4. Zombie Flesh Eaters (Fulci, 1979)
Zombie Flesh Eaters (or Zombi 2 as it is known in Italy) was made based off of the success of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978) which was released in Italy, recut by Dario Argento, as Zombi. Although marketed as a sequel, the two films are not related and actually have very little in common with each other. This misbranding was another typical case of Italian exploitation. Although Zombie Flesh Eaters may not have the anti-consumerist message of Romero's film, it more than matches it in the gore department. As was typical during the draconian 1980s, Zombie Flesh Eaters was condemned and banned by the British government when it came out on video having previously had all of the salacious bits removed when it was released in cinemas. The film's best scenes include much gut-munching, a painfully tense eye-gouging and a zombie wrestling a shark. A first in motion picture history, the scene was devised by producer Ugo Tucci and has gone on to live in infamy. Featuring a pulsating and incredibly catchy score by Fabio Frizzi, this is vintage Fulci and a must for any fans of zombie films. Plus, it has a zombie wrestling a shark, so what more could you ask for?