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It was almost 10 years ago when Butch Patrick and his very Elvira-esque co-host,
Ivonna Cadaver introduced me to Night of the Living Dead through their weekly
television program, Macabre Theatre. I became hooked, tuning in every week to
watch other cult horror films, Like Carnival of Souls and Hammer Studio's Taste the
Blood of Dracula, but I'll always remember NotLD as being the first and quite possibly
the reason why I still love horror films to this day.
Ivonna Cadaver introduced me to Night of the Living Dead through their weekly
television program, Macabre Theatre. I became hooked, tuning in every week to
watch other cult horror films, Like Carnival of Souls and Hammer Studio's Taste the
Blood of Dracula, but I'll always remember NotLD as being the first and quite possibly
the reason why I still love horror films to this day.
NotLD emerged from an era of sci-fi thrillers where there were the good guys, the
bad guys and we all knew who we were supposed to cheer for. George A. Romero's
film is known for introducing the world to the first rabid, flesh eating zombie,
drastically differing from the ones seen in films like I Walked With a Zombie and White
Zombie which were depicted only as undead slaves to a zombie master. More
importantly, it featured one of the first casts of realistic characters in a horror film,
where a hero was hard to find.
bad guys and we all knew who we were supposed to cheer for. George A. Romero's
film is known for introducing the world to the first rabid, flesh eating zombie,
drastically differing from the ones seen in films like I Walked With a Zombie and White
Zombie which were depicted only as undead slaves to a zombie master. More
importantly, it featured one of the first casts of realistic characters in a horror film,
where a hero was hard to find.
The film starts out with a simple master shot of a road with a car nearing from the
distance. The car travels the road and the credits roll. The passenger is Barbra and
distance. The car travels the road and the credits roll. The passenger is Barbra and
They spot a tall, statuesque man staggering through the graveyard. “There
they come now!” Johnny announces in mock fear, jogging away.
they come now!” Johnny announces in mock fear, jogging away.
Barbra is approached by the man and suddenly attacked just as she is
about to apologize for her brother's antics. Johnny rushes to his sister's aid,
but is quickly overpowered in the struggle. Barbra witnesses the man smash
her brother's head into a tombstone and then turns to run, propelling her into a
whirlwind of horror as she takes refuge in a small farm house that quickly
becomes surrounded by the mysterious creatures. A fellow surviver, Ben,
brilliantly played by Duane Jones, pulls up in a pickup truck, dispatches several
of the creatures, and rushes to board up the house with some help from a
dumbstruck Barbra. The cast grows as, Harry, a balding, angry man emerges
from the cellar and announces the presence of five more people: Harry's wife,
Helen, a younger couple, Tom and Judy and Harry's daughter, Karen, who's
been bitten by one of the creatures.
about to apologize for her brother's antics. Johnny rushes to his sister's aid,
but is quickly overpowered in the struggle. Barbra witnesses the man smash
her brother's head into a tombstone and then turns to run, propelling her into a
whirlwind of horror as she takes refuge in a small farm house that quickly
becomes surrounded by the mysterious creatures. A fellow surviver, Ben,
brilliantly played by Duane Jones, pulls up in a pickup truck, dispatches several
of the creatures, and rushes to board up the house with some help from a
dumbstruck Barbra. The cast grows as, Harry, a balding, angry man emerges
from the cellar and announces the presence of five more people: Harry's wife,
Helen, a younger couple, Tom and Judy and Harry's daughter, Karen, who's
been bitten by one of the creatures.
The film pits seven people in one house, who are all fighting for
self-preservation. Their struggle eventually reveals them as a group just as or
perhaps even more bloody thirsty than the creatures outside, trying to devour
self-preservation. Their struggle eventually reveals them as a group just as or
perhaps even more bloody thirsty than the creatures outside, trying to devour
Zombies, in general, seem to represent humanity in a devolved state. The
fear of the walking dead is partially defined by their familiarity and the fact that
their sickness, no matter the reason for the disease, (In NotLD the cause is
briefly alluded to a crashed satellite) is completely undiscriminating. As the
fight for survival becomes almost unbearable, the zombies no longer act solely
as the film's antagonists, but reflections of the film's protagonists. Their
chances for escape begin to dwindle, and we watch them shed themselves of
their social restraint. Mankind has gone through great lengths to domesticate
itself in an effort to create the definitive divide between man and animal.
Society has created designated activities, such as boxing, wrestling and
several other varieties of contact sports, to quench the natural craving for
violence that is no longer needed for survival in a modern world, but the
zombies possibly help realize that we were originally hunters and exist to
devour flesh. The hunter concept has never actually gone away, but rather
has fell victim to the revolution of convenience. We don't hunt any more,
instead our prey has already been killed, cleaned and packaged before it has
fear of the walking dead is partially defined by their familiarity and the fact that
their sickness, no matter the reason for the disease, (In NotLD the cause is
briefly alluded to a crashed satellite) is completely undiscriminating. As the
fight for survival becomes almost unbearable, the zombies no longer act solely
as the film's antagonists, but reflections of the film's protagonists. Their
chances for escape begin to dwindle, and we watch them shed themselves of
their social restraint. Mankind has gone through great lengths to domesticate
itself in an effort to create the definitive divide between man and animal.
Society has created designated activities, such as boxing, wrestling and
several other varieties of contact sports, to quench the natural craving for
violence that is no longer needed for survival in a modern world, but the
zombies possibly help realize that we were originally hunters and exist to
devour flesh. The hunter concept has never actually gone away, but rather
has fell victim to the revolution of convenience. We don't hunt any more,
instead our prey has already been killed, cleaned and packaged before it has
October 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the definitive zombie
film's release and the day it set the bar for the numerous other
zombie movies that were to follow. NotLD is not only a horror
classic recognized by the National Film Registry, it's also a
sociological study of the behavior of individuals confronted with life
and death situations where one's survival can easily depend on the
selflessness of others. The horror genre's numerous contributions
to pop culture have been the inspiration for countless nightmares
of children and adults alike, but the modern zombie, often referred
to as “The Romero Zombie,” is perhaps the reason why the face in
the mirror can be the most frightening monster of all.
10-17-08
film's release and the day it set the bar for the numerous other
zombie movies that were to follow. NotLD is not only a horror
classic recognized by the National Film Registry, it's also a
sociological study of the behavior of individuals confronted with life
and death situations where one's survival can easily depend on the
selflessness of others. The horror genre's numerous contributions
to pop culture have been the inspiration for countless nightmares
of children and adults alike, but the modern zombie, often referred
to as “The Romero Zombie,” is perhaps the reason why the face in
the mirror can be the most frightening monster of all.
10-17-08
| Seeing Reflections in Undead Eyes: The Commentary on Our Society Found in Romero's Classic By: James Patrick Riser |
James Patrick Riser
1578 North Arrowhead Ave.
San Bernardino, Ca 92405
horrorriser@yahoo.com
(909)556-9607
1578 North Arrowhead Ave.
San Bernardino, Ca 92405
horrorriser@yahoo.com
(909)556-9607
the driver, her brother, Johnny (an uncredited Russell Streiner). They arrive at a cemetery to commence an
annual visit to the grave of their grandfather, but Johnny is more concerned with the grueling drive back than
paying his respects. On the way back to their car, Johnny playfully creeps around the tombstones, using his best
Boris Karloff impersonation, to tease his sister “They're coming to get you Barbra.”
annual visit to the grave of their grandfather, but Johnny is more concerned with the grueling drive back than
paying his respects. On the way back to their car, Johnny playfully creeps around the tombstones, using his best
Boris Karloff impersonation, to tease his sister “They're coming to get you Barbra.”
their flesh. More interestingly, the movie also asks the viewer to question if the monsters are truly evil or just
Mother Nature's way to bring us face to face with walking manifestations of the same animal instinct that naturally
dwells within man.
Mother Nature's way to bring us face to face with walking manifestations of the same animal instinct that naturally
dwells within man.
the chance to reach our stomachs. But it's evident through the zombie's actions, the desire never really goes
away, it's just suppressed by conscious thought.
away, it's just suppressed by conscious thought.