Film Review: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: DARKEST DAWN (2014)

There is never any shortage of filmmakers mining the title of “Night of the Living Dead” due to the fact that it is in the public domain but it’s rare when someone attempts an animated film such as Night of the Living Dead: Darkest Dawn (2014).  Now this isn’t the first attempt at an animated film based on this property as 2009’s Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated has that honor but this film does take the story you are familiar with and turns it on its head to craft something uniquely different for fans of the original film.

If you’ve seen the original ’68 and/or ’90 version of the George Romero film then you know the basic story.  Barbara (voiced by Danielle Harris) and her brother Johnny (Bill Moseley who played the same character in the ’90 version) go to a graveyard to visit their dead father’s grave when they are attacked by a zombie.  After Johnny dies, Barbara flees down the road finding herself at the farm house where she meets Ben (voiced by Tony Todd, also returning from the ’90 version) and the rest of the cast of characters.  It starts of nice and well just like the original film but then detours as the action soon leaves the house and takes to the city streets.

The detours in the plot that this film takes are interesting and refreshing from a film that’s been redone, remade, and re-imagined by more people than any other film in history and none of the proceeds going back to the original filmmakers.  Some of the more creative rip-offs includes NOTLD: Resurrection (2012), NOTLD 3D (2006) and its sequel 3D: Re-Animation (2012) and there is even a new one to be released soon called NOTLD: Genesis, in addition to all the ones previously mentioned.

Although this would seem to be an interesting film, the animation style is what pulls it down as it is basic and lacks refinement and cohesiveness.  This is surprising considering that the Reanimated film had a plethora of different styles from different creators and yet it all messed together.  Directed  by Zebediah De Soto and Krisztian Majdik the film is inspired but may not appeal to anyone other than hardcore NOTLD fans interested with a curiosity for something new.

Film Review: BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD (2013)

There is nothing that hasn’t been said about director George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968).  It is one of the most successful and influential horror films ever made especially in terms of forever changing the zombie genre.  Its influences can be felt in the modern day zombie culture (i.e. AMC’s The Walking Dead) so it’s no surprise that there is yet another documentary on the making of the film.  Birth of the Living Dead (2013) is written, directed, and edited by Rob Kuhns and chronicles the genesis of Romero’s film through the chaotic and Vietnam war-torn time of American History.  

 

Kuhns’ film focuses on Romero’s inspiration for how the film was made as well as the economic reasons for why it was made.  He takes care in his interview with Romero to get at the beginning of Romero’s career before embarking on NOTLD as his first feature.  This is key for many audiences who have never heard of the story of how Romero and company cobbled together the funds to produce the film.  There were so many things working against Romero and his crew that it was a miracle the film was ever finished much less saw theatrical release.

Kuhns does tread over a little info already made available to the public through the plethora of other documentaries on NOTLD but he stays more towards the political climate of the film as well as how it informed and was informed by the period of history in which it was made.  It was the time of the Vietnam War and there was social rights upheaval (the film was being shopped around to distributors right after the announcement of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.) that would forever be associated with the meaning of the film due to the uncommon conventions on display in the film.  The film’s main lead Ben was an African American, he slaps a Barbra (a white woman) at one part in the film, and Ben is shot by a posse at the end of the film mistaken as a ghoul.  These are but a sampling of the interpretations put upon the film which has had a lasting effect on its legacy.

At a brief 76 minutes Birth of the Living Dead does an excellent job of covering the genesis of NOTLD not only from Romero but a large sampling of people associated with the film and people whom were influenced by the film most notably producer Gale Anne Hurd (of The Walking Dead), director Larry Fessenden, and many, many more.  This is a welcomed addition to the legacy that is NOTLD and zombie culture in general.

“How Many is Too Many NOTLD Films?”

I just picked up the graphic novel version of director George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) and was surprised first by the fact that someone even thought that there needed to be an adaptation of the film and second, that the graphic novel is comprised of scene shots of the film slightly animated to give the image an impression of being hand drawn.  It makes the whole thing look like an old Ralph Bakshi rotoscoped animated film (he directed the animated Lord of the Rings film and Cool World). 

It got me thinking of all the people that have had the balls to take Romero’s classic film (which due to an era with the copyright is in public domain) and deface it with yet another atrocity of which Romero and his fellow filmmakers are probably not reaping the benefits.  This goes for all the plethora of films and graphic novels and even an animated film that have continued the story of NOTLD but not the legacy of which Romero’s subsequent films have done (i.e. Dawn/Day/Land/Diary/Survival of the Dead).

For the purposes of this article I will only be discussing films rather than graphic novels, comics, books, and other mediums.  Let’s first take a look at the films that are official remakes of Romero’s films starting with his own NOTLD (1990).  Romero wrote the screenplay for this film but gave directing chores to his frequent collaborator Tom Savini.  In many respects, Romero improves upon the screenplay from the original but the film suffers from lacking the punch of the original.  The late ‘90s were horrible for the horror genre as violence was toned down due to studio interference and public outrage.  Much of the violence is off-screen and the zombie genre was more or less dead and buried at this time.   This film was ignored by audiences upon its original release (although I am happy to say I saw the film on opening night).  Next comes the remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004).  This remake came out at just the right time to re-invigorate zombies to the modern audience.  This film was the forerunner for the fast moving zombie and took onscreen violence to a new and shocking level.  This was a fast paced and suspenseful film from beginning to end.  It is hailed as one of the best horror remakes ever right up there with John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) and David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986).  The final remake is Steve Miner’s Day of the Dead (2008), which is considered a travesty.  With a vegetarian zombie and zombies that climb and crawl on walls as if possessed by a demon this film was laughed at despite the capable name cast.  This is a film that fans despise despite the fact it was handled by Miner who is an icon of the genre having directed Friday the 13^th Part 2 (1981), Friday the 13^th Part 3-D (1982), Halloween: H20 (1998), and House (1986), among many others.

Next up on our list is the NOTLD; 30^th Anniversary Edition (1999) shepherded into existence by John Russo and Bill Hinzman (co-writer and producer/First Zombie, respectfully).  Russo added scenes with Hinzman and made several other changes none of which enhanced the film.  This is the version that was most inspired by George Lucas’ augmentations to the original Star Wars trilogy and Steven Spielberg’s changes to E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).  A film whose existence has been forgotten by most.  On the opposite side of the spectrum is the animated version NOTLD: Reanimated (2009), which is an artistic homage to the original as artists from all over the world augment and/or animate segments of the film in different styles creating a unique amalgamation of a film.  Despite having no connection to the original filmmakers of the ’68 classic this is the ultimate fan-film of love not just to the film but to fans of the horror genre in general.

Before digital 3-D technology revolutionized the industry NOTLD 3-D (2006) was released upon the world in a limited theatrical run using anaglyph technology.  This Sig Haig (of Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects) starring monstrosity utilized every cliché of the 3-D movie while retelling NOTLD in a modern day setting.  This film is better left forgotten as is its sequel NOTLD: Re-Animation (2012).  This being said both films do have some decent gore gags but the overall plot of the films are lacking despite the horror icons that populate the films (Re-Animation stars Andrew Divoff and Jeffrey Combs).

In this same vein of the 3-D remakes is NOTLD: Resurrection (2012) from the UK which is completely uninspired despite the modern day setting.  What makes the film an atrocity is the horrible script, bad acting, amateur cinematography, and complete lack of any originality.  The same cannot be said of Mimesis: NOTLD (2011) which is a self-aware, home invasion style film in which a group of people find themselves reliving the events from the film.  This is actually a pretty entertaining new take on the material.

Up next are all the unofficial sequels which are all the films Romero had nothing to do with.  Return of the Living Dead (1985) and its four sequels are the most famous.  The first film redefined zombies again by claiming that the events of the film NOTLD really happened.  Zombies in the film were also intelligent and could speak but the true difference is that these zombies craved brains instead of any old body part.  This film ushered in a whole new and different type of zombie.  Of note is the fact that this film was originally conceived by NOTLD co-writer/producer John Russo who would also produce NOTLD: 30^th Anniversary Edition and Children of the Living Dead (2001).  With the exception of Return all of Russo’s subsequent films have been atrocities to the legacy of the original.  Bill Hinzman (the First Zombie see in the original NOTLD) decided to expand his character’s role by developing the film Flesheater (1988), which he also directed,  but this film is marked with a bad script, horrible acting, subpar makeup effects, and uninspired action and gore sequences.  This is an amateur film in every way despite the pedigree behind the camera.  This film has about as many redeeming qualities as Day of the Dead 2: Contagium (2005).  Ana Clavell and James G. Dudelson purchased the sequel rights to the original film to craft this in name only sequel that has nothing to do with any of the Romero films.  It does have zombies but that in and of itself does not make a good film.

The last in name only sequels would be Zombie 2 (1979) also known as Flesh Eating Zombies (and even more simply Zombi or Zombie).  In Italy the original Romero Dawn of the Dead was released as Zombi and this is the Lucio Fulci directed sequel/prequel to that film which was an easy way for Fulci to cash in on the success of a popular film.  Fulci directed a more traditional zombie film with the use of a voodoo like religion and the dead rising from their graves.  Since the Italian film industry was very fond of ripping each other off and changing the titles of a film whenever it suited them.  There are actually three more films in the series (plus maybe a few more with titles changed).  Italian zombie films are a completely different monster all their own.

Now that you have a better understanding on just how many films are associated with Romero’s films (not to mention the list of documentaries on hand) the question to ask yourself is – How much is too much?

Romero himself may have taken a break from producing another post-Survival of the Dead (2009) and he may have a complete disregard for all the films cashing in on his legacy but that won’t stop them from being made.  On average, there is a new film produced every couple years and along with the comic and graphic novels there is no sign of NOTLD’s popularity from subsiding.  So even though there are too many different films and stories currently out there, as zombie fans we can always do with a few more.

Either that or you can wait until Romero produces another zombie film (since I’ve seen them all on the big screen since ‘90s remake).

“Zombie Atrocities”

Many of you are aware that I’m a member of the Blank Stage Screenwriter’s Group (based out of Roswell, GA).  As a member of the screenwriter’s group I get the chance to listen to and read from some very interesting screenwriters  and help them critique and analyze the good and bad points of their work.  On occasion I get to present some of my own as I’ve most recently done with my Night of the Living Dead fan-film script NOTLD: Parallel Lives, an anthology of stories about the characters from the original George A. Romero ’68 film. 

What was most shocking about the night I presented my screenplay was that over 70% of the group members had neither seen nor heard of one of the most iconic horror films in history.  This wouldn’t have been as surprising if I was in a group of non-filmmakers and writers but this is a travesty to behold.  It is my belief that in order to be a good screenwriter (or any writer in general) that you study the classics and are aware of the iconic stories in order to better immolate them.

If you want to write better films you study the best – Casablanca, The Godfather, The Exorcist, Rocky, Gone With the Wind, The Searchers, etc   You don’t have to have studied and read the screenplay but you should have at least seen such films as Cinema Paradiso, The Seven samurai, 8 ½, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Star Wars, Blade Runner, and most certainly Night of the Living Dead.

Why Night of the Living Dead you ask?

Night of the Living Dead (1968) was a film that changed the face of horror films of the ‘60s and redefined the term “zombie” while also commenting on the state of the United States post-Vietnam war era.  It had an African American as the star (hitherto unheard of) and was uncompromising in its gore (for the time).  It has since been held as one of the greatest horror films of all time alongside The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby and Jaws and continues to influence the horror genre and filmmakers even today while still being held as the Godfather of the zombie genre.  It’s not just a great horror film but a cinematique masterpiece.

So, in my opinion it was an utter travesty to hear that many of my fellow screenwriters had neither seen nor heard of the film.  In order to be a better screenwriter and filmmaker I’ve watched some of the best films from all over the world from Bergman to Kurosawa to those of Howard Hawks, Dario Argento, and Samuel Fuller.  I’ve studied the films of Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Mario Bava, Bernardo Bertolucci and Stanley Kubrick; the films of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, Martin Scorsese, Walt Disney, Lina Riefenstahl, Seigi Eisenstein, and William Friedkin.

Romero took his inspiration for NOTLD from Richard Matheson’s novel I Am Legend.  He took a classic novel as an influence for his own apocalyptic tale.  Just like he borrowed from an iconic novelist we should take inspiration from the best that cinema (and novelist) has to offer.  As a screenwriter I cannot stress this enough.  I watch (or at least plan on watching) as many classic films that I can in order to better write captivating stories and films.  Like Romero I also read a lot of different materials from novels to graphic novels to news articles for inspiration.  I read a lot of different materials in order to get a better understanding of story structure, style, genre, and execution, among many other things.

It is my hope not only as a filmmaker but as a writer that I can write material at the caliber of the people I admire and stories I know have resonated with audiences in the past.  It is my hope that other aspiring writers and filmmakers (and all artists in general) look to the past not only for inspiration but also to see what came before in order to see where we are heading and can go.  Today NOTLD, tomorrow the world.

Graphic Novel: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD by Stephen A. Dymarcik II

There will be no end to the raping of George A. Romero’s classic film Night of the Living Dead (1968).  Because of a snafu with the copyright the film entered into public domain and every once in a while someone will come up with a new way to earn money from Romero and company’s hard work.  This is the case with the newest graphic novel based on Romero’s film simply titled Night of the Living Dead by Stephen A. Dymarcik II from Qualmdown Comics.  I can’t say that I’ve heard of either Qualmdown Comics or Dymarcik but they do a great job of ripping off the ’68 Romero film. 

The book uses whole stills from the film as a jumping off mark for the illustrations which mimic the artistry of rotoscoped films.  It’s like a shot-for-shot representation of the film and where there are a couple of deviations from the film they are minor and incidental (but it gives the impression that some thought went into the book although I doubt there really ever was).

Considering that both original creators of the film John Russo and Romero have sanctioned their own officially licensed version of the film (and many sequels) there really was no need for another one especially one that simply regurgitates the screen shots from the film.

I will say there is only one true highlight of the book which is the sound FX which Dymarcik brings to life on the page like those seen in the old ‘60s Batman television series.  It’s cheesy but then again so is this book.  There is no real reason to check out this book unless you’re curious or just a die-hard Romero fan like me (and you don’t mind wasting a fee hard earned bucks).

Film Review: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: RESURRECTION (2013)

The name Night of the Living Dead first brings to mind the 1968 original film from George A. Romero but due to a clerical error that film was not copyright correctly and now tons of film-makers think they can go out there and make a film based on the characters and/or plot of the film.  Among some of these titles is the animated version NOTLD: Reanimated (2010), and NOTLD: 3D (2006) version and its sequel Re-Animation (2012) and not to mention the John Russo 30^th Anniversary Edition (1999), which adds new footage to the old ’68 version.  So it should come as no surprise that this new version Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection (2013) has emerged and it takes place somewhere in the UK (as the characters all have a British accent).

 

This film actually starts off in an interesting manner in which the character of Ben witnesses some violence by some street kids before realizing that something wrong is definitely going on.  He flees the city in search of a safe place but encounters a farm house where a family resides that will protect everything that is theirs both from the zombie menace outside and the more human monsters that exist as the world crumbles in chaos.

Now this all makes the film actually sound better than it is.  In fact, the film is a complete travesty of cinematic film-making.  Written by Andrew Jones and James Plumb (who also directs) this film is hampered by a bad script with bad dialogue and inane motivations by all the characters.  Characters continue to make one bad decision after another that will leave you wanting to kill them all yourself rather than wait for a zombie to reappear or the chaos within the house to erupt.

There is nothing to recommend this film as it is a complete waste of time and a mockery of the name Night of the Living Dead.