And the nominees for "Best Zombie" are...

March 3, 2008 6:35 AM

Another movie-night question: best zombie performance?

Looking for the coolest or most memorable individual zombies. Here's what I have so far:

Bill Heinzman, Night of the Living Dead (the memorable first zombie in the cemetery)
Eugene Clark, Land of the Dead (the zombie that led the uprising)
Robert Carlysle, 28 Weeks Later
Billy Connolly, Fido
Miko Hughes, Pet Sematary (the murdering child)

The criteria is pretty broad. If you can't think of a specific awesome zombie, I'll happily take rec's for the coolest zombie movie in general.

posted by BE ADEQUITE to media & arts (23 comments total)

Shaun's mom impersonating a zombie in Shaun of the Dead.
posted by Caper's Ghost at 6:38 AM on March 3 [3 favorites]

I came in here to say what Caper's Ghost said.
posted by troika at 6:51 AM on March 3

I'll second Bill Heinzman, Night of the Living Dead, he the most lasting impact on me.
posted by Echidna882003 at 6:55 AM on March 3

ack, ...had the most lasting imact...
posted by Echidna882003 at 6:56 AM on March 3

It was a mini-movie of sorts, and I know it probably doesn't technically fit, but MJ's dancing zombie in Thriller. I just had to say that. It's the greatest vid...uh...mini movie ever.
posted by cashman at 7:07 AM on March 3

Anna Falchi as "She" in Dellamorte Dellamore (which I originally saw as "Cemetery Man" here in Canada) -- a criminally overlooked weirdzo zombie-movie masterpiece. The Mayor's Daughter, Valentina Scanarotti, played by Fabiana Formica, is also great.
posted by Shepherd at 7:11 AM on March 3

Coolest and most memorable has gotta be Bud from Day of the Dead. Or was it "Bub"? Well, coolest anyway.
posted by moift at 7:12 AM on March 3

How about "Dr. Tongue" and "Bub" from George Romero's "Day of the Dead"?
posted by MeetCleaverTheatre at 7:13 AM on March 3

Cherry Davis in Return of the Living Dead. "Send... more... paramedics!" Also Thom Mathews from the same movie, as a high school kid slowly turning into a zombie.
posted by infinitewindow at 7:25 AM on March 3

The underwater zombie from Lucio Fulci's "Zombi 2" a.k.a. "Zombie". It took on a great white shark single handedly, and won.
posted by Lokheed at 7:29 AM on March 3

Yes, naked women, sharks and zombies, all in one scene! AWESOME!
posted by Echidna882003 at 7:37 AM on March 3

Peter Jacksons Braindead has a very nice selection of zombies. Zombie Mum, zombie nurse, zombie baby, zombie intestines etc etc...

Lots of zombie variety in that movie.
posted by uandt at 7:45 AM on March 3

The priest in Dead Alive.
posted by monkeymadness at 7:49 AM on March 3

uandt: missed it by that much!
posted by monkeymadness at 7:49 AM on March 3

Sherman Howard as Bub in Day of the Dead.
posted by tastybrains at 8:23 AM on March 3

Zombierama has some suggestions in its Zombie Oscars.
posted by goatdog at 8:52 AM on March 3

That nasty but sorta cute baby in Dead Alive. I think it gets dropkicked across the room at one point! I think it was Dead Alive. Oh shit, I don't remember.
posted by thebellafonte at 9:02 AM on March 3

The clown zombie in Day of the Dead. Clown. Zombie. *shudders*
posted by bifter at 9:42 AM on March 3

I thought the Eugene Clarke 'smart zombie' was about as stupid as the Borg Queen - giving special powers to a particular zombie makes it less creepy, IMHO. It's the mindless, almost impersonal nature of zombies that gives them their cachet.

I'd like to add Alice Cooper's role in Prince of Darkness. He made a good one. Didn't even require much makeup.
posted by overhauser at 9:53 AM on March 3

Linnea Quigley as Trash in Return of the Living Dead. Quality of performance is arguable, but definitely cool and memorable.
posted by Durhey at 10:15 AM on March 3

Henrietta in Evil Dead II.

Also, thanks for reminding me of the boy from Pet Sematary. That film gave me an ankle-slashing phobia I'm still not quite over.
posted by Dr-Baa at 11:57 AM on March 3

The baby zombie in Dawn of the Dead.
posted by comatose at 1:34 PM on March 3

The hardcore vegan activist turned sheep zombie in Black Sheep wins for being absolutely hilarious. Actually, that whole movie wins on the hilarity factor.
posted by mismatched at 5:12 PM on March 3