Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Horror maestro George A. Romero follows up his apocalyptic milestone Night of the Living Dead (1968) ten years later with the full-color, volcanically gory, relentlessly terrifying Dawn of the Dead (1978). As zombies run rampant over the entire planet, a horde of human survivors holes up in a shopping mall to do battle with the shuffling flesh eaters. Pushing violence to never-before-endured heights, Dawn of the Dead hit theaters without an MPAA rating (to avoid the dreaded “X” of the time), yet it is brilliantly executed enough to be hailed by even the snootiest of critics for its bold perspectives, ruthless suspense, and subtle satire. Adding a dash of sex to all the carnage is Gaylen Ross, who flashes her left breast. To describe Gaylen's half bosom as appetizing may seem strange in this context . . . but, at the same time, completely appropriate.