Night of the Living Dead happens to rank squarely with the greatest films ever made, period.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:44
Fresh:42
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8.5/10
Consensus: George A. Romero's debut set the template for the zombie film, and features tight editing, realistic gore, and a sly political undercurrent.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is a low-budget, homegrown classic that had great difficulty finding a distributor at the time of its release in 1968, and has since become one of the most... George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is a low-budget, homegrown classic that had great difficulty finding a distributor at the time of its release in 1968, and has since become one of the most influential horror films of all time. (Aside from its visceral impact years before realistic gore became the fashion, the film is also important for its portrayal of a black man as the protagonist during a time when race was an extremely sensitive issue in the United States.) The plot is simple: seven people secluded in a Pennsylvania farmhouse face relentless attacks by reanimated corpses seeking to eat their flesh. The group, which includes a married couple and their daughter, a pair of young lovers, and an African-American man, try to keep their sanity as the living dead keep trying to enter the house. Radio news reports tell of the plague taking over the eastern United States, while the ever-decreasing band of survivors rapidly loses ground in the battle to both keep peace with one another and stay alive. [More]
Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman
Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne, Judith Reilly, William Hinzman
Director: George A. Romero
Director: George A. Romero
Screenwriter: John A. Russo, George A. Romero
Producer: Russell W. Streiner, Karl Hardman
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Reviews for Night of the Living Dead
This little seat-of-the-pants regional production chewed up and spit out taboos like raw meat in a feral feeding frenzy.
George Romero set a new standard for horror with this low-budget opus.
This is horror at its most probing, subversive and socially aware, with a truly harrowing ending that reveals the dangers of misdirected fear and prejudice.
Subtext and allegory not your thing? Fine, watch the movie as an intense, nightmarish, claustrophobic exercise in apocalyptic horror. The film works either way.
Shocks come from the way in which Romero repeatedly presents a clichéd situations in which we think we know what's going on, only for Romero to pull out the rug from underneath, thereby producing a greater shock.
The dialogue and background music sound hollow, as if they had been recorded in an empty swimming pool, and the wobbly camera seems to have a fetishist's interest in hands.
A tightly-edited, claustrophobically-framed horror film that retains, along with its relevance, its ability to startle and appall.
I felt real terror in that neighborhood theater last Saturday afternoon. I saw kids who had no resources they could draw upon to protect themselves from the dread and fear they felt.
Arguably the greatest horror film ever made - and one of the greatest in any genre - 'Night' is also the ultimate B-movie.
There is a resounding lack of sentimentality that cuts through the death and chaos, as a desperate bunch of people fight to stay alive.
I can't underrate its intangible ability to bypass my rationale and lunge straight at my subconscious. When it's really cooking, it's the scariest film I’ve ever seen.
Over its short, furious course, the picture violates so many strong taboos -- cannibalism, incest, necrophilia -- that it leaves audiences giddy and hysterical.
There's a brute force in Night of the Living Dead that catches one in the throat.
Seldom have so many pundit parses and public praises owed so much to so little as in the case of the career-launching 'Night of the Living Dead.'
This film managed to successfully mesh the concepts of flesh-eating zombies, isolation, and global panic realized on a claustrophobic and intimate scale.
It’s the anticipation of horrible scenarios that makes the film work so well.
Latest News for Night of the Living Dead
September 18, 2009:
Weekly Ketchup: Matt Damon to Team with Clint (Again)
This week's Ketchup features the usual required sequels (Silent Hill 2) and remakes (which is such a Rotten Idea, I won't give it top promotion) as well a nice smattering of... More...
September 16, 2009:
Night of the Living Dead Getting 3-D CGI Remake ![]()
George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" is getting a 3-D CGI remake that its director describes as "an American-style anime." More...
June 12, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with Wes Craven
No director in recent history has made their particular genre as much their own as Wes Craven. The legendary helmer virtually redefined the horror movies with the likes of The... More...
November 03, 2008:
Romero Promises "A Lot of Action" in Next Dead ![]()
It doesn't have a title yet, but production is underway on George A. Romero's next zombie movie, and USA Today has the inside scoop -- along with your first look. More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
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