Night of the Living Dead

by Ben Hervey

George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead is a cult classic that has resonated with audiences and independent filmmakers ever since its release in 1968. It redefined horror cinema and launched the modern zombie genre that continues with films and series like 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead and The Walking Dead.Ben Hervey's illuminating study of the movie traces Night's influences, from Powell and Pressburger to fifties horror comics, and provides the first history of its reception. Hervey argues that the film broke cultural barriers, fêted at New York's Museum of Modern Art while it was still packing 42nd Street grindhouses. Scene-by-scene analysis meshes with detailed historical contexts, showing why Night was a new kind of horror the expression of a generation who didn't want their world to return to normal.

Genres: Film

141 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2020

Reviews

[Alberto Boschini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a special taste for classic horror films. These are my favorites. This book explains the story of the making of one of the biggest low-budget and seminal Masterpiece: Night of the living dead, how The Image Ten company produced it (with Romero handling his camera), from being a drive-in movie, to the classic status it enjoys today.

Not in depth, but also explores the sociopolitical environment that created this masterpieces. We are talking here about the world immersed in the Vietnam War, racism, the struggle for the Civil Rights, the assassination of Reverent King and Robert Kennedy. All these factors together, created a strong breeding ground for this pessimistic feeling in the air.

Love this movie, and love this book. And if you are like me, get this book. I highly recommend it.

[BookChampions · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly slim volume but incredibly insightful. For anyone interested in this masterpiece's place in film history, this is worth the dough.