Movies
The Lore Behind the Romero Zombie Films
Welcome back to Horror 101, a series of articles where we explain horror movie legends and their lore. For beginners, the confused, or just those who need a refresher, these articles are for you. The zombie craze of the 2000s to 2010s had an undeniable and unrelenting grip on the consciousness of horror fans and the world in general. Shambling masses of the formerly living were a hot commodity, in everything from television to movies to gaming, and just about everything zombie was being greenlit. But as that new zombie bubble grew and properties like The Walking Dead and The Last of Us were exploding in popularity, the original series of films that started it all were finding a second wind: Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” series was back, and even had new films being made. Night of the Living Dead, the one and only! …And Return of the Living Dead. And it’s sequels. And also Zack Snyder was doing his own thing. So, it may have gotten a little confusing trying to sort out and untangle the many overlapping Romero zombie films.
But that’s what we’re here to do today: sorting out the various canons, how their zombies came to be, and how two franchises sprung from one classic movie. And hopefully, we won’t boil our brains in the process.
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DIFFERENT LIVING DEAD MOVIES?
From the jump, what is now a piece of horror film history was a controversial coming attraction. George Romero and John A. Russo’s Night of the Living Dead, a story of survival in a bizarre and at the time unheard-of zombie apocalypse, was met with anger and indignation for its liberal amounts of violence in an era where the MPAA’s rating system was yet to be implemented (many even suspect Romero’s work was a major catalyst for getting the rating system codified).
But more important than its taboo nature was how much it made back: Night of the Living Dead was a smash hit at the box office, making back over 250 times its budget and cementing a franchise. But where there’s money, there are big problems: the schism between Night of the Living Dead’s many sequels is primarily a case of ownership of the film rights.
In another case of creatives suffering from success and splitting up (I’m looking at you Friday the 13th), Russo and Romero had differences regarding how they should take the property forward. Eventually, they settled on splitting the film’s “surnames”, with Russo owning the rights to title films with the phrase “Of the Living Dead”, while Romero owned the rights to make films under the “Of the Dead” title.
WHAT FILMS MAKE UP THE “OF THE DEAD” SERIES?
Despite what some cursory Google searching might tell you, the Night of the Living Dead series (or “Of the Dead” series) is six films, only 4 of which are in the same continuity.
The only direct sequels to Night of the Living Dead are Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, and Land of the Dead. The slow collapse of society, the behaviors of the zombies in these films, and the motif of zombies regaining some intelligence over time are the primary links between them since the casts of each film are never connected. In these films, the zombies result from some unknown pathogen, with the original film indicating it was brought back to Earth by a space probe returning from Venus.
Be it radiation or a cosmic virus, it raises the recently dead and turns them into contagious monsters, which eventually causes the destruction of society and leaves humanity separated into small clades. But they have one fatal weak spot: having their brains destroyed. (I know you knew this. Of course you knew this, who doesn’t know this?) Diary of the Dead (2007) and its follow-up prequel Survival of the Dead (2009) are not actually sequels or reboots to the previous films in the franchise, but their own weird third thing. They just share the “Of The Dead” name because of Romero’s claim to it, and have similar zombies. In these films, we never actually find out what caused the zombies to rise from their grave.
But we do get an Amish guy fighting zombies and flinging dynamite at them, which was kind of cool.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD SERIES?
Return of the Living Dead, however, is a completely different beast. Russo’s Return series takes a unique approach as a sequel, and paints the events of Night of the Living Dead as a dramatized version of a real-world government coverup.
Though Night is just a film in this universe, Return of the Living Dead posits it depicts the first Trioxin outbreak: the experimental use of a bio-weapon known as Trioxin gas created nearly indestructible zombies that hunger for human brains. These zombies are also fully conscious, feel everything happening to them, and eat brains as a form of relief, which is absolute nightmare fuel! They can, however, be put down with electricity, as we find out in Return of the Living Dead 2.
Though the government was able to control the first outbreak, some of the zombies remaining bodies ended up being stashed at a medical supply warehouse in Louisville, Kentucky. Shock of shocks, some bozos open the canisters containing their remains, and a second outbreak ravages the United States.
The U.S. Army is incredibly incompetent in these movies, so the outbreaks happen a few more times in the sequels, and control of Trioxin gets so bad that college students even begin taking it as a recreational drug just for fun.
It’s all just a series of Trioxin “whoopsies” really.
WHAT ABOUT ZACK SNYDER’S “OF THE DEAD” MOVIES?
These have no relation, to either of the previous series really. Dawn of the Dead (2004) is a remake of the original Dawn of the Dead, but does not share continuity with Night of the Living Dead or any of its sequels. Army of the Dead (2021) is also somehow not a sequel to Dawn of the Dead (2004). For some reason? I wish I had a better answer for that.
ARE THE ZOMBI FILMS SEQUELS TO NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD?
This, this question is the one that gets me.
Hilariously, due to the Italian legal system, yes. The first Zombi film was just an Italian rerelease of Dawn of the Dead, and because Italian copyright law allows producers to make sequels to films they didn’t make, Fabrizio De Angelis was able to make a sequel to Dawn of the Dead called Zombi 2. It was also directed by giallo visionary Lucio Fulci, who gave us that amazing scene of a zombie fighting a shark!
This leads to an even more confusing chain of films. In Italy, there are only three official Zombi movies, but there are two other Zombi 3’s that were not sequels to Zombi 2 and just took the name! To make it even worse, Zombi’s 4 and 5 are American releases of unrelated Italian films, which is completely backwards from how we started this. On top of that, Pulgasari, a film we discussed here, is called Zombi: The Communist Bull-Monster for its Pakistan release, despite having no zombies, no communists, and if you really think about it, arguably no bull monster! My brain is boiling inside my skull!
…But yes, the answer to that question is yes. The three Zombi films are their own separate and messed-up continuity splintering off from the original Dawn of the Dead and, by extension, Night of the Living Dead.
Well, that should be all for today’s Horror 101 lesson. See you in the next class and stay tuned to Horror Press’s social media feeds (@HorrorPressLLC on Twitter and Instagram) for more content on horror movies, television, and everything in between!
My New Year’s resolution is to spend more time watching my favorite app. Luckily, Shudder is not taking it easy on us this holiday season, so I may meet my quota this January. The streamer is bringing in the new year with quite a few bangers. We have classics from icons, a new title from the first family of indie horror, and a couple of lesser-known films that have finally found a home. So, I am obviously living for this month’s programming and think most of you will too. I have picked the five films that I believe deserve our collective attention the most. Get into each of them and start your 2026 off on the right foot.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Carrie (1976)
A sheltered teen finally unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated for the last time. Carrie is the reason I thought proms might be cool when I was a kid. This Brian De Palma adaptation is one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations. It is also an important title in the good-for-her subgenre. I cannot help rooting for Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) when I watch her snap at this prom and then head home to accidentally deal with her mom. The only tragedy of this evening is that Carrie had to die, too. I said what I said, and I will be hitting play again while it is on Shudder. This recommendation goes out to the other recovering sheltered girls who would be the problem if they had powers. I see you because I am you.
You can watch Carrie on January 1st.
Marshmallow (2025)
A shy 12-year-old gets sent to summer camp and finds himself in a living nightmare. While Marshmallow did not land for me, I know plenty of people who love it. Which makes this the perfect addition to the Shudder catalogue. I am actually excited to see more folks fall in love with this movie when it hits the streamer. If nothing else, it will help a few folks cross off another 2025 title if they are still playing catch-up with last year’s movies. It also gets cool points from me for not taking the easy route with the mystery it built. I hope you all dig it more than I did, and tell your friends about it. Perhaps you could even encourage them to sign up for the app.
You can watch Marshmallow on January 1st.
Chain Reactions (2024)
Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre cemented his horror legacy over fifty years ago. So, it is long overdue for a documentary where horror royalty can discuss its impact on them and their careers. I have been waiting for a couple of years to hear Karyn Kusama and Takashi Miike talk about Hooper’s work and how he inspired them. So, I am super geeked that Shudder is finally giving me the chance to see this film. The streamer is also helping the nerds out by adding The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2 (1986) this month. If you are also an overachieving couch potato, I will see you at the finish line next week.
You can watch Chain Reactions on January 9th.
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
An insurance investigator discovers the impact a horror writer’s books have on people. I love chaos, and John Carpenter chaos happens to be one of my favorite kinds of chaos. While we talk about The Thing and Halloween all the time, this maestro has given us plenty of horror to celebrate. In the Mouth of Madness is very much one of those titles vying for a top spot among the best of his filmography. To sweeten the batshit pot, this movie features Sam Neill. You know that he only shows up in our genre if the movie is going to be legendary. You cannot tell me this is not a Shudder priority this month.
You can watch In the Mouth of Madness on January 10th.
Mother of Flies (2025)
A terminally ill young woman and her dad head to the woods to seek out a recluse who claims she can cure her cancer. The Adams Family has been holding court on Shudder for years, so it feels right that Mother of Flies is a Shudder Original. More importantly, this fest favorite has one of the best performances of 2025. Which makes it a great time for people to finally get to see it and get in line to give Toby Poser her flowers. Whatever you think your favorite Poser role is, it is about to change when you see her as Solveig. I am being serious when I say that this movie might be the first family of indie horror at their best.
You can watch Mother of Flies on January 23rd.
New year, but same Shudder. I would not want to go into 2026 any other way, personally. I hope these horrific recommendations bring you the good kind of anxiety. Or at least distract you from the state of the world for a bit.
I’m happy Netflix knew I would be back on my bull shit. Now that we’re in January, and the end-of-year lists are done, I’m trying to cram as many 2025 titles into my eyeballs as I possibly can. I know it sounds backwards, but it’s sadly a yearly tradition now. No matter how many titles you cram into a year, there are always a ton more you missed. Because I am broken, I need to know if I missed anything that should have been on my lists ASAP. Then I can drag myself for not getting my eyeballs on things sooner. Or worse, seeing titles that came out after my deadline and would have definitely been on there. I need to feel resentment for their schedules not letting me be great.
Luckily for me, the streamer has dropped quite a bit of new stuff recently. This includes movies and shows that I put off, or that legitimately premiered a couple of weeks ago. So, now I can spiral in the comfort of my own home as I binge all of these titles like a maniac. If you are also trying to walk into the new year stressed out, then maybe this streaming guide is for you, too.
City of Shadows (2025)
When a burned body is put on display on the facade of an iconic building, two inspectors must work together to solve the crime. I don’t know much about this Spanish thriller, but I know winter is the time for an unsettling mystery. The show is based on the first book of the Milo Malart tetralogy written by Aro Sáinz de la Maza. So, if it’s as good as I hope it is, there is a whole world with this inspector awaiting us in print. I’m ready to take all six of these episodes in one setting if the streaming Gods allow.
Frankenstein (2025)
Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Christoph Waltz are among the names in this newest adaptation of the beloved Gothic horror classic. Guillermo del Toro’s take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is clearly one of the top priorities this month. While I skipped it in festivals because of the runtime, I knew I would have a date with it on Netflix this winter. While it has been on the streamer for a minute, I wasn’t able to dedicate two and a half hours to it. I also had watched my friends’ mixed reviews come in, and couldn’t take another disappointment last year. So, I saved this treat for the holiday. Fingers crossed, it is better than people are saying it is.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
A new group of friends is tormented by a new stalker in this sequel to Kevin Williamson’s other ’90s slasher. I’m indifferent to the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies. Some are less awful than others, and I think this one was fine, but I know the original source material. Which means I know just how far they stray from what the original author, Lois Duncan, was about. So, I look at these movies and the flimsy premise they repeat differently than a lot of my friends. I think it’s an interesting look at how IP gets handled in Hollywood, but I don’t usually get much out of these. Which is another reason I’m kinder to this Jennifer Kaytin Robinson film than some people. While I won’t be rewatching it this January, I think a lot of people who missed it in theaters are going to have fun with some of these kills now that it’s on Netflix.
Stranger Things: Season 5 (2025)
The long-awaited conclusion to Stranger Things is finally upon us! Will Vecna take out some of this ridiculously large cast on the way out? I hope so. Will we pretend to be surprised when Eddie Munson gets a few seconds of screentime? I refuse to play this game. However, are we all going to tune in to see how this epic ride ends? You betcha! I hate that they’re breaking this final season up into three chunks, but I will be sitting for all of them.
The first four episodes hit in November. The next three landed on Netflix on December 25, and the finale premiered on December 31. I don’t know what to expect, but I know I am so ready to close this chapter of my relationship with Netflix and the Duffer Brothers. If it is even half as good as season four, then I will be a very happy nerd.
Troll 2 (2025)
A new troll awakens, causing Nora, Andreas, and Captain Kris to find new allies to take it down. This Norwegian monster flick almost got by me, so I’m happy Netflix dropped the trailer for this one. I’m using this as an excuse to finally watch the first one. I’m thinking a double feature is in order, so I can spend a whole day with these trolls. This is not my usual type of party, but after Troll Hunter won me over, I figure anything can happen. So, I will not judge you if you’re not feeling this out of left field pick. Just know that I’m running at it with an open mind and hoping to see some carnage as a reward.
These are just the Netflix titles I’m prioritizing. This is in no way a complete overview of all of the new shows and movies they’ve added this winter. We also know that they usually have a ton of international bangers that they refuse to advertise. So, I end up stumbling over Korean titles every January and then trying to tell people we missed some really excellent stuff. So, pick up your remote and turn your phone off. It’s time to Netflix and Chill in the less sexy and more nerdy way.
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