The Best Zombie Movies NOT from George Romero

In addition to creating some of the greatest zombie films with 'Night of the Living Dead' and 'Dawn of the Dead,' George A. Romero inspired generations of filmmakers. As 'Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse,' opens, directed by relative newcomer Christopher Landon, let's look at other great zombie flicks whose directors were no doubt influenced by Romero.

Brad Pitt starred as a former U.N. investigator brought back to help solve the pandemic sweeping the globe and turning humanity into heaving hordes of the undead. And they move FAST.

Director: Marc Forster

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost can deliver comedic gold any time they are brought together, as was evidenced in 'Shaun of the Dead' and continues to be apparent in films like 'Paul' and 'Hot Fuzz.' The pair's deadpan humor and outlandish hijinks made for the perfect marriage of horror and comedy.

Director: Edgar Wright

'Return of the Living Dead' in 1985 took a meta approach to horror before it was commonplace to do so, asserting that the events in 'Night of the Living Dead' actually took place. One of the first films to combine zombies and overt humor, 'Return of the Living Dead' is a founding father of the zom-com. And then there's Linnea Quigley's  saucy striptease on a tomb in the middle of a cemetery....

Director: Dan O'Bannon

Remade in 2008 for U.S. audiences as 'Quarantine,' 'Rec' is every bit a horror masterpiece. It did something a little unusual, but effective, by putting a real TV anchorperson in the lead role of ... a TV anchorperson. The film uses primarily one shooting location to deliver a confined feel. We get an interesting back-story, tons of carnage, and of course, zombies.

Director: Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza

This early Peter Jackson-helmed story of a mild mannered man forced to take drastic measures when his town becomes overrun by zombies is in stark contrast to the director’s later work, but is still one of the greatest zombie films of all time. It also impressively used more stage blood than any film to come before it and is still regarded as the bloodiest film of all time. 

Director: Peter Jackson

This tale of Nazi zombies who ruin a weekend getaway for a group of Norwegian college students brought zombie violence to shocking new levels -- one victim swings from a tree by his own intestines. But, the film does more than shock its audience; it makes us laugh and provides a mostly likable cast of characters that are easy to cheer for.

Director: Tommy Wirkola

Zombie, a 1979 tale of voodoo and the undead in the Caribbean, delivers the gore in full force. Lucio Fulci has always had a deep understanding of how to shock his audience and Zombie is no exception. The gore and the exploitative violence are a sight to behold; not to mention, there is also plenty of nudity.

Director: Lucio Fulci

This contemporary zombie flick was a major game changer whose influences can be seen in television’s 'The Walking Dead' and many zombie flicks to come out since its 2002 release. It is particularly noteworthy for being one of the first films to feature fast-moving zombies. 

Director: Danny Boyle

Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson were fantastic as the film’s leads, Columbus and Tallahassee, in this movie that made the zombie apocalypse funny in a similar fashion to 'Shaun of the Dead' without being derivative. 'Zombieland' fired on all cylinders, providing a riotous good time. As an added benefit, Bill Murray turns in one of the most outrageously funny and unexpected celebrity cameos we’ve seen.

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Easily one of the best films to be born of a video game, 'Resident Evil''s claustrophobic quality was amped up with the protagonists trapped underground. Milla Jovovich rose to prominence as the film’s lead, Alice, and has continued to kick ass and take names in the film’s multiple sequels.

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson

This low-budget 2008 release from Sam Raimi’s Ghosthouse Underground sub label has become a cult hit. In the film, teens battle zombies at a school dance and the result is something like 'The Breakfast Club' meets 'Night of the Living Dead.' Jared Kusnitz was well cast as the slacker leader of the clan of teenagers turned zombie hunters. 

Director: Gregg Bishop