Night of the Living Dead was the film that began the modern zombie phenomena. It was the inspiration for the shambling zombie which cannot be stopped without destroying the brain. If you haven't seen the film, you should. It is not only a part of zombie history, it provides a great example of a survivor we can emulate.
Sure there are flashier, more outlandishly kick ass characters in zombie movie history then can be found in Night of the Living Dead. However, if I had to choose one to survive with I would still pick Ben, the hero of the film over all the others (Selena from 28 Days Later is a close second). He is the only calm voice of reason and is able to convince the group to remain above ground and board up the farm house.
Ben is able to maintain his ability to think forward into the future. Thinking a few steps ahead is a difficult enough task in peace time, let alone when you have hoards of zombies bearing down on you. He designates the last stand as the basement, secures the windows and doors and even takes the time to listen for better information coming over the radio.
Through the course of the evening, the situation degrades. Ben is forced to physically defend the house with the help of the other survivors. While doing so, he realizes head shots are the quickest way to take them down and that fire can be used to deter the zombies. His ability to determine the cause and effect are essential if anyone is to stand a chance against the multitude of possible zombie outbreaks.
If you are looking for a zombie movie to watch and have yet to see this one, then do it. Pay attention to Ben. Do as Ben does. Take note of what happens when people don't.
