Night Of The Living Dead (DVD)

Barbra and her brother, Johnny, are taking flowers to their father's grave. Knowing it is getting late, Johnny teases his sister, telling her that a man they can see in the distance is coming to get her. Little does he know that the man really is going to try and get Barbra. Johnny manages to fight the man off, but then is caught himself, leaving Barbra with little option but to run for her life. Finding a seemingly empty house, she barricades herself ...
...Surrounded by zombies, Ben does what he can to protect them, but is it enough? The news on the radio is grim - the whole of the area is infested with flesh-eating zombies, following a radiation leak. And just who are the five people hiding in the cellar?

I am not particularly a fan of zombie movies - I like the occasional horror, but much prefer it Asian-style - that is, minus zombies. However, I received a free copy of this film and ... more

Barbra and her brother, Johnny, are taking flowers to their father's grave. Knowing it is getting late, Johnny teases his sister, telling her that a man they can see in the distance is coming to get her. Little does he know that the man really is going to try and get Barbra. Johnny manages to fight the man off, but then is caught himself, leaving Barbra with little option but to run for her life. Finding a seemingly empty house, she barricades herself in, but not before being joined by another man, Ben. Surrounded by zombies, Ben does what he can to protect them, but is it enough? The news on the radio is grim - the whole of the area is infested with flesh-eating zombies, following a radiation leak. And just who are the five people hiding in the cellar?

I am not particularly a fan of zombie movies - I like the occasional horror, but much prefer it Asian-style - that is, minus zombies. However, I received a free copy of this film and knowing that it has become somewhat of a cult classic over the years, couldn't resist giving it a go. As it is nearly 40 years old, it is very dated, but it isn't all bad and I spent an enjoyable hour and a half or so watching it.

The film was clearly made on a budget - this is obvious from the standard of the actors, most of whom give a pretty pathetic attempt at being terrified to death by the group of marauding zombies. Best of a bad bunch is Duane Jones, who plays Ben, the only character with whom it is really possible to feel any great sympathy. Even so, he struggles with the often weak lines and the poor performance of the other characters. Barbra (Judith O'Dea) goes into a more or less catatonic state the moment she reaches the house - to be honest, it is hard to tell whether she is acting or not most of the time!

Helen and Harry Cooper, played by Marilyn Eastman and Karl Hardman, are a couple on the brink of divorce, arguing about everything that happens to them. Hardman has the potential to make something out of the role, but doesn't quite step up to the mark, with a wooden and exaggerated performance. Marilyn Eastman is better as Helen - she does show some real emotion and, after Ben, I had most feelings for her character. The other couple, Tom and Judy (Keith Wayne and Judith Ridley), aren't really given a chance to show themselves, which is a shame.

Made in 1968, the special effects are, obviously, pretty rubbish. The zombies are simply actors with thick make-up and blank expressions. The fact that the film is in black and white does go some way towards hiding the poor quality of the special effects though, and anyway, the director, George Romero has obviously concentrated on building up the suspense in the film and it is this that stands out, rather than the special effects. There is something horrifying about the idea of people being surrounded, not quite knowing what is going to happen next. The way that we find out that the zombies are not just a local problem - through use of radio and television - is a good move, because we then know that killing a few zombies (apparently a bullet to the head is the only way to kill them) is not going to solve the problem. When we find out that the zombies survive by eating the dead, this tautens the atmosphere even further. There are a couple of scenes where we see zombies eating the organs of others, and although the pictures aren't that clear, it did make me feel quite squeamish.

The suspense is further highlighted by the music, which is what I think of as Hitchcock-style - lots of dischordant music that gets louder and louder as the atmosphere builds up. I don't often notice theme music, but this is so loud at times that it is difficult to miss!

The ending, when it comes, finishes the film off on a high point, at least for me. It is thoroughly depressing, but nevertheless very fitting. More importantly, I didn't see it coming.

This is a film that is obviously made on a budget. Most of the scenes are in the rooms of the house, the special effects are as basic as they come, none of the actors are well-known and there are wooden performances all over the place. Yet I found myself glued to the screen for most of the film - George Romero shows how it is possible to make a very watchable film without the budget of today's film and I think he has done a very good job with the resources he had.

The film is undoubtedly dated and I certainly can't see it appealing much to a younger audience, but nevertheless the film does have a certain charm and I can understand why it is seen as a classic. The poor acting and weak special effects make it a rather cheesy classic though, hence the rating of three stars. Recommended, but bear the cheesiness in mind and don't take it too seriously!

The DVD is available from play.com for £3.99.

Classification: 18

Running time: 96 minutes 

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