5. Dawn Of The Dead (1978)
The zombie film department's piece de resistance, directed masterfully by George Romero, Dawn of the Dead stands heads above its gory movie brethren in terms of suspense, thrills, quality and the ick factor. Everywhere you look at or go to - there's a flipping zombie all too eager to turn you into a steaming pile of entrails upon which to feast.That makes Dawn of the Dead a great film - it is literally a thrill a minute. We all know the story. In the zombie apocalypse, two military men team up with a man and a woman fleeing the newsroom. They commandeer a helicopter and wind up at a shopping mall which they secure against zombies. Unfortunately the mall isn't biker proof and a gang of Hells Angel-esque bikers invade the mall, thereby letting in the zombies and invoking a giant gory free for all. Will any of our heroes escape? Packed to the gills with gory outbursts, highlights include a zombie having the top of his head chopped off by helicopter blades. The bikers all being killed by the zombies and having their entrails munched upon as they are torn in half. The siege at the beginning in the apartment complex that refuse to give up their dead - cue much gut munching and reanimation stopped by exploding heads. The killing and reanimation of Stephen at the very end. Dawn of the Dead is a masterpiece - maybe in the top five horror movies ever made, I would reckon. And a lot of that is down to Tom Savini's gory special effects. A true delight for not just gore hounds but also any fan of horror films.