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So many films have been added to the zombie genre over the years, it's hard to know what's worth watching anymore. They're all full of sluggish, stupid, rotting corpses brought to life. It's been done, to death. Then it's been brought back to life. Only to get shot in the head and die yet again. But like the zombies themselves, the genre keeps getting back up.

There are several movies, however, that rise above and beyond your typical brain-gorging fare.

"Night of the Living Dead" (1968)
Granted, it's an oldie. But "Night of the Living Dead" will always stand as one of the best movies to come of the zombie genre. Not only is it one of the forerunners of the genre, it's more than just a fright-fest. "Night" is actually an extremely intelligent movie, and showed a side of America that our country wasn't quite ready for. The movie also broke new ground in that it was one of the first of it's time to showcase a black actor as it's hero. Zombie films will be forever influenced by George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead."

"Night of the Comet" (1984)
Another classic, "Night of the Comet" delves into the repercussions of a comet that leaves most of the humans dead. Those who remain are a small contingent of normal people, surrounded by a plague of zombies. While there are some "oh-so" eighties moments (a shopping spree accompanied by the tune "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"), this movie does pay out with a decent story and a few nice and grisly scenes.

"Junk" (2000)
"Junk" is a movie for zombie junkies, plain and simple. It's a Japanese horror flick involving some drug dealers, their kingpins, and an "abandoned" warehouse in which some crazy experiments are going on. While the plot may not be that strong, this movie is action packed, and there's enough blood spilled to make you sea-sick. High art it is not. But it is a fine example of the genre.

"Battlefield Baseball" (2003)
Another submission from the Land of the Rising Sun, "Battlefield Baseball" is a delightful romp through the world of martial arts, reanimation of the dead, and baseball. The film is at times hilarious, then heartfelt, and the moments of violence are gory enough to stun you. The plot can be hard to follow, even for a foreign film, but if you persevere, you might just find yourself a fan of this ridiculously good martial arts/horror/comedy movie.

"28 Days Later" (2002)
By far the smartest zombie movie to be released since "Night of the Living Dead." "28 Days" is not just a zombie flick. You don't even see the zombies most of the time. The real story behind the movie is how humanity reacts to the devastation the creatures have wrought. The zombies of "28 Days" are of a far different breed also. Namely, they are fast. Not the stumbling creatures of old, these zombies take it to the next level. I wouldn't count so much on out-running them.

"Resident Evil" (2002)
"Resident Evil" is the best video game movie adaptation to date. The premise is strong and exciting, and there's just nothing as cool as seeing monsters you've faced in a game on the big screen.

"World War Z" (2007)
This movie hasn't been released yet, but if it's anything like the book, this will be a zombie movie to remember. The book recounts tales from all over the globe, after a strange new disease breaks out and turns a large percentage of the population into walking dead. Those left alive take up arms and fight for the salvation of all mankind. The novel is written from the perspective of the future; these accounts are from the survivors of World War Z.

Learn more about this author, Kristina Grace Gordon.
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