I suppose it wouldn’t be a zombie film blog without reviewing the original flesh eater movie, which is surprisingly the last Romero film to make it onto this site. Internet blogs and movie history books are littered with reviews of this film, ranging from it’s impact on the horror scene to the social, political and racial overtones it contains, and it would be pointless to take the same course when summing it up here.
So how do I discuss this film? Well, the reason I had for watching it was because I am still fighting a losing battle to convince the girlfriend that Zombie films are all awesome. I – perhaps unwisely – introduced her to the genre with Troma’s Redneck Zombies, with unsurprisingly failed to win her over. The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue also missed the mark, and even Braindead – a film so outstanding that it should be mailed out to children at birth – couldn’t convince her. Sure, she enjoyed Shaun of the Dead although that was for the comedy really, and 28 Days / Weeks Later also gets a tick in her box, but as we all know there aren’t any zombies in those films. No, the only minor success I have had is with another Romero zombie movie, the superb Day of the Dead, which got the review of ‘alright’. Sigh. How about I go back to the drawing board and start with the film that converted many many people to the love of Zombies – George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead.
So, how did this film go down? Well, she hated the characters of Barbra and Cooper, but that’s how everyone feels. However she didn’t laugh out loud when Ben punches Babs in the face even though it’s the best part of the film. She also got annoyed that Ben didn’t just wave his hands around shouting that he’s human at the end instead of just standing there and getting shot. Maybe she’s got a point there. Also, she was adamant before watching the film that there would never be a black & white horror film that would scare her and she stuck by that statement, never cowering behind a cushion or other such standard girlie actions.
Anyway, we all know how this films goes, but it was interesting to show it to someone who has never seen it before. And her verdict? It was ‘Passable’. Hmm, maybe I’ll try out Return of the Living Dead next time, surely she’ll love that one?
Gore Score C-
Norks Score F
Originality Score B+
Overall Score A
