Archive of films Night of the Living Dead / Night of the Living Dead

USA
1968, 96 min

Section: Midnight Screenings
Year: 2006

Inspired by Richard Matheson’s I am Legend and EC comics, this tightly-edited, claustrophobically-framed horror film retains, along with its relevance, an ability to startle and appal. Deemed “culturally significant” by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.


Synopsis

Although nearly 40 years old, Romero’s feature debut remains a seminal horror film, one still capable of surprising, shocking and scaring even the most jaded of audiences. Shot in gritty black and white with a cast of unknowns, it seems almost documentary-like as it follows the plight of seven people who seek refuge from the living dead in an abandoned farmhouse. As the night unfolds, the zombie quotient increases, and their situation grows more dire. Finally, they turn on themselves... The sense of society overrun by irrational forces echoes the enormous social upheaval felt in the U.S. during the late 1960s. Much of the film’s raw power comes from the way Romero defies genre conventions and violates a number of strong taboos, especially with his depiction of explicit gore. Night of the Living Dead redefined the horror film and has become one of the most influential films of all time.

About the director

George A. Romero

George A. Romero (b. 1939, USA) grew up in New York and attended the Carnegie-Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began his career producing industrial films and television commercials. He’s one of the top names in the modern horror film, thanks to his first feature, the low-budget cult classic Night of the Living Dead (1968), and its sequels Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985) and Land of the Dead (2005). His early works, made in and around Pittsburgh, tap into the zeitgeist of social commentary. His filmography includes There’s Always Vanilla (1971), Hungry Wives (1972), The Crazies (1973), Martin (1977), Knightriders (1981), Creepshow (1982), Monkey Shines (1988), The Dark Half (1993), and Bruiser(2000).

About the film

Black & white, DIGIBETA

Section: Midnight Screenings
   
Director: George A. Romero
Screenplay: John A. Russo, George A. Romero
Dir. of Photography: George A. Romero
Editor: George A. Romero, John A. Russo
Producer: Russell Streiner, Karl Hardman
Cast: Judith O’Dea, Russell Streiner, Duane Jones, Karl Hardman, Keith Wayne

Guests

Stuart Samuels

Film Director / Producer

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