Night of the Living Dead

No. 4: "Dawn of the Dead" (1978)

George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" touched upon the political unrest of the 1960s. But with this iconic sequel he poured on the social commentary while flavoring it with a wicked satirical bent. The zombies lurching around the ... moreMonroeville Mall are unmistakably meant to represent a dead-end consumer culture, while the opening apartment massacre is the living dead equivalent of a race riot. Yet "Dawn" is not a lecture; its epic scale and equally epic gore elevated Romero and his zombies to the forefront of the horror genre. There are too many great moments in "Dawn" to list here, but you cannot be a fan if you haven't seen this.

('Dawn of the Dead'/Everett Collection)