Night of the Living Dead
| release date | October 1 1968 |
| studio | Anchor Bay |
| director | George A Romero |
| writer | George A Romero, John Russo |
| starring | Judith O'Dea, Duane Jones, Karl Hardman, Keith Wayne |
| rating | R |
| tagline | They keep coming back in a bloodthirsty lust for HUMAN FLESH!... |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
3 Comments
just amazing, nothing less
Just picked up 30th Anniversary Edition. Landmark of Horror! Is it just me or is Black and White film just more Creepy and Spooky!
Even for its time, minus the fact it brought zombies to mass media, I really see nothing special about this movie or anything that sets it apart from all the other typical 60′s horror movies.
If you take away the zombies and put birds in their place, this movie could have been The Birds. If you took out the zombies and birds and replaced it with a psycho, it could have easily been Psycho. Same And so on . . .
That is my main complaint. Yes, this movie brought zombies to the mainstream, and I am insanely thankful for it in that right. I think for that alone it deserves to be remembered for centuries past its time. Besides that, however, nothing about this movie stands on its own two legs. Everything from the sets to the characters to the situation to the camera style was barrowed. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, about this movie can be called even remotely original, even for its time.
From a modern view, this movie is pathetic. None of the intensity of zombie video games like Dead Rising or the scares of Resident Evil. None of the coolness of more modern zombie movies like 28 Weeks Later or other newer Romero films.
In its time, I’m sure I would have given it at least a 9/10 because it would be the first time I’d have seen zombies on screen. Now, decades later, I have a hard time figuring out why I even watched it.
“This landmark 1968 horror-shocker is a great example of what can be done with a limited budget, a simple idea, and some dedicated and talented participants. Very nicely shot, mostly well acted, NOTLD grabs your attention from the very beginning to the very end – and what a classic end it is.
The story begins with Barbara (Judith O’Dea) and her brother visiting the grave of a friend of their mother, and takes off almost immediately, as they are attacked by a horde of cannibalistic zombies. Narrowly escaping, but losing her emotional balance in the process, Barbara escapes to a house a bit farther down the road where she meets Ben (Duane Jones), the hero of the film. They discover a family with a sick little girl and a young couple in the basement of the house and they all get to work barricading themselves in and preparing weapons and other defenses. The rest of the story concerns the group dynamics between these survivors as the dead close in on their refuge, the story of what is going on in the rest of the USA – revealed through TV reportage and radio broadcasts, and sheer survival. The human side of this film is an interesting and accurate character study concerning what happens to people whose very lives are threatened.
The horror of this film is, unlike a lot of its recent descendants, less a matter of blood and gore than a matter of the real active horror of realistically depicted scenes of murder, death and cannibalism. Though the black and white footage involving blood and gore is certainly effective, there may not be quite enough of it for today’s average horror fan. The photographic techniques of this film are innovative and powerful – showing just enough of the sheer hideousness of the film’s basic concepts to disturb viewers, but not enough to allow them to detach from the film’s protagonists.
I strongly recommend this film to anybody interested in the art of film making, and to those who enjoy the horror genre, though it is hard to imagine any serious horror fan who hasn’t already seen this.” –mstomaso, imdb.com
Greatest movie. No zombie movie can even compare to this. My favorite horror ever made.
While it was certainly ground-breaking and it would have been horrifying in 1968, ‘Night’ is still boring and visually quite hard to look at.
This is the film that changed horror forever.
This is the groundbreaking zombie film. It started it all.
10/10
This the the best zombie movie ever made. To this day it will still scare people without all the blood and gore as the modern movies.
One of the classic horror films of all time, recently i picked up 20th century fox’s colorized version of the original,, and it also included the black and white version, it’s a fun thing to see it in color after years and years of being used to it in black and white.
The horror film every other horror film should be compared to.
.
I try really hard not to give many movies a perfect rating but with “Night” I cannot rate it any higher. Yes it’s a classic, yes it is the foundation of all later zombie movies, yes it is a masterpiece of horror. But aside from all of that, aside from the social commentary, and aside from the fact that the damn movie is 40 years old, the one thing that always impresses me when I watch it is the sheer level of claustriphobic tension that permeates every minute of the film.
While I still prefer “Dawn”, it’s the close-quarters of “Night” that truly gives it its power. A fortified mall or a underground military missle silo are larger refuges with huge amounts of supplies, food and medical, but the small farmhouse stands little hope defending against the onslaught of the walking dead.
A true classic and required viewing for any horror fan.
Night of the living dead is a great zombie movie
Night of the living dead is a great zombie movie
The movie is just awesome to me the greatest of all dead movies.
Classic. Pretty scary. Will hold up for many years to come.
this is it folks, the one that started it all. george a romeros timeless masterpiece of horror changed the way horror films were made completely. look at any zombie film made since night came out, and you are guarenteed to see some sort of resemblance to this movie, big or small. hard to think it was made on almost no budget, and thrown in the trunk of a car when it was finished. just about every zombie horror film made in the past 30 years or so, owes this movie a great debt of gratitude. a timeless classic thats aged well.
If you haven’t seen this horror classic, you must. I love Romero’s medley of action, gore, great acting, and hard-hitting social commentary.
The movie that spawned the flesh eating zombie and still the best darn zombie movie ever.
A classic, and without question in my opinion, the best Zombie/Dead movie ever made.
The atmosphere of this movie is superb. It will grip you without any of the cheap jump out skits bad movies rely on today.
A timeless classic.
my personal favorite. best zombie movie ever. pioneer.
Great movie.
great classic zombie movie we should realy thank this one!
The one that started it all. This is such a classic and it will live on forever.
Disheartening, pessimistic… but oh so chilling.
great atmosphere!!! Not my favorite zombie-horror movie, but still good!!!
Mmmmm The original Zombie film that started the cannibalistic side of the mindless undead. Though the film is black and white and blah, it has amazing atmosphere and is very creepy. Without this film, the hordes of zombie films we have been bestowed with wouldn’t exist. Its a great first, and though I love this film, I side with the color remake done by Savini.
this movie is awesome the best example of classic horror there is
Quite possibly the greatest zombie ever made. George Romero is a genius. It’s amazing that a film with a low budget, no big stars, and no cgi is an American classic.
Clearly Romeros greatest masterpiece and also one of the best FILMS not just just horror films of all time.
The best out of all George A. Romero’s films.
This one definitely beats the 1990 remake of this film
THE horror movie.
Where it all began, such a great classic to say the least.
one of the best and most classic horror zombie films of time. George Romero does great zombie films, but if only it showed why and how the dead began to walk.
Such a great movie..that it still seems to scare me, and thats the only movie that does give me a scare!
Romero’s best and scariest film. I’m looking forward to watching this again on Halloween night
This is the first and scariest zombie film ever made. To this day it is still very scary
the start of one of the best genres in horror films…how can you deny the first ever masterpiece???
An absolute horror classic. Night of The Living Dead was a genuinely scary film. This movie was the start of a horror genre. The atmoshere is truly amazing and it creates some of the most unnerving moments in the film. All in All, George A. Romero’s Night of The Living dead is a horror masterpiece and shouldnt go unwached.
wow
What is there to say? If you havent seen this movie yet you should be completely ashamed of yourself.
I’ve always been in love with the classics.
You’re not a true zombie fan until you have seen this. And a plus is that the action starts almost instantaneously as opposed to some films that build up some crap first. *SPOILER* I remember first seeing it and freakig out, wondering what the hell was upstairs in the house that left that dead body!! And also the scene with the little girl. We all knew she was going to turn into a zombie but the stupid parents didn’t want to leave her side. Apparently the “zombies” in this film all got free t-shirts…that would be awesome!
classic for a good reason.
great film. very socially aware, and terrifying just a great film hands down.
Scary, Realistic and overall classic. The worlds first look at modern zombies this is the best zombie movie ever made. it started a whole new era of horror. it’s like the great great great grandfather of the horror that surrounds us now
Every Horror Geek Has To Watch This Movie. Classic. <3 Zombies
This is the one that started it all! It’s the mother, the father, the ZOMBIE of all zombie movies!! I can watch this movie 100 more times and still enjoy it. Classic, scary, great drama, fun gore, this movie has it all
And Romero, what the hell else can I say??
The the blueprint to all great zombie flicks that came after.Still the best!
The first zombie movie ever made. It’s atmospheric tone is creepy and chilling. George Romero made a ground breaking horror movie.
Night of the living dead is one of the best zombie films around. Awesome cinematography and great acting make this the timeless terrifying classic that will live on forever.
A bad-ass classic, that still holds up today. This is the beginning of the modern horror film; and I mean more than just zombie films.
This must have fucking killed back in 1968. I can only imagine. Ace.
This classic zombie thriller is the king of midnight movies. It really set a standard for zombie films to come. Truly spooky and fun.
Seminal zombie movie that started it al, that is no understatement!
`Night of the Living Dead’ is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film directed by George A. Romero, Night of the Living Dead was heavily criticized during its release because of its explicit content and similarities to the ongoing Vietnam war. However, it eventually received critical acclaim and was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as a film deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”. The film follows Ben (Duane Jones), Barbra (Judith O’Dea), and five others, who are trapped in a rural farmhouse in Pennsylvania and attempt to survive the night while the house is being attacked by mysteriously reanimated ghouls, otherwise known as zombies. Night of the Living Dead is the origin of six other Living Dead films directed by George A. Romero and became the inspiration for two remakes of the film, film of the same name directed by Tom Savini, and Night of the Living Dead 3D, which was directed by Jeff Broadstreet.
The Movie is George A. Romero’s debut set the template for the zombie film and a sly political undercurrent that makes you think, the movie is really a true & unique standing stone for its classic label as a Black & White styled & Witty old Zombie Horror movie that really is terrifying & freighting feeling of what would you do if there where zombies out to get you?, to me there was lots of shocking & jump out scare moments from the film (more that I through there would be), this is the ultimate best Black & White and zombie movie for it era, years (1968) and for the start of a generations of Zombie movies (for years to come).
I thought on the political side of the Movie was really clever element use for the storyline/plot was great with it to & really did feel like a real-life documentary of the people in the farmhouse trying to survivor the horrific night of up to 20-30 zombie like people outside the farmhouse , the movie doesn’t have much gore but for its time in the late 60′s (1968) it did show some disturbing & disgusting (that I was like Wow this is some good material & filmmaking here). I really like how George A. Romero captured the human emotion (mainly fear), the camera up close of character when the zombie started to attack at the farmhouse, the effects on how the zombie were walking & the element of the sudden outburst of the un-dead fear, it’s not as scary as I through it would be but it has its clever, wit & jumpy moments in this classic black & white zombie movie that was a delight to see for the first time & would like to watch again as the amazing director debut George A. Romero.
The acting by Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne, Judith Ridley, Kyra Schon, Russell Streiner, Bill Hinzman & George Kosana was pretty believable in the own way & right and did give great performance towards the film (the whole cast), the directions were to me absolutes perfect, it felt that I was holding the camera & filming what was going one most of the time, but of course it was actually by the man who made the first classic zombie Movie & the film series of `The Living Dead’ is George A.Romero and the ending was very good not the best in a zombie movie, but what really surprised me was did they think he was a zombie or didn’t they just shout him because of the colour of his skin, because that what really got me and at the credits I really like the filming picture showcase of what they did & then shown full filmed of a short burring of the zombie’s & the black man they shout, which dose this show that it’s all ended that way or will there be more zombie ahead, it makes a bold statement about the issue. (Also like the creativeful set out & the Imagines set on this wonderful gruesome of a classic A Film).
Horror Classic!
I hate to say it but this was no where near as amazing as everyone is saying. When you compare this to Dawn Of The Dead there really is no match. Night of The Living dead started off nicely, it got straight to the point had a funny little chase scene but it just fell apart from there. Basically all it is is nattering in a house. Very little zombie action which makes the film pointless and extremely dull. I sat there waiting for something to happen and in one word it was dull. I know that this is a classic and all but I rate films on how much i enjoyed them and I didn’t enjoy this. Overrated.
A perfect zombie movie in every way. The tension build up and claustrophobia of being trapped in a house with strangers is portrayed excellently. For it’s day, this was the leading example of how to make zombies scary…and it still works today. People who complain about it being “pointless and extremely dull” obviously need copious amounts of titties and explosions in their movies. Night of the Living Dead is a true horror classic, and doesn’t need such things to maintain it’s status.
I just watched this movie the other day
(the enhanced colored version) and I was so impressed how this movie still holds up. I was constantly comparing it to the remake from the 90′s, which I found did plenty of justice to this cult classic. They definitely brought out more from the character of “Barbra” who really didn’t have a big impact in the original. Its crazy to think how many zombie movies would spawn from this. Thank you.
The best horror movie ever made. Nuff said!
this is the best of Romero’s series. the story and plot all make sense. the acting is pretty good. this is the movie that started it all, i mean how many zombie movies have been made because of this film? add in the fact that a black man is the lead character during that time period and it even covers the racial boundaries. i love that it is filmed in black and white, seems to make it creepier. a must see movie for all the true horror fans out there.
Classic.
what a classic!!!
Night of the Living Dead is absolutely one of my favorite horror movies. It’s a classic horror film about five people trapped in a farmhouse surrounded by flesh eating zombies and they have to fight for their lives…if that doesn’t say HORROR written all over it then I don’t know what does. I remember this is the first horror movie I’ve ever seen, so it has to be my favorite. I used to watch it during thunderstorms all the time when I was five years old…young huh?
This movie is THE BEST!
Classic.Romero’s best film by far.
It got the ball rolling for the zombie genre, but it’s more about character interaction and the downfall of society. Dawn of The Dead outpaces this movie in every way as an indirect sequel.
my favourite of the whole series. simple and chilling, just as it should be.
Set the tone for a new era of horror movies to come, but you can see that it was shot on a very low budget and with amateur actors.
Seriously? Do I even need to explain why I gave this a 10? It should be obvious….
The movie that spawned a genre, while not truly the first zombie flick Romero is still considered the master and Night of the Living Dead does look dated. It reigns true as the Indie picture, the king of the underground scene. As for the movie itself unless you are dyed in the wool Horror lover I would suggest you pass, because quite frankly Night of the Living Dead is to Horror snobs what Cognac is to the alcohol aficionado. It is not so much a movie one can judge any more, as its status as the birth of Horror movies fans. Sure there was Dracula and all the rest, but they were mainstream this film sadly or greatly is when we underground indie horror fiends were born and for that alone it is perfection.
Two siblings, a brother and a sister, visit a cemetery to place a cross and flowers at their father’s grave. The sister seems happy just to do it, while the brother complains “I don’t even remember what the man looks like!” He also whines about missing church that day, etc.; he is a rather selfish man. The two prepare to leave the cemetery, but not before they notice a strange man walking amongst the tombs of the dead. The distinctive feature is in the way he walks, and otherwise, he just looks rather sickly. He approaches the sister and immediately attacks. It would seem as if he is trying to grab a quick bite of her flesh. The brother pushes the man away and engages in a short-lived brawl, which ends with the death of him and the eventual escape of the sister from the scene itself. The odd man chases the sister in the car that she arrived in; which she decides to abandon after it breaks down, thus, continuing on foot. This begins “Night of the Living Dead”.
The sister (whose name is Barbra, played by Judith O’Dea) finds her way to a seemingly abandoned farmhouse. She sees the man-with-the-funny-walk approaching the building and quickly finds her way inside. She locks all the doors, and believes she is safe, but it would appear that more-and-more strange men and women are making their way – slowly and slowly – towards the house. What do they want? Why do they walk in such an odd manor? And why did that one at the graveyard try to bite Barbra? All is revealed in time, but not until night falls do we learn more about just what’s going on.
A black man named Ben (Duane Jones) suddenly appears out of nowhere in his pickup truck, and Barbra allows him entry into the house when she discovers that (1.) he is not one of those strange men and women outside and (2.) those who are amongst them are unexplainably hungry, seemingly for humans themselves. Through some valuable dialogue, and a well-worn premise (that was pretty much invented in this film), we learn that the dead are coming back to life and walking the earth, hunting warm flesh wherever they can find it. We’re still left with one question; how exactly are the dead returning as pale, flesh-craving versions of their former selves? Like most of the questions to be asked regarding the film, give it time, and you shall receive an answer as a reward.
There’s also a family hiding out in the cellar of the farmhouse, although they are far less cooperative than those who prosper above. Those who live under the floorboards, for the time being, are pissed off big time; their little girl has been bitten by one of the ghouls outside the building and is falling ill. Survival is very much of the fittest; as those below are not intent on striking deals or partnering with the “fairer” breed of characters. And yet another question comes along: what will they do when the undead break down their barricades and invade the insides of the home?
The director of the film, George A. Romero, poses questions intelligent and thoughtful enough to make his film, in a way, kind of brilliant. It’s the kind of zombie movie he’s been making since this and well into his more recent career; and it never quite gets old. He seems to be using his undead beings – which were to be known as zombies – as devices for social commentary and satire; there’s even some political stuff to be found here as well. I appreciate that in a zombie movie; seldom does one such film get around by allowing the zombies to be nothing more than targets for the armed and the dangerous. By no means is this film flowing with enough zombies – disgusting, revolting, or covered in highly complex blood-and-gore make-up effects – to scare most who are in “today’s audience”, but truly frightening or not, “Night of the Living Dead” is a compelling, original, smart, spooky, and instantly memorable tale of survival in an ever-changing world of horror and dark fascination. It was great for its time- misunderstood, perhaps, but still great – and it’s still great now. It was so great that it even spawned a few sequels, all which were (officially) directed by Romero, King of the Zombies. Not all of them were as good as his debut feature was, but nonetheless, this still ranks as one of his best overall. It’s scary good.
As with all good – and even great – horror features, this is a film with many specific shots – images – that I shall gladly remember and hold dear. Of course, I love the story and themes behind “Night of the Living Dead”, but sometimes we must rely on sight alone to be moved, and believe me; what you see here could very well be remembered for years to come. Consider the scene where Barbra heads upstairs in the farmhouse and discovers the decaying corpse of the (now previous) owner, which makes for one of the film’s most frightening and shocking scenes. A classic, in my book. Also, what about the scenes with the pale, white zombies alone? Will they be remembered? Sure. The simplicity in the design for such beings only adds to the feeling we get when we set eyes upon them; and it allows us to consider the difference between a truly scary zombie and one that is simply disgusting to look at. I like both kinds.
What you’ve got is a fairly well-acted and spectacularly ghoulish experience. I loved every moment of it, and it’s now one of my favorite zombie films of all time. Why wouldn’t it be? When he had his earlier, and overall BETTER days, George Romero could make some pretty interesting stuff. The same cannot be said about a good deal of his newer works, but the fact that he was once able to make a film as good (and iconic) as this one on such a low, shoestring budget, is impressive and admirable. I can only hope that my first film – if I ever get to that – meet such a fate. But if he did it, then so can I; or at least that’s the positive way to see it. I’m sure Romero would appreciate my appreciation. All friendly, respectable directors do; and the filmmaker here seems like a fun-loving guy who simply enjoys playing around with dead things. He isn’t quite twisted; but he can make the grotesque into the quietly artistic, and in the end, I think we all know that very few directors can do that.
Night Of The Living Dead is the classic zombie film that started it all & It’s a must see.
The zombie movie that started it all. Classic film right here. The only reason I don’t give it a 10 is because it’s black and white, and I really don’t like black and white movies. (except this, King Kong, and Frankenstein) This is Romero’s best movie, and still holds to test of time.