Mar '18
I know, I know. If you've been on the internet for more than a year, this question is like for Horror Nerds 101 (nerd? Speak for yourself, bub!) I myself have been using the internet for, Christ, about 20 years now, so I've answered this question - on multiple message boards and chatrooms - tirelessly, and with fluctuating answers at that.
I was a Dawn of the Dead junkie for a good while there (isn't everyone at some point?) Then one day (he was shooting up some food, and up from the ground...ahem, sorry) I succumbed to the brilliance of Day. It was that slow build of impending doom that you feel throughout the events of the film while our characters systematically fall apart that had me calling Day my number one for probably about 15 years or so.
But recently, I've come back around to Dawn (of course, it isn't easy to make a clear decision, since they're all brilliant). Dawn of the Dead has that awesome '70s look and feel; it essentially acts as a time capsule to a decade I never got to experience first hand. Of course, that in itself wouldn't be enough for me to call it a favorite, but luckily, it's pretty much universally agreed upon that it's a masterpiece not just in the world of horror, but filmmaking in general.
Night is the classic that started it all, but at no point in time was it ever my favorite.
So, where do you stand?
I was a Dawn of the Dead junkie for a good while there (isn't everyone at some point?) Then one day (he was shooting up some food, and up from the ground...ahem, sorry) I succumbed to the brilliance of Day. It was that slow build of impending doom that you feel throughout the events of the film while our characters systematically fall apart that had me calling Day my number one for probably about 15 years or so.
But recently, I've come back around to Dawn (of course, it isn't easy to make a clear decision, since they're all brilliant). Dawn of the Dead has that awesome '70s look and feel; it essentially acts as a time capsule to a decade I never got to experience first hand. Of course, that in itself wouldn't be enough for me to call it a favorite, but luckily, it's pretty much universally agreed upon that it's a masterpiece not just in the world of horror, but filmmaking in general.
Night is the classic that started it all, but at no point in time was it ever my favorite.
So, where do you stand?
Day of the Dead is a close second for me. Even though Romero didn't get the budget he wanted for it, he still made a damn fine movie. It has the best effects in the series with some awesome 80's atmosphere to boot. As others have mentioned, the tension and build up are top notch too. It was also smart on Romero's part to include the scientific prespective in regards to the undead outbreak, which helps it stand out from the other entries in the series.
Night of the Living Dead I love too, but not as much as Dawn and Day. I still find myself rewatching it as much as the other two because of the awesome atmosphere and nail-biting tension. I also give it props for having such a downbeat ending. It's certainly earned its place in film history because of how it was made and how much it shaped horror/zombies in general.