Night of the Living Dead (1968)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

George A. Romero

Writers:

John A. Russo (screenplay) and
George A. Romero (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

They keep coming back in a bloodthirsty lust for HUMAN FLESH!...

Plot:

A group of people hide from bloodthirsty zombies in a farmhouse.

Plot Keywords:

Farmhouse | Barricade | Zombie | Truck | Basement

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Duane Jones	...	Ben
Judith O'Dea	...	Barbra
Karl Hardman	...	Harry Cooper
Marilyn Eastman	...	Helen Cooper / Bug-eating zombie
Keith Wayne	...	Tom
Judith Ridley	...	Judy
Kyra Schon	...	Karen Cooper
Charles Craig	...	Newscaster / Zombie
S. William Hinzman	...	Cemetery Zombie (original and new scenes) (as Bill Heinzman)
George Kosana	...	Sheriff McClelland
Frank Doak	...	Scientist
Bill 'Chilly Billy' Cardille	...	Field reporter
A.C. McDonald	...	Zombie / Posse Member
Samuel R. Solito	...	Zombie / Posse Member
Mark Ricci	...	Washington scientist

Also Known As:

Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition (Philippines: English title) (recut version) (USA) (recut version)
George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (Australia)
Laugh Track: Night of the Living Dead (USA) (video title (redubbed comic version))
Monster Flick (USA) (working title)
Night of Anubis (USA) (working title)
Night of the Flesh Eaters (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | USA:Unrated (1968) | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) | Singapore:NC-16 (30th anniversary edition) | Iceland:16 | Canada:14A | Spain:13 | UK:15 (video rating) (2007) | Australia:R | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) (cut) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Italy:T (original DVD rating) | Italy:VM18 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (DVD rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | France:-16 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (uncut) | Ireland:18 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:18 (original rating) (cut) | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Basement, Latent Image - Carson Street, South Side, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Image Ten

Trivia:

Assuming the movie takes place on the spring time change (according to the dialog at the beginning) after the date (December 1966) on the calendar in the house (a reasonable assumption from the condition of the body in the house), the movie begins on the night of 30 April 1967 and ends the next morning, which is May Day. However, for the sequels, Romero has treated the timeline of the Dead saga with a bit of malleability; in the movie novelization of Dawn of the Dead he notes "The stock market had plummeted way below the lowest point of the Carter administration" and refers to an upcoming election. Day of the Dead features a copy of the novel Salem's Lot, published in 1975, after Night of the Living Dead came out; it seems peculiar that this publish still saw publication in a world where "ghouls" actually exist. Diary of the Dead takes place isochronally with Night of the Living Dead yet features modern computers. Of course, even Night of the Living Dead references technology far advanced than that available at the time of the film's release (i.e. the Venus probe).

Goofs:

Continuity: Sheriff McClellan has large shells on his belt, which would not possibly fit in the rifle he is carrying.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Barbara: They oughta make the day the time changes the first day of summer.
Johnny: What?
Barbara: Well, it's eight o'clock, and it's still light!
Johnny: A lot of good the extra daylight does us. You know, we've still got a three-hour drive back; we're not gonna be home until after midnight.
Barbara: Well, if it really bugged you, Johnny, you wouldn't do it.
Johnny: Heh, you think I'd wanna blow Sunday on a scene like this? You know, I figure we'll have to get mother to move down here or have the grave moved down to Pittsburgh.
Barbara: Well, she can't make a trip like this!
Johnny: Yeah, I know that she can't.
[Reach for the wreath in the backseat]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Morgan Stewart's Coming Home (1987)

Classic bit of low budget horror

A wave of mass murder sweeps across America as the recently dead return to life to kill and feast on their victims. A group of people board themselves up in an abandoned house to try and hold out against a small army of the undead. This is the classic low-budget horror film that is the model for recent hits such as the Evil Dead and The Blair Witch Project. George Romero stages a national disaster but reduces it to a single house for greater effect. The story focuses on the weaknesses of each of the characters in the house - their cowardice, their greedy, their stupidity etc. This makes the drama inside the house almost as palatable as the danger from outside and makes the characters more believable and important.

The undead are not huge works of special effects, nor are they anything other than lumbering beasts. But the threat they pose is well demonstrated - the film makes them feel unstoppable and relentless and makes their lingering presence more menacing and less comical than it could have been. The use of an unknown cast also makes it more realistic as none of them have any baggage. Duane Jones is the standout actor as Ben - who is not without flaws himself.

The downbeat, realistic atmosphere to the film gives it a greater sense of tension and continues right through to the very depressing conclusion. An excellent flagship for low budget horrors.