Zombie fans, rejoice. It's time to organize the annual horror movie marathon and invite friends and family over for some good old fashioned scares. If the living dead are your favorite type of movie monster, then choosing the right zombie movies to watch is vital for the best possible horror experience.

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George Romero's Living Dead movies might be the most popular of the bunch from his illustrious film career, but a true zombie movie marathon requires adding in flicks from other directors and studios, as well. Here's the best way to watch a string of zombie movies in chronological order to keep the laughs and screams going well into the night.

Zombie Holocaust (1980)

A zombie from Zombie Holocaust

Though not tied to the Romero universe, Marino Girolami's Zombie Holocaust, alternatively known as Dr. Butcher, M.D., is a good place to start. It shows a pre-zombie outbreak New York where a few strange and unsettling acts of human cannibalism have been taking place.

When a doctor and a morgue assistant travel to the island of Maluka in search of answers, they discover a deranged mad scientist attempting to expand humanity's lifespan by conducting a series of grisly experiments that reanimate the dead. Was he the cause of the zombie outbreak? That's up to the viewer to decide.

Night Of The Living Dead (1990)

The 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead

While the original Night Of The Living Dead is still a horror classic, it's a bit lost on audiences who have been raised on a steady diet of jump scares, improved special effects, and—most importantly—color TV. Thankfully, Tom Savini decided to go the remake route when he crafted the 1990 version of Night for an entirely new generation.

While not perfect, this is by far the scarier of the two films. The zombie effects are far more gory and believable, and the performances display more tension and believability. A few changes are made to the source material, as well, and, in some cases, they are a direct improvement.

Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

The classic comedy/horror spoof Shaun of the Dead

Simon Pegg's madcap zombie flick Shaun Of The Dead is every bit a tribute to the George Romero films as it was a parody of them. It's one of the funnier zombie comedy films, with a surprising degree of touching drama thrown in to balance out the whole pot. It also fits nicely with the chronology of the zombie films on this list.

This film centers around an initial zombie outbreak just as it begins to overtake the world. The final act of the film shows humanity getting back to normal after the outbreak is quelled, but it doesn't need to stay that way.

The Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

A zombie from Return of the Living Dead

This zombie flick is unique in the fact that it directly references the events of Night Of The Living Dead despite not sharing the same universe. It's also a comedy/horror romp as opposed to a full-on nihilistic zombie flick, but it still deserves a slot in the lineup. In addition to being outrageously over-the-top both in tone and pacing, it's also comically gory.

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Another benefit of having Return in the zombie movie lineup is to help provide some comic relief in between all the screams, guts, and death. It's a nice break from the overall pace of other films on this list.

Return Of The Living Dead, Part II (1988)

A tar-covered zombie from Return of the Living Dead 2

This comedy/horror sequel takes place roughly in the same time period as the original Return film, showcasing a world that has not yet been overrun by the zombie menace. The Trioxin compound used to reanimate the dead is used in this story to continue the narrative, setting up a nice link with future zombie films.

While the overall pacing is just as funny as it is scary, the story is what really matters. By focusing on a secondary zombie outbreak, viewers are free to contrive their own connections to the next walking dead film on this list.

Zombie (1979)

Zombie vs. Shark in 1979's Zombie

Lucio Fulci's Italian horror flick Zombie—or Zombi 2—is unique among walking dead films in that it sits comfortably within the George Romero universe, even if it isn't directly connected. This zombie film begins in New York before changing the scenery to a Caribbean Island where the undead are rising from their graves and attacking the populace.

The visceral gore of Zombie is legendary among the Italian horror movie scene, and it goes far beyond anything seen in American horror cinema at that time. The final scene takes place in New York City showing zombies advancing on the city while panicked radio broadcasts can be heard, signaling the oncoming apocalypse.

Dawn Of The Dead (1979)

Ravenous zombies in Dawn of the Dead

George Romero's ultra-epic zombie sequel Dawn Of The Dead is the next logical follow-up to Zombie since it shows the world embroiled in the climax of the zombie apocalypse. Society has begun to break down, and residents are fleeing for safer pastures as hordes of the undead roam cities and countrysides in search of victims.

The film changes its apocalyptic tone for social commentary halfway through when it makes four survivors the primary focus of the story. As they fight greedily to seize control of a large shopping mall to hunker down in, they slowly lose their own humanity inside of what is essentially a materialistic trap.

Day Of The Dead (1985)

Rhodes meets his end in Day of the Dead

After the events of Dawn Of The Dead, humanity has been decimated by the zombie outbreak which has forced the remaining survivors to flee for safety wherever it may lie. The story involves a military team assigned to protect a scientific research group determined to find a way to destroy the zombie menace.

The longer they remain in their underground fortress, the more unhinged each individual becomes until tensions boil over. As they begin turning on one another, the zombies take advantage of the situation and pursue their next meal. Originally designed to be an epic sequel, Romero was forced to work within a restrictive budget to bring his vision to life.

Land Of The Dead (2005)

Zombies advance on humans in Land of the Dead

George Romero's long-awaited follow-up to Day Of The Dead came in 2005 with this next installment of his seminal zombie series. This story focused on a world long since fallen to the zombie plague where humans have managed to wall themselves inside a city and create a new life away from the horrors of the outside world.

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A point was made to showcase how humanity had since become used to the zombie plague and the downfall of society. This normalization of a completely abnormal phenomenon brought out the worst in the characters, as they once again went down the same bad paths that allowed the zombies to win in the first place.

Zombieland (2009)

Bill Murray's hilarious cameo in Zombieland

Four nihilistic zombie films is a long way to go without any relief, which is why Zombieland is the perfect way to end move night. It's gory, adventurous, touching, and hilarious all at the same time, which is a welcome respite from the bucks of blood and depression that came before it.

It's up to fans to decide whether they want to push the needle further and bonus up by watching the sequel, but those who are ready to call it a night will do so on a high note. Zombieland remains one of the funniest and most inventive zombie movie parodies ever created, with one of the most hilarious cameos in movie history.

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