Night Of The Living Dead DVD Retrospective

[JohnIan101]

PART II: THE REMAKES - B2

Continuing...

How different?

Lets say everything from this point forward are spoilers.

The film still has Barbara 'Barb' (Brianna Brown) and Johnny (Ken Ward) going to a distant - rural cemetery. Not the burial of their mother, but an aunt; their mother (Marcia Ann Burrs) is already there awaiting her kids.

Tom (Andrew Yost) and Judy (Cristin Michelle) do appear, but limited screen time, sex in the barn - their orgasmic moans sounding like they've being feasted on, soon becoming fact...

The main character here isn't Ben (Joshua DesRoches), it's Barb. We see the nightmare through her eyes. Unlike O'Dea's portrayal, this Barbara isn't dazed or cowering. She's more like the Patricia Tallman's evocation; proactive (and more feminine). What can I say? Brianna Brown is a hottie.



When I first saw this - for awhile I thought Brown was adult film starlet Briana Banks. Their faces kinda look the same, plus they both have a mole near their left eye. Perphas Ms. Banks was trying to break into mainstream films? No a different woman.

Some XXX stars actually use their real names, such as Lisa Ann; Briana/Brianna sound alike. Anyhow, some might remember her from "Spider-Man 2" (2004), she had a bit part as the train passenger with baby when Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) attacks; single line of dialog: 'Is he still alive?'

Of all the changes the biggest one is Ben, he is not black here, he's white. Not going to make a big deal about this, nor should you.

At the graveyard, Johnny is attacked, bitten and flees in his car without Barb; great family love. Their mom is already undead. Barb takes off and runs into Gerald Tovar, Jr. (Sid Haig) the owner of the local funeral parlor, he's no help as there are more walking dead here as well.

Ben saves Barb on his motorcyle and take her to the Coopers. The farm house does not belong to Tom's uncle Regis. The Coopers own this farm. Harry (Greg Travis), his wife Hellie (Johanna Black) and daughter Karen (Alynia Phillips) - from his first marriage.

The next big change is the introduction of a new character to the mythos; Owen (Adam Chambers), the handyman. He's mostly here for comic relief. Owen gets bitten and slowly dies through the film.

New Harry isn't like classic Harry (Karl Hardman). He's a laid-back kind of fellow, a pacifist. Hellie is a hippy chick (recovered addict).

The Coopers don't believe Barb's fantastic story. She want to call the police, they are reluctant to make that call. You see, the Cooper Farm is a marijuana one!

This isn't a fractured fairy tale. And Ben... is a dealer who was coming back with the cash from selling their weed. That's original! I can understand why some have a serious problem with that. Ben is supose to be the good guy. And he is - he just so happens to be a seller too, he only deals pot; hubcap diamond-star halo.

Before Barb can convince them, the siege happen - the dead have arrived. Tom and Judy are the first to go, she spends the rest of the film as nude zombie. The phone line is pulled, isolation.

Karen is killed, resurrects and bites Harry. Tovar comes to the house, the nearest home. His business was ground zero. He never cremated the bodies (afraid of fire). He inherited his job from his dead father, Tovar senior. All the bodies meant for cremation were just pied piled up and stored near chemicals. Junior offset his cash flow by allowing illegal storage, exotic materials. He fled from work, it became overrun.

Hoping to get help since the phone is down; Barb, Ben and Tovar leave. Harry and Hellie stay behind. They die. Out on the road, Tovar betrays them and knocks Ben unconscious, abducting Barb. He want to retake his mortuary... and to silence Barb. He plans to have her embraced.

I've explained too much and will stop here. You'll have to watch to see how it comes together. The only real problem I had was with the surviving character, that person just gave up, that person had a good thirty seconds to run - anywhere! There was still a chance to survive. Granted a lot happened, perhaps it was all just too much. But still, an awful way to die.

The original ending was to have Ben and Barb reaching the gas station seen at the start before falling to their fates. It wasn't filmed - not enough time, not enough money.



For a low budget feature it has a good collection of extras. I like the behind the scenes footage of Brown reacting to something that scared her then realizing it was stupid. So cute, great smile.

And the on set antics of the actors and crew.

Wish she was part of the commentary, Brown is the star after all. I know Sid Haig got top billing, but she had far more screen time.

If you got it, put on your glasses - you're welcome.



Movies collide, there is a stinger at the end credits. The background for the crawl is the opening shot from the original; the road leading to the cemetery. In the last few seconds, Barb re-appears, now lost inside the '68 classic being chased by a zombie coming up the road, nice.

The 2D version omits the 3D Still Gallery. And the Home Video Ads for both are not a menu choice, a single long clip.

This Is A New Motion Picture Filmed In 3-D That Is A Re-Imagining Of The 1968 Public Domain Motion Picture "Night Of The Living Dead". George A. Romero Is Not Affiliated In Any Way With This New Film.

- disclaimer on the back of the DVD

Oh yeah, I can not confirm, but suspect the voiceover guy on the trailer/TV spot is none other than Tony Todd. He has a distinctive voice.

The idea behind Gerald Tovar, Jr.'s character not cremating the bodies was inspired by an actual police investigation in Georgia. A son had inherited his father's mortuary, but was unable to cremate the bodies.

The crematorium broke down and for whatever reason he procrastinated on getting it repaired. Authorities found corpses littered everywhere, stacked and stored on any available space on the property in various states of decomposition. The man was changed and sentenced to prison. Can you imagine the smell?

The mortuary scenes were filmed in a real, defunct one; "Conner-Johnson Mortuary" (4700 Avalon Blvd.) in Los Angeles, California.

Anyhow, I have both editions in a double disc, transparent DVD case with the 3D version as outside wraparound.

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SOUNDTRACKS PART IV



I own this too, "Night Of The Living Dead 3D: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". As with the other remake, this was a limited CD. Released by Lakeshore Records (#LKS 33882) on October 6th, 2006, only 1,000 copies produced. This is composer Jason Brandt's first CD release.

Brandt has a cameo as the ghoul Gerald Tovar strikes in the head (twice) with a shovel when he first meets Barb.

The CD booklet is two pages, no liner notes, just track names and times. Even though this is a limited edition the price currently from $0.97 to $11.31 (Amazon info).

This was the movie/soundtrack that introduced me to the band, Radford - their song, "Control". Have bought their self-titled album (2000), "Sleepwalker" (2003) and digital EP, "Black Out The Sun" (2006).

- - -

Tracks

1. Black & White World/Main Title
2. Graveside And The Mortuary
3. Road Attack And Rescue
4. Karen's Curiosity
5. A Warning & The Assault Begins
6. The Barn And Resignation
7. Alone In The Truck/Zombies Everywhere
8. Where's Karen?
9. Bullet In The Brain And The Showdown
10. God Didn't Cause This And Ben's Money
11. Attack On The Stairs
12. Please Let Me In!
13. Gerald Tovar, Jr. And The Undead
14. Who's Dead? And Shovel Work
15. Leaving The Farm And Two Bullets
16. Family Reunion
17. Betrayal And The Tovar Family
18. The Beginning Of The End/Barb & One Bullet Left
19. Control
20. Night Of The Living Dead 3D Trailer Music

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ADDITIONAL NOTES

This something I never really thought about - for me, self-explanatory. But I guess some are confused. Ghouls in the Romero universe don't speak as in talk. This is about the 1990 remake.



The first person that Barbara and Johnnie (Bill Moseley) encounter in the cemetery wasn't a zombie. He was traumatized and injured, bumping into and speaking to Barbara, "I'm sorry." Makes you wonder what kind of horrors he witnessed. Actor Pat Reese is listed in the credits as The Mourner.

Here are a couple of quotes to settle it - not a zombie (both from the DVD, the same making-of featurette)...

Tried to manipulate you in the remake - to believe that the first guy you see is a zombie, just like in the first film.

- director Tom Savini

He scares us, we think he's gonna be the zombie; turns out, he's just a freaked out old guy.

- actress Patricia Tallman

- - -

Just so you know, there is a bootleg Blu-Ray (region free) that includes the workprint as well as the commentary with making-of featurette from the DVD.

You're being warned...

Get your arms ready for some vigorous fisting shakings? Next Thursday we'll devour the bad side of Uncle Regis' farm, the reworked editions. That ain't my zombie movie - is it?