Dawn of the Dead (2004) - USA

Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 horror film reimagining of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name. The remake and original both depict a handful of human survivors living in a shopping mall surrounded by swarms of zombies, but the details differ significantly.

A nurse, a policeman, a street gang member, his wife, a salesman, and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.
The cast is excellent, the cinematography and editing exciting and innovative, and the makeup and "creature" effects are top notch. As good as the original, with exciting new directions and room for a sequel!

This is COMPLETELY Zombie-riffic! Be sure to turn your sound on!

IMDB Info :

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363547/

Dawn of the Dead (1978) - USA

Dawn of the Dead (also known as George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, and Zombi internationally) is a 1978 American independent horror film, written and directed by George A. Romero. The film featured David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross. It is the second in Romero's Living Dead series, preceded by Night of the Living Dead (1968). The film centres around a plague which reanimates the dead, who prey on human flesh. Several survivors of the outbreak barricade themselves inside a suburban shopping mall. Dawn of the Dead distances itself from the predecessor, this film is more of a polemic, exploring the apocalyptic effects a "zombie epidemic" would have on society, than a straightforward horror film.

The gore, courtesy of make-up impresario Tom Savini, is of the comic-book kind, where it's all very real and horrifying until you realize the color is off on the blood and the color on the faces of the un-dead is off.I could go on and on about this film, but the key thing is to see it, even just once. You may find it out-dated trash, or time-less beauty. Either way, it's likely Romero's best film, or at least his most ambitious (though I've yet to see Knightriders to comment fully). Energy, humor, sadness, excitement, love, loss, it's everything a movie should be (plus the origin of Sex Machine)! By turns horrific, hilarious, disgusting and absurd Dawn of the Dead is the work of a director truly on top of his game. Given almost total control (something which was to be denied Romero in later years) George Romero gives us his unique and vivid view of a world in absolute turmoil.

Not just a mockery of the hedonistic and empty America of the late 70's Dawn is also a parable or warning if you like of the brittle structure of society and how easily it can be disintegrated. Many have criticised the film for being too over the top and questioned the quality of the acting. This for me is one of the joys of the film, Romero uses gaudy sets and effects and combines this with comic book hero dialogue to lull us into a false sense of security. Then masterfully Romero pulls the rug out from under us and brings the reality of the situation crashing in on our heads.

Dawn stands alone well but really comes into its own as part of the trilogy to which it belongs. One theory of mine is that the Alien trilogy (forgetting the miserable fourth installment) takes a lot from the dead trilogy namely the pace and claustrophobia of the two which book-end the mass hysteria and over the top horror and violence of the middle film.

IMDB Info :

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077402/

Night of the Living Dead (1968) - USA

Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 black-and-white independent horror film directed by George A. Romero. Early drafts of the script were titled Monster Flick, but it was known as Night of Anubis and Night of the Flesh Eaters during production

Night of the Living Dead, directed by Geoage A. Romero, is a horror masterpiece and the first of three of his "Dead" movies. This low budget horror has changed the way movies are made. This didn't need an "A" grade cast and a huge budget to become one the world's greatest and most influential horror movies.

This is the simple story of seven strangers who board themselves up in a farmhouse from the ravenous hoards of flesh eating zombies that are rising. But peace doesn't last for long as the tension rises, chaos and tragedy breaks out.

This movie today is still shocking. There isn't a lot of gore but the scenes with gore a shocking and disturbing, even though they are in black and white. This is still regarded as one of the best horror movies in the world. A quarter of a century old and it is still absolutely terrifying.This is horror at its most probing, subversive and socially aware, with a truly harrowing ending that reveals the dangers of misdirected fear and prejudice.

IMDB Info :

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/

The Others (2001) - SPAIN , USA

The Others is a 2001 psychological horror/suspense film by the Spanish/Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar, starring Nicole Kidman. In the United States, it was rated PG-13 for thematic elements and frightening moments and runs around 100 minutes.

The Others is one of the top horror stories ever told. It's creepy, simplistic, and eerie.

Good things about this movie is enchanting simplicity of the plot, the lack of need for "Hollywood" special effects, and the haunting atmosphere that loomed over everything from beginning to end.

The first half, or even three quarters, seemed to move along a bit slowly, but it felt necessary to build the suspense to the most important point of the movie .

The film is set on Jersey Island, on the eve of the end of the second world war. Grace (Nicole Kidman), raises her two children by herself in a big mansion, teaching them religion, and protecting them from the external light. The kids suffer from an allergy that does not allow them to be exposed to daylight. As a result, all the shutters and doors are closed. But after she hires three servants, strange phenomena start.

The Others succeeds in the horror genre by being really scary as the director develops a fear of the unknown and madness. The strength of the film is to never go for violence or gore. Instead, he builds the fear in the imagination of the audience. Each closed door (and they all are in this house) masks what each one is afraid to find.The story and final twist are familiar, in the light of the recent trend in moviemaking: once again in The Others, the worlds of the living and the dead cross each other. The twist could easily be predicted, making The Others an answer to the Sixth Sense.With such an ending, flaws and inconsistencies come to light while a lack of originality can be criticized.

Nicole Kidman's brilliant turn is at the center of this sumptuously made supernatural thriller that builds and sustains creepy tension without ever relying on gory violence or special effects.

Like a stranger following in the blackness of twilight, The Others creeps up on an audience when they least expect it and leaves them breathless and dreading. It’s a throwback to psychological terror films of yesteryear.

Highly Recommended .

IMDB Info :

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0230600/

EVIL DEAD TRIOLOGY (1981, 1987 & 1992 ) - USA

Another classic horror triology - EVIL DEAD . I think that everybody knows about this movie . The Evil Dead (also known as Evil Dead, The Book of the Dead, Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead and The Evil Dead: The Ultimate Experience in Grueling Terror) is a 1981 horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi, and starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss and Betsy Baker. The film depicts five college students and their vacation in an isolated cabin in the woods, which turns into a nightmare when they find an audiotape that is a key to unlocking evil spirits.

Not for the faint of heart or those uninitiated in the ways of modern horror, it's a hoot for fans of the genre.

Energetic, original and icky, Raimi's splat-stick debut is a tight little horror classic that deserves its cult reputation, despite the best efforts of the censors.

There are two sequels to this one

"Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn"
"The Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness"

The second part is definitely the best of the bunch . Third part is more of a comedy then a horror .

IMDB Info :

The Evil Dead (1981) : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083907/

Evil Dead II (1987) : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092991/

Army of Darkness (1992) : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106308/