Zombies are commonplace nowadays, but in the mid 60s, they were more connected to voodoo stories. It wasn’t until George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead in 1968 when zombies as we know them today became firmly established. But how well does the film hold up when watching through today’s zombie-filled goggles? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue celebrating 50th anniversaries of films and franchises by kicking off a series looking at Romero’s original Dead trilogy, starting with this film.
We talk about why zombies are such interesting creatures to use when looking at various elements of society for thematic statements. We look at the low budget nature with which Romero and his team used to craft this story and what that means to the overall film. We talk about some of the performers, notably Duane Jones, and what they brought to the table. We look at the various interpretations people make with this film and how the film was not made with those intentions, but how art is for the people and people take away from it anything they feel is valuable. And we walk through the struggles this film has had with copyright and what that has meant to this film and its releases.
It’s a fun film and one that essentially birthed the modern zombie film. We have a great time talking about it on the show this week, so check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.
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