Night Of The Living Dead DVD Retrospective

[JohnIan101]

PART II: THE REMAKES - A8 P3

Which happened in another undead flick; low-key comedy with some horror. "Life After Beth" (2014). The boyfriend's brother, Kyle Orfman (Matthew Gray Gubler) is the neighborhood captain as the outbreak is happening. Uses his authority to murder the neighbor he dislikes. Claiming the woman was infected, was not. Unknown how many he killed - and by the end, got away with it.

Same thing in the second Romero installment "Dawn Of The Dead" (1978); snapped racist S.W.A.T. member, Wooley (James A. Baffico) - started to kill the apartment residents he's suppose to be protecting; Blacks and Puerto Ricans.



"Beth"...

Zach Orfman is heartbroken when his girlfriend dies, a fatal snake bite - hiking in the woods. But is shocked to see her after the funeral; the family is keeping her resurrection a secret. She's quite human, slowly decaying - until her higher brain functions widdle way into full Romero territory. A different take on the zombie genre. This is a tale of a man who comes to understand that his love was an illusion. Beth didn't genuinely care for him, alive or undead; sometimes seconds chances are not worth it. She becomes patient-zero in an ghoul outbreak.

Decent flick; ending has Beth taken down. Authorities feared another outbreak. Her grave is a crypt with a metal door, locked and welded shut ...just in case.

Gonna stop with "Darkest Dawn", left out much, gave highlights. Events of the finale is tragic, nobody survives as in the original. But how it happens is different. Much of it is damn unfair - which makes it poignant.

Like '68, McClellan and his men are cleaning up, appear to be winning. We have hope that this can be resolved, corked at least. But we know better, small victory to a huge failing later.



Meta. When Ben is at "Bub's" gas station (nod to "Day Of The Dead") trying to fuel up an old pickup - he goes into the convenience store to turn on the pumps; poster for "Night Of The Living Dead" 1968. Not sure what that means other than a nod.

Another production quote.

The hardest part by FAR was budget limitation. We got some big name producers (Simon West, he's great!!) on that helped us get the cast and the financing but there wasn't a lot of it. It was very much a super low budget production on the level of a higher end 20 minute Saturday morning cartoon. We were 20 kids in a garage in 90 degree heat at times. It was fun but hard... very hard. If we would have known how tough it would be, none of us would have done it in the first place.

This has been in the works for a long time. On a conceptual level, the project started in 2009 as a micro budget animated film. Basically a bunch of kids in a garage type of thing. We hit some hurdles on the way and the project went through a couple long breaks. Most of the work was done in the past two years.

- 2nd director Krisztian Majdik



Above, a shot from a major conflict involving Ben and Barbra trying to board a military helicopter. Pretty much up until that moment, zombies were individuals, each looking separate, various degree of damage. Here they started using the same generic ghoul, cutting corners.

Out of time or money to make each distinctive?

Earlier spoke how this only had a single theatrical screening, then dumped on streaming services. There was an attempt to do more. Asking the public to help, crowd-sourcing. Did not work out.

Before their premiere; June 18th, 2015 filmmakers created an Indiegogo page asking for donations to create an HD master print to open in wide release - goal $200,000. There were items from posters to t-shirts and home video releases should you donate X amount of dollars.



And a promo video asking for funds with Tony Todd as Ben; hunted by ghouls in an alley, kinda cool. Saying what they wanted to do while putting down zombies; bashing and shooting heads. When did that promo happen?

Can tell you the final trailer popped online, June 20th, 2015. Promo happened within day(s).

Last I checked, years ago (notes made); twenty-seven days later, rise $1,075.00. Yeah, that "Walker Stalker Fan Fest" at Petco Park was their only big screen showing (9:00 PM).



A flawed ambition, but I give it serious credit for trying and at times DOING something both original and faithful to the source. Considering how many movies try and outright fail, makes this an exception.

Was cool to have both Todd and Moseley reprising their roles from the '90 remake. Moseley's screen time is roughly two minutes, a bit part.

When first announced was impressive to have so many horror veterans with voice roles. From the above to Pilato even Sizemore who has done sci-fi and horror features and scream queen Danielle Harris.



The two iterations of Barabra. Above left is Zebediah de Soto then Krisztian Majdik's versions. Both leave something to be desired. But de Soto's doesn't look like Barb has sheer pantyhose over her face. There are times when characters speak and their lips barely move.

Characters here, kinda resemble the actors voicing them.

Both Judy and Tom in de Soto's iteration have a punk appearance. Things I've uncovered in my research...

1) Rapper/actor Mos Def was originally cast as Ben. Don't know if he recorded his voice. Was released from the project once they got Tony Todd to reprise his role.

2) Actor Mike Diskint was cast as Tom. Also don't know if he recorded.

3) Actress Erin Braswel was cast as Judy. Don't know if she recorded.

4) First iterations had two other characters, deleted from the final cut. Actress Jesse Corti was a news reporter. And actor Cornell Womack was a 'no-nonsense' New York cop. Is that the zombie cop, Tom puts down???

5) Recordings were done in separate sessions, none of the actors were together. Nor together for motion capture.

6) Once hired and the project switched to the new director (Majdik); Todd came back to re-record his dialog. A different take on the character.

Quote from late 2009...

I wanted to make this look like a living Monet; it's expressionism. It's going to be the first zombie movie played on a epic scale. This is the 'Empire Of The Sun' [1987] of zombie films. I lived through the L.A. riots and saw the city on fire; I remember seeing people running, people getting pulled out of cars. And with 9/11, these images have been ingrained on people of my generation. I just thought that is the way it would really be, a lot of chaos.

- Zebediah de Soto

Lots of passion. At one point, he was working eighteen hours a day trying to make his version. That passion is what got producer Simon West on board.

Basement or garage? Kept reading both, digging deeper found the answer; de Soto had his computers in a basement. Majdik was the garage as said in her quote.

This would make three characters Pilato has played in 'Dead' films and yes "Darkest Dawn" counts. He had a bit role as a dock policeman in the beginning of "Dawn Of The Dead" ('78) and mentioned Captain Rhodes in "Day" ('85).



Bought for the Retrospective - a meaty post for the 50th anniversary; pretty sure was going to rip it apart; money wasted for your enjoyment. But was damn surprised, had no reason to be as good as it was. I know my recommendation can't hold water.

Some won't get over the poor CGI. I understand - was my main concern. Take notes and endure cheap garbage. Like the entry for the other remake, "Night Of The Living Dead: Resurrection" (2012; Part I). Paid five dollars too much for that.

1990 remake image of Satchel; noticed something I hadn't after numerous viewings. Following being introduced, Harry (Tom Towles) grabs a beer from the frig. Can of Stoney's Beer; brewed in Smithton, Pennsylvania - a local ale. Movie takes place near Pittsburgh, PA.

Satchel (Albert Shellhammer) was a cripple, there's a bloody forearm crutch next to him - never notice before.

The last bit is huge. Something that failed to register these past twenty-eight years. Ben's story; how he got the farmhouse, broken into two parts, an intermission when the place was under attack, then continues to speak.

Beekman's Diner is in Evans City - five miles away. He was at the diner when it happened. Some of the locals had tried to get the upper hand, not knowing they were dealing with the dead. There was an explosion - it set Ben's car on fire, which is why he abandoned it, acquiring the landscaping truck - fleeing.

There you go. I have another entry in the works, book review - an anthology. Worth your money? Find out sometime in November.

Film's official website is gone - same URL, now a European lingerie/swimsuit site; theyeatbrains dot com. *shakes head*

How ghoulish.