. His methods of disposing the Winslows are both creative and enjoyably silly. There’s a nod to the “Twilight Zone” with one family member getting transformed into a Jack-in-the-box, and there’s kind of disturbing moment in which Carl Winslow becomes a puppet himself. This is how I like my Halloween specials the most, cartoony, over the top, and completely breaking away from the norm. Although, in the life of Steve Urkel, there’s probably nuttier things then a living dummy.  
       

#5 “Don’t Have a Cow” – That’s So Raven (Season 2: Episode 2) 

Raven was like a figurehead of my young-adult’s generation … and I’m just as guilty of watching her show as everyone else from the early 2000’s. Her Halloween episode titled “Don’t Have a Cow” always stuck with me as one of the most unique and bizarre of any special. Desperate to go to an up-scale Halloween costume party, Raven and her best friend dabble into some forbidden arts to grant a single wish … go to the party with the absolute best costumes. Well, sometimes you get what you wish for! Their wish apparently comes with a jinx of sorts, and slowly transforms them into cows. Seeing their transformation gradually occur leads to some fun make-up designs, as well as leads to some funny … odd ball moments. Actually, looking back, I think this was one of the funniest episodes of the whole show, as its strength is seeing these charismatic leads react to this goofy situation.  

#4 “Halloween” – “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (Season 2: Episode 6) 

As her title suggests, Buffy is no stranger to fighting off dark creatures of the night. However, Halloween night has a distinct power all on its own, and can twist the bravest of vampire slayers into cowards. A mysterious costume shop opens just in time for trick r’ treat, and everyone, including Buffy and her friends all get new costumes. Buffy, feeling a disconnect to her femininity wants to go out as a fair maiden from mid-evil times, while her timed boyfriend goes as a soldier. In an exciting twist, the costume shop was a trap set by the villains, and now a curse is unleashed, transforming everyone into what they dressed as for trick r’ treat. Kids dressed as little monsters become monsters, Buffy’s closest friend becomes a real ghost, while her boy friend gets to be a heroic trooper, and Buffy herself is now a frightened damsel ... making her easy prey for the real vampires. The concept of becoming what you ware for Halloween has been done before in “The Simpsons” and “Halloweentown” movies, but it’s pulled off with great skill here, and turns out a very fun Halloween venture with our titular vampire slayer.
       

#3 “Hex and the Single Guy” – “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (Season 4: Episode 7) 

Of all the sit-comes I’ve actively watched … I love me some “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. It’s my absolute favorite sit-com without question, and young Will Smith as himself is one of my all-time favorite TV character performances. Naturally, I had to include a Halloween episode from this series on principle, and the funniest in my opinion is this little gem from the fourth season. 

It’s Halloween night, and the still grief-stricken Hilary seeks out a “Spirit Channeler” in hopes of contacting her dead fiancé. Will and company join her, and when they meet the “Channeler”, we discover it’s actually Otho from “Beetlejuice” … and he’s still messing with spirits. Will Smith calls him out as a fake, which outrages the Channeler something awful, and thus he puts a curse on our Fresh Prince. The next day, we see Will brings constant bad luck to the family, to the point where they don’t want him in the house anymore, that is unless he can lift the hex. Seeing these characters take on Halloween is instant gold, and the witty lines practically write themselves. Some of the funniest quips include Will’s reaction to a door mysteriously opening on its own, Hilary’s reaction to a vibrating table, and Carlton going out Trick r’ Treating as Macaulay Culkin. It’s just a really funny episode, and one that plays to all the characters strengths.

#2 “The Haunted Mask” – Goosebumps (Season 1: Episode 1) 

“Goosebums” was hands down my favorite “Spooky Themed” TV program, and featured a number of episodes that became personal staples for Halloween. The big one being “The Haunted Mask”, which has been ingrained in my mind as an annual October classic. Carly Beth can’t go anywhere without being picked on by either bullies or family members, and now she’s out for revenge. Desperate, she steals a Halloween mask from a new store, against the storekeeper's warnings. However, the mask begins to change her personality and melds with her body when she wears it. Clearly, she got more then she bargained for, as she’s now taking on the appearance of a living monster. There’s just something about the look and feel of this episode that’s always stuck with me as eerie, yet exciting. It’s just a classic “Goosebumps” venture, with a memorable center villain, and it has a great premise to go along with the Halloween season.

Before I reveal my number 1 favorite, here are some honorable mentions …

 “The Haunting of Taylor House” – (Home Improvement)

“A Very Scary Story” - (Even Stevens) 

“Slutty Pumpkin” - (How I Met Your Mother)  

“Night of the Day of the Dead” - (Lizzie McGuire) 

“The Rocky Horror Glee Show” - (Glee) 

#1 “Good Will Haunting” – Sabrina: The Teenage Witch (Season 3: Episode 56)  

It’s Halloween again, and another family gathering is upon the Spellman family. Sabrina this time is spared from going to a boring family social, and decides to host a double date at her house, where everyone watches “scary movies”. However, Sabrina’s great aunt Bula is determined to make sure she has some spooky fun, and thus mails her an evil doll named Molly. Once the doll comes to life, she terrorizes the house guests, locks them in the house, kills the power and unleashes all the classic monsters like Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Bride of Dracula and the Wolfman. Even the Invisible Man makes a cameo as a delivery guy. Meanwhile, Sabrina’s aunts find out that their family party is in-fact a façade to lure people into an insane asylum that no-one is allowed to escape from. 

Thus, the chase is on as Sabrina and friends try to survive being trapped in a house with an evil doll and killer monsters, while her aunts try to escape a loony bin full of crazies. Strait to the point, this is my favorite of Sabrina’s Halloween episodes by far, and it’s personally my favorite of all Halloween episodes from live action TV shows. Everything about this one just screams Halloween, from seeing all the classic monsters, to a musical chase set to Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash”, and the episode is even book ended with the talking black cat Salem acting like a TV horror host in a gothic setting. The Molly Dolly also makes for a great one-shot holiday villain, and is a loving homage to Talking Teena from “The Twilight Zone”. 

She’s also voiced by the great Tress MacNeille, who’s best known for voicing cartoon characters like Gadget from “Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers” and Dot from “Animaniacs”. Sabrina’s loony great Aunt Bula is also a very fun one-shot character. Other note-worthy guest appearances include the late Gary Owens, as well as the “then living” cast members of the comedy show “Laugh-In”. All in all, even if you have no interest in this show as a whole, and only care to binge watch Halloween episodes from select sitcoms, this is one I’d recommend checking out. The jokes are great, the premise is great, the villain is great, the holiday is present in every frame, and there’s no shortage of talented guest stars. 

  
Thanks for reading my countdown, and let's continue to make every day in October feel like Halloween. 

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) (Movie Review)

  What happens when a movie approaches it’s 100-year anniversary … well … I feel the instinct to give credit where it’s due. While some would argue that the horror genera’s first true classic was the 1922 silent picture “Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror”, it really wasn’t the one that set the template for the genera to draw inspiration from. That distinction would go to the 1920 silent picture “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”. Wow … 100 years … and still this movie has inspired countless filmmakers, and remains an important piece of horror history. The first time I heard of this movie was back when the legendary late critics Jean Siskel and Roger Ebert reviewed 1993’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. Siskel commented that the look of the film was something entirely unique, to which Ebert said he had only scene one other film that resembled the look of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, and naturally he said it was “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”. That alone peaked my interest, and after seeing the movie for myself, it became very clear that just about every one of Tim Burton’s movies pays some kind of visual homage to this movie. Even the classic Universal Monster movies of the 30’s were visually taking inspiration from this film. Beyond the striking imagery, it started a number of story conventions that would be replicated over the years. So, in a strange way, this is more than a tribute to a 100-year-old movie, it could arguably be the 100-year anniversary of the entire horror genera. 

 

  My favorite scene of the whole film is honestly the establishing shot of our tinny German town setting called Holstenwall … which is a shadowy village, full of twisted buildings, and spiraling streets. While it’s obviously a map painting, there’s something inherently chilling about its simplicity, as if it’s pulling me into a world that’s a living nightmare. All the houses look like dead leaves against a fearsome rockface, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this inspired the Disney artists with the opening village shot of “Night on Bald Mountain” from “Fantasia”. One day, a traveling circus rolls into town, led by a mysterious hypnotist named Dr. Caligari. It’s a one man show, in which he claims he carries something incredible within his cabinet, something that will change the lives of all who view it. Turns out that lying dormant in his cabinet is a creature named Cesar, who’s a “Sleep-Walker” under the Doctors control, and has the power to foretell anyone’s future. Observing the show is a village man named Francis, along with his best friend … who asks what lies ahead in his future. The Sleep-Walker Cesar simply responds by saying … “he won’t live to see tomorrow morning”. Sure enough, Francis discovers that his friend is in-fact dead … or perhaps he was murdered. Soon, more mysterious deaths start accruing, and Francis is determined to find out if the visiting Caligari, and his monster are somehow involved.  

 

   Without question, the highlight of this film is its overall visual look, and design. It became a common look in further silent horror movies released in Germany, and pioneered what we’ve come to know as “German Expressionism”. 

This is when the artist's inner feelings or ideas are emphasized over a replication of our reality, and reality in turn is characterized by simplified shapes, bright colors, and gestural marks. I don’t mean to spoil the ending so soon, but the unfolding events are told as a story from the point of a view of an apparent mad man. Thus, the twisted architecture, and slanted objects all have subtext, as it can be interpreted as a dream world that lies within the mind of a psychopath. All the windows have a pointed frame, as if drawing the audience’s attention to something important in a scene, which is really cool. Even the characters and their movements feel like their one with the environment, and setting. In general, I’ve actually watched a number of silent films, and personally … I think horror lends itself best to silent cinema better than any other genera. Horror can be conveyed so effectively through visuals, atmosphere, and mood, to the point where silent horror seems to have aged better then contemporary scary films. My two personal favorite silent horror movies are the 1926 film called “Faust”, and the 1922 film called “Haxan”, both of which generally got under my skin, and frightened me more than any current decade horror movie ever did. While “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” admittedly didn’t scare me the same way “Haxan” did, it still maintains a nightmarish atmosphere and mood, which is still very impressive for such an old film.

  Also impressive for its time was its subtle use of political commentary … or maybe it was obvious for its time, but it’s not something we think of when watching years later. In the wake of World War 1, the villain Dr. Caligari represented an all controlling authoritarian figure or dictator, while his Sleep Walker Cesare represents the brain washed subjects who mindlessly follow a tyrant’s will. On that note, this was one of the first movies to set the template of a villain who’s a main physical threat, while an intelligent threat controls the game behind the scenes … kind of like Darth Vader and the Emperor from “Star Wars”. Werner Krauss plays Dr. Caligari with great conviction, and the Sleepwalker Cesare was played by Conrad Veidt, who was quiet the influence on some our most ionic villains. In 1928, he stared as the main lead in “The Man Who Laughs”, which became the inspiration behind the creation of Batman's arch rival … The Joker. In fact, Joaquin Phoenix emulated a lot of Conrad Veidt’s performance, like when he puts his fingers in his mouth and makes a smile. In the 1940 picture “The Thief of Baghdad”, Conrad played a villain called Jaffar, who would be the prime influence on the Disney villain Jafar. At last, he would ladder play the main villain in “Casablanca”, one of the most acclaimed movies of all time.

  It also goes without saying that … as one of the very first horror movies ever made, it’s responsible for kick-starting some of the genera’s most imitated clichés. When the Sleep Walker claims his first victim, he stabs him to death with a knife, which was shocking for it’s time … even though it’s only shown as a shadowy silhouette. Over the years, even more stabbing scenes would shock audiences, with 1960’s “Psycho” being the big one that has yet to be surpassed. Arguably the most famous scene of this movie is when the Sleep Walker is sent to slay the lead girl, which is a slow-building scene, and would be emulated again in “Frankenstein”. In a twist, the monster refuses to kill her, finds a curious romantic interest in her, and carries her off into the night. Even if you’ve never seen “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”, you may be familiar with this iconic image of the monster carrying off the girl, which has visually been replicated in dozens of monster movies … most famously in “King Kong”. Just like with all the classic monsters, it’s affection for the girl becomes his down fall, as he’s chased down by an angry mob, and after failing to escape … the beast is killed. Typically, this is when the movie would end, but there’s still a lot of movie left, as our hero Francis goes on an investigation to find out just who this Dr. Caligari really is. This is when the movie loses me, as it just feels repetitive, and without the monster, there’s less tension or excitement.  

  We then come to the big twist ending … which could well be the first big movie twist in horror cinema. Turns out that our hero Francis … this whole time … was an inmate at an asylum, leaving the audience wondering if anything really happened, or if it was just a story that came from the mind of a mad-man. All the people at the asylum seem to represent the characters from his story, and the warden bears a striking resemblance to Caligari. Just as things start to close to black, the movie holds on the warden’s face … almost suggesting that he’s getting away with something sinister. If you watch the audio dubbed version, this final shot is paired with a wicked laugh … so, there’s definitely a deception of some sort going on. It’s a decent enough ending, and salvages what was a mostly boring third-act up till that point. While on the subject, there is a dubbed version of the film, which also includes added sounds and sped-up footage. While unmistakably the more engaging version, it dose spoil the calm-atmosphere and mood of its original silent presentation. It’s really up to personal taste on which version is superior, and as for me … I find the voice acting in the audio version to be incredibly one-note, and spoils the theatrical presentations through the actor’s physical performances.   

         

  In the end, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is a movie that I respect as a piece of film history, but it really isn’t one of my favorites either. That’s no stab at silent cinema either, as I’ve seen a number of films from the genera, and found some that genuinely hold-up as good movies on their own. While “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is good, and looks amazing … I just can’t say it drew me into its world the same way others have. Heck, I’ve seen other silent movies that legit gave me chills from head to toe, and I just kept waiting for this movie to thrill me with the same kind of hypnotic atmosphere. Regardless, it’s still a movie worth looking back on for what it started, and even if I don’t call it one of my personal favorites … I can at least see why others would deem it as such, and find both appeal and appreciation in it. Happy 100 years!

Thanks for reading my review of the 1920 horror original “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” … and treat yourself to one good scare this October. 

My Top 10 Zombie Ventures

October 2019 marks the premier of the long-awaited sequel “Zombieland: Double Tap”, and in a strange way, it almost marks the end of an era. Zombies were arguably the hottest horror topic for years, leading to what has been referred to as the Zombie Crazed generation. However, the fad seems to be dying down, and while there will always be zombies in our pop culture, they just aren’t quiet as popular as they were ten years ago, when the zombie craze really ignited. Obviously, zombies have been present in our pop culture for years, and with so many featured in our movies and TV shows, it’s almost overwhelming. As such, I suggest sticking to the absolute best of the zombie genera, which leads me to this countdown. I’m not trying to make any kind of official best of list, I’m just going to countdown my own personal top 10 favorite zombie ventures from either the movies or TV. As a side note, even though I’m a fan of the “Left for Dead” games, I won’t be including any video games or novels on this list.  

 

  

#10 “World War Z” (2013) 

It was right at the height of the zombie craze that this Blockbuster came along to deliver some big screen thrills, and it actually marked my first time ever seeing a zombie movie in the theater. While inferior to its source material, “World War Z” was one of the first to bring a zombie epidemic to life on a far grander, global scope then what we’d seen before, and featured some truly epic zombie attacks. Brad Pitt delivers a committed performance, the thrills are genuine, and again, it was just exciting to see zombies on this grand a scale. It’s by no means a horror classic, but a perfectly welcome addition to the genre all the same.   

#9 “Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island” (1998) 

Here it is, the spooky child-hood venture that introduced me to zombies in the first place. Don’t let the presence of the famous cartoon character through you off, because this makes for a genuinely fun, and thrilling zombie venture on its own, and it’s a personal favorite of mine to this day. 

As the title suggests, Scooby-Doo and the gang journey to an island to solve the mystery of disappearing bodies and haunted claims. It may seem average on the surface, but once the sun sets, supernatural oddities come about, dark secrets of the island’s history are explored, and an army of zombies awaken to terrorize our hero’s. The story is respectfully multilayered, there’s a mostly challenging mystery slowly being unraveled, some clever twists, the danger was legitimate, and I feel it’s the closest that Scooby-Doo ever came to being genuinely scary. No joke, the ending gets surprisingly dark … certainly darker than anything else in the franchise. Also, the soundtrack rocked, especially with the theme song “Terror Time Again”, which is easily one of my favorite songs to listen to during October. Personally, I think “Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island” is the absolute best thing to ever come out under the character’s name, and one that even non-fans might be able to get behind. This film is almost too good for Scooby-Doo, and probably would have made for a great spooky zombie adventure without him.  

#8 “The Return of the Living Dead” (1985) 

The title may mislead some people to think this film is tied in with the classic zombie series that began with “Night of the Living Dead”, but this is a completely original film, and one that stands as a staple of 80’s horror cinema. It masterfully combines gory zombie action with a goofy overtone, and features unique zombies that have rarely been duplicated in other films. These zombies can talk, they can’t be killed by destroying their heads, and they specifically eat brains. This is where the famous zombie quote … “BRAINS” … came about. These are also some of the greatest looking zombie makeup designs of the whole genera, and they still surpass what we mostly see today in terms of gory creature designs. The stakes are higher, the fun factor is upped to ten, and the creature designs are stunning, which make this a mandatory film for long time zombie fans to see.  

#7 “28 Days Later” (2003) 

After hitting it out of the park in the 80’s, zombie movies quietly died down through the 90’s, but where then re-awakened with yet another horror classic … “28 Days Later”. It was at the dawn of the 2000’s, and one could make the argument that this film launched our modern-day zombie popularity. Like it’s classic predecessors, this film combined it’s thrilling zombie attacks with political allegories, as well as added something new to the formula that had never been seen before … zombies that can run fast. This is where the notion of the marathon running zombies first took shape, and changed the face of the genera through the early 2000’s. Bounded by the kinetic direction of Danny Boyle, and populated with a strong human cast, “28 Days Later” succeeded in making zombies scary again, and it’s a recognized horror classic in it’s own right.

#6 “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) 

Here it is, the horror movie legend that started it all, and put zombies in our main stream pop-culture. This is the film that set all the classic staples of the general, depicting ravenous gore, along with political undercurrents, and it set the rules for how zombies should be portrayed on film. Don’t let the films Black and White, low-budget look throw you off, because after all these years, this film still remains one of the most disturbing of the genera. Personally, I think this film features the absolute scariest zombie scene of all time, in which a little zombie girl picks up a sharp object … and stabs the crap out of her own mother. On that note, this is a rare zombie movie that features the dead using old human instincts, like using bricks and other objects as weapons. With its disturbing visuals, horrific sound design, and shocking ending … this is the definitive zombie classic, and the one the genera owes everything too.  

#5 “Shaun of the Dead” (2004) 

Here’s a rare case in which a silly spoof on zombie tropes escaped its goofy trappings, and has sense been declared a modern classic in its own right, and one that people regularly watch around the Halloween season. With the combined talents of director Edgar Wright and star Simon Pegg, they crafted a film that was far better than it had any right to be. Beyond being extremely funny, this film one-ups the witty social satire present in “Dawn of the Dead”, to the point where it compares regular everyday people to zombies. It’s all very clever, and when matched with the films wildly creative editing, and camera work, you could almost view “Shaun of the Dead” as the figurative “Citizen Kane” of all zombie movies. The film is also credible for maintaining the same spirit, tension and drama of any great zombie film, to fit right along side all it’s goofy wit and hummer. While I had been exposed to zombies in the media before, “Shaun of the Dead” absolutely marked the point when I became a fan of the genera. 

    #4 “The Walking Dead” (Seasons 1-5) [2010-2014] 

Zombies have arguably never been more popular in our pop culture then through AMC’s hit TV show “The Walking Dead”. The show was a smashing success, and has lasted through the decade from 2010 – 2019. While I personally lost interest in the show after its fifth season, and stopped watching it all together ... I still remember fondly the impact this series initially left. Zombies seemed to thrive in a TV show, as it explored an epidemic in greater detail then a single movie ever could. It also gave us some of the most recognizable and iconic human characters, who could change and develop over the course of the series. While the zombie battles were as exciting as they got, the real strength of the show was it’s exploration of the darkness in humanity, and how prolonged exposure to such an event strips away our individuality and exposes select people for who they really are. It may have over stayed it’s welcome, but the initial run of “The Walking Dead” never the less remains a memorable TV viewing experience that I’d rank among the absolute best of the genera.  

#3 “Dawn of the Dead” (1978) 

Proceeding from “The Bride of Frankenstein”, this is yet another sequel that escaped the long shadow of its iconic predecessor and has become a classic in its own right. The original “Night of the Living Dead” is the movie that kick-started the Zombie genera, but it’s the sequel “Dawn of the Dead” which has kept it going strong after so many years, and why Zombies are so popular today. This is a film that blends nasty Zombie action with social commentary on society and becomes gory poetry in the process. For its time, it was one of the bloodiest movies ever made, and still to this day … it’s a horrific visual spectacle. Aside from that, this is just a wildly entertaining film, with great characters, quotable lines and a terrific mall-shop setting. While I can’t say it’s 100% better than the first film, it is undeniably the movie I’d rather watch. If your new to the genera, yet lost in a sea of too many zombie flicks, I’d say that the original “Dawn of the Dead” is the best one to start with.

#2 Train to Busan (2016) 

When a self-centered, overly-busy father has an opportunity to treat his daughter to something special for her birthday, he decides to take her to visit his divorced wife, who lives in Busan Korea. As the two board the train, they struggle to come to grips with their family turmoil, although the dad clearly wants to try and make things better. 

Unfortunately for them, their family drama becomes the least of their worries when a freak zombie apocalypse breaks-out, and some of the train passengers might just be infected. From then on, it becomes a non-stop, emotionally charged thrill ride, as we follow a group of passengers on this train full of rabid zombies. Just when the Zombie genera seemed to be running on fumes, South Korea surpasses my wildest expectations … with one of the most deeply thrilling, and emotionally impactful movies the genera has ever produced. Rarely do characters from this kind of set-up feel as human, as real and as layered as this group. The performances are astonishing, especially from the little girl, which might just be one of the best child-performances I’ve ever seen in a horror movie. The film is also ripe with social commentary, wall to wall action set-pieces, a note-worthy human villain, and an ending that didn’t pull any punches.     

Before I reveal my number 1 favorite, here are some Honorable Mentions …

“ParaNorman” 

“Creepshow” 

“Dawn of the Dead” (2005) 

“Corpse Bride” 

“I Am Legend”

#1 “Zombieland” (2009) 

Surprise, surprise … when it comes to movies revolving around killer zombies, there’s obviously a lot of really good ones, but none have meant more to me then 2009’s “Zombie Land”. While the movie is set in an apocalyptic world that's been taken over by zombies, the experience plays out like a road trip comedy, with a group of travelers going across the country to take refuge at a theme park. There are too many good things in this movie to count, as it has an awesome cast of scene steeling characters, mild but effective scares, kinetic zombie action, and lots of hummer. We have people killing zombies while on theme park rides, a hilarious cameo from Bill Murray, and the worlds coolest gun wielding bad ass who’s desperate to find a Twinkie. It’s all fun with this film, and a perfect blend of both horror and comedy. For me, it’s the gold standard in which I set my zombie films, and one that I make a tradition to watch for the Halloween season. There’s no telling if the sequel will live up to the high points of the first, but weather it’s good or not, there’s no changing the fact that “Zombieland” remains my all-time favorite zombie venture.

#0 “Michael Jackson's Thriller” (1983)

Yeah, I couldn't properly put this one on my countdown, as it’s only a music video ... but I just had to mention "Thriller". In many ways, it's like a short-film featuring zombies. It may seem like an odd one to highlight, but Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” really is an important contribution to zombies in our pop culture, and as a longtime fan, I just had to include it. This short was directed by John Landis, the same talent who directed “An American Werewolf in London”, then we have horror legend Vincent Price providing the narration (and subsequently an iconic evil cackle), and finally we have the great Rick Backer behind all the zombie make-up and creature effects. There’s a number of visuals that have always stuck with me as iconic zombie moments, including the corpses rising from the cemetery, the recognizable zombie dance choreography, a headless zombie signing off the video, and of course … Michael Jackson's design as a grotesque, orange suited corpse might just be my all-time favorite Zombie figurehead in our pop-culture. 

Thanks for reading my countdown, and treat yourself to one good scare this October!