ADDED TO 'GREATEST FAVORITES': Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Directed by George A. Romero

She is safe for now, having taken shelter inside a remote countryside house, sitting on the couch in the living room. In spite of the room’s charming Americana set-up, she is terrified, catatonic, helpless, unable to shake off the horrors she just saw with her own two eyes – her brother has been devoured by monsters, presumably the living dead. Her only company in this moment is a Zenith radio, which perpetuates the terror only further: the dead, are in fact, coming back to life to feed upon the living. This horrifying scenario is absolutely absurd, but not even the cozy American dream of the living room can bring comfort. It is a reality, and it is right here, right now.

This, to me, is one of the most powerful scenes in Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero’s landmark no-budget horror film. Upon release, it became an instant cult classic. As time unfolded, it gracefully transitioned from cult hit, to genuine classic, to one of the greatest horror films ever made. Here we are, 50 years later, and it has not lost a single ounce of its punching power. As a matter of fact, as much as I hate to use this cliché, I think this film has become more relevant now than ever before. Best of all, a 4K restoration from Janus Films, which has been playing across the country over the last several months, only bolsters the film’s strength.

Like many stories of invasion, it opens up just like any other day. Johnny (Russell Streiner) and Barbara (Judith O’Dea), his sister, are wandering about a cemetery when it happens: slowly but surely, the living dead slowly and mindlessly stumble toward them. They are hungry. Only humankind can sustain them, and how unfortunate that Johnny and Barbara are in their sights. Johnny isn’t so lucky, but Barbara manages to escape to a house not too far away. She finds solace here, having hooked up with a few others who have taken shelter in the same house.

One of the survivors is Ben (Duane Jones), who takes it upon himself to spearhead the fight for their lives. He wastes no time preparing for the worst, spending every waking minute boarding up windows and doors, always quick and efficient in his instructors for his fellow compatriots. Unfortunately, instead of confronting the ever-growing army of the undead, the proper course of action becomes a source of constant debate. In traditional B-grade plot synopsis; will they fall victim to the teeth of the living dead? Or will they band together and come out victorious?

It’s a simple setup that has been utilized time and time again, and it so beautifully and humbly starts with Night of the Living Dead. It’s such a familiar formula that I’m not sure if it still feels fresh like it did in 1968, but it still works extraordinarily well here. This film is completely dependent on its small-scale setting, which is portrayed so familiarly. We’ve been to this house before. We’ve wandered these countryside vistas before. It is an America that we may not have grown up with, that we may not love, but it is an America that we’ve been to before. The terror literally hits home.

Upon revisiting Night of the Living Dead, this was the first time I’ve watched the film in the span of around 10 years. With most of the details faded from memory, I was surprised to see just how tame it is, as far as zombie attacks and such are concerned. There’s the initial encounter in the beginning, and save for a few window-sill skirmishes, very rarely are our heroes doing battle against the undead, yet it is still a tense movie. Of course, the claustrophobic setting always helps, but what keeps the tension going is the heroes arguing rationally. Let me explain: when they argue what the best course of action is (i.e., to hide in the basement vs. stay upstairs), while the proper course of action is always known to the viewer, it never boils down to the smart one vs. the idiot. One can understand where both sides are coming from.

But there are also many scenes that don’t involve battle or arguing, but rather sitting around the radio or television set, trying to get answers as to what the hell is going on and what to do. These are the tensest moments for me. There is no musical accompaniment. No overblown or melodramatic gestures. Just monotone (albeit, with a sense of urgency) exposition of the issue at hand. When the news anchors admit their disbelief in current events in that same tone, that’s what’s really scary. But all of that sitting around pays off when it boils over into the chaotic final act, as the literal hordes of undead close in on the house, and then it becomes all-out war.

Technical style plays a big part in Night of the Living Dead, many times going up-close and personal on the action with handheld. Not only does it add to the urgency, especially in the final act (I truly don’t remember it feeling that intense), but also to the believability – obviously, the subject of zombies is naturally farfetched, and Romero makes you totally buy it from start to finish (further assisted by the presence of TV and radio).

The social commentary present in Night of the Living Dead is pretty clear, that being the necessity to band together in a world that is slowly shambling toward mutilating and devouring itself. Themes like this can always give a film a bit of extra credit, especially in horror, but sometimes a film can rely too much on its message that the strength of the film is secondary to consideration (this is why I wasn’t keen on the 2017 hit Get Out). As you could probably imagine, this is not the case with the masterful Night of the Living Dead, but the film wisely avoids alluding to any particular issue to its time. Like I said earlier; the film feels incredibly relevant today, making it all the more bone-chilling. I was not expecting this upon revisiting.

Night of the Living Dead has turned 50 this year, and I highly encourage you to celebrate this milestone anniversary of this landmark film. Granted, I hope to one day see its message become dated and irrelevant. If that day comes, not to worry: this film will still be great entertainment, even in those idealistic days. As for today; does it inspire the occasional unintended laugh? Absolutely; the way some fights against zombies are filmed are kind of awkward. Yeah, some of the acting is a bit hammy. Incredibly, though, none of this once detracts from the greatness of the film. That feat alone is something remarkable, but with everything else in mind, this is undoubtedly one of the greatest horror films ever made.