NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: DVD
SYNOPSIS:
The unburied dead (in Middle America) rise and begin to kill – and eat – the living.
The unburied dead (in Middle America) rise and begin to kill
– and eat – the living. That’s the story. The
original black and white 1968 film, with its very 50s tone and
look (down to a Zenith radio which is in fact a piece of
furniture) became something of a cult classic as it revolted and
entertained and frightened children of all ages. It was exactly
what a B picture is meant to be, for casual enjoyment. We never
knew or cared why the zombies killed and ate the living. Nobody
tried to make sense of it because it didn’t ask to be made
sense of. It was as meaningful as a roller coaster ride, which
nobody analyses too much. But it came at the right time and with
the right sense of grisly bravura.
It is welcome on DVD, an opportunity to re-birth movies for a
new audience, even though this particular film gets no extra
benefit from surround sound, digital images and the extra
features that come with this 30th Anniversary release.
Of the extras, the best bits are those in the original behind
the scenes footage. As for the music video, it’s a jokey and
suitably grainy piece of rock clip, ideal for repeated playing
during a zombie themed party, a lengthy wait for home delivered
pizza or to show parents as an example of rock clips like they
used to make before CDs.
The idea of adding 15 minutes of new scenes in an attempt to
top and tail the film with exposition should have been buried
along with the zombies. Oh, it’s clever enough in technical
execution: they even matched the original truck seen in the
opening scenes with an identical model, and found a cemetery that
is indistinguishable from the original (whose tress have since
been blown away by a storm). There is also a good tonal match in
the film stock and mono images.
But the premise is misguided. Luckily, the DVD offers both the
original version and the slightly longer version with new
footage. Frankly, I prefer the original; it’s true to its
genre origins – and it’s shorter.
Andrew L. Urban
FEATURES:
Complete 30th Anniversary  Edition of the film with more than 15 minutes of new
scenes
Complete original 1968 version of the film
Behind the scenes Featurette on the making of the 30th anniversary edition
30th Anniversary Edition trailer
Movie Pickes – stills Gallery
Audio commentary with John A. Russo, Bill Hinzman, Russ Streiner & Bob Michelucci
Living Dead Beats Music Video
Digitally Remastered
________________
We gratefully acknowledge the complimentary use of a DVD player from Philips.
________________
|
