1968 Directed by George A. Romero
A group of people try to survive an attack of bloodthirsty zombies while trapped in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse. Although not the first zombie film, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is the progenitor of the contemporary "zombie apocalypse" horror film, and it greatly influenced the modern pop-culture zombie archetype.
La noche de los muertos vivientes, Elävien kuolleiden yö, A Noite dos Mortos-Vivos, La notte dei morti viventi
"it seems to be a sudden, general explosion of mass homicide... eyewitnesses say they are ordinary looking people, some say they appear to be in a kind of trance..."
a violent sickness intrudes a nation, fuelling its anxieties, exacerbating its tensions, eroding any and all social bonds that (barely) keep us from savagery—and still a police state is maybe the scariest result. this is brutally stark filmmaking and perhaps the most ferocious, unflinching portrait of the american psyche in the heat of the vietnam war and civil rights movement. rest in peace romero, you will be sorely missed.
So this really aged well.
I was a bit afraid that with the whole Apocalyptic Running Zombie direction Zombie films were headed this would feel old and tired, but it most assuredly doesn't.
I am not sure if I remember correctly but I seem to recall that Romero was inspired by the novel 'I am Legend' when he was thinking of this film. The feeling of being alone, surrounded by monsters is a strong concept and it is executed to perfection in this film. This is not a full out horror fest most of us are used to. Much like the zombies themselves, it is determined and relentless.
And that's the thing, this film emanates a 'this has never been…
What can I write about Night of the Living Dead that hasn't already been said by hundreds of other people, better than I could put it? At this point, everyone knows that this movie is a major feat--where ghouls are no longer ghouls, but zombies, and soon they will have a set of rules. Everyone knows that this is an influential, revered and beloved film. Everyone knows that George A. Romero created a new breed of monster. Just like vampire films are always referenced back to Bram Stoker, the modern-day zombie film is always referenced back to Romero. The only difference between both is that vampires have been around for centuries; throughout many different cultures, taking different forms in a…
Part of me wants to love this film and yet another can't see past the fact that the film tends to show its age and low budget to frequently too gain any form of a higher opinion on it.
It's a damn fine effort for its time and its many underlying themes make it still relevant to this day, yet I can't deny that some aspects are pretty dated and at least a decent amount of the film was pretty uninteresting.
Not to say the film itself is to blame, I've just never fond zombies that scary of a monster to be up against or the overall setting to offer that much in terms of overall story. Granted, Romero's efforts…
George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead is immeasurable, not just in terms of stature within the realm of horror cinema, but in ways that reflect the grand unraveling of its respective time-period. Tragically disturbing, beautifully grainy, and relentlessly bleak; Romero's film is an unforgettable beginning to the modern Zombie subgenre.
my mum thought this was too gory which makes sense because the first audiences to see it would’ve been boomers
The engine that started mainstream terror. Filled with a vivid eye for detail and an empathetic study of humxn nature, George A. Romero was undoubtedly a genius for crafting a film like this.
Genuinely horrifying DIY. Simply incredible. Simply simple.
What can I say about this movie that hasn't been said before? The line above alone has become a staple of movie history. This is the film that invented the modern flesh eating zombie as we know it. Duane Jones is fantastic in his role (also important to note this is the first time a black actor was cast in the lead). All around a pretty thrilling movie with smart social commentary that's still relevant to this day. George Romero knew how to thread politics into the storyline and have it be impactful, I only wish he was treated better by studios and allowed to make more of his own stuff. Rest in peace sir.
I love how you don't know how everything started, you can just wonder.
And the ending, it's just ouw ok
I couldn't get into it the first time around, but I realize too late what a true classic this is. It quickly thrusts the viewer into an intense, haunting reality, and is patient and sincere in a way that really gets to the heart of what impending doom does to us. It's fun to see where it all started after decades of zombie stories, especially when the horror of it all is more conceptual than anything (although every bit of horror imagery here is striking and memorable). There are a couple of moments that don't play as well now, particularly with a throwaway line of dialogue that comes off as being somewhat sexist, but the rest of the movie is so assured and definitive that I don't find those moments distracting. It's clear to see why it's left such an impact to this day, and I'm so glad that I finally get it.
When a film becomes the archetype of a subgenre it's definitively a "classic". There is no way around it.
The thing is that this is so much more than just an archetype, it's also a fantastically constructed indie picture from the 60s. Duane Jones performance needs to be lauded. He brings an energy to the picture as the lead that is missing in the heroes of cinema from this era. On the flip side, Karl Hardman manages to steal the show when he appears, and the two not only battle within the narrative but on the actor's stage as well.
Great FX. Great performances. Great pacing.
Decent sound fx.
What a way to give birth to a new player in horror.
Night of the Living Dead is still revolutionary, even in today's movie landscape. A black lead, and him surviving a Horror movie up till the very last scene is something you don't really get alot. Also, the cinematography and staging, especially in the second half, is exceptional. The dialogue is also great and the script works so smoothly with all the situations. It drags a little in the middle though, and the editing and camera have been done better prior to this.
Overall, a great horror film!
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