When unexpected radiation raises the dead, a microcosm of Average America has to battle flesh-eating zombies in George A. Romero's landmark cheapie horror film. Siblings Johnny (Russ Streiner) and Barbara (Judith O'Dea) whine and pout their way through a graveside visit in a small Pennsylvania town, but it all takes a turn for the worse when a zombie kills Johnny. Barbara flees to an isolated farmhouse where a group of people are already holed up. Bickering and panic ensue as the group tries to figure out how best to escape, while hoards of undead converge on the house; news reports reveal that fire wards them off, while a local sheriff-led posse discovers that if you "kill the brain, you kill the ghoul." After a night of immolation and parricide, one survivor is left in the house.... Romero's grainy black-and-white cinematography and casting of locals emphasize the terror lurking in ordinary life; as in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963), Romero's victims are not attacked because they did anything wrong, and the randomness makes the attacks all the more horrifying. Nothing holds the key to salvation, either, whether it's family, love, or law. Topping off the existential dread is Romero's then-extreme use of gore, as zombies nibble on limbs and viscera. Initially distributed by a Manhattan theater chain owner, Night, made for about 100,000 dollars, was dismissed as exploitation, but after a 1969 re-release, it began to attract favorable attention for scarily tapping into Vietnam-era uncertainty and nihilistic anxiety. By 1979, it had grossed over 12 million, inspired a cycle of apocalyptic splatter films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and set the standard for finding horror in the mundane. However cheesy the film may look, few horror movies reach a conclusion as desolately unsettling. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Special Features
2 Feature audio-commentaries: Featuring George A. Romero and Members of the cast & crew
One For The Fire: A New, feature-length documentary
Speak to the Dead: A Q&A with Co-Writer/Director George A. Romero
Ben Speaks: The last interview with actor Duane Jones
Theatrical trailer
Still gallery
Original script (DVD-ROM)
Region
1
Languages
Unknown
Display Format
Black & White
Audio
Dolby Digital Stereo
Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel
Chapters
Disc #1 -- Night of the Living Dead
1. Main Titles [:19]
2. "They're Coming To Get You, Barbra!" [:20]
3. Sanctuary [4:30]
4. Ben Arrives [5:18]
5. The First Kills [3:13]
6. Boarding Up [2:39]
7. Tales of Terror [3:54]
8. News Reports [4:26]
9. Taking Stock [7:19]
10. Up from the Cellar [3:50]
11. The Dead Advance [4:45]
12. In the Basement [4:20]
13. Emergency Broadcast [4:15]
14. Planning an Escape [3:55]
15. Making a Break [9:40]
16. All Messed Up [4:41]
17. Karen Revives [8:01]
18. The Last Refuge [5:16]
19. Dawn of the Dead [5:58]
20. End Credits [2:40]
Menu
Disc #1 -- Night of the Living Dead
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Special Features
Audio Commentaries
View Feature With Audio Commentary By: Co-Writer/Director George A. Romero, Producer/Actor Karl Hardman, Actress Marilyn Eastman and Co-Writer John A. Russo: On/Off
View Feature With Audio Commentary By: Producer Russell W. Streiner, Production Manager Vince Survinski, Actors Judith O'Dea, Bill Hinzman, Kyra Schon & Keith Wayne: On/Off
One For The Fire: The Legacy Of Night Of The Living Dead
Play Entire Documentary
They're Coming To Get You Barbra
The Latent Image
Let's Make A Movie!
The Cooper Family
Duane
A Night Unleashed
The Missing
Legacy
Speak Of The Dead: A Conversation With Georg A. Romero
DVD Release Dates
