Night of the Living Dead (1990)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Tom Savini

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

19 October 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

There IS a fate worse than death.

Plot:

The unburied dead return to life and seek human victims.

Plot Keywords:

Remake | Attack | Cemetery | Helicopter | Flesh Eating Zombie

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Tony Todd	...	Ben
Patricia Tallman	...	Barbara
Tom Towles	...	Harry Cooper
McKee Anderson	...	Helen Cooper
William Butler	...	Tom
Katie Finneran	...	Judy Rose
Bill Moseley	...	Johnnie (as Bill Mosley)
Heather Mazur	...	Sarah Cooper
David W. Butler	...	Hondo (as David Butler)
Zachary Mott	...	Bulldog
Pat Reese	...	The Mourner
William Cameron	...	The Newsman
Pat Logan	...	Uncle Rege
Berle Ellis	...	The Flaming Zombie
Bill 'Chilly Billy' Cardille	...	T.V. Interviewer

Runtime:

92 min | 88 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Denmark:15 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Germany:(Banned) | Germany:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #30628) | Australia:M (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

East Buffalo, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

21st Century Film Corporation

Trivia:

The woman who plays the zombie out on the house porch actually owned the house in real life. The producers wanted to use the house in the film and agreed to give the woman a small acting part in exchange.

Goofs:

Plot holes: Barbara is wearing glasses in the first scene, but loses them after the first zombie attack. Never again, for the rest of the movie, is she hindered by not having her glasses on.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Johnnie: They're coming to get you, Barbara!
Barbara: Stop it!
Johnnie: There coming!
[evil laughter]
Johnnie: They don't like being awaken this way!
Barbara: Why do you have to be so mean?
Johnnie: 'Cause I'm your older brother. Being mean and heartless is part of the job.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Remake (2006)

"This is pure hell on earth."

"This is pure hell on earth." Actually, what Tony Todd meant to say was "This is one hell of a movie." Tom Savini and George A. Romero have succeeded in recreated a classic (which is quite hard to do). Night of the Living Dead '90 is faithful to the original, but still manages to scare and surprise you by throwing in a few unexpected twists. Director Savini creates a great atmosphere. This is one of my favorite claustrophobic films. It has the feel of an old, secluded farmhouse, and thankfully lacks that Hollywood gloss. The characters feel real as well. The cast is perfect. Tony Todd, William Butler, and Tom Towles are the re-incarnations of the original Ben, Tommy, and Harry Cooper. And longtime Romero collaborator, Patricia Tallman, revamps her character Barbara for the nineties. And you gotta love Bill Moseley ("They're coming to get you Barbara. They're horny Barbara."). All of the classic elements (the feud between Ben and Cooper, the claustrophobia) and a few new ones (a smarter female lead, new ending) make this one unforgettable.