Night of the Living Dead (1990)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Tom Savini

Writers (WGA):

John A. Russo (earlier screenplay) and
George A. Romero (earlier screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 October 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

There IS a fate worse than death.

Plot:

The unburied dead return to life and seek human victims.

Plot Keywords:

Remake | Attack | Cemetery | Helicopter | Flesh Eating Zombie

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Tony Todd	...	Ben
Patricia Tallman	...	Barbara
Tom Towles	...	Harry Cooper
McKee Anderson	...	Helen Cooper
William Butler	...	Tom
Katie Finneran	...	Judy Rose
Bill Moseley	...	Johnnie (as Bill Mosley)
Heather Mazur	...	Sarah Cooper
David W. Butler	...	Hondo (as David Butler)
Zachary Mott	...	Bulldog
Pat Reese	...	The Mourner
William Cameron	...	The Newsman
Pat Logan	...	Uncle Rege
Berle Ellis	...	The Flaming Zombie
Bill 'Chilly Billy' Cardille	...	T.V. Interviewer

Runtime:

92 min | 88 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | Denmark:15 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Netherlands:16 | Ireland:18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Germany:(Banned) | Germany:18 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #30628) | Australia:M (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

East Buffalo, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

21st Century Film Corporation

Trivia:

The characters take refuge in an isolated farmhouse early in the film. Next to one of the doors, visible in shots of the exterior of the house, is the name of the owner - "M Celeste", in nail-on letters in a script font. This seems to be homage to the sailing ship "Marie Celeste", which was discovered in the Atlantic Ocean unmanned and under sail heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar in 1872. Her crew was not on board and the only lifeboat gone, but the ship had no damage and was sea worthy. Like the ship, the house was (relatively) undamaged by it's ordeal and could have been immediately occupied.

Goofs:

Continuity: The string that pulls the stairs to the attic down is not seen until the very end. It is not present in any other scenes where they are upstairs.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Johnnie: They're coming to get you, Barbara!
Barbara: Stop it!
Johnnie: They're coming!
[evil laughter]
Johnnie: They don't like being awaken this way!
Barbara: Why do you have to be so mean?
Johnnie: 'Cause I'm your older brother. Being mean and heartless is part of the job.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Politically correct remake of George A.Romero's classic.

Make-up maestro Tom Savini's color remake of Romero's 1968 classic follows the original almost shot-by-shot,but it's of course not better film.This remake was clearly made for younger viewers who refuse to watch black-and-white films,no matter how good they may be.The result is passable,but it lacks dark atmosphere and mood of the original.If this version has anything to offer,it is Patricia Tallman("Army of Darkness")in an engaging lead performance as a tough,independent heroine.This is only my opinion,but I'm really fed up with "strong female lead" concept that every new horror film seems to have.The next thing I dislike in this picture is the lack of gore.For God's sake this film was directed by gore wizard Tom Savini-the man behind such hard-core splatter flicks like "Maniac","Nightmare" or "The Prowler".The violence is very tame-even by today's standards.However the acting isn't bad,the zombies are pretty scary and the film is never boring.Recommended for horror buffs all around the world.