For a while, the zombie craze was huge in Hollywood. The Walking Dead is still a major success on television, yet there was also a new rush of zombie movies. One of the best had to be Zombieland. This 2009 comedy hit opens with the world overrun by the living dead and the planet falling into chaos. The survivors have taken to the names of their hometowns so they don’t get attached to others.
Columbus (Jessie Eisenberg) is a young man who runs into the nutty Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and the two team up. They embark on a road trip to find safety. Along the way, they meet with Wichita (Emma Stone) and her sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), con artists who forge an uneasy truce with the two men.
The movie is a classic road trip with the occasional stopover to fight some zombies. It’s totally tongue-in-cheek but can still offer a few scares alongside with the laughs. The film has become a beloved cult hit aided by how the cast (especially Stone) have gone on to become major stars. It’ll be celebrating its 10th anniversary with style shortly, with a long-anticipated sequel subtitled Double Tap. The movie is known for some nice cars, as you’d expect from a road movie. Of course, a majority of them are little more than background cars in very poor shape to showcase how humans have lost this zombie battle. With the buildup to the sequel beginning, here’s a look back at 20 sweet rides of Zombieland you may not have noticed that enhanced the enjoyment of an already great movie.
20 E-1 Typhoon
Originally, Zombieland had been intended to be a TV show. That’s why the film has gags like the “zombie kill of the week” which were going to open each episode. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick had tried to get it off the ground but couldn’t make it work, so they adapted it for a movie. It took a while (it was even on the “Blacklist” of the best unproduced scripts) before it ended up being a hit. Ironically, Amazon Prime attempted to make a TV pilot in 2013 but it didn’t work out. It is tricky to make this work, if only to capture a post-zombie-attack world. The backgrounds have to work to sell the idea of cars being suddenly abandoned. That includes this very nice E-1 Typhoon fire truck left on a highway. It might be a big budget to get so many ruined cars out there, yet a few rides can look sweet.
19 Yamaha DT-25
The movie’s budget wasn’t huge, so they couldn’t really afford to just be smashing up cars. The process was to take several old cars from dumps and light them up. They would then place the cars around the roads to make it appear as if they’d been ruined on the road. Director Ruben Fleisher used matchboxes and toy cars to plan out how each set would appear and then used that for the actual filming. He did toss in a few nice bits here and there, such as when Columbus first meets Tallahassee. Not sure if a sound is a zombie, Columbus hides behind a Yamaha DT-25 motorcycle. It might be a decent ride except that the movie shows Columbus doesn’t know how to handle a bike. Still, just showing it off was a nice touch to make the road scenes feel more believable.
18 Chevrolet Lumina APV
There are a few Chevys in this movie. A major one is a delivery truck that’s found in a ditch. This is used to showcase Tallahassee’s obsession with Twinkies, which is a key part of his character and becomes a major running gag of the film. We also see a Blazer and a Suburban during the flashbacks to the zombie outbreak. One that gets a showcase is a Lumina APV that Tallahassee and Columbus find when the girls have ditched them. Tallahassee circles it, musing, “That’s a nice ride,” and seems ready to take it. Instead, he smashes it up with a crowbar, ranting about how he wants his stolen Escalade back. Columbus just stands watching and wondering why anyone would do that to a perfectly good vehicle amid so many wrecks. They do end up nabbing the Hummer, although this would still be a fun ride.
17 Dodge Coronet
The movie is a classic road trip and the audio commentary has director Ruben Fleisher and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick discuss how they had to figure out the sort of cars to use. They openly said they wanted to avoid the “cliché” of a classic muscle car as those might look nice but really aren’t practical for a long-range road trip in a zombie world. They also admitted how, in reality, gasoline would soon be a very rare commodity in this world “but then real life also doesn’t have zombies.” Thus, when the Hummer is going on its journey, we see a classic 1970 Dodge Coronet rammed into the side of a bridge. It showcases that even a classic muscle car is helpless when the undead attack.
16 BMW Z4
While much of the movie was shot in Georgia, one key section was filmed in Los Angeles. That’s when the quartet hits a nearly deserted Los Angeles and naturally, they stop at the famed Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The street was specially blocked off early in the morning, although they needed to make the filming as short as possible, and you can only cut off one of the biggest tourist spots in town for so long. A few burned-out cars were set up to sell the dystopian world as the Hummer drives around them. That includes a nice BMW Z4, which the group admires briefly. It’s a short scene and notable as one of the few truly shot on location to showcase how Hollywood has nice cars around even when there are no people.
15 Cadillac Freewood Stretch Limo
The opening scene of the movie sets the entire tone of the film. We see Washington D.C. as an overturned Freewood stretch limo is upended. In reality, it was shot in Georgia with almost everything else in the movie and CGI put in the Capitol Building in the background. The whole thing is seen from the viewpoint of a Secret Service agent as a figure (who may well be the President himself) bursts out of the overturned limo as a zombie and attacks him. It’s a shame the limo itself is in such horrible shape because it’s a very impressive ride with its nice frame and sleek style. It instantly tells the audience how crazy this movie is going to get and that no one is safe from the zombie takeover.
14 Chevrolet Astro
The movie doesn’t hold back from showing the way the rise of zombies changes humanity. The opening segments have Columbus narrating that a key change for humans was to “let go of emotional attachments.” This is proven by how a kid’s birthday party falls apart as the little girls become zombies and attack the adults. One woman leaps into a Chevrolet Astro, a nice version of a high-powered family van. The “my kid is an honor student” bumper sticker can be seen, even as zombie kids try to cling to the car as the woman takes off. Just as Columbus gives the rule of “always buckle up,” the woman smashes into a Topkick, which sends her flying out the windshield. It’s a famous scene to highlight how a simple world dissolves into chaos in record time.
13 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Like many movies, Zombieland used some cross-promotion in order to aid the budget. In this case, Chrysler vehicles pop up a few times, mostly in the flashback sequences before the zombie attacks come in. A Sebring Convertible can be seen in the gas station scene which introduces Wichita’s conniving ways. Also, when Little Rock aids her sister in a scam on the station attendant, we see a PT Cruiser among the cars at the station. The little crossover van was a popular sight during the 2000s although ironically, it ceased production just a year after the movie opened. It showcases the quieter world that existed before the zombies rose up and it's still a nice ride for those who own it. It may not be flashy like other cars but still is a fun vehicle to put in the background.
12 Dodge RAM
A truck might actually be the logical choice of vehicle in a zombie apocalypse. It’s sturdy, it can cover rougher terrain, and its tough frame makes it easier to handle the obvious issues of the road. The running gag of the film are the “rules” Columbus shares regarding how to survive in this world. In this case, #7 is “travel light” and he points out the more you carry, the more there is that can slow you down, and don’t be afraid to drop what you have to save your life. He passes a Dodge RAM among other cars abandoned on the road. Something bad must have happened to cause the driver to leave this otherwise nice truck alone and unscathed. It's too bad, as the movie showcases how a RAM is a great ride to utilize for this rough new world.
11 Mazda 6
The movie’s opening credit sequence is hailed as pure genius. It shows a montage of the zombie plague overtaking the world in slow-motion sequences. Some are pure dark comedy, like a man with an “End is Nigh” sign getting attacked, a mechanic tackled while working on a car, and a zombie bride going after her groom. Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” just makes it work better. This includes a brief sequence taking place in a city as chaos reigns. A Mazda 6 is seen trying to drive through the mess of people running from zombies, to little success. Pause the scene and it’s clear the driver is about to be attacked by a zombie. It looks like a 2004 version and sells the feeling of how society collapses fast when the undead go on the attack.
10 Vickers-Armstrong Chieftain
Several of the empty street scenes were filmed in the same small town in Georgia. A bit of CGI trickery was then used to make them look like larger deserted cities. However, it’s surprising to find how many of the background vehicles weren’t computer-generated but were actual physical models. That includes when Columbus and Tallahassee wander through a town and pass a Vickers-Armstrong Chieftain tank in the background. It shows the military’s futile efforts to stop the zombie plague. The audio commentary details how they rented the tank from a private collector, and it was actually a UK model that they fitted to match U.S. military specifications. They added that it was meant to showcase how a tank doesn’t make for a good cross-country road vehicle.
9 Cadillac Escalade
This is one of the key cars of the movie, so it’s more familiar than others. Still, it has to count as an awesome vehicle and Columbus is thrown when Tallahassee first shows up in it. The highlight is the bulldozer attachment that’s used to push aside empty cars on the road (not to mention being great for knocking back zombies). The movie addresses how it’s used for its tough frame and even its doors make good weapons against zombies. The notable part is the number 3 painted on the side. It’s a tribute to Dale Earnhardt, as co-writer Rhett Reese was a huge fan of “the Intimidator.” He figured Tallahassee would be, as well, and thus honored him by painting the number on both the Escalade and later their Hummer.
8 Porsche 911 Carrera
The exact year of this model has been debated on some car forums. It’s showcased for the “Hollywood mansion” sequence, which was actually nowhere near California. Like almost everywhere else in the movie, it was shot in Georgia, at a massive, acre-wide estate meant to showcase some Hollywood big-shot. The Porsche shows up briefly when a slightly out-of-it Tallahassee wanders into the driveway and seems surprised to find his Hummer gone. It appears to be an early model with some detailing and modifications to the wheels. Its age could be from 1996 to 2002, as the production didn’t have the budget to get a majorly high-priced vehicle. It does fit the Hollywood setting and thus showcases a great way a background vehicle sold Georgia as a pricey part of L.A.
7 Hummer H2
When the sisters steal their Escalade, Columbus and Tallahassee need to get a new ride. As fate has it, they find the absolutely perfect vehicle for a zombie-laden world. The Hummer H2 looks absolutely beautiful with its yellow color and impressive frame. The Hummer soon becomes the regular ride when the quartet forms an uneasy team. Its huge frame allows it to smash through other vehicles and zombies with ease. It also provides some good protection. Some may nitpick how an infamous gas guzzler can go long distances in a world where fuel is scarce. However, it was a fantastic ride that became part of the movie’s promotion. In any case, the Hummer is as identifiable with the movie as any of the actors.
6 Harley-Davidson FDX Dyna
The supposed Hollywood mansion in the movie was actually an estate in Georgia. It fit well with the addition of the sort of vehicles you’d expect from some fancy Hollywood star. Finding out the girls have left for a theme park, Columbus decides to ride to the rescue. He finds the perfect bike in a Harley Davidson FXDX Dyna Super Glide Sport. It’s a fantastic sight and the soundtrack builds as Columbus races out of the garage, guns the engine….and lands headfirst into a pile of bushes. It always got a big laugh from audiences and subverts the idea of the great hero. Columbus still rescues the girls, yet it showcased a fun turn on how not everyone can handle a Harley very well.
5 BMW 3 Series
The challenge of the movie, according to the filmmakers, was to capture a post-apocalyptic feel on a very low budget. In Hollywood, $23 million is chump change and that meant a lot had to be done to make the movie feel bigger than it was. The simple idea was that extras would show up in cars packed with whatever they thought they would bring for an emergency run. They then just left them parked on the specific roads for shooting. This gives the appearance of long-abandoned cars on roads and leads to sequences like Columbus walking past a fleet of them with a BMW 3 Series spotted among the other vehicles. It was a low-key move that aided the film in selling this post-zombie world.
4 BMW 650i
When Wichita and Little Rock first show up, they pull a scam on the guys by making them believe Little Rock is infected. This allows them to trick the duo out of their guns and car. As it happens, the duo has been pulling these scams for quite a while. A flashback shows Wichita at a gas station, claiming to have lost an expensive ring and telling the attendant if he finds it mails it to her, she’ll give him a huge reward. Little Rock then “finds” the ring and gets the attendant to pay a few hundred dollars for what’s really a worthless trinket. The duo takes off in a BMW 650i, a sleek car fitting for their lifestyles. It showcases the smarts that allow them to survive and an affinity for some nice cars.
3 Ford Mustang
This dependable vehicle can still be a good ride today. Some places identify a Cobra in the infamous “kid’s birthday” scene but close examination shows it’s not a Cobra model. It appears to be a GT, although there’s still debate because it only pops up for a few seconds. The Mustang pops up in the opening sequence when Columbus is narrating how vital the “double-tap” is to put a zombie down. It’s a wild street scene that involves cars smashing into each other and various buildings. A Mustang can be seen tearing around a corner, trying in vain to escape the chaos erupting around it. It’s brief and it shows that even a fast car isn’t enough to survive the madness of the zombie outbreak.
2 Ferrari F430 Spider
Hands down, the most famous scene of the movie is when the quartet find themselves in the seemingly abandoned mansion of Bill Murray. In a priceless cameo, Murray himself pops in, at first appearing to be a zombie. It turns out he’s just dressed like one to blend in. He then has some antics with the group that end in an outrageous fashion. The mansion is meant to showcase Murray as a classic egotistical actor who loves to flaunt his wealth (complete with a built-in movie theater in his home). This leads to the sight of a Ferrari F430 Spider in his garage. It’s very brief, but notable, and funnier given that in real life, Murray isn’t really a fancy car guy.
1 GMC Yukon XL
The movie’s grand finale has the sisters going to a small amusement park that’s amazingly intact. They foolishly trigger all the lights, which just attracts a horde of zombies to attack. It’s a wild conclusion but it all works out, with the survivors hitting the road in a GMC Yukon XL. It’s from a mansion they had been staying in, so it’s, naturally, a high-end vehicle. It looks great and the body actually holds up well when some zombies attack. It has a sunroof just in case you need an emergency exit and a warm feel to make it stand out. It works out for them as they ride off now thinking of themselves as a makeshift family. It’s funny that with so many sweet rides in the movie, this is the last car shown but it fits to bring the movie to a nice conclusion.
Sources: IMDb, IGN, and Wikipedia.