Synopsis:
"When unexpected radiation raises
the dead, a microcosm of Average America has to battle flesh-eating
zombies in George
A. Romero's landmark cheapie horror film. Siblings
Johnny (Russell Streiner)
and Barbara (Judith O'Dea)
whine and pout their way through a visit to their father's
grave in a small Pennsylvania town, but it all takes a turn
for the worse when a zombie kills Johnny. Barbara flees to
an isolated farmhouse where a family, a teen couple, and a
lone man named Ben (Duane Jones)
are already holed up. Bickering and panic ensue as the group
tries to figure out how best to escape, while hoards of undead
converge on the house; news reports reveal that fire wards
them off, while a local sheriff-led posse discovers that if
you "kill the brain, you kill the ghoul." After
a night of immolation and parricide, one survivor is left
in the house ... . Romero's grainy black-and-white cinematography
and casting of locals emphasize the terror lurking in ordinary
life; as in Alfred Hitchcock's The
Birds (1963), Romero's victims are
not attacked because they did anything wrong, and the randomness
makes the attacks all the more horrifying. Nothing holds the
key to salvation, either, whether it's family, love, or Law.
Topping off the existential dread is Romero's then-extreme
use of gore, as zombies nibble on limbs and viscera. Initially
distributed by a Manhattan theater chain owner, Night, made
for about $100,000, was dismissed as exploitation, but after
a 1969 re-release, it began to attract favorable attention
for scarily tapping into Vietnam-era uncertainty and nihilistic
anxiety. By 1979, it had grossed over $12 million, inspired
a cycle of apocalyptic splatter films like The
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974),
and set the standard for finding horror in the mundane. However
cheesy the film may look, few horror movies reach a conclusion
as desolately unsettling." -
from DVD
Pacific
My oppinion:
"They're coming to get you, Barbara!"
This is classic B/W horror at it's absolute best and was the
beginning of the zombie genre as it came to unfold over the
years! Many say it hasn't withstood the test of time, but
I disagree. Sure, it isn't very scary, but it has a great
atmosphere, and I was just drawn into this movie, and that
is something that rarely happens for me with these old B/W
classics! The cinematography is really good and the acting
is (mostly) very impressive as well! The score must also be
mentioned, as it really helped create the right atmosphere.
I can really understand that this movie made an impact on
audiences when it came out. It shows no mercy to anyone and
it's a perfect introduction to the second of Romero's Dead
trilogy, "Dawn
of the Dead", which is my favourite horror
movie of all time! The reason I rate "Dawn" higher
then this one, is probably because I saw that first, had I
seen this first, it might as well have been this one! What
can I say, if you're into zombie movies or horror in general
for that matter, this is essential viewing.
(Also check out the quotes
section)
My rating: 
Want more info on this movie?:
IMDB
"Night of the Living Dead"
is available in lots of different editions and versions, from
very cheap ($2-3) to about $15-20. It's even available for
download free and completely legal at: Internet
Archive
If you do decide to buy it on DVD, I recommend you get one
of the more expensive versions, because the great picture
and sound quality (and lots of extras) is defiantly worth
it in my opinion! I own Elite Entertainments "Millennium
edition", wich is a great release and is available at:
DVD
Pacific or VideoUniverse
Other versions/editions are also avaliable
at: DVD
Pacific or VideoUniverse
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