This massive 352 page tomb By Glen Kay is packed with information on zombie films from the very beginning of the craze in the 1930’s up to the 00’s. Most of the films are reviewed with a synopsis, rating, and some good information on availability.
It’s a bit surprising to see what is considered a proper zombie film but almost everything dealing with the living dead is included in the book. I’ve never considered Creep Show a zombie movie but this book points out how wrong I’ve been, even listing a scene from the ‘fathers day’ segment as an example of one of the creepiest visuals the genre has to offer.
The majority of reviews are in-depth outlining plots with production notes and sometimes telling you if the movie belongs in the genre or if it was simply given a zombified title to cash in on the craze. Conveniently listed by year of release some of the movies are briefly mentioned without detailed information because the book contains such an overwhelming list.
Including foreign and non English language films is a real strong point here, and shows the diversity of the films available and just how broad the authors knowledge is. Aside from the obvious Italian movies there are several more European and Asian films mentioned that I had no idea existed. Not putting them in a separate category really makes this book fun to read straight through, and television zombie appearances are also mentioned including the Simpsons.
Original and production artwork from VHS and movie posters are scattered throughout the book along with interviews from film makers, actors, and make-up artists. There are a some insightful real world stories from people who have been zombie extras and they elaborate on how difficult, fun, and time consuming it can be. Even though this book came out in 2008 it needs to be revisited by old and new zombie fans who are gaining interest because of the Walking Dead television series.
If you have a substantial zombie film library or consider yourself an expert check this book out anyway. The list of top films included is well done and chances are there’s more than a few great films you’ve missed. I thought this would sit around as another coffee table piece but after just two weeks the cover is tattered from being so well read. Now it’s time to hunt down a few obscure films and fill up the netflix cue with old favorites.
May I suggest AMAZON
