Night of the Living Dead [4K UHD + Blu-Ray] (Criterion
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Night of the Living Dead [4K UHD + Blu-Ray] (Criterion Collection) – UK Only
Night of the Living Dead [4K UHD + Blu-Ray] (Criterion Collection) – UK Only
Old school horror at it's fines
If you’re looking for a classic horror film that still gives you chills to this day, look no further than “Night of the Living Dead”. This film is a zombie masterpiece that truly defined the genre.
From the moment the film starts, you are transported to a world where the dead have come back to life, and they’re not too happy about it. The black and white cinematography adds to the eerie atmosphere, and the suspenseful music will have you on the edge of your seat.
The characters in this film are well-developed and relatable, making it all the more frightening as they face the terror of the undead. From the hero Ben, who tries to protect the group and keep them alive, to the selfish and paranoid Barbara, each character adds to the tension and drama.
Director George A. Romero masterfully uses suspense and fear to keep the audience captivated and on the edge of their seat. And the film’s social commentary on the fear of “the other” adds another layer of depth to the already terrifying story.
Overall, “Night of the Living Dead” is a true classic of the horror genre that still holds up after all these years. It’s a must-see for any horror fan, and is guaranteed to have you sleeping with the lights on. 5 stars!
The one that started it all
is a 1968 American independent horror film written, directed, photographed and edited by George A. Romero, co-written by John Russo, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O’Dea. The story follows seven people who are trapped in a rural farmhouse in western Pennsylvania, which is under assault by an enlarging group of cannibalistic, undead ghouls.
Now a classic and the mother of all modern zombie movies.
Classic Movie.
If you have a passion for true film making at its finest then i highly recommend George A. Romero’s Night Of The Living Dead. I find this to be one of the best Decade defining movies that truly changed the monster era as we know it.
"They're coming to get you barbra"
The Night of the Living Dead is nothing short of a horror masterpiece. Geogre Romero’s vision inspired the zombie genre as we see it today and this films influence can’t be understated in regards to the impact it had on film. Despite it being over 50 years old it still holds up remarkbly well today (2020) with the simplicity of the plot, charactors and setting being timeless. Although by modern standrads this film has alot of tropes and zombie cliche’s, that is the result of subsequent filmakers lack of ambition and creative drive, and therefore shouldn’t be used to hamper this film. Age has also dampened the film in many ways. The makeup, acting and music all feel like they’re out of there time, resulting in a piece that feels dated to the 20th century, despite it’s timeless plot and narrative. These aspects dont detract from the viewing experience however, as the film is still wholelly enjoyable in the modern day. A bleak and desperate tone is built brilliantly in this piece, especially with the benefit of the modern horror viewr’s expectations from the genre, creating tension both through the charactors and through the detatched view in which Romero presents the world.
Night of the Living Dead is an amazing movie, I wholeheartedly reconmend it to anyone interested.
Even though this Movie is in the Public Domain and, therefore, free to stream from almost any on-line broadcaster – I just had to add this Blu-Ray edition to my collection. This is an iconic Film, famous for gore, violence and a sense of foreboding. It is considered the grandfather of its genre, giving rise to the Zombie Apocalypse Franchises with which we are now all familiar. This edition is nicely packaged.
Night of the living dead looks awesome on blu ray, the sound quality is excellent and the transfer is great too. The film was very well acted by an unknown cast at the time, does not look cheap and nasty, despite it being shot on a budget and in black and white. From the opening scene in the cemetery, to the survivors in the farm house trying to hold out against what the zombies were called ghouls, and the fact that they could only be killed by burning them or by destroying their brains, George A Romero effectively created the modern zombie movie, that many others followed, and tried and failed to imitate. Night of the living dead is an essential prequel to the more superior Dawn of the dead, but you don’t have to watch night of the living dead to catch up on what happens in Dawn of the dead. Night of the living dead does have violence and some gore, but not the gory excess that is in Dawn of the dead. There is only 2 scenes of flesh and gut eating, and a violent death by trowel stabbing. Overall as a fan of the late George A Romero this is easily one of his finest zombie movies, and it has aged pretty well too.
Vast improvement from my DVD copy!
Films from the Criterion Collection are an assurance of quality, and this is no exception.
Despite the fact that it is shot in black and white, you can really see the details in peoples faces and the scenery looks very crisp. A great upgrade on a film I enjoy, and implore any horror fan to get his version if they can, if only for the incredible artwork and ‘poster essay’ provided in the packaging.
Minus 1 star for this review however, as the plastic casing inside the sleeve was cracked/damaged, but I tested the disc and is in full working condition.
Movie? Five stars. Blu Ray? 3 stars.
While the movie is still undoubtedly a classic (and rightly so), the blu ray doesn’t have the same quality in terms of the transfer and the special features as something like the recent Criterion transfer. However for the much cheaper price it’s easier to see why this would be the optimal choice for someone wanting to see the film for the first time in high definition.
Over the years I have collected several versions of Night of the Living Dead and not one of them was very satisfying. Either the visual quality was poor, it was chopped up, coloured or even censored. For the first time in my life time I have found a copy of this movie that I am completely satisfied with.
Night of the Living Dead as a film does not need much explaining these days. The film starts off with two characters visiting their dead father in the cemetery. The scene quickly turns into a chase scene with one character being killed off and the surviving character Barbara running for her life, eventually landing herself inside some farm house in the middle of nowhere. Soon after she comes across Ben, Harry and other characters who find themselves defending the house from not only the undead but from each other. It is a simple plot and is very easy to follow.
Visually, the film is a classic black and white film. Perhaps even one of the last of the well known films in this style. Black and white movies come with the notion that they are very “old timey” but this is not the case with Night of the Living Dead. Don’t get me wrong, the hair styles and over all fashion sense found in the film certainly dates it but the overall quality of the film is just beautiful. This new bluray print is extremely sharp, very clean and the contrast between the blacks and whites is stunning. It is hands down the best looking version of the film I have seen and I can’t see myself wanting another copy in a very long time.
My only negative with this package is the cover itself. The two bluray discs are housed in a cheap cardboard sleeve and it really isn’t very nice to hold. They have easily have used a much stronger, less tacky feeling material. It would have certainly have helped fans justify the high price of the film.
Despite paying 17 for a movie and getting a nasty feeling sleeve, I really don’t regret purchasing this item. Night of the Living Dead is a classic horror movie, one that spawned two equally awesome sequels. It is a beautiful print and well worth for those of us who adore this film.
We’ll here we are then. Not just unquestionably the greatest version of Night of the Living Dead ever produced for the home video market, but for my money one of the finest and most comprehensive Blu-ray releases ever. This delivers astonishing video and audio and a wealth of extras to keep even the most ardent Romero fan busy for a month. And of course the massive bonus here is we have an official UK criterion release to boot.
The film itself is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and the included leaflet states: “This restoration by the Museum of Modern Art and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by the George Lucas Family Foundation and the Celeste Bartos Fund for Film Preservation, was undertaken from a new digital transfer created in 4K resolution on Cineric’s wet-gate film scanner, primarily from the original 35mm camera negative. For the few seconds that proved impossible to scan from this element — approximately 1 percent of the feature film — a 35mm fine-grain from 1968 was used. The transfer was supervised by director George A. Romero, coscreenwriter John A. Russo, sound engineer Gary R. Streiner, and producer Russell W. Streiner. After the evaluation of eighteen separate source elements, the original monaural soundtrack was remastered under the supervision of Romero and Gary Streiner from the original quarter-inch mix masters, quarter-inch premix audio tape, a final composite 16mm magnetic track, and the 16mm magnetic mix units. The restoration was performed at Audio Mechanics, led by John Polito. Transfer supervisors: Eric Nyari/Cineric, New York; George A. Romero; John A. Russo; Gary R. Streiner; Russell W. Streiner; Katie Trainor/Museum of Modern Art, New York. Colorist: Daniel DeVincent/Cineric.”
Yes something after 1984 to actually thank George Lucas for! The film looks simply stunning. Both darker indoor and daylight outdoor footage look superb without sacrificing the authentic natural of the original print. No dNR sharpening here! Just nice clean up and remastering. Sound is the original high Def mono which is an absolutely perfect replication of the original design. It all comes packaged in a really nice compact black digipak with some terrific art emblazoned across the front and back.
As for extras, this is about as definitive as it gets. Included are:
Night of Anubis –
An uncorrected 16mm work print of Night of the Living Dead which features the initial working title for it, Night of Anubis. Also included is a filmed introduction by Russell Streiner.
1. Introduction. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).
2. Work print. In English, not subtitled. 1080p/Dolby Digital 1.0.(86 min).
Commentary One –
Archival audio commentary features George Romero, producer/actor Karl Hardman, actor Marilyn Eastman, and cowriter John Russo. It was recorded in 1994 and it has appeared on other home video releases.
Commentary Two –
Archival audio commentary features producer/actor Russell Streiner, production manager Vincent Survinski, and actors Judith O’Dea, S.William Hinzman, Kyra Schon, and Keith Wayne. The commentary was recorded in 1994 and has appeared on other home video releases also.
BLU-RAY DISC TWO
Light in the Darkness –
New featurette where directors Guillermo del Toro (The Devil’s Backbone), Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn), and Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) explain what makes Night of the Living Dead a very special film and discuss its lasting impact on the horror genre. The featurette was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (24 min)
Dailies –
presented here is a silent 16mm reel with never-before-seen footage and alternate takes that were not used in the final cut of Night of the Living Dead. Also included is a video introduction by Gary Streiner.
1. Introduction. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).
2. Silent reel. (19 min)
Learning From Scratch –
in this brand new video interview, cowriter John Russo recalls how he was invited by John Romero to be part of the production unit behind Night of the Living Dead and discusses some unique obstacles that had to be resolved before and during the shoot. There are also some very interesting observations (with original video content) about the smaller commercial projects that eventually helped make the cult film a reality. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (12 min)
TV Newsreel –
Presented here is a VHS recording of silent, B-roll 16mm film shot for Pittsburgh broadcast news, which has the only surviving raw footage from the shooting of Night of the Living Dead. Original ambient music by Jeff Carney is included with it. (3 min).
Walking Like the Dead –
this brand new program contains clips from archival interviews with ten actors who recall what it was like to play the zombies in Night of the Living Dead. The interviews were conducted in 2009. The program was produced by Jim Cirronella for Criterion in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).
Tones of Terror –
in this brand new program, producer Jim Cirronella discusses the stock music that was used to enhance the claustrophobic ambience in Night of the Living Dead. The program was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).
Limitations Into Virtues –
in this new visual essay, filmmakers Tony Zhou and Taylor Ramos (Every Frame a Painting) address some of the technical obstacles that the creators of Night of the Living Dead faced during the shooting process and discuss the film’s unique visual style. The essay was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).
Tomorrow –
Presented here are edited excerpts from an archival episode of NBC’s Tomorrow show in which George Romero and Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) discuss the evolution of the horror genre and the creative enthronement in which horror films were made during the 1970s, as well as the expectations that most people have when they go to their local theater to see a horror film. The episode was broadcast on July 3, 1979. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).
Higher Learning –
presented here is an archival interview with director George Romero which was recorded at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012. The late director discusses the unusual production and distribution history of Night of the Living Dead. There are also some very interesting comments addressing the popular myth that the film supposedly carries important social/racial overtones. In English, not subtitled. (46 min).
Duane Jones –
in this archival audio interview, Duane Jones discusses his involvement with Night of the Living Dead and explains why he decided to distance himself from the film despite being grateful that George Romero gave him the opportunity to be part of it. The actor also addresses the film’s enormous popularity during the drive-in era. The interview, which is illustrated with stills and clips, was conducted and edited by journalist Tim Ferrante on December 13, 1987. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).
Judith Ridley –
in this archival interview, Judith Ridley recalls how she became involved in the production of Night of the Living Dead and shares a few funny stories from the actual shoot. The interview was produced by Elite Entertainment in 1994. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).
Venus Probe –
this 1967 newsreel details the real-life findings of the Mariner 5 space craft in Venus’ atmosphere that precede the crash that unleashes the zombie plague in Night of the Leaving Dead. In English, not subtitled. (1 min). In English, not subtitled. (11 min).
Trailers –
1. Trailer One (1968). Vintage trailer. (2 min).
2. Trailer Two (2017). New trailer for the 4K restoration of the film. (2 min).
TV Spots – in English, not subtitled.
Radio Spots – collection of vintage radio spots. In English, not subtitled.
1. Thirty Seconds (1968).
2. Sixty Seconds. (1968).
3. Re-release One (1970).
4. Re-release Two (1970).
5. Re-release Three (1970).
Leaflet/Poster – an illustrated leaflet/poster featuring critic Stuart Klawans’ essay “Mere Anarchy is Loosed” and technical credits.
In short, this is the greatest release of Romero’s classic hands down. If you own any other version, this won’t just be a ‘double dip’ it’s a whole new ball game. Criterion have outdone themselves here. Just phenomenal!
FRIGHTNING. BRILLIANT. QUALITY.
I grew up with the black and white impressions of the horror genre and fell, instantly, in love with this movie – being the birth of The Modern Zombie. Now, with all the CGI and Special Effects in films, it is hard to come by “The Night Of The Living Dead” on the TV or on Sky. With this DVD – in colour! – you can watch enjoy it any time and anywhere. It is one of the greatest and one of my absolute favourite horror movies of all time. A fantastic buy!
The debut film that would put Romero on both the Zombie and Horror genre.
The fantastic debut that made George A Romero a household name in not only zombie but the horror genre. This has excellent thought provoking commentary on nuclear explosions and racism which is sort of filmed like a documentary in a way with very good performances by Duane Jones. Judith O’Dea and Karl Hardman. This is an inferior film to Dawn Of The dead in terms of it’s time but still remains a classic.
An excellent movie well ahead of its time
Night of the Living Dead was originally made in black and white but this copy has been digitally remastered in colour and the effect is brilliant! The story itself is very gripping and tells the story of a young couple visiting a graveyard and when the couple are attacked by a madman, the woman flees to a cottage and the nightmare really begins as zombies gather outside. While watching the movie, I could not help thinking what I would do if I was in that situation and I believe that to be the mark of a great movie-maker.
While copying some old videos to DVD, I came across a video recording I had made from tv in the 80s of Return of the Living Dead and Return of the Living Dead 2. As a trilogy, since they are all tied in together, they make a great set and are well worth watching over and over again. Highly recommended if you like zombie movies… B-B-B-BRAI-N-N-N-S-S-S…
Dead Good!
Relatively speaking I’m not the most knowledgeable about zombie-flicks but none the less I believe my opinion is just as valid. Night of the Living Dead was BRILLIANT, very old school but gripping all the same. Shot in a way making you feel like you’re kinda actually there. You can see elements where alot of the modern zombie films get their ideas from. Romero is the god of zombies and having watched alot of his work he’s clearly his own teacher and develops film after film. Definitely recommend this and all his other work too.
ive always been a fan of the dead films.ive only ever owned this on dvd,in 3 different formats,but this format is the best!as soon as the movie starts,you can tell that its been tinkered with and upgraded for the blu ray format,and a wonderful job theyve done too.the zombies in the nightime scenes are a lot clearer than before,even the daytime scenes are,especially in the graveyard at the start.but there are 2 things that bug me about it though;1)the black lines on the side of the screen and 2)although the sound is DTS HD MA,its done in the original mono.but hey,they didnt have the vast array of sound effects that we have today,so i shouldnt really complain.i have all the dead films now bar 2,so come on George,do ya thing and give us another taste of zombie heaven!:-)