10 Things Didn't Know About Night Of The Living Dead
They've been COMING TO GET YOU since 1968.
In 1968, director George A. Romero and writing partner John Russo introduced the world to Night of the Living Dead, a cult classic that spawned five direct sequels. It is possibly the most influential horror movie of all time, rivalling 1960’s Psycho for impact and overall inspiration on the whole of the horror genre.
The premise was simple, two strangers, Ben and Barbara, find themselves seeking refuge in a farmhouse after escaping marauding, flesh-eating ghouls. It turns out they are not alone; a family of three and a young couple are hiding in the basement. What ensues is a power struggle between Ben and Harry Cooper, the father who was hiding with his wife and sick daughter. Tensions in the house run high as more and more zombies (a word never actually used in the movie) gather outside, trying to get to the survivors.
There is a lot of trivia about Night of the Living Dead on the internet and in books and magazines, and here are ten choices titbits that you may have yet to come across.
10. The Remakes
This '68 classic has generated countless remakes, most of which can fall into the category of unofficial tribute, and some didn't even get an actual official release.
Amongst the remakes that saw the light of day are Night of the Living Dead (1990), which involved some of the original crew and starred Candyman's Tony Todd in the role of Ben. This was a well-received movie and has gained a cult following of its own; though the same cannot be said for the others.
Night of the Living Dead 3D (2006) did try something new and added new characters, such as Gerald Tovar Jr, played by the iconic Sid Haig. Ultimately this is little more than a cash-in with a gimmick.
Then there was NOTLD: Reanimated (2009), which is more of a loving tribute than a remake, a collaboration of artists working for free over two years to bring this trippy animated presentation. Animation styles include Claymation, CGI, traditional animation, and puppets. 2012 saw the release of NOTLD: Resurrection, a loose retelling filmed in around Cardiff and Swansea. NOTLD: Origins came in 2015, with the animation looking like any generic zombie defence mobile game. Then, finally, there was Night of the Animated Dead in 2021, which was another animated incarnation that didn’t please all fans, but it did get a nice Blu-ay release from Warner Bros.