George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is a low-budget, homegrown classic that had great difficulty finding a distributor at the time of its release in 1968, and has since become one of the most influential horror films of all time. (Aside from its visceral impact years before realistic gore became the fashion, the film is also important for its portrayal of a black man as the protagonist during a time when race was an extremely sensitive issue in the United States.) The plot is simple: seven people secluded in a Pennsylvania farmhouse face relentless attacks by reanimated corpses seeking to eat their flesh. The group, which includes a married couple and their daughter, a pair of young lovers, and an African-American man, try to keep their sanity as the living dead keep trying to enter the house. Radio news reports tell of the plague taking over the eastern United States, while the ever-decreasing band of survivors rapidly loses ground in the battle to both keep peace with one another and stay alive.
Theatrical release: October 1, 1968.
Filmed in 1964 in the countryside around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1999.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD was director George Romero's first feature film.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD produced two sequels, DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) and DAY OF THE DEAD (1985); one remake, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990); and countless imitations.
William Hinzman, who appeared as the Cemetery Zombie at the beginning of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, also served as cinematographer on Romero's THE CRAZIES.
The film was made for $114,000.
Excerpt: "Beat 'em or burn 'em. They go up pretty easy." - Zombie hunter on television news coverage
"They're coming to get you, Barbara!" - Johnny (Russell Streiner) taunting Barbara (Judith O' Dea) in the cemetery, just before he is attacked by a zombie
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Single Side - Single Layer
Full Frame - 1.33
Interactive Features:
zDVD Technology (2D and 3D Options)
Director of Photography
George A. Romero: American Horror Director, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
Production Designer
Vincent Survinski: Production Designer
Review 1:
"...The best thing is that NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD isn't over-composed -- it just hurtles ahead with all its gruesomeness..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.F31 03/15/1991
Review 2:
"Minted in chilling black and white, George A. Romero's indie classic manages to be scary as hell, funny, and political all at once..."
Source: Premiere
p.11 12/01/2003
Review 3:
5 stars out of 5 -- "George Romero's legendary, ultra-low-budget debut remains awesome."
Source: Empire
p.197 12/01/2008
Review 4:
"...Second only to PSYCHO among influential horror films..." -- Rating: A+
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.91 11/25/1994
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