Remy – Pontypool
I f#cking LOVE Pontypool. If 28 Days Later redefined zombies once, I have to go out on a limb and say Pontypool did it twice. A “zombie” movie unlike any you have ever seen, Pontypool plays out more like a, well, play. The cast is limited to a handful of people, and outside of a few scenes that step away, almost all the film takes place in one setting – a radio station. We are inside the station with the DJ’s as they hear what is going on outside. It starts small, with a few people attacking one another, and within a half hour, it seems some kind of virus has taken over the city, turning people into bloodthirsty madmen.
What’s remarkable and really sets Pontypool apart is that we don’t see any of that. We only find out what the people inside the studio find out, without seeing it, and only often hearing it though second-hand broadcasts. It is stunning to get to experience this zombie takeover this way, because you really never have a solid idea of what is happening outside of those four walls or why.
The thing that makes Ponytpool work is we hear about the outbreak, one call at a time. So in essence, what you are hearing, you are imagining in your own head. I can tell you this – how I imagine it is probably ten times worse than it is, and that is what makes it work so well for me.
I will also tell you this – once you find out why this is happening, and it begins to show itself INSIDE the radio station, this really becomes one of the most original and entertaining “zombie” films I have ever seen, and one that deserves A LOT more credit than it gets.
So stop what you are doing, right now, and go watch Pontypool on Netflix.
Nato – Evil Dead 2
OK, even I’m hesitant about putting this on our zombies list, as Deadites aren’t exactly zombies, more like possessed beings – but have you looked at the zombie choices on Netflix Watch Instantly? Yeah, I’m going to make an exception so I don’t have to send you head first into some mediocre zombie snooze-fest when an undeniable cult classic is available at your fingertips.
Sam Raimi’s cabin-in-the-woods cult classic turned Bruce Campbell into the chisel-chinned legend he is today, and introduced worthwhile comedy into his undead franchise. Evil Dead was created on a shoe-string budget and was nothing but straight horror, but a lot of people were up in arms over Fede Alvarez’s remake because “he didn’t use Raimi’s humor.” True fans know that Evil Dead was never meant to be funny, and that it wasn’t until a stuffed deer head started laughing back at Ash in Evil Dead 2 that comedy was introduced.
With that said, the comedy turned Evil Dead 2 into an instant cult classic that has stood the test of time, and is still adored by horror fans of all generations. You simply can’t go wrong with opening the Necronomicon one more time this Halloween.
Alright kiddies, here’s our first set of recommendations for this Halloween. Are there any zombie movies on Netflix Watch Instantly not on this list that you love?
*A special thanks to Remy for stepping in to guest write! Feel free to follow either of us on Twitter for even more insanity and updates:
Matt Donato Follow @DoNatoBomb
Remy Carreiro Follow @RemyCarreiro
Like what you read? Check out last week’s article where Remy and I talk about the most dysfunctional families in horror!
