George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead is one of the most influential horror films of all time. Released in 1968, it was darker, gorier and nastier than anything that had come before. The fact that it can still shock viewers weaned on a diet of blood-soaked splatterfests like Evil Dead and Hellraiser is a testament to its power.
It’s a simple story, simply told: corpses around the world are inexplicably turning into mindless zombies with a craving for human flesh. Trapped in an isolated homestead somewhere in middle America, seven strangers attempt to survive an attack from the hordes of ravenous undead while also fighting with each other.
The acting ranges from bad to atrocious, the budget is obviously miniscule, the production values non-existent, and the dialogue so cheesy that it could have been scripted by George Lucas.
But none of that matters. It’s the almost tangible sense of dread created by the relentlessly claustrophobic camerawork, the terrifyingly expressionless zombies and the downbeat ending that make the film a classic.
Unfortunately, some of the original cast and crew reunited in 1998 to create a special 30th anniversary edition. Several new shots were filmed and added to the movie, none of which are remotely worthwhile. The film now kicks off with two yokel gravediggers and a brimstone-breathing priest about to bury a coffin (by the way, how many funeral services are held while the grave is being dug?). Suddenly the coffin’s undead occupant breaks out and starts wreaking havoc. Curiously, when he reappears later in the film, he looks thirty years younger - funny that…
The good news is that the disc gives viewers the option of watching the original cut or the 1998 travesty.
The picture is surprisingly good for a low budget 1968 film. The black and white picture has cleaned up very nicely. Occasional blurriness (which may reflect the source material rather than the transfer) and aliasing are the only blemishes.
The new footage is noticeably sharper than the old, which makes it jar all the more.
A comparison with the horrid DVD released recently by MRA proves what an effective remastering job has been done here. The MRA release is unwatchable due to dense shadows, poor contrast, blurred imagery and constant flecks and aliasing.
We get a decent Dolby Digital 2.0 mono mix. Dialogue is sometimes problematic, with volume fluctuating wildly throughout, and some of it sounding downright tinny. But this probably just reflects the low production values of the original shoot. By the way, ignore the package's claim that there's a 5.1 mix here: it's only available for the bonus music clip. And on the subject of the blurb, note to the copywriter: get a proofreader! Four spelling/grammatical mistakes in one paragraph is not inspiring! The "definitive horror flm of all time" indeed!
Pick up this DVD to own the best version we'll ever see of one of the greatest horror films of all time. Don't bother with the extras, and wash your eyes with boiling water should you accidentally view any part of the atrocious 30th anniversary edition.
By the way, check the link to the right for a very funny related spoof news article...
