Night Of The Living Dead DVD Retrospective

[JohnIan101]

PART II: THE REMAKES - A3

Continuing...

The movie site had a post entitled "Cinematographer Frank Prinzi ASC Shares His Thoughts On Night Of The Living Dead (1990) Blu-Ray"; November 11th, 2012 (written by Chaz Lipp).

The film's cinematographer took much of the blame at least from Twilight Time's point of view; Prinzi approved transfer.

He dropped a bombshell...

I have to let you know that I haven't seen the transfer on Blu-Ray, on a good screen, yet. I just saw [a] quick clip on the internet and what I saw looked bad. I was consulted verbally a couple of years back but was never given a "first draft" copy of the transfer to give my true feedback. It went from words to visuals. The range of interpretation is limitless. The words “cool” or “darker” can be taken in so many ways that without a visual marker to refer to, one can go in any direction. From what I hear the direction taken did not bring pleasing results to many.

Who's blame?

Some fellow at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, not Prinzi. More and more, feels like Sony just wanted to dump this new transfer on someone, get back some money from licensing.



See that Sony? She's looking at you.

Trust me, you do not want, nor the trowel little Ms. Cooper is holding.

Fix this, do it right; DVD and BD.

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SOUNDTRACKS PART III



"Night Of The Living Dead: Original Score From The Motion Picture". A limited CD was released in late August of 2002 from Numenorean Music (#NMCD 002). Only 3,000 was produced (I have it). Not a regular soundtrack, but a redo.

CD is a re-recording by Paul McCollough (composer) utilizing most of the same equipment used during the scoring of the film. The original tapes were preserved, but McCollough believed he could improve upon their sound. I'm okay with that.

The booklet (eight pages) contains liner notes from him. And original artwork commissioned exclusively for this release by Ron Pegenkoop and Cliff Cramp.

Something missing - chase music where Barbara has abandoned the car and has gone on foot, two hungry graveyard ghouls pursuing. Don't have an answer why absent. There was room, the album is 62 minutes long.

My favorite tracks are "Cemetary", "Passage To Normal" and "Pump Run".

Numenorean no longer exit, only releasing three soundtracks before dying. The last CD was in 2003. NOTLD soundtrack is selling, used for $250.00 on Amazon! I paid twenty-four (when you count shipping and tax).

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Tracks

1. Cemetery
2. Farmhouse
3. Tensionizer
4. Twin Geeks
5. The Pity Of Angels
6. Boarding School
7. Talking Points
8. Courage To Go
9. Pump Run
10. Zombies Win! Zombies Win!
11. Passage To Normal



Now a digital only release (March 10th, 2014) from BSX Records; download sells from $8.99. Track 01 was renamed, "Cemetery (Opening Titles) and the name was changed to "Music From The Motion Picture Score".

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I'd like to add some more bits of '90 trivia.

Columbia Pictures was the distributor, they had declined releasing the '68 film since it was black and white, they focused on color only. The 1990 film was offered to American International Pictures, but AIP demanded changes...

1) A happy ending.
2) A romance subplot.

Changes Savini and Romero refused.

Our next remake is often considered an atrocity/abomination (wait until next week). I don't; they went a different direction and was blunt, their intentions.

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PART II: THE REMAKES - B

The second remake; "Night Of The Living Dead 3D" opened in limited release (145 screens) on November 12th, 2006. It was made with a budget of $750,000 (estimated) and grossed about $215,300 during its U.S. theatrical run. When including foreign receipts, the feature made $1.2 million (not including domestic home video sales). The movie opened number twenty-seven at the box office, the following week it dropped off the chart. Not kidding. The remake is known as "House Of The Dead 3D" in Argentina and "Zombie 3D" in Japan.

The feature opened against "Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan", "Flushed Away", "Saw III" and "The Departed".



Released on home video on October 9th, 2007 from Lionsgate (UPC# 0 31398 21889 0) for $26.98 in two separate editions, 3D and 2D. The anaglyph (3D) version came with four pairs of red/cyan glasses. There were reports that some 3D copies didn't have the glasses. Mine did, bought from Wal-Mart, fifteen bucks on release day.

There is no insert/booklet. The DVD has sixteen chapters.

In December of 2011, I picked up the 2D version (UPC# 0 31398 21891 3 00), used, mint off Amazon (reseller).

The motion picture is eighty minutes long.

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Extras:

* Commentary: director/producer Jeff Broadstreet, screenwriter/assistant director/digital effects/editor Robert Valding, director of photography Andrew Parke and actor Sid Haig.
* "Night Of The Living Dead 3D: Behind The Scenes" featurette (anamorphic, 18:48 minutes)
* "Filming In 3D: A Behind-The-Scenes Special Look" featurette (anamorphic, 6:23 minutes)
* "Q&A With The Filmmakers And Actor Sig Haig At The New Beverly Cinema" May 2007 interview (full screen, 11:54 minutes)
* Blooper Reel (full screen, 5:32 minutes)
* 3D Still Gallery (12 images)
* Theatrical Trailer (anamorphic)
* TV Spot (anamorphic)
* Radio Spot
* Home Video Ads: "Fido" (non-anamorphic, 2006), "Zombie Nation" (non-anamorphic, red band, 2004), "Return Of The Living Dead: Rave To The Grave" (full screen, red band, 2005), "Holla" (non-anamorphic, 2006) and "Captivity" (non-anamorphic, 2007).

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Audio:

* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

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NOTES/REVIEW

There are subtitles in English and Spanish.

The DVD is not dubbed in any language(s).

It is presented in anamorphic widescreen, but...



Two screen shots (same frame from each). The 3D edition, though widescreen does not touch the sides/boarders, while the 2D version does. What makes things odder still is that while the 3D copy look smaller, it does in fact have more of the image then the 2D, that is weird.

In the end credits (3D) the image does touch the sides. *shrugs*

The remake wasn't made to out do or out class the original; made for one reason only - big coin. The man responsible, Jeff Broadstreet didn't bullshit about great cinema. No, he wanted to make a movie for direct to video that was in public domain, easy money.

An early plan was to remake "I Bury The Living" (1958). But it was changed to NOTLD, more commercial; built in audience.

Appreciate that honesty, damn refreshing. So many Hollywood films have this big spiel of how GREAT their movie is; it's a commentary on [fill in the blank]. C'mon, dude we know it's bull. Unless you're so full of yourself that you believe your own hype; Michael Bay - looking at you.

A different take on the Romero classic. Broadstreet and Valding didn't stick too strongly to the source material; went their own direction, its own movie. I like that. The same way the "Resident Evil" movies are. Will admit, was upset with how they didn't follow the video games (could've very easily re-adapted the novel adaptations by S.D. Perry; good reads).

I was entertained, not gonna argue if was necessary - an entertaining piece of fluff. Zero social commentary, nothing wrong with that.

A back-up plan; should the film's title need to be changed for legal reasons. A working alternative was "Curse Of The Living Dead".

This wasn't even going to be 3D, but the financier changed his minds and wanted it in three dimensions (same amount of money), so it could have a limited theatrical release before going to home video. They had to create new technology to do it.

This is the very first feature to utilize a hand held 3D camera system. Neat. Two custom built 3D rigs; cameras A and B.

It opens with footage from the original film; the beginning, the road - then pulls back revealing the movie is playing on an old black and white TV; we're now in color (and in 3D). The television is playing at an abandoned gas station.

More footage appears at the Copper home, the family is watching the movie; the moment before Barbara (Judy O'Dea) is killed, Johnny (Russell Streiner) returns. I thought that was inspired. It recognizes what it is - a zombie movie.

Folks need to lighten up, stop being so cynical. I suppose at this time, I'm the minority.

Didn't watch with the supplied glasses, still sealed. I'm anal. What I used was something I already had - a pair from 1987; "Eye On L.A." red/blue glasses from their "Hawaiian Swimsuit Spectacular" in 3D! Remember that? (May 16th, '87). You got your glasses from participating 7-Elevens. From boobs to ghouls.

The 3D gags? They were okay. Some were too blatant. As for the zombie effects, they're okay, nothing extravagant.

Make a swift return, next Thursday we get into the meat of this review. *stares at you unblinking*