When this film came out in 1968, I was a very young kid and what I saw scared the living hell out of me. I had just come off of seeing "The Blob (1958)" on TV and it scared me as well, but not as bad as this film did. After seeing both I KNEW I had to make movies and I was a devoted fan for life of horror films and monster movies.
Night struck me like no other movie ever has. I had never seen a movie where people were being eaten. It was also the first horror film I had ever seen with a black leading character. For 96 minutes I sat in a theater by myself terrorized. My mother let me see movies by myself as a child, and she herself loved horror, but even she could see I different after she came and picked me up. I couldn't stop talking about the movie for months.
Produced for around $114,000 in and around Pittsburgh the film has since gone on to achieve a high status among horror fans and film fans of all kinds. The late, great George Romero changed the history of horror and created a genre all by himself.
This film is probably the one I have spent more money on than any other. I own original lobby cards from the film, have traveled to meet most of the cast members, bought 3 VHS copies of the movie, one Super 8 version, 3 DVD's so far and am anxiously awaiting the Criterion Blu-ray, if it becomes a reality. I have also traveled to see the film on the big screen anywhere I can, have an original poster for the movie and tons of other movie memorabilia. I have seen the film probably about 500 times in my life and hope to much more.
There has been no other film in modern history that has had such an impact on me, and there never will be another. Night Of The Living Dead has influenced my film making and it director was also a huge influence in how I made and approached films. I am so obsessed with this film I even had to visit the Evans City Cemetery where the opening scenes were filmed, visit the city itself, and I actually felt like I was on sacred ground!!
I know some people reading this probably think I am crazy and they could be right. The movie scared me so badly back in 1968 that I might have gone insane. There is no more perfect film for Halloween than this one, and I watch it several times every years, especially Halloween time.
I owe a huge debt to Romero and his zombie thriller. I am the twisted psychopathic film nut everyone says I am thanks to this film. I often wonder if I would be the same if I hadn't seen this movie? I even planned my last film from 1998, "Tales of the Damned" to be released on Oct. 2nd so it could be on the same day this film first played in theaters!!!
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