Night of the Living Dead (1968) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Night of the Living Dead (1968) |
| Director | George A. Romero |
| Screenplay Writer | George A. Romero, John A. Russo |
| Based on Novel by | — (Original screenplay) |
| Lead Actors | Duane Jones |
| Cast | Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman |
| Genre | Horror, Zombie |
| Release Date | October 1, 1968 (United States) |
| Duration | 1h 36m (96 minutes) |
| Budget | ~$114,000 |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | ~$30 million |
| IMDb Rating | ~7.8/10 |
| Notable For | Revolutionary zombie horror, social commentary, indie horror classic |
| Cult Status | One of the most influential horror films ever made |
| Legacy | Popularized modern flesh-eating zombie genre |
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While visiting their mothers grave to lay a wreath, Barbara and Jonny are attacked by a strange man. Soon after he saves her from the guy, Jonny’s skull gets smashed against a tombstone. Now Barbara is all alone, and she starts hauling ass. Finally she comes upon a farmhouse, and Ben, who helps deal with the few dead that have shown up early on. It seems safe enough to her, but within a few hours, it will be surrounded by the dead.
Directed by Tom Savini, the remake of the 1968 classic holds true to what the original was. It also manages to add it’s own look to make it in the 90’s movie market. What’s amazing about this movie, is that it’s a remake, and good at the same time. Out of anyone Romero could have chosen, Savini was perfect. Left in the hands of the likes of John Russo, this would have been another Children of the Living Dead.
Barbara, and her new found ally soon find out that they are not alone. Five other people in are the house as well, four more adults, and a teenage girl. While the zombies start to surround the house, the people inside argue over where the safest place is. They try to hold the flimsy barricades in hopes of keeping the increasing numbers of the dead outside.
While not as campy as the original, I really liked the fact that Romero’s rewrite wasn’t a scene by scene version of the original. He updated the script for the nineties, and the result is beautiful. Making Barbara the heroine, instead of the babbling idiot was a nice change of pace. Because the original is my all time favorite, the first time I watched this movie, I expected to hate it. While I don’t consider it as good as the original, this movie is definitely a worthy remake. Writing this review just 16 days before the remake of Dawn of the Dead, I’m also thinking of it as well. I can only hope that the remake for the second of Romero’s trilogy, is equally as good.
Patricia Tallman as Barbara does a great job. From being scared shitless, to take charge zombie killer, she does it well. Tony Todd, is usually the last guy you want to meet in a horror movie. His character, Ben, is the backbone of the movie. Even though the film revolves around Barbara, if Todd didn’t play vulnerable and tough at the right times, it could have ruined the movie.
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