11. Battlefield Baseball (Yudai Yamaguchi, Japan, 2003)
A more typical effort for what would come from Japan, this bizarre and outright zany effort plays like a live-action manga just like the source material. About a baseball team forced into playing against a zombie team that eats the competition if they lose and forces the opposing manager to bring a star player back to playing the game if they want to win, this effort totally overwhelms with its bizarre plotlines, absurd slapstick
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12. Sars Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis (Taweewat Wuntha, Thailand, 2004)
Thailand might’ve been a bit behind the times when it comes to playing around with the undead, but they certainly brought a fine starting effort here. Concerning a soldier arriving at a government research facility looking at developing a cure for a savage strain of the SARS virus and finding the area overrun by flesh-eating zombies, this one is absolutely loaded with the typical Thai penchant for silly, low-brow jokes and comedy, goofy mugging and over-the-top antics. That’s done in conjunction alongside some fine gore, tons of wackiness that easily becomes an acquired taste and a general sense of fun surrounding the madness.
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13. Tokyo Zombie (Sakichi Sato, Japan, 2005)
While most Japanese efforts run with the serious, over-the-top gorefest as we’ll see later on, this one still maintains the lighthearted comedic stylings. Centered on two losers who accidentally kill their boss and bury him in a trash pile on the outskirts of the city and are then inundated with zombies forcing them to put their martial arts skills to sloppy use in order to stop them, the film focuses on nonstop zaniness with almost a Hong Kong style comedic adventure to go along with the zombie action. Definitely one for those that like comedy sprinkled with horror around the edges as it can get way too goofy for its own good at times.
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14. Zombies from Banana Village (Mamat Khalid, Malaysia, 2007)
For those that thought the previous film was a comedy that added a few horror elements to it, Malaysia’s first zombie film ups the ante, doubles the pot and then tacks on an additional layer of cheese and silliness. Featuring the exploits of a peaceful village in the jungle who come face-to-face with zombies and must battle them to save their way of life, the name of the game here is straight-up laughs that include the horrific idea of the threat coming from the undead trying to kill them. Made by comedians which should give an idea of how to approach the film, this one is strictly for those looking to have some chuckles from something new.
15. Zombie Hunter Rika (Kenichi Fujiwara, Japan, 2008)
Very much a product of the Japanese sensibilities at the time, this one emerges as a truly enjoyable blend of high-quality splatter and numerous action with all-out bizarreness and slapstick comedy. Featuring a schoolgirl and her friends visiting her grandfather in a remote village which has become overrun by zombies and forcing them to channel their family legacy to stop the creatures, this proves to be a highly enjoyable middle-ground of their zombie cinema featuring plenty of laughs if not outright goofy comedy and more restrained if continuous action scenes. In the end, this makes for a fun overall addition to their catalog.
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16. Helldriver (Yoshihiro Nishimura, Japan, 2010)
One look at the company credits here should tell you immediately what’s in store: over-the-top blood and gore from absolutely absurd situations that can only come from the minds of Sushi Typhoon. Concerning a warrior and her band of allies making a cross-country trek through a zombie plague to kill the zombie queen at the heart of the apocalypse, this effort features an insane series of gore gags an special effects hung off a storyline that simply serves as an excuse to showcase them. The post-apocalyptic touch is a nice change of pace, and while it’s a bit too long for its own good, there’s plenty to like for fans of the studio.
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17. The Neighbor Zombie (Hong Young-geun, Ryoo Hoon, Oh Young-doo, South Korea, 2010)
One of the most unique and creative ideas for a zombie outbreak film, this six-episode omnibus-styled anthology takes an entirely new look at what occurs during and after the outbreak. With episodes dealing with how to treat loved ones who are zombified after the government orders a total extermination of the infected to how to treat the infected with a cure to what lies ahead as the city attempts to rebuild and more, this is a far more humanistic take on the genre that expertly uses it’s format to fine effect. Definitely one for those that want to see that there’s more out there in the genre other than being a thinly-veiled special effects demo reel can be.
18. Schoolgirl Apocalypse (John Cairns, Japan, 2011)
A rather curious Japanese effort, this is a far more sedate and character-driven piece that still maintains enough hallmarks of the genre for those who enjoy them. Focused on a woman trying to survive in the middle of a zombie outbreak that only affects the men after they’ve killed her family, the film manages to eschew the traditional action and wackiness in favor of introspective drama about the plight to survive the various figures still alive. There’s some weirdness with the animated dreams and low-quality CGI, but the rest of the film is more than enough to be worth of inclusion.
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19. Hsien of the Dead (Gary Ow, Singapore, 2012)
Singapore dives into the zombie comedy stakes with this delightfully cheap and cheesy effort that comes off as a slightly more polished and serious Troma film. Featuring a former soldier who deserts the Army to return to his hometown only to find a zombie apocalypse has spread throughout the island and trams up with other survivors to escape, this one is all about the fast, high-flying jokes spread throughout the running time. Not to be taken the slightest bit seriously considering the type of content and the execution of these scenes, the film is mainly for those who like the silly, low-brow humor present.
20. The Grave Bandits (T.A. Acierto, Phillippines, 2012)
It’s time for the Philippines to tackle the genre, and this entry manages to bring together a far more old-school feel with modern comedic sensibilities. Featuring a pair of teenage orphans who have made a living grave-robbing and upsetting the locals who force them to flee to a seemingly abandoned island where zombies have been revived by an alien virus and forcing them to use their wits to battle the swarm of flesh-eating ghouls, this one manages to bring together a varied mixture of elements including slapstick comedy, child adventure and somewhat creepy zombie action. Some of these elements may be at odds with each other and the low-budget effects do hurt it somewhat, yet as an overall curiosity from the country this still deserves some mention.
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