Night of the Living Dead (1968)

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

Director:

George A. Romero

Writers:

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

Stars:

Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Duane Jones	...	Ben
Judith O'Dea	...	Barbra
Karl Hardman	...	Harry
Marilyn Eastman	...	Helen
Keith Wayne	...	Tom
Judith Ridley	...	Judy
Kyra Schon	...	Karen Cooper
Charles Craig	...	Newscaster / Zombie
S. William Hinzman	...	Zombie (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

Storyline

Barbra and her brother Johnny travel by car from Pittsburgh to the countryside to visit the gravestone of their father in the cemetery. Out of the blue, they are attacked by a strange man and Johnny is murdered. Barbra runs and releases the brake of Johnny's car since the keys are in his pocket, and flees to an isolated farmhouse, where she locks herself inside. Barbra is in shock and soon she finds a man, Ben, who is also escaping from the inhuman creatures and he reinforces the doors, windows and openings in the house. He also finds a shotgun and a radio and they learn that the radiation from a satellite that was returning from Venus has somehow reactivated the brain of the dead. Then they find five humans hidden in the basement: Harry Cooper, his wife Helen and their daughter Karen that is sick; and Tom and his girlfriend Judy. Harry has an argument with Ben, since he believes that the basement is the safest place for them and Harry goes not agree. Along the night, the tension ...

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Plot Keywords:

farmhouse | grave | zombie | barricade | satellite | 

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Taglines:

They're coming to get you...again!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Films sans Frontières [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Laugh Track: Night of the Living Dead

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$114,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Image Ten, Laurel Group, Market Square Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the George A. Romero commentary track on the Elite laserdisc and DVD version of the film, the original working print and working elements and materials for the film no longer exist - they were destroyed as a result of a flood that filled the basement where the materials were stored (which was the same basement used in the movie).

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Goofs

Tom tells Ben that he and Judy were on their way to the lake to go swimming. The events are taking place in late April. It would be far too cold for swimming in Pennsylvania at that time of year.

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Quotes

Barbara: We were riding in the cemetery. Johnny and me... Johnny. We came to put a wreath on my father's grave... Johnny and... Then and he said, "Can I have some candy, Barbara?" And we didn't have any! And... oh! It's hot in here. Hot! And he said, "Oh it's late! Why did we start so late"? And I said, "Johnny, if you'd gotten up earlier, we wouldn't be late." Johnny asked me if were afraid, and I said, "I'm not afraid, Johnny." And this man started walking up the road, he came slowly, and Johnny kept ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The credits play over still frames of the hunters dragging Ben out of the house with meat hooks. After the credits, there's a short scene of the hunters setting a pile of zombies on fire.

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Connections

Referenced in American Movie (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Shock/Stormy"
(uncredited)
Music by Ib Glindemann

User Reviews

Not only one of the greatest horror / independent films ever made, but one of the greatest films ever made period

I often wonder if George Romero was knowing that this was going to become one of the most influential films ever made when he sat down to write the screenplay. Few other b-movies have had such great cinematography, direction, dialog, and acting. You can say what you want about "Dawn of the Dead", but this shall always be the foremost zombie horror film in my mind.

The plot involves the radiation from a fallen satellite is causing the recently deceased to rise from their graves to feast off the living's flesh. They can only be killed by a blow to the head. A group of people, in need of protection from the hordes, barricade themselves in an abandoned farmhouse. They are pretty much lead by as young black man named Ben, a resourceful person trying to protect himself and the others.

Surprising as it may sound, the human drama involved is just as suspenseful as the zombies outside the house. It shows how human beings panic in the time of terror, and will stop at nothing to protect themselves and none others. Definitely one of the top ten horror films ever made. (10/10)