As one of the first reviews of NOTLD said: "For sadists only". Seems as though this has become a ridiculous statement to say the least, what with all the fans of the flesh-eating zombie film sub-genre which began with this groundbreaking classic.
Johnny and Barbara are out for a Sunday drive 300 miles into the Pennsylvania countryside to do nothing more than lay a wreath upon their father's gravestone. However, while in the cemetary, Barbara is attacked by a tall emotionless man. Johnny comes to her rescue only to be killed a moment later. Knowing she alone can not fend off her attacker, she runs. She escapes her pursuer but ends up trapped in a house. There is not really anywhere to go. Soon, our hero Ben arrives and goes to work on securing the house. The living dead begin to gather outside, awaiting another meal. As Ben begins boarding up the house, a few people rush out of the basement, one of which is Cooper, an overbearing stubborn know-it-all. He INSISTS that they cower in the basement. Ben however realizes the basement is even more of a trap and insists he is staying upstairs where they have a TV and radio and in case of a zombie breakthrough, a path of escape. This little argument sets off the mutual mistrust several characters have for one another. Can they settle their differences and work together? Or will they become a midnight snack for the hordes of the living Dead waiting just outside?
Night of the Living Dead plays out as a psychological study of human behavour when faced with a life or death situation just as much as it plays off as a horror film. In the end, it is the inability of the living to work together that spells their ultimate demise. Critics will say NOTLD is filled with social metaphors but I don't think so. It is interesting to note how there is little effort by the filmmakers to explain the zombie outbreak. We hear it may have to do with radiation from a probe sent to Venus, but wisely is not mentioned again.
An often overlooked aspect of what makes NOTLD a great film, are the news reports. Some how I feel if a zombie outbreak were to actually happen, this is exactly the way it would be reported. Never since NOTLD has any horror film captured such a genuine feeling of news reports.
Duane Jones deserves mention as one of the first leading black men in a film. He plays Ben in the film and would rank with my "top movie heroes". Cooper can be considered as much a villian as any zombie shown in the film, perhaps more.
NOTLD was orignally copyrighted under a different title. Therefore the film is now in the public domain and can be purchased in many different lousy editions. The only high quality version is the Millenium Edition with a Red DVD case. In the late 90's, fifteen minutes of new footage was shot and "perfectly blends" into the film whilst also adding nothing but a hokey subplot no one cares about. The new footage sticks out like a sore thumb. Bill Hinzman reprises his role as the first zombie in this new footage - even though he is almost 30 years older! Watch the original edition. While it starts off a little slow (once Barbara reaches the house anyway) it picks up and moves at a most appropriate pace. It's the original flesh-eating zombie film and remains the best. Followed by Dawn of the Dead, and then by a series of inferior semi-sequels (Day, Land), remakes (NOTLD has been remade twice, with mixed results), and new spins/retellings (Diary). FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE.
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