Night Of The Living Dead DVD Retrospective

[JohnIan101]

PART I: THE 1968 CLASSIC - Q P2

Then there's the audio, not helping either. It is far too low with various snap, pops and clicks, much of it random. As to be expected, the trailer is worn out with serious brightness issues; too dark and too white. Details can't be seen.

Like I wrote earlier, if you do want - get this as cheap as possible. Two bucks or less, won't hurt much.

So three of them?

Yup. Three public domain movies on DVD with new covers.



The first was "Battle Of The Worlds" (1961). I can tell you that finding info on "Battle" is hard. I would say - if you care about crap transfer releases - this is rare. So few information online about it. The second is "Voyage To The Planet Of Prehistoric Women" (1968) which has the second best cover of these "Comic Book Collectors Edition" titles.

Number one and two had covers by Steve Ellis, Medel only did the third.

So the contradictions?

When did these come out? Good question.

Allegedly all three streeted on the same date, February 14th with the same price tag - that's what Amazon claims. The price is mostly constant. But the date for "Battle" isn't. Some websites list it as March 14th, 2017 and not from Dub3, but Polyscope. I can't get a solid answer. I run into both dates in my research.

Checking my calendar as luck would have it - both dates are Tuesdays; the day when new releases come out. I'm gonna go with Amazon since they are an authority in such things.

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Tangent.

Okay, kind of. Not really.

More "Night" news to report. Since screen snaps would been too small (640 x 356), I did some work - enlarged them. Okay.



Once again a new soundtrack was added to the 1968 film, this time by Bird Peterson.

After two successful Halloween live performances at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz theater in Austin, Bird has finally released his critically acclaimed version of the classic genre definer Night Of The Living Dead featuring his new original score. Inspired by 80s horror and post-modern classical composers, the "driving synth filled" new soundtrack creates "an ongoing, rising pulse that brings out the natural anxiety of the film". The full soundtrack is also now streaming everywhere and available for sale from Teenage Riot Records.

- official press release

You can view this version on either YouTube (posted by Peterson on his channel on October 8th, 2018) and on Vimeo platforms.

The presentation is eighty-eight minutes long. Yup, it's been edited.

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Extras:

-none-

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Audio:

* Digital 2.0 Stereo

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NOTES/REVIEW

The new music is synthwave and I didn't care for it. The thing is so generic, take it away - insert into another movie and repeat, no anchor. Same result. Plus it has high pitches/spikes; call it noise, that's not music. Plus film is dominated by music, not highlighting important moments. Overkill. Was this enjoyed? I suppose this is better than the other redo by Ogden; two composers, Robin Ogden with Dallas Campbell.

You can read about that version with this click.

The soundtrack as you read above can be bought from Teenage Riot Records - this is a digital only album and is $11.99.

I would love to hear Le Matos doing their own synthwave interpretation. I can tell you this, it would not suck.

Sure, if you want to view it with the new music - go to YouTube, type in "Night Of The Living Dead (With New Original Score By Bird Peterson)" in search. Or if you know how, "BFdnliTiidI". It's still there (as of writing).

How the image quality?



This is presented in mostly full screen with black bars on the side. It has a bit wideness to it. The print used is a good one. The audio has a problem; presented in artificial stereo - I don't have a problem with it, that's not the reason - not mixed proper. When the music is played (which is most off the time), it snuffs out the film's foley (sound effects) and even dialog. Making it stick out, badly.

Not joking.

Don't have to take my word for it. Just find it on YouTube and listen for yourself. The mix (as it were) sucks big time. And the new music doesn't make it better. Okay,

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SOUNDTRACKS PART X



As far as I can tell, this had an October 8th, 2018 release date; the digital copy. And of course, streaming audio too.

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Tracks

1. Opening Credits
2. They’re Coming To Get You Barbara
3. Inside The House
4. Two Of Them
5. Burning The Body
6. Things Get Worse
7. The Others
8. From Worse To Worser
9. Fire
10. The Feeding
11. Fear Takes Over
12. The Cellar
13. The Next Day

After watching with the new music, I have no desire to acquire this venture. Pass.



Yup. I feel the same, Tom - "Why?"

Work has begun on the next post. A large entry on yet another remake of the '68 flick - with a modern flair. Didn't think I would like it. But I did, even with its faults. Come back here next Thursday for another undead slice of horror, another multi-parter.

[JohnIan101]

PART II: THE REMAKES - A8 P2



Tom was in the military, did not see combat was a cook. Completed his tour two month earlier. He and Judy are newlyweds - married (checked calendar) on the 23rd, last Thursday. Tom is now an Indian man (...from India); which makes sense since he's voiced by Indian actor R. Madhavan.

Farmhouse sanctuary replaced with a middle class townhouse.

Another big change is Ben (Todd)

Benjamin is a dad. We are given the impression that he and his wife, Tami (voiced by Sydney Tamiia Poitier) are breaking up; should tell their son, about nine - Maddy (voiced by Nazhi McCullough) what's going to transpire. The conversation happens at "Romero's Dinner". Only near the very end do we get more. Not a break up, but a conclusion. Tami has terminal cancer, about six months left. To tell their son what will happen and to prepare him for her inevitable death - misdirection.



Before things get serious, a scream is heard outside. A woman is being attacked. Tells Tami to stay inside with Maddy. Ben goes outside and is unable to help; the stranger takes a chunk of the woman's neck. He's then attacked by a different person.

Gets the upper hand, snapping the assailant's neck. That's when the gravity hits him.

Noise and screams - happening all over town. Before he can react, sees a big rig, gasoline tanker. The driver is dead, smashing into cars going full speed. Tanker crashes into the diner, killing his family.

Barbra flees the cemetery ghoul in her car, trying to avoid the high traffic and chaos; crashes not into a tree, but a lamp post. Runs out, directionless until finding an unlocked townhouse.



Another change, the Coopers - particularly, Helen (voiced by Alona Tal). Harry married a woman some years his junior. Helen is not middle age, in her early thirties. Quite proactive here, risking her life to save the group as they try to get transportation.

It is Tom and Judy while running from the undead who saved the Coopers; pulling them out of their crashed car.

My problem, character-wise. Harry Cooper is voiced by Joseph Pilato; horror icon, Captain Henry Rhodes from the third Romero 'Nigh' entry, "Day Of The Dead (1985). It was nice they portrayed Harry as they did, the CGI person, an average man. Pilato in real life has... packed in some pounds.

Pilato made Harry a cartoon villain. So damn campy. The rest are quite somber and serious, not Harry. Too over the top. Safest place isn't a basement, but the roof top. Which is where he want everyone to go. Now this is insulting which could've been done on purpose - I'll concede that.

Zero shelter on the roof, fully exposed to the elements; winter and it's snowing. WTF Harry? Now I suppose he wants to be up there in case an helicopter passes by. Which does happen later, but not near the townhouse. No blankets - he and Helen are not dressed for a long outdoor stay. Not even talking about their sick daughter, Karen (voiced by Luann de Soto).

Did like that they showed Karen's wound, remarking how it smells - putrid.

Harry is an aggressive jackass; hard to be sympathetic, even towards the end when all he has is a dying kid. His tears do not make-up or him being a total bastard. Before you ask, original Harry was the better man. Hell when introduced, Harry practically assaults Barbra holding her hostage against Ben. Not cool.



Name sparked in my noggin' - Alona Tal.

HER. She is probably best known as Meg Manning on the cult TV series, "Veronica Mars". Wording.

And she did the TV series, "Cult" (2013). Too bad that hasn't come to DVD, thirteen episodes.

Yes, I chose that picture because she has knitted skull tank top.



Corpse upstairs echoes the dead body, Satchel (Tom's cousin) from 1990 remake, on the floor, seated. Not the face eaten, dead girl from the 1968 movie. The music box has a different tune and does not come with opening/closing doors. This is classical music box, open the lid to see a ballerina spin.

She's broken, ballerina looks unnatural, dead.

Mixture of slow and fast moving zeds. The ghouls have different looks, until we reach the end. But I'll get into that in few. To accentuate the carnage, the dead are not just eating the living... which is another gripe.

We see them ripping people apart and tossing up blood, making it rain as it were.

Done for a cheap 3D effects, 'what can we put in front of the camera?'



Action is repeated several times - far too much blood thrown in the air, like splashing paint.

Next is a huge change, but works for the narrative.

In the original and both remakes; the 1990 and "Night Of The Living Dead 3D" (2006; Part I, scroll down and Part II) the gang stay at the house, trying to secure it.



This only partially occurs. Passed the midway point, the power goes out and the house is overrun by the dead.

The survivors flee into the back alley. Into unknown territory. Where is this going???

That was a happy question mark. The characters and audience do not know what's coming next. It reinvents the '68 conclusion.

Taking a pause to talk about the cemetery zombie...



His appearance reminds me of a Halloween toy from 2004. Above right is one of the hand puppets from SOTA Toys line - "When Puppets Attack". Six different puppets; three zombies, Death, a witch and an angry pumpkin (designed by Matt Rose and Chad Waters).

These were/are (can at times be found in October prop-up Halloween stores) ten inches tall, retail for $14.95. And would've been super sway if the things actually did as advertised. They were cheaply made and the head was too heavy, the puppet flopped over - as in the neck couldn't handle the weight of the head. Above is the ghoul named Barlowe, he looks like the cemetery zombie. Can't say if this was done deliberately by the filmmakers.

Only mentioned once.

...all digital transmissions from satellites are out - due to intense radiation in the atmosphere. This radiation may be due to the recently return of the Venus probe. *static* This event has had an adverse effect on the global popluation. No word yet on what exactly has cause the malfunctions of several commercial aircraft, though terrorism is been ruled out...

- radio announcer

Enjoyed how smart this was. Minus Harry; each doing their best to make correct decisions, thinking. An example is Tom and Judy. When it happened, both were playing around - trying to have sex in the back of their car, an empty parking lot, newlywed bliss. Screams heard and investigated, the world had changed. There is a moment when they are upstairs, the hotel's main entrance, a revolving door. A harsh truth...

Woman on the street is being chased by a zed. There are many others inside which the couple had dodged. They will be found soon enough - get out while they can. They can NOT help this woman. Even if this went 100% well; Tom, Judy and this woman holding the door static - in a few minutes will be many more pushing on the door, overpowered. Then they all will die.

Tom times their rush out to the woman running towards them, spinning. This gets them out and the woman with the zombie tossed inside - that stranger is dead, didn't try to help her. Which could very well be the guilt that gets the Coopers saved.

Even with such a short run time, they made time for characters moments; has zero to do with the plot. Just breathing room for development, sprinkled throughout the program, making the poorly rendered CGI people, human.

Another example...

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We're asking all civilians to head for the safety zones if they're able. Arm yourself, please. If you're attacked, defend yourselfs. Let it be clear though - I am in no way condoning murder, nor do I need a bunch of vigilante groups out there hindering our efforts. But we are dealing with extraordinary circumstances this evening. And the best way to deal with these - for argument sake, 'the infected' is a bullet to the head or massive head trauma. If neither is at your disposal... burn them. Our intel says, they don't like fire.

- Chief McClellan on the emergency TV broadcast

McClellan isn't named, just on the end credits. We are to assumed to know - voiced by Tom Sizemore. This I enjoyed, making it known, NOT an excuse to go murdering people.

[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.