Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Director:

George A. Romero

Writers:

John A. Russo (screenplay) and
George A. Romero (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

They keep coming back in a bloodthirsty lust for HUMAN FLESH!...

Plot:

A group of people hide from bloodthirsty zombies in a farmhouse.

Plot Keywords:

Farmhouse | Barricade | Zombie | Truck | Basement

Awards:

1 win

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Duane Jones	...	Ben Hanser
Judith O'Dea	...	Barbra
Karl Hardman	...	Harry Cooper
Marilyn Eastman	...	Helen Cooper / Bug-eating zombie
Keith Wayne	...	Tom
Judith Ridley	...	Judy
Kyra Schon	...	Karen Cooper
Charles Craig	...	Newscaster / Zombie
S. William Hinzman	...	Cemetery Zombie (original and new scenes) (as Bill Heinzman)
George Kosana	...	Sheriff McClelland
Frank Doak	...	Scientist
Bill 'Chilly Billy' Cardille	...	Field reporter
A.C. McDonald	...	Zombie / Posse Member
Samuel R. Solito	...	Zombie / Posse Member
Mark Ricci	...	Washington scientist

Also Known As:

Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition (Philippines: English title) (recut version) (USA) (recut version)
George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (Australia)
Laugh Track: Night of the Living Dead (USA) (video title (redubbed comic version))
Monster Flick (USA) (working title)
Night of Anubis (USA) (working title)
Night of the Flesh Eaters (USA) (working title)
A Noite dos Mortos-Vivos (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Die Nacht der lebenden Toten (West Germany) [de]
Elävien kuolleiden yö (Finland) [fi]
I nyhta ton zontanon nekron (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
La noche de los muertos vivientes (Spain) [es]
La noche de los muertos vivos (Argentina) [es]
La notte dei morti viventi (Italy) [it]
La nuit des morts vivants (Canada: French title) [fr]
La nuit des morts vivants - Edition 30ème anniversaire (France) [fr]
La nuit des morts-vivants (France) [fr]
Noc zywych trupów (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | USA:Unrated (1968) | Finland:K-16 (cut) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) | Singapore:NC-16 (30th anniversary edition) | Iceland:16 | Canada:14A | Spain:13 | UK:15 (video rating) (2007) | Australia:R | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) (cut) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Italy:T (original DVD rating) | Italy:VM18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (DVD rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | France:-16 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (uncut) | Ireland:18 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:18 (original rating) (cut) | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Basement, Latent Image - Carson Street, South Side, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Image Ten

Trivia:

The house used for this film was loaned to the filmmakers by the owner, who planned to demolish it anyway, thereby ensuring that they could do whatever they wanted to the house.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scenes before Tom tries to convince Judy to leave his left sleeve in cleanly torn, like someone has cut it cleanly away with scissors. In subsequent shots it turns to messily torn and then intact when he leaves for the trek to the gas pump.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Barbara: They oughta make the day the time changes the first day of summer.
Johnny: What?
Barbara: Well, it's eight o'clock, and it's still light!
Johnny: A lot of good the extra daylight does us. You know, we've still got a three-hour drive back; we're not gonna be home until after midnight.
Barbara: Well, if it really bugged you, Johnny, you wouldn't do it.
Johnny: Heh, you think I'd wanna blow Sunday on a scene like this? You know, I figure we'll have to get mother to move down here or have the grave moved down to Pittsburgh.
Barbara: Well, she can't make a trip like this!
Johnny: Yeah, I know that she can't.
[Reach for the wreath in the backseat]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cabin Fever (2002)

Classic 1960's horror movie!

Due to the radioactive fallout from a returning space probe, dead bodies are returning to "life" and stalking human prey, eating their victims once they catch up to them. A group of disparate people barricade themselves inside a farmhouse hoping to be rescued from these beings.

I'm sure that at the time of its release, this classic, influential movie shocked and repulsed viewers. Time, and countless pale imitations, have taken some of its impact away, but it's still great viewing. The budget - which I can believe was very low - only serves to gives the movie an almost realistic feel. Acting is very sharp, especially from top-billed Duane Jones, cast in what must have been the first (or one of the first) instances of a horror movie having an African-American hero. The only sour note may be that the leading female character, played by Judith O'Dea, is unfortunately one-note - wimpy and useless.

This movie is actually more genuinely spooky than many of the more glossier and explicit horror movies released since. In fact, in a similar fashion to Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre", the movie makes quite a good use out of a low budget, and it's entertaining throughout.

Co-writer / director George A. Romero and co-writer John Russo have bit parts; co-stars Karl Hardman (who plays 'Harry Cooper') and Russell Streiner (who appears uncredited as 'Johnny') were the movie's producers.

Remade by Romero in 1990; followed by "Dawn of the Dead" in 1978 and "Day of the Dead" in 1985 and then a slew of "Return of the Living Dead" features!

10/10