Night of the Living Dead
Reviewed by Mikeninja
3.5 stars
I'm not sure if I can add much to the commentary on the political and social issues expounded upon in the sub context of Night of the Living Dead so I won't. Besides I do not really appreciate the film for its deeper meanings: issues such as oppressed workers, overcrowding and deep-rooted fear and loathing of the eating of human flesh don't really concern me. I'm more inclined to debate my own Zombie fortification and weapon gathering plans. Discussions of the merits of a dry wall hammer vs. a framing hammer or why a .22 caliber hand gun is just as useful as a shotgun and perhaps more so (rate of fire, accuracy and easy access to ammo vs stopping power). The other common genre trait I do admire NOTLD for is its overwhelming sense of doom. Very few good Zombie films have happy endings (Dead Alive is one of those few) and this is no exception. (This is actually more apparent in its sequels Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead but let's not nitpick; they shoot the hero in the head at the end).
Overall I am not a big fan of NOTLD It is a bit slow and most of the characters get what they deserve. That said I am eternally grateful to the film for it spawning one of my favorite genres and I feel that it's worthy of its classic horror film status, it's just not my first choice for Zombie entertainment.
Elite Entertainment's Millennium edition is maybe the 10th or 11th pressing of Romero's venerable Zombie classic. It is by far the most definitive edition to date and hopefully the final word (for at least a few years, but I wont hold my breath.). The print quality of the film seems about the same as Elite's previous laserdisc release (and subsequent Special Collector's Edition DVD release), which is the best print I have ever seen of the film. Easily far superior to the endless public domain prints that have flooded the market. Some of the supplements will be familiar to owners of the LD and first DVD such as the short film parody The Night of The Living Bread, the two audio commentaries (one with George Romero, John Russo, Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman. the second with Bill Hinzman, Judith O'Dea, Kyra Schon, Keith Wayne, Russell Streiner and Vince Survinski), theatrical trailers, television spots and original commercials by Image Ten, Inc. New to this edition are it's flash menu screens, interviews with Judy Ridly and final interview with star Duanne Jones, the usual collection of stills of props, posters, and photos, the entire shooting script, and of perhaps greatest interest to George Romero fans, is a preview and footage of the "lost" film There's Always Vanilla.
All in all a fantastic release which makes any previous incarnation obsolete. I'm looking forward to Elite's next millennium edition release of Re-Animator.
