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Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Exactly What You’ve Heard
Directed By: George A. Romero
Starring: Judith O’Dea, Duane Jones, & Karl Hardman
MPAA Rating: “Unrated”
This will probably be my shortest review thus far, because everyone has heard of Night of the Living Dead (1968) and its greatness has been discussed ever since it was released. I suppose that my review is rather inconsequential because of this, but it never hurts to throw one out there (especially since I will be reviewing the entire series within the next few days). Yes, Night of the Living Dead is a great film and it is one of my favorites, one that is unforgettable and completely horrifying. Because of its low-budget and inexperienced team of filmmakers, it is an even more remarkable feat in cinematic history. This is the film that all aspiring filmmakers hope to make...and yet so few do.
The plot is very simple. Barbra (O’Dea) is on a road trip to visit the grave of a family member with her brother, when a shuffling, grotesque man emerges from the mist and kills her brother. Barbra flees to a nearby farmhouse, which is seemingly abandoned. There she meets Ben (Jones), a heroic black man who boards up the house. Through the cracks, they watch as the outside world is consumed by people exactly like the ones that killed Barbra’s brother. A small television informs them that this is not just a small accident, but rather a global epidemic. When Barbra and Ben discover that a family and a young couple are hiding in the basement, the patriarch Harry Cooper (Hardman) immediately wants to take command. Quickly, tensions between Harry and Ben begin to mount and they discover that the greatest threat to their survival may not be the ghouls outside...but their comrades inside.
If there has ever been a film that was the perfect jumpstart for a franchise and yet a perfect individual film on its own, Night of the Living Dead is it. Romero has crafted an ingenious motion picture that is genuinely effective and a staple for any horror movie fan. What really is there to say that has not been said? The cast is phenomenal, the ghoul effects are sinister and creepy, the direction is stark, the grainy feel to it all only increases the efficiency, and the ending is thought-provoking and perfectly fitting. The social commentary runs thick beneath the surface (though it has been denied by the filmmakers), giving an entirely new and intriguing level to the whole film. This really is one of my favorite films, and it is one that I can always turn to when modern cinema lets me down (which is quite often). If you haven’t seen Night of the Living Dead, why haven’t you? If you have and you didn’t like it, then stand still while I get a burlap sack and some sticks. This is horror cinema at its finest.
The plot is very simple. Barbra (O’Dea) is on a road trip to visit the grave of a family member with her brother, when a shuffling, grotesque man emerges from the mist and kills her brother. Barbra flees to a nearby farmhouse, which is seemingly abandoned. There she meets Ben (Jones), a heroic black man who boards up the house. Through the cracks, they watch as the outside world is consumed by people exactly like the ones that killed Barbra’s brother. A small television informs them that this is not just a small accident, but rather a global epidemic. When Barbra and Ben discover that a family and a young couple are hiding in the basement, the patriarch Harry Cooper (Hardman) immediately wants to take command. Quickly, tensions between Harry and Ben begin to mount and they discover that the greatest threat to their survival may not be the ghouls outside...but their comrades inside.
If there has ever been a film that was the perfect jumpstart for a franchise and yet a perfect individual film on its own, Night of the Living Dead is it. Romero has crafted an ingenious motion picture that is genuinely effective and a staple for any horror movie fan. What really is there to say that has not been said? The cast is phenomenal, the ghoul effects are sinister and creepy, the direction is stark, the grainy feel to it all only increases the efficiency, and the ending is thought-provoking and perfectly fitting. The social commentary runs thick beneath the surface (though it has been denied by the filmmakers), giving an entirely new and intriguing level to the whole film. This really is one of my favorite films, and it is one that I can always turn to when modern cinema lets me down (which is quite often). If you haven’t seen Night of the Living Dead, why haven’t you? If you have and you didn’t like it, then stand still while I get a burlap sack and some sticks. This is horror cinema at its finest.
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