Night of the Living Dead

(1968) ***1/2


A group of self righteous know-it-alls are forced to put aside their differences and live together in a small, isolated house for the sake of survival. So it would seem that Night of the Living Dead is the bluprint for all modern zombie movies and all reality television. You have Mr. Cooper - a short tempered bald man with an endless supply of bad ideas. Then there's Barbara, the last person anyone would want to be holed up because she's only capable of three things: crying, complaining and screaming. Thankfully you also have the black guy. Cool, calm and collective, he is the only rational member of the group. There are a couple of other minor characters including the young, stupid guy with good intentions.

This motley crew can only receive information regarding the walking dead through an emergency radio broadcast. The learn that the deadly phenomenon is likely the result of a strange radiation that reactivates the brain of the recently deceased. This conflicts with other zombie movies including the Dawn remake that states that those who die of natural causes will not return to life. I personally prefer the virus-like explanation because it seems more plausible. But who am I to argue with the great George A?

NOTLD is a milestone in the zombie genre partly because it shows the dead feeding on human flesh. More importantly, it sets the stage for his future masterpiece known as Dawn of the Dead, roughly a decade later. Romero created this one on a shoestring budget in black and white and while this is apparant, it should not deter anyone from the film. He managed to sustain a suspenseful, claustrophobic thriller that has proudly stood the test of time.