As zombie analysts predicted, Fulci’s City of the Living Dead couldn’t hold up to the sheer power of Dawn of the Dead. Asked how he felt about the loss, Fulci was quoted to say, “Well, maybe this year isn’t my year, but maybe next time.” then a stress ball exploded in his hand.

For tonight’s matchup, we have Shaun of the Dead vs. Return of the Living Dead. Here is Shaun of the Dead‘s synopsis:

It’s often said that the true character of a man is only revealed in times of dire crisis, and for likable, lovelorn loser Shaun (Simon Pegg), that moment of reckoning came when the dead rose from their slumber to feast on the flesh of the living. A hapless electronics store employee who spends most of his spare time downing pints at the local pub with his roommate, Ed (Nick Frost), Shaun’s life seems to fall apart when he is dumped by his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield), and his obnoxious stepfather, Philip (Bill Nighy), shows up to berate him for not being more attentive to his caring mother Barbara (Penelope Wilton) — especially since he forgot to send flowers for her birthday. Things take a turn for the worse when the dead return to stake their claim on the Earth, and though the chaos that follows threatens to swallow up all of England, it’s up to Shaun to keep his cool and prove himself once and for all by successfully rescuing Liz and his mother. With his trusty roommate by his side, nothing — not even the living dead — can stand between Shaun and the two most important women in his life. Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

and here is Return of the Living Dead‘s synopsis:

Middle-aged family man Frank (Jim Karen) trains teenaged Freddy (Thom Matthews) for his new job at a medical supply warehouse. In an effort to impress and frighten his young charge, practical joker Frank reveals that the warehouse basement contains a cannister full of a mysterious chemical capable of bringing the dead back to life. It seems that the cannister fell off the back of an army truck during an accidental outbreak of zombiedom. Frank and Freddy unwittingly inhale the chemical and release it into the warehouse. Turning to the operator of a nearby crematorium for help in destroying the suddenly undead specimens that surround them, they unwittingly awaken the residents of a nearby cemetary just as Freddy’s pals arrive to party amidst the headstones and wait for their friend’s shift to end. Meanwhile, Col. Glover (Jonathan Terry) waits for the call that his missing chemical weapon has been unleashed. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

So which is the better zombie film?

Zombie Bracket