two evil eyes (1990)

aka Due occhi diabolici.
"Perversity is one of the prime impulses of the heart."
Two horror tales based on short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. The first is The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar, where a man is hypnotised, so his adulterous wife (Adrienne Barbeau) can get hold of his considerable wealth. Unfortunately for her, he dies whilst in the trance and stuck in limbo seeks revenge. The second story is that of the Black Cat. Police photographer (Harvey Keitel) resents his girlfriend's new cat, and the feeling is soon mutual, with each tormenting the other. That is until he kills the feline, but then finds that it isn't willing to leave just yet!
Two stories that pass the time in a convoluted manner.

season of the witch (1972)

aka Hungry Wives. Jack's Wife.
"You're getting there too kid, over the hill!"
Joan Mitchell (Jan White), a bored, suburban housewife, gets mixed up in witchcraft, but can she handle it when her fantasies seem to take over from reality.
An occasionally surreal, but often rambling thriller.

knightriders (1981)

AKA George A. Romero's Knightriders.
"You see, the way I see it is this: You got two separate fights. The one for truth and justice and the American way of life and all that. That's gotta take a backseat to the one for staying alive."
A traveling group of medieval performers, led by King Billy (Ed Harris) have a unique take on jousting, using motorbikes instead of horses! The group slowly unwind as the king has trouble controlling his knights due to various pressures including small town cops and the temptation of fame in LA. His main rival is Morgan the black knight (Tom Savini), who does indeed move to LA in search of greater recognition, but then returns to usurp the throne.
Easy Rider for the jousting brigade! Romero tries something other than zombies, and whilst an interesting concept the film for me comes up a little short and slightly flat.

land of the dead (2005)

aka George A. Romero's Land of the Dead.
Zombies have overrun the earth, whilst people live in well fortified cities. The rich, including Kaufman (Dennis Hopper), live it up in their penthouse apartments, literally looking down on the poor. But the zombies are getting smarter and the population are growing resentful. In the middle of it all is Riley (Simon Baker), who leads a team supplying the city by foraging outside, using an armoured truck. One of his team steals the truck when Kaufman betrays him, forcing Riley to attempt to get the vehicle back. All the while the zombies keep probing for weaknesses in the barricades.
Another Romero, another alagory about society and it's dog eat dog ways, but this time he ups the action and keeps the film a taught 90 odd minutes, and its all the better for it. Even a few old friends from previous movies turn up, including Blades from Dawn of the Dead.

the crazies (1973)

aka Code Name: Trixie. Experiment 2000. The Mad People.
In a small town people start going insane. The army quickly quarantines it, much to the confusion of the local populous, who are told nothing as they are rounded up. The confused and angry citizens try to comprehend that they are in a middle of a catastrophe and try to work out what they should do. Meanwhile the army argues amongst themselves about how to contain what is revealed as an accidental biological weapons release into the towns water.
Following on from the success of Night of the Living Dead, this has the same 'realistic' documentary style, and social allegory. At one point the president is appraised about the situation on video, but we never see anything more than the back of his head as he disinterestedly listens. An interesting film, but I never truly care about the characters as they struggle to survive the mayhem and escape. Worth watching as a lesser known Romero, but not essential.

day of the dead (1985)

aka George A. Romero's Day of the Dead. Another few years on from the last film and society has fully broken down, with zombies roaming the land. One group that has survived exist on a military base of mainly scientists and military personnel, safe in a underground bunker in Florida. The scientists experiment on the undead, searching for a cure, much to the annoyance of the army. This conflict getting more and more serious as the claustrophobia and stress builds tensions between the two factions. The film really gives you a feeling for the tensions that would run so high in such a situation and the improved special effects add another level to the zombies. But even though the previous two ended in depressing circumstances, this one is unrelentingly depressing from the off and makes for an effective, but less entertaining film.

dawn of the dead (1978)

aka George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Dawn of the Living Dead. The Zombies. Zombi. Zombie: Dawn of the Dead. Zombies. Zombies: Dawn of the Dead.
Sometime after the events in Night Of The Living Dead and the zombies are increasingly taking over. Civilisation seems to be crumbling and the authorities are loosing control. A couple of TV station workers with access to a helicopter decide to make a run for it and end up at a deserted mall with two SWAT team police who have also ran. Together they decide to wait it out there, as it seems to have everything that they need, whilst all around them hell breaks out.
Where the first film was a critique of Vietnam, this has been viewed as a critique of American consumerism. This is Romero's epic take on the zombie film, with zombies that can be one second comical and the next terrifying creatures. The ultimate zombie film featuring fun and gore in equal measure.

night of the living dead (1968)

aka Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition. Laugh Track: Night of the Living Dead, Monster Flick. Night of Anubis. Night of the Flesh Eaters.
The dead become re-animated and determined to feed on the living. Anyone bitten by a zombie then returns as a zombie themselves. The only way to destroy them is to destroy their brain. A number of people try to escape the chaos and end up barricaded inside a remote farmhouse, besieged by an increasing zombie hoard. As the zombies attack the tensions inside the house increase.
The realistic almost documentary feel and downbeat conclusion adds to the films tension and helped usher in a new era of contemporary horror. A wonderfully realised low budget film, that set the standard for what was to come.