If you're afraid you won't like it, give it a try for at least the first 10 minutes or so. The outta nowhere (well... they WERE at a graveyard) zombie appearance is great, I like the soundtrack most of the times and the escape sequence was pretty legit for me... Nothing like "oh! I happen to know how to hot-wire a car" etc.
Barbra's meltdown, while totally comprehensible, doesn't look convincing (from an acting point of view)... And, OK, storyboard-wise, I believe the previous rush of adrenaline settled down too quickly: she goes from "running for my life", even finding shelter and tools for this purpose, to "cuckoo semi-catatonic" behavior... I don't know, it just doesn't sell.
A lot of differences from what we have today, but many aspects of the zombie portrayals should make the whole fandom pay respects to this piece. Technically, it's well shot, considering the low-budget and the sense of immediacy that fits the idea. I became fond of some shadow/light usage in many parts of the movie... Of course, being a black and white flick, that's nothing else than necessary to make it a good cinematography.
Barbra and Harry really stressed me most of the time, though. I think they were poor additions to the cast and that sure helped me downgrade the film. Probably, I'm being too harsh here, since Harry was made to be a prick.
Nonetheless, I am part of the zombie fandom, and there are scenes here that make it worth. From the start and throughout the movie, there are shots that while stills, would definitely make great photographs, but not only in that way: the truck scene is amazing, for the same reason as the first 10 minutes. It seems downright real. There's no sheriff here, no criminal part-time hunter, there are just people trying to get out of this nightmare. Romero's intension wasn't solely based on gut-wrenching horror, though, and we get also a depiction of some aspects on society back then (and why not, still today). The final scene, back then, was a damn shock... today, we kind of knew what was about to happen and that's a sad reality to describe, for I've come to that conclusion based on prejudices that we get on our own time.
For all of that, I'd say "Night of the Living Dead" still deserves all the praise it got. It plays with the horror genre and does it in a way that achieves enough to have our forgivennes by its mistakes.
Review by LecoBlockedParentSpoilers2015-11-27T02:49:55Z
If you're afraid you won't like it, give it a try for at least the first 10 minutes or so. The outta nowhere (well... they WERE at a graveyard) zombie appearance is great, I like the soundtrack most of the times and the escape sequence was pretty legit for me... Nothing like "oh! I happen to know how to hot-wire a car" etc.
Barbra's meltdown, while totally comprehensible, doesn't look convincing (from an acting point of view)... And, OK, storyboard-wise, I believe the previous rush of adrenaline settled down too quickly: she goes from "running for my life", even finding shelter and tools for this purpose, to "cuckoo semi-catatonic" behavior... I don't know, it just doesn't sell.
A lot of differences from what we have today, but many aspects of the zombie portrayals should make the whole fandom pay respects to this piece. Technically, it's well shot, considering the low-budget and the sense of immediacy that fits the idea.
I became fond of some shadow/light usage in many parts of the movie... Of course, being a black and white flick, that's nothing else than necessary to make it a good cinematography.
Barbra and Harry really stressed me most of the time, though. I think they were poor additions to the cast and that sure helped me downgrade the film. Probably, I'm being too harsh here, since Harry was made to be a prick.
Nonetheless, I am part of the zombie fandom, and there are scenes here that make it worth. From the start and throughout the movie, there are shots that while stills, would definitely make great photographs, but not only in that way: the truck scene is amazing, for the same reason as the first 10 minutes. It seems downright real. There's no sheriff here, no criminal part-time hunter, there are just people trying to get out of this nightmare. Romero's intension wasn't solely based on gut-wrenching horror, though, and we get also a depiction of some aspects on society back then (and why not, still today). The final scene, back then, was a damn shock... today, we kind of knew what was about to happen and that's a sad reality to describe, for I've come to that conclusion based on prejudices that we get on our own time.
For all of that, I'd say "Night of the Living Dead" still deserves all the praise it got. It plays with the horror genre and does it in a way that achieves enough to have our forgivennes by its mistakes.