The Pitch: George A. Romero is credited as the father of the modern zombie film, and his "...Of the Dead" franchise enjoyed tremendous success with Night, Dawn and Day, released over an admittedly protracted 17 years from 1968 to 1985. Romero's output then slowed way down, and it wasn't until 2005 that Land of the Dead helped re-ignite the franchise. The Result: Land of the Dead was actually a relatively watchable sequel that did solid business, even if it wasn't up to the standards of the three previous films, in large part because the zombie genre had changed so much over the 20-year gap (and comedy horror was very much in vogue). Romero did, to his credit, include some more current political allusions, but the real tragedy is that Land's success led to the resurrection of his series by way of two incredibly sub-par follow-ups. Diary of the Dead and especially Survival of the Dead were certifiable duds when compared to what came before, and it just seemed that 20 years on, Romero didn't really have the verve or passion for the franchise anymore. Had Romero made Land some time in the late 1980s or early 90s, perhaps his later efforts would have come along quicker and not have seemed so tired and piecemeal.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
