Zombie Ass Kickers!!!

This weekend, "Zombie Apocalypse" premieres on SyFy (8 p.m. CST, Oct. 29). Admittedly, I am not completely sick of the zombie genre even though it's run its course. Still, I haven't watched one episode of AMC's "The Walking Dead" (I guess, anything that's "critically acclaimed is a turnoff").

On Saturday, I'll definitely tune into this flick from Asylum Pictures (the modern day AIP??).

Of course, a big draw is the presence of Ving Rhames, who battled the living dead in a few other movies. He's definitely one of the top zombie ass kickers in movie history. Consider his rock solid performance in the 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead."



Rhames also starred in another George Romero remake, "Day of the Dead." This movie didn't have quite the impact of "Dawn," but it's still pretty good. Rhames plays a tough soldier caught up in a world plagued by a zombie virus. This straight-to-DVD feature also featured Nick Cannon, Mena Suvari and a pre-"90210" AnnaLynne McCord. A lot of people hated it, but judge for yourself. It's on Showtime every now and then.



Rhames isn't the only skull crushing good guy in the world of zombie flicks. Before Rhames became the go-to badass in "Dawn of the Dead," Ken Foree delivered the goods in the original version of that film. He played Peter, a SWAT cop, who fights the living dead in the projects and in a shopping mall. An imposing guy, Foree's presence in the movie sealed his fame as a horror movie hero. I'll always remember watching this at a midnight screening. The audience went nuts when Foree went mano a mano with the dead hordes toward the end of the film. Foree also has a cameo in the remake.



Before Foree, Duane Jones used brains instead of brawn to survive in George Romero's original "Night of the Living Dead." As Ben, Jones was the sole voice of reason in a farm house besieged by zombies. The character's ultimate fate still leaves audiences reeling when they watch this classic. Jones didn't go on to make any other horror movies, but he set the standard for future zombie movie protagonists.



A few other zombie bashers worth noting:

Patricia Tallman (as Barbara) in Tom Savini's 1990 remake of "Night of the Living Dead": Tallman, a stuntwoman and actress, was like "Ripley" in Alien. Not only was she the only sane voice in a zombie-ridden world, she was a bonafide badass (expertly handling firearms and other weapons).



Mungo McKay (as Marion) in "Undead". This Australian import featured McKay as an odd, gun master who is nearly invincible as he leads other characters against infected hordes of murderous zombies. He's kind of like a laconic version of Ash from the "Evil Dead" movies. Check it out. It's not your typical zombie movie.



I know I am leaving out others including Milla Jojovich as Alice in the "Resident Evil" franchise and Bruce Campbell as Ash in the "Evil Dead" series. Leave a comment if you think of any others worth mentioning.