According to Rob Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead, there are three zombie movies that he recommends, even though they don't fit the typical mold of the genre. These movies are Zombie, Stacy: Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombies, and Undead, and they deviate significantly from traditional zombie mythology. Interestingly, Kirkman seems to have drawn inspiration from these movies for his own storytelling in The Walking Dead, as elements of them can be spotted throughout the comic series. Check out the trailer for Kirkman's zombie recommendations below!
Renowned for co-creating The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman recently revealed his top three underrated zombie movie classics that all genre fans should watch. The unexpected choices came in response to a fan letter featured in The Walking Dead Deluxe #79, a revamped version of the original series. Kirkman's recommendations defy expectations and include Lucio Fulci's 1979 film Zombie, Naoyuki Tomomatsu's 2001 film Stacy: Attack of the Schoolgirl Zombies, and Michael and Peter Spierig's 2003 film Undead. Additionally, Kirkman praised a surprise movie for having the "best use of running zombies," proving his expertise in the genre.Each of the three films appears to follow the standard tropes of a classic zombie apocalypse narrative, such as The Walking Dead. These include the mysterious origins of the zombie outbreak, survival groups, and competition among them for scarce resources. They also contain sanctuaries, searches for a cure, and the headshot method of killing a zombie instantaneously. However, each film diverges significantly from traditional zombie mythology beyond these necessary zombie elements. These unique elements are what stood out to Kirkman and why he considers them "must-see" movies.
For example, in Fulci's Zombie, which Kirkman identified as "tonally similar to The Walking Dead," two elements stand out as exceptional. First, the outbreak is connected with voodoo, which is both revolutionary and classic. Second, the film features gratuitous gore that had not been seen in any other zombie movie at that time.
Stacy's unique viewpoint shatters the traditional idea of a zombie apocalypse. The zombie plague only affects teenage girls, and zombies are only allowed to be killed by the government-sanctioned Repeat Kill Corps (RKC) or their relatives. Interestingly, the members of RKC in the movie are zombies themselves, who agree to kill other zombies in return for them getting killed by their favorite musical idol.
Similarly, Undead flips the zombie script with a story where humanity receives assistance in its war against zombies from benevolent aliens from outer space.Kirkman's unconventional zombie movie recommendations may appear strange at first, but upon closer examination, it becomes evident that these obscure films have greatly influenced his zombie storytelling in The Walking Dead. The gore and alternate zombie origin theory from Fulci can be seen throughout the comic, and elements of Stacy and Undead's alternative zombie mythology are also present in later chapters of The Walking Dead. As a result, Kirkman's recommendations are not only valuable for zombie enthusiasts, but also for fans of The Walking Dead. Pick up The Walking Dead Deluxe #79, available now from Skybound Entertainment.