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Night of the Living DeadRating:
Release Date: 19 March, 2002 Retail Price: $7.98 OUR Price: $7.98 You SAVE: $0.00! Cast: Complete Cast (9 total) |
Night of the Living Dead Reviews
THIS IS A HORROR CLASSIC!!!!!!!!!
Night of the Living Dead by George Romero is a horror classic and not only that but its also the one that started the zombie movies!!!!!!!! I think that this classic will be treasured always and to me it has enough scares in it!!!!!! When dead people won't stay dead its up to this group of survivors to stay away from the dead or else they become one of them!!!!!! Like i said before Night of the Living Dead has been out for years and when they remade this one it was not as good as this one here and if you love horror movies then go out and pick up this true horror classic for you dvd collection!!!!!!
Night of the Living Dead ~ George A. Romero
There's probably no movie more responsible for the birth of the modern horror film than George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead". It established the foundation upon which modern horror is built and set the standards by which it is judged.
Night of the Living Dead helped to loosen the reigns of the "gothic era of horror" by modernizing the setting for fear to that of today's world. This familiarity help to produce fear that felt more real, even if outrageous. "Night" examined the human will to survive, with or without the help of his fellow men.
Night of the Living Dead is the quintessential "zombie" movie. It helped to establish the modern-day mythology of the "flesh-eating zombie." Prior to "Night", nearly all zombie movies dealt with voodoo as the primary vessel for reviving the dead. In turn, these zombies served, as mindless slaves, their human masters. In contrast, Romero's zombies were "true monsters". Creatures of destruction. They lived (again) to feed on the living. They served no one, but the instinct that drove them.
A lot has also been made in the debate of colorizing this films. Most of the time it doesn't have any affect on the overall effectiveness of the film, but in the case of Night of the Living Dead, the grittiness of the film helps to drive the fear. But I leave this to your own preference.
In NOTLD, Romero firmly established a successful formula for filmmaking. George Romero films are built upon a foundation of a strong storyline. Romero has never been one to cash in on the quick fix at the detriment of the story. He builds his films from the ground up, hoping to establish the instruments for fear. This is not to say that he isn't a fan of gore and in fact uses it masterfully to propel the story. Most of Romero's films success have some at the expense of a strong story with believable characters.
In 1990, there was a remake helmed by Tom Savini, which I found entertaining. (see my review) I think George Romero did an amazing job of updating the story and along with the bigger budget made Night of the Living Dead. Night of the Living Dead will always be one of my all-time favorite movies and I will never get tired of hearing: They're coming to get you Barbara.
ABOUT THE MOVIE:
The picture begins in rather mundane fashion, introducing "heroine" Barbara (Judith O'Dea) and her brother Johnny (Russell Streiner), who are visiting their parent's grave. He jokes about the cemetery scaring her as a child (cue the infamous "they're coming to get you Barbara!") while a storm erupts. Then, from the back of the frame, lumbers a seemingly-harmless old man. Without warning, the ghoul lunges at Johnny, killing him with a blow to the head. Naturally, Barbara gets away, coming across a deserted farmhouse out in the Pittsburgh countryside.
Going comatose inside the farmhouse, the distraught Barbara is later found by the resourceful Ben (Jones), who attempts to fortify the house from the rampaging undead. But, as the night wears on, the battle to keep the ghouls at bay becomes increasingly difficult, especially when Harry Cooper (Karl Hardman) and his family enter. Tempers in the house rise, and with flesh-eaters surrounding them, it's unclear who will finish them off first - the ghouls, or themselves...
Romero has never made the reason for the zombie outbreak clear. There's an inclination in Night that a weird phenomena from space is to blame, but a genuine cause for the event was never confirmed. Romero's zombies are creepy, blank, emotionless, and insatiable, the dead stink-up the movie with their rotting bodies.
The make-up in the film is easily the weakest in the series, which is pretty much a given, considering the films tight $114,000 budget. It's a million miles away from the perverse, and undeniably brilliant prosthetic work by Tom Savini in the sequels. That said, the original ghouls disturb in a way that those in Dawn and Day of the Dead don't. The black and white photography helps, giving them a morbid elegance. However, those watching the film for the first time might be disappointed in its relative lack of gore. Night of the Living Dead rarely gets nasty, although Romero managed to throw in a shot of ghouls feasting on someone's intestines, and the famous "matricide death" is truly shocking. Most of the violence is either seen partially, or occurs off-camera, but the director manages to make an impact; using the power of suggestion for much of the run-time. It works.
On a technical level, the film is very impressive especially by 60's standards. Romero handled the camera himself, and his composition is carefully controlled. Romero also possesses a gift for effective editing, giving the film a stark immediacy. While it didn't win any awards for filmmaking skill, Night of the Living Dead was, and still is, heads above most films of its ilk. The reason is simple: the filmmakers took the material seriously...
The most successful element of Night, is the tightly-woven screenplay. It's a perfect example of economical storytelling. The set-up is quick and disarmingly simple - all Romero has to do, is lock his characters within the principle location, and let them duke it out, while hell rages on outside. The zombies are almost an afterthought; the emphasis is placed on Ben and his comrades from the out-set. In most respects, it allows the director to show the nature of human beings on a primal level (comparing them to the ghouls). Here, the clashes between Ben and Cooper provide most of the friction, allowing the audience to read any racial connotations they please. Jones dominates the film as Ben. He's strong-willed and commanding, making you believe in Ben's determination. The rest of the cast is decidedly weak - especially Keith Wayne as the well-meaning Tom, although O'Dea is convincing as the terrified Barbara (a character trait that would be altered in Tom Savini's 1990 remake).
The news footage in Night is very realistic, adding to the sense of rising dread. It's Romero's only chance to show how the government is handling the situation, and it's typically gritty; depicting the local authorities as gung-ho rednecks who have been itching to use their rifles.
Spoilers:
After fighting off the ghouls, Ben had retreated to the basement. Emerging from the dark, he cautiously steps into the house....only to be gunned-down by a redneck; mistaken for one of the living dead. This is shocking in itself - how often does the leading man get killed? - yet the closing still shots of Ben's body being treated like a piece of meat, as it gets thrown onto a raging fire, is chilling. Romero is clearly stating that man is just as bad as the zombies, and naturally, the dead are mirrors of ourselves (the director neatly referred to them as "the new society", who "devour the old"). Society is changing. Crumbling. And we've only got ourselves to blame. The same bleak message would be repeated in Dawn, and again in Day. Are we building our own demise as a race? Romero seems to think so.
Night of the Living Dead is a wonderful horror film, and one of the finest in American cinema. Those with an interest in the genre should definitely give it a look. This is one of the many movies of Romero's that I love. Anyone who is a true horror fan must have this one in their personal collection. This is one that I deem a cult-classic.
*Also see my reviews for 'Dawn of the Dead' and 'Day of the Dead' by Romero, two more that should also be added to your collection.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
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