Guest Review - Ryan: Night of the Living Dead

Being given the honour of a guest spot at the Edinburgh Horror Club several weeks ago was an exciting and daunting prospect – one that I enjoyed immensely. Horror is a bit of a weak spot in my movie armoury – it’s only recently I’ve been turned on to its importance as a breeding ground for up and coming directors, as well as a genre that is loved by many enthusiastic fans.

So when I was asked to take on a guest curator role and bring a film of my choice to the table, I knew how high the stakes were – whilst there have been guests before, no one has been given this responsibility outside our three intrepid horror experts. I had to make a solid debut; otherwise an opportunity like this may never appear again.

So I went for the jugular and a bonafide horror classic that Clarky and I had discussed on our Those Movie Guys podcast - the original Night of the Living Dead by the zombie godfather himself, George A Romero. It was a bit of a gamble as I’d never seen it before – I chose it on its amazing reputation and my genuine interest in watching a piece of cinema history. It was a gamble that paid off handsomely.

It’s a common occurrence for a film to be labelled a classic, only to disappoint when you finally get round to seeing it. In some cases, the passing of time can be a film’s worst enemy, as concepts and effects that seemed forward-thinking at the time fail to age well.

Well, I’m absolutely delighted to say that this is not the case for Night of the Living Dead. The film absolutely lives up to its reputation and is just as effective now as I can imagine it was when it was first released 43 years ago. There’s a reason it’s been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in America – it really IS that good.

It’s regarded as the movie that spawned the zombie sub-culture we know and love today and from watching it, you can see why. Until this film came out, zombies were often people who had an infection or were possessed. NOTLD grasps one of the creepiest concepts in horror and does it in an iconic way – the walking dead. The way Romero presents the creatures has been aped thousands of times over – the slow-moving lurch, the eating of human flesh, the unkempt appearances – all elements of the zombie film that viewers now take for granted.

Much has been said about the themes in this film. Some have cited it as an allegory for the carnage and loss of life in the Vietnam War. Others have said the struggle of the black main character, Ben, is a metaphor for the black rights movement at that time. These are all important points that show just how well the film was received and how seriously it was taken – you don’t make assertions like that on a throwaway movie.

The crucial point – in my eyes - is that this is a phenomenal piece of horror film-making that still delivers on the raison d’etre of a horror film – the creep factor. The zombies are some of the most unsettling creatures I’ve ever seen on screen. I think the black and white filming only adds to the atmosphere. At one point I nearly jumped out my seat when the first zombie arm broke through the boarded up window of the house our characters are holed up in. When they make the run from the house to try and reach a nearby truck, I was genuinely on edge as they burst into the open among the army of undead outside. These are all situations that we’ve seen before in horror films, but very rarely have they been done so well. I can only imagine what it would’ve been like watching this in the late sixties when nothing like this had been done before. Initially, they even let kids in to see it. There’s a fantastic quote from reviewer Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times that brilliantly sums up how ridiculous that move was:

“The kids in the audience were stunned. There was almost complete silence. The movie had stopped being delightfully scary about halfway through, and had become unexpectedly terrifying. There was a little girl across the aisle from me, maybe nine years old, who was sitting very still in her seat and crying.”

The cast do a great job, despite their relative inexperience. Whilst some of the acting is hammy or a touch OTT (Keith Wayne as Tom and Judith O’Dea as Barbra, I’m looking at both of you), there is never any doubt over their fear and confusion. Duane Jones in the lead role of Ben is excellent. Many social commentators called the casting of a black man in a lead role with an all-white cast a really significant moment. Romero said it was simply down to the fact Jones gave the best audition. Either way, Jones stands out as a calm, resourceful character amongst all the madness. He went on to star in a number of horror films, but was supposedly worried about being typecast as Ben. Given how highly regarded NOTLD is after all these years, I reckon he’d be more than delighted to be associated with role, were he still alive today.

It is – however - Romero’s vision and direction that really make the film work. Filmed on a budget $114,000, he squeezes the full worth from every penny. He turns a simple farm building into a house of horrors through clever angles and shots. He wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries of taste – the flesh-eating scenes and the transformation of a young girl into a zombie who attacks her parents were both seen as shocking at the time. The props and effects were fairly limited, but you wouldn’t know it – apparently the dripping blood was actually chocolate sauce and chunks of ham were used for severed limbs and flesh! I also really enjoyed how he used the radio and TV stations to give the feeling of the zombie invasion being much wider than just a small part of rural Pennsylvania – a simple but effective trick, even though some of the newscasters’ scripts are bordering on the cringe worthy!

What I loved most about the film was the fact Romero has the courage of his convictions to see the shocking story line right through to the finish, where he eschews the happy Hollywood ending from something far more sobering. I will not give it away, but the film is all the better for it.

This is not just a zombie classic. This is not just a horror classic. This is a classic. It’s a film that spawned many imitators but very few of them can stand up to the original. I don’t gush about horror films very often but more than four decades on, this one is still worthy of all the praise. I can’t recommend this film highly enough. If you want zombie scares, don’t go for the cheap imitations. Get it from the source.

Fin's Review: Night Of The Living Dead

What more can you say about Night Of The Living Dead that hasn't already been said. It is quite simple one of the best horror films ever made. George Romero's 1968 classic can rightfully take its place alongside The Exorcist, Carrie, and Halloween as one of the few truly great films to come out of the horror genre. It is hard to do justice to how good this film actually is, it is phenomenal. In the space of 96 minutes Romero presents a blistering vision which single-handedly changed not only the horror genre but popular culture. Night of The Living Dead is for my money the greatest debut picture ever made. Unlike many classics that have had their ideas so widely copied in the preceding years Night Of The Living Dead remains as fresh and enjoyable today as it did 43 years ago. Night Of The Living Dead changed the face of horror four decades ago and all horror directors since 1968 have worked in its shadow.

Part of what makes watching this film so entertaining now aside from its excellence is seeing how many well worn horror conventions were invented by George Romero in this one film. Most obviously the concept of the shambling, mindless, flesh eating zombie was born in this picture. Previous to Night Of The Living Dead Zombies were based in the Voodoo mythology of using black magic to gain mind control over a unwitting victim and create a living slave. It was Romero that created the classic Zombie that has come to dominate not only horror but popular culture. Romero's zombies are so terrifying because they are us or friends our families and our neighbours. Romero created a horror creature that has become as iconic as the werewolf and vampire. It is a strange to think that our modern conception of zombies have only been stumbling and mumbling across our nightmares for 43 years it feels like they have been there forever. The simple story of a group of strangers forced by circumstance to cooperate in the face of a new unprecedented nightmare. The isolated and lonely farmhouse surrounded by unfeeling, sinister forces. The slowly unfolding catastrophe being relayed to the survivors and the audience through a series of increasingly hysterical news broadcasts. It is a tribute to the genius of Romero and this film that all zombies stories since have in their own way copied this basic template it is as if Night Of The Living Dead in one step invented and defined the genre to such an extent that future directors could not escape its shadow.

It is not simply the completely unique nature of Romero's zombies or the story he creates which is worthy of note but also how he presents this story in itself was game changing. Night of The Living Dead was so subversive of the ruling horror conventions of the day that by the end of the 96 minutes any horror film released before would appear staid, safe and irrelevant. Romero establishes this breaking with convention in the first 5 minutes of the film when a young brother and sister visiting their fathers grave are attacked in broad daylight. Two completely unique things happen here first the brother is killed the conventional male 'hero' who would usually go on to save the day is dead. Secondly the attack and horror came straight out of the blue in daylight! The traditionally idea that horror would happen only in night scenes been blown away. In the new world of horror films the terror could come at any time and in any place. There is no dramatic music or lighting or effects the horror just happens giving a unsettling glimpse into the realism with which the story will unfold. This realism is another major reason for the success of this film. Romero rejects the glossy techno-colour of 60s Hollywood and instead uses grainy black and white. the camera stays close to the action alongside the characters giving the viewer the impression of being in the house allowing use to relate to the characters as a fellow survivor. The black and white film and camera work give Night Of The Living Dead a bleak and chilling urgency absent from most horror films of the era.

George Romero's 1968 opus is a genuine masterpiece and one which any fan of film should see. In 1968 George Romero forced the horror genre to grow up. The horror conventions which audiences had become used to since the 30s and which had allowed them to feel safe were blown away in less than two hours. The modern horror film was born where no one was safe and the horror could come at any time without warning. Night Of the Dead gave birth to a concept that would be continued in films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Exorcist the idea that horror films could actually be dangerous and the terror these films created was real. It is perhaps ironic that this idea of real fear and danger has calcified into a new set of horror conventions where all that matters is increasing violence and gore and one in which story takes a back seat and as a result any genuine fear has disappeared from much modern horror. At no time in the last 43 years has the horror genre been crying out for a new Romero and a film with the impact and vision of Night Of The Living Dead.

Clarky's Review: Night of the Living Dead

Choosing a film for horror club is always a daunting task, even for a seasoned regular like myself. So when I offered Ryan my choice last week I was nervous for him! Thankfully my fears were unfounded and Ryan brought an out and out horror classic to a table - Night of the Living Dead.

I'm not entirely sure why this film hasn't been brought to horror club before, I can only think that Fin and Ally were saving it for a rainy day when they had no other choices. Even more mind boggling is the fact that, like Ryan, I had never seen Night of the Living Dead until last Thursday. I was therefore feeling a different kind of pressure- what if I didn't like it? Would I be ousted from horror club by Ally and Fin?

The previous Romero efforts that we have screened at horror club had both left me cold initially and whilst I warmed to Martin during the process of reviewing it, The Crazies got worse on reflection. Therefore I genuinely had no idea what to expect as both these films are highly regarded by Romero die hards.

The set up is brisk and efficient and although I, as a modern cinema goer, knew what was happening, its worth remembering that the idea of the dead returning to life was totally foreign in 1968. Romero literally is the father of the modern zombie movie as before this zombies were like those in White Zombie where the "zombies" were alive but under the curse of a voodoo / witch doctor. To this end we get a lot of exposition from the news reports, which may seem over the top nowadays, but at the time was required to bring the audience up to speed.

I can't imagine what it must have been like watching this in 1968, especially as ratings did not exist at that time so little kids were freely admitted to the cinema, but audience members must have felt like they were freefalling and the new exposition must have helped to give them there bearings. Even then however there are some genuinely shocking moments and at least 3 jumps (1 of which was particularly scary).

Romero's use of sound and editing really adds to the proceedings and along with the cinematography, direction and special effects (especially the shots of the zombies feeding and the hand being slashed to pieces which are genuinely unnerving) help to detract from the, at times, slightly dodgy acting. The black and white also helps and helps to put you in the mindframe of a 1960's audience member, even if it cannot be fully comprehended.

With regards to the storyline itself, there are many different theories as to what Romero's intentions were with Night of the Living Dead, especially in relation to the racial tensions in America at the time. However, Romero himself has stated that Duane Jones was simply the best actor of everyone involved and therefore got the lead role as he had the most to do. However, there are also anecdotes that Romero re wrote a number of scenes once Jones got the role, and there is supposedly a cut "lynch mob hanging" scene where the zombies are hung from trees. Whether this is something that has been embilished over time as the impact of the film has grown is one thing, but the fact remains that after viewing it is difficult not to think about these issues, or to read up on the movie. It draws you in from the start and demands your attention thereafter, and even just having a black hero in a cast full of white actors was groundbreaking and potentially controversial at the time no matter what stories are true.

Due to studios refusing to distribute the film there are apparently as many as 23 different versions of the film out there due to the different scenes that were cut and due to the fact that the studio filled in the copyright under Night of the Flesh Eaters (the working title) and therefore the original film is in the public domain. I'm not sure entirely which version we saw, but I will certainly be looking out the longest version available just so I can get as much zombie action as I can!

Whatever mistakes the studio made they thankfully agreed to leave Romero's original ending on, which is nothing short of stunning. It was at once shocking, and at the same time satisfying that he didn't pander to the studios demands and the bleakness that has dominated the previous 90 minutes follows through right to the end.

A stunning debut that I thoroughly enjoyed. Roll on Dawn and Day!

Ally's Review: Night of the Living Dead

For the first time ever a selection was made at Horror Club from someone other than myself, Clarky or Fin. We'd welcomed radio personality Ryan Gilbert (best known for his velvet tones reading the news on Radio Forth, and of course Those Movie Guys) to our Thursday night ritual before when we watched Fright Night, but this time the choice was all his. The pressure was increased as it was actually the 60th choice at Horror Club. Fortunately he couldn't have picked a better film as a debut choice. Night of the Living Dead is a stone cold classic.

It was a great choice because I've been feeling a little bad that the only two George Romero films we've watched so far were both films that I really didn't like (The Crazies, Martin). I really wanted to review one of his better films, because the man is a legend for good reason. I find with a lot of classic horror films, the ones that break new ground - or even create a new sub-genre altogether - have a tendency to feel a little tired/slow when you watch them decades later. Although you can admire their originality and significance, you sometimes feel that you want to watch the imitators. However, despite the wave of films that Night of the Living Dead directly influenced (or was just flat out copied by), it still feels as essential today as it did in 1968. Although I can't even imagine what it would have been like to have watched this when it first came out, because it really blazed a trail like few horror movies ever have.

Despite now being well over forty years old, the film still has the power to shock and scare a modern film viewer. Even though I've seen it before, I still found myself tensing up at points and jumping at some unexpected set pieces. The gore and griminess on display must have been completely shocking to a Sixties audience, and there are still points in the film that made me squirm a bit. Even though the story is so familiar to a 21st Century audience, it still feels remarkably fresh. The film beautifully builds the tension at a slow but steady pace, as the house is besieged by more and more zombies. Our understanding of the events increases through news bulletins (a trick that has been copied many times, but never bettered).

While the acting is pretty poor (save for the lead role, played very well by Duane Jones) it doesn't really seem to be to the detriment of the film, perhaps even enhancing the enjoyment factor in some way (there is definitely some unintentional comedy value to be found through the acting of Keith Wayne!)

Other than some of the acting performances, there is nothing here that I can fault. Romero would go on to make two other bona fide classics of the zombie genre before he started to tire out the format he revolutionised. While I have knocked Romero for some of his later films, and indeed some his 'classics' that I can't help but feel are overrated, I have to give him his due; he is a true innovator who forever changed the genre of horror. Even if Romero had made nothing but films of the standard of Diary of the Dead after this one, he'd still be on the Mount Rushmore of horror. It's just a brilliant piece of film making.

For me, there are just a handful of films that are absolutely essential for any self respecting horror fan to see, Night of the Living Dead is one of them.