Night of the Living Dead [Criterion Collection]

Overview

One can only imagine the impact that Night on the Living Dead had on unprepared audiences of 1968. Here was a film that began with a semi-comic scene in a graveyard in broad daylight -- which was suddenly interrupted by the homicidal appearance of a seeming lunatic. Gradually the audience comes to the horrible realization that the attacking looney is a zombie, one of several "living dead" recently arisen from their graves -- and that they roam the earth in order to chow down on human flesh. Seven people with whom the audience identifies barricade themselves against the zombie invasion. The only way to destroy the attackers is to set them afire; the trick is to get the zombies before the zombies get them. Filmed in Pittsburgh on a $150,000 budget by former industrial filmmaker George Romero, Night of the Living Dead was denied a release by Columbia on the grounds that it was shot in black-and-white, and was turned down by American-International because of the film's bleak, unhappy ending. Romero turned to Walter Reade Associates, which unceremoniously dumped the film onto the kiddie matinee circuit. After attending a screening with an audience of scared-witless youngsters, a mortified Readers Digest journalist printed a scathing condemnation of Night of the Living Dead -- an article that had the immediate effect of arousing the interest of moviegoers who might otherwise have ignored the film. One of the first of the "midnight movies," Night of the Living Dead still packs a wallop today, even in the light of the more-convincing special effects indigenous to the Halloween, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street flicks of the 1980s. That the threadbare, amateurish production values of the original Night of the Living Dead added to its authenticity was proven by Romero's 1990 remake, which despite its bigger budget, color photography, explicit violence and superb makeup work, was nowhere near as frightening as the 1968 version.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/13/2018
UPC:	0715515210218
Original Release:	1968
Rating:	NR
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:36:00
Sales rank:	13,662

Special Features

New 4K digital restoration, supervised by Director George A. Romero, Co-Screenwriter John A. Russo, sound engineer Gary R. Streiner, and Producer Russell W. Streiner; New restoration of the monaural soundtrack, supervised by Romero and Gary Streiner; Night of Anubis, a never-before-presented work-print edit of the film; New program featuring filmmakers Frank Darabont, Guillermo del Toro, and Robert Rodriguez; Never-before-seen 16mm dailies reel; New program featuring Russo on the commercial and industrial-film production company where key Night of the Living Dead filmmakers got their start; Two Audio Commentaries from 1994 featuring Romero, Russo, Producer Karl Hardman, actor Judith O'Dea; Archival interviews with Romero and actors Duane Jones and Judith Ridley; New programs about the film's style and score; New interview program about the direction of ghouls, featuring members of the cast and crew; New interviews with Gary Streiner and Russell Streiner; Newsreels from 1967; Trailer, radio spots, and TV Spots; Plus: An essay by critic Stuart Klwans

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Judith O'Dea	Barbara
Russell Streiner	Johnny,Johnny
Duane Jones	Ben
Keith Wayne	Tom
Karl Hardman	Harry
Judith Ridley	Judy
Marilyn Eastman	Helen Cooper
Kyra Schon	Karen
Bill Heinzman	Cemetery Ghoul
Charles Craig	Newscaster/Ghoul
Lee Hartman	Ghoul/Reporter
Frank Doak	Scientist
George Kosana	Sheriff McClelland
Bill Cardille	Reporter,Field reporter
Mark Ricci	Washington Scientist,Ghoul,Ghoul
George A. Romero	Washington Reporter (uncredited)
John A. Russo	Washington Reporter/Ghoul (uncredited)
Jack Givens	Ghoul
Paula Richards	Ghoul,Ghoul
John Simpson	Ghoul
Herbert Summer	Ghoul
William Burchinal	Ghoul
Ross Harris	Ghoul,Actor
Al Croft	Ghoul
Dave James	Ghoul
Sharon Carroll	Ghoul
William Mogush	Ghoul
Steve Hutsko	Ghoul
Joann Michaels	Ghoul
Phillip Smith	Ghoul,Ghoul
Randy Burr	Ghoul
S. William Hinzman	Actor,Rosie (30th Anniversary 1999 scenes),Cemetery Zombie,Actor
Scott Vladimir Licina	Rev. Hicks (30th Anniversary 1999 scenes)
Adam Knox	Mike (30th Anniversary 1999 scenes)
Debbie Rochon	Darlene Davis (30th Anniversary 1999 scenes)
Judith Reilly	Actor
William Loose	Composer

Technical Credits

George A. Romero

John A. Russo

George A. Romero	Screenwriter,Director
Karl Hardman	Producer
Tony Pantanello	Special Effects
Russell Streiner	Producer,Sound Effects,Producer,Producer
Regis Survinski	Special Effects
John A. Russo	Screenwriter

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Night of the Living Dead
1. Opening Credits [2:47]
2. "They're Coming To Get You, Barbra!" [4:23]
3. Pursued [3:45]
4. Sanctuary [3:13]
5. Ben [2:39]
6. Tire-Iron Time [2:45]
7. Body Ablaze [1:08]
8. Barricades [4:26]
9. Traumatized [7:19]
10. "Epidemic Of Murder" [3:11]
11. Armed [4:46]
12. From The Cellar [4:58]
13. Surrounded [4:15]
14. Fractured Family [3:55]
15. Grim News [9:41]
16. Escape Plan [4:07]
17. Up In Flames [7:31]
18. Feasting [3:37]
19. Search And Destroy [2:41]
20. Karen Comes Back [4:48]
21. The Safest Place [3:50]
22. "Another One For The Fire" [4:23]
23. End Credits [2:11]
1. Color Bars
1. Production Value [2:47]
2. Ghoul Switch [4:23]
3. Permission Required [3:45]
4. Gobo Shadows [3:13]
5. Black And White [2:39]
6. Good Action [2:45]
7. Death Twitch [1:08]
8. Readying The House [4:26]
9. Duane's Soliloquy [7:19]
10. Missing Music Box [3:11]
11. Explaining The Window [4:46]
12. Faking The Basement [4:58]
13. Blood and Squibs [4:15]
14. A Great Lost Shot [3:55]
15. Mixing Without Picture [9:41]
16. Memories Of Duane [4:07]
17. Stone Target [7:31]
18. Clients Chow Down [3:37]
19. Filling A Gap [2:41]
20. Unpredictability [4:48]
21. Separate Shots [3:50]
22. The Real Villain [4:23]
23. Mezzotint Screen [2:11]
1. Color Bars
1. "My Mother's Car" [2:47]
2. Genuine Fear [4:23]
3. Breaking The Glass [3:45]
4. Goodwill Furniture [3:13]
5. Poor Prints [2:39]
6. Remote Location [2:45]
7. Blood Differences [1:08]
8. A Useful Kitchen [4:26]
9. Evans City [7:19]
10. "That Is A Neat Radio" [3:11]
11. Library Music [4:46]
12. "Cooper Was Right" [4:58]
13. Introducing The Head Shot [4:15]
14. Stomach Rumbling [3:55]
15. Keith The Powerlifter [9:41]
16. A Slow Scene [4:07]
17. John On Fire [7:31]
18. Silly Putty [3:37]
19. Best Lines [2:41]
20. Upsetting Scene [4:48]
21. A Second Ending [3:50]
22. Taking Risks [4:23]
23. Wonderful People [2:11]
1. Color Bars
1. Chapter 1 [23:39]
Disc #2 -- Night of the Living Dead
1. Chapter 1 [7:16]
1. Alternate Title [2:09]
2. Graveyard Fright [11:22]
3. Alone No More [3:05]
4. Dueling The Dead [3:28]
5. Memory [10:48]
6. Missing Reel [:06]
7. More Survivors [3:54]
8. Hacking And Shooting [3:25]
9. The Coopers [4:35]
10. Bad News [13:48]
11. Going For Gas [7:32]
12. Hunger [3:27]
13. Day-For-Night Shot [:10]
14. Havens And Hunters [2:46]
15. Breaking In [8:33]
16. Shocking End [5:51]
1. Chapter 1 [18:03]
1. Chapter 1 [3:40]
1. Chapter 1 [11:57]
1. Chapter 1 [2:47]
Disc #3 -- Night of the Living Dead
1. Chapter 1 [13:04]
1. Chapter 1 [11:13]
1. Chapter 1 [11:56]
1. Chapter 1 [18:18]
1. Chapter 1 [12:05]
2. Chapter 2 [6:31]
3. Chapter 3 [11:32]
4. Chapter 4 [10:50]
5. Chapter 5 [4:26]
1. Chapter 1 [21:54]
1. Chapter 1 [10:41]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Night of the Living Dead
   Play The Movie
   Chapters
   Commentary One
      Commentary One: On
      Commentary One: Off
      Index
   Commentary Two
      Commentary Two: On
      Commentary Two: Off
      Index
   Light In The Darkness
      Play
      Chapters
Disc #2 -- Night of the Living Dead
   Night Of Anubis
      Play
      Russell Streiner Introduction
         Chapters
      Chapters
   Dailies
      Play
         Chapters
      Gary Striener Introduction
         Chapters
   Learning From Scratch
      Play
      Chapters
   TV Newsreel
      Play
      Chapters
   Trailers
      1968
      2017
   TV Spots
      Twenty Seconds
      Sixty Seconds
   Radio Spots
      1968, Thirty Seconds
      1968, Sixty Seconds
      1970 ReRelease One
      1970 ReRelease Two
      1970 ReRelease Three
Disc #3 -- Night of the Living Dead
   Walking Like The Dead
      Play
      Chapters
   Tones Of Terror
      Play
      Chapters
   Limitations Into Virtues
      Play
      Chapters
   Tomorrow
      Play
      Chapters
   Higher Learning
      Play
      Chapters
   Duane Jones
      Play
      Chapters
   Judith Ridley
      Play
      Chapters
   Venus Probe
      Play

Editorial Reviews

One of the most successful independent films of all time, Night of the Living Dead helped pave the way for every low-budget horror hit that followed, from Halloween to The Blair Witch Project. This terrifying classic, in which a band of mismatched strangers find refuge in a deserted Pittsburgh farmhouse during a mysterious wave of zombie attacks, masterfully builds suspense and tension through the conflict of the humans inside the house and the never-ending presence of the flesh-eating ghouls outside. For years, viewers assumed that the grainy, pseudo-documentary look of inferior prints was director George Romero's original intention. But a recent restoration has brought out the film's crisp, black and white cinematography, and viewing it is a revelation. All but ignored during its initial release, Night of the Living Dead became a true word-of-mouth hit, with the midnight and drive-in circuits wholeheartedly embracing the film's audacious shocks. It remains among the most terrifying films ever made.

Barnes & Noble - Amy Robinson

When George A. Romero, a Pittsburgh-based director of TV commercials and industrial films, persuaded a few buddies to pitch in some money for a case of film stock so that he could shoot a zombie movie on the weekends, he had no idea that he would forever change the American horror movie. With his first effort, Romero shattered the rules of the horror genre; Night of the Living Dead retained many of the iconic elements of the traditional horror movie, but without the emotional buffering of most films that preceded it. In this film, the good guys didn't win, the monsters became only more powerful, the authority figures protecting us were both dangerous and inept, the source of the contagion was both unexplained and unstoppable, and, as friends and families were pitted against each other, no one got away unscathed. The early films of Herschell Gordon Lewis predated it in putting graphic gore on screen, but while Blood Feast and Two Thousand Maniacs seemed almost comical in their candy-colored carnage, Night's stark black-and-white images of zombies feeding on their human victims possessed a blunt and troubling realism that broke new, stomach-churning ground. And while Night's political allegories are more subtle than those of such later Romero films as The Crazies and Dawn of the Dead, its open distrust of authority and depiction of society on the verge of collapse certainly mark it as a film of the Vietnam era; the grim fate of Duane Jones, the film's sole heroic figure and only African-American, had added resonance with the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X fresh in the minds of most Americans. At a time when most horror movies took the tack that fear could be fun, Night of the Living Dead offered terror without a spoonful of sugar, and the genre would never be the same again.

All Movie Guide - Mark Deming