Click to buy from Amazon.com

Night of the Living Dead 40th Anniversary
Reviewed by Tuxxer

9 out of 10

Respect the classics. Frequently, the first in a series or franchise is the best, for several reasons. Night of the Living Dead is nothing short of superb. It's dark, it's intense and it's action is sudden.

It bravely made the hero an African American man, something unheard of at the time. It showed people not dealing with trauma and stress. No pithy remarks, no handling it. The female lead goes into shock and stays that way for the better part of the movie.

And oh yes! Zombies!! The original Living Dead can't run. They're not rage-infested track-stars. What they are is persistent, hungry and methodical. And what they do will make you nauseated. Forty years ago, the gore that Romero put on the screen was sickeningly real. It stands the test of time just fine.

The 40th anniversary release spared no expense. The sound and picture have been remastered. New commentaries have been recorded by Romero himself, and the original cast. You can even read the original screenplay as a DVD-Rom.

This original masterpiece is what inspired chilling books like World War Z (being made into a movie by the way), comics like The Walking Dead and loving film tributes like Shaun of the Dead. It's not hard to see why. Night is brilliant in its simplicity, and its basic (very dark) message: No-one is safe.

I could keep going, but there's really no point. If you like excellent horror, buy this movie. If you already own it, recommend it to a friend. They'll thank you for it.

You can pick up this movie on Amazon.com