Zombie from 1979, if only for the POV-shot (twice, with sand on the camera) of a zombie rising from his grave!
Have to say Return of the Living Dead...Watched this with a really good friend and her older teenage sister and her friend waaaaaay back in the mid 80's when this came out on VHS (I was around 11 at the time)...I always felt like this was the "Scream" of zombie movies ((I mean that as a compliment) headshots don't work, snarky dialogue, zombies that run...it took everything that you came to know from Romero and turned it on it's head...and all of this back in 1985). It also introduced me to The Cramps and 45 Grave...plus 3 people that starred in the F13 franchise...
Return of the Living Dead and Night of the Living Dead 1990. I first saw each upon buying a double VHS set of the both in a double clamshell case in the mid nineties. Perfect zombie movies!
The original Dawn of the Dead for me. There are a lot of zombie films I enjoy, but this one will always be tops.
I'll have to go with CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS. I'll never forget my parents left me alone in the house as a child in the 70's, and it showed on Chiller. The movie really freaked me out then, and the scenes with Orville still make me uneasy today. This was my first zombie film.
Night of the Living Dead for me. While there are many that I love, NOTLD stands just a little taller.
Dawn of the Dead (1978) Great story, great setting, great characters. Such a massive influence on pretty much everything zombie related that came after. Glad I saw it well before zombies became mainstream and "cool". Not that it's necessarily a bad thing.
Dawn of the Dead (1978). Lots of runners-up, but that's the winner. It was my introduction to the genre so it'll always be the sentimental favorite.
My favorite zombie movie would have to be Night Of The Living Dead (1968). Not only is it my favorite Horror movie, it's my favorite movie of all time.
I'll go with Fulci 'Zombie'. Nice lingering pace, great soundtrack, and gore! How can you go wrong there?
Original Dawn of the Dead, classic and absolutely a must see this time of year. One of my faves all round !!
Return of the Living Dead - used to watch this on VHS a ton growing up. Never got sick of it. That slimy zombie in the basement used to scare the hell out of me.
Though it's not a true zombie film, I'd have to go with The Serpent and the Rainbow. If I can't count that, then I'd have to go with Shaun of the Dead!