Reviews (292)

Truly a cult classic!!!!!!!!!
When I first saw this film it scared the Hell outa me. George A Remero is a genuis. this film spawned a new genre of horror movies like "Halloween," and The "Evil Dead" series. This film is definately the best horror movie of all time. Although Black and White films are mostly corney and dull, this is one of those films that set the standards for future movies to come.
Anyway, A satalite from outerspace let out radiation from the planet Venus and is causing the dead to walk. Barbara (Judth O'dea) and her brother Johnny (Russel Streiner) go to visit a deseaced family member to pay respects.
Barbara and Johnny were attacked by the famous cemetary ghoul (Bill Heinzman). Barbara Escapes to the car and makes it to a nearby farmhouse only to meet her hero Ben (Duane Jones) who helps her through this incredible ordeal. later they find out five people are in the basement hiding out. Ben and the others must come together to defeat these terrible flesheating creatures outside. This is my favorite film of all time and I defenitally recommend it. I give it two thumbs up. I also liked the remake in 1990 by Tom Savini. He did an exellent job of bringing back the characters although it was missing the erie atmosphere the original had. Savini's good, but he'll never be a George Remero.

The original is always best!!!!!!!!!
Night of the living Dead is the best horror movie picture of all time in my eyes. I give it 5 stars for its creepy soundtrack and its great one of a kind feel. It starts with Barbara(Judith O'dea) and her brother Johnny going to visit thier mothers grave to pay thier respects, when all of a sudden "Ther're comming to get you Barbara" says Johnny just fooling around. and it actually turns out to be the creepiest Zombie of the film. Anyway Johnny gets what was coming to him and Barbara gets away and runs to a nearby farmhouse where Ben(Duane Jones)helps board down the doors and windows to keep the flesh eaters out. later on they find out there were five people in the basement hiding. The whole plot is seven people in an isolated farmhouse trying to stay out of reach of the flesh eating ghouls outside the house for the night. The film that started the best and coolest Dead series of all-time, thanks to George A. Remero.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
BY FAR THE ABSOLUTE BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER!!! BEING IN BLACK AND WHITE ONLY MAKES THIS CLASSIC SCARIER.THE MOOD OF THIS FILM IS INCREDIBLE. JUDITH ODEA DESERVES AN AWARD FOR HER ACTING!!SHE GAVE AN EXTREMELY CONVINCING PERFORMANCE.NOT VERY GORY BUT DEFINITELY SCARY!!!!THE SOUNDTRACK IS AWESOME AND IS A BIG PART OF WHY THIS FILM IS SO FRIGHTENING.A DEFINITE TRUE HORROR MOVIE THAT SHOULD BE SEEN AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE OR MANY, MANY TIMES LIKE MYSELF.A+++++ ALL AROUND!!!! GET THIS MOVIE.

Piece of Crap.
Another terrible movie from that terrible Director George A. Romero. This time, there are only about twenty zombies waiting outside.

The zombies in this look better than those in Dawn of the Dead (1978)but are still very boring and unrealistic. Like i've said before, zombies wouldn't be able to move without certain orgains opertating properly in their bodies. Another thing I have just discovered is the fact that if the heart and lungs were operating and moving the body, then the rest of the organs in the body would be recieving blood, so they would be operating too. Meaning the body would be alive. ALIVE!!!!

The story is terrible. A group of people seek shelter in some house and, for some reason, are afraid to leave. There are about 15-20 zombies waiting outside. Why don't they just brake in the house? Because the man sets a chair on fire and throws it outside. Wait a minute. Why are they afraid of fire? They're dead. They don't know what fire is and they don't get hurt by the flames. Why does it scare them so? Romero never answered that question. It sounds to me like Romero just needed an answer.

Another question not answered. Why are zombies walking around the earth? They put out the idea of radiation from Venus, but never confirmed it. In Dawn of the Dead (1978) they said that there was a possibility of a viral outbreak. So , they still haven't found the answer. I wonder when Romero will tell the answer. If Romero doesn't need to answer the question, why does James Gunn's and Zack Snyder's obviousley superior version of Dawn need an explanation. They set out the idea of a virus, just like the original Dawn. Who knows? It sounds to me like the people are just trying find away to make an argument between which version of Dawn was better. The answer to that is obvious. The new Dawn.

The acting is terrible. I know it was low-budget, but you could get better women performances from the lady serving you at the resteraunt. The women in the movie were just terrible. The men were good, but the women were terrible. I couldn't stand them.

This is a comedy that was poorly done. It wasn't very funny and...What? It's not a comedy? It looked like a comedy. It wasn't scary, or entertaining as a matter of fact. I thought they were trying to be funny. The way the zombies acted, the acting, the lines, the pathetic attempt to gas up the truck. I thought this was supposed to be a comedy.

This is a terrible movie and a terrible DVD. I think it's about time George Romero died. He's just not a good director.

Thank god they fired him from Resident Evil. I can't stand thinking of the name. George A. Romero's Resident Evil. It's the George A. Romero's part that I don't like. Paul Anderson did a better job than Romero would have ever done.

A Classic That Worms Its Way Into Your Dreams
"Night of the Living Dead" is a classic that worms its way into your dreams. Truly amazing stuff. Back when Romero and Russo wrote and films this, they did not yet realize they were created a whole new subgenre of horror. Much as I like the remake, the undead are creepiest in the shadows of black and white film.

I'm writing to respond to one reviewer's nitpick and another reviewer's well-intentioned mistake. Complaining that most of it is in mono is like complaining that it's in black and white. That's how the original was made, plain and simple. Another reviewer complained about how horrible the version with added footage is. That individual is right about that version, but that's the 30th Anniversary Edition and NOT the Millenium Edition. The 30th Anniversary Edition with added scenes and weird, distracting music is too horrible for words, and not even in a "Plan 9 From Outer Space" so-bad-it's-funny way. The Millenium Edition is simply an official DVD made from a cleaned up print, with extras like the interviews. If you want to see the real "Night of the Living Dead" and get some cool extras for your money, this is the way to go. ... Read more

Description

Five spooky stories, written by Stephen King, are shown in a format based on the popular horror comics of the 1950's. ... Read more

Reviews (87)

Spooky fun
Director George Romero (Night of the Living Dead) and horror author extraordinairre Stephen King teamed up for this adaptation/homage to the classic 1950's horror EC Comics, and while the film as a whole has it's share of creepy moments, it's more of a fun horror film, and a labor of love for Romero and King. Five tales are told, beginning with a dead, rich father coming back to life for his birthday cake (yes, you read that right), a simplistic farmer finding a strange meteorite, an insanely jealous husband taking vengeance on his cheating wife and her lover only to get it back to him, a mistreated husband discovering a box containing a monster which he unleashes on his drunken wife, and a man with a severe cockroach problem. Featuring Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, and even King himself, plus great gore and makeup effects by the always excellent Tom Savini; Creepshow is a real treat.

Great Original Horror Film!
In this collaboration with Stephen King, director George Romero assembles a distinguished cast and pays vividly hued homage to the E.C. horror comics of the 1950s. (This film appeared years before the TALES FROM THE CRYPT series.) Five creepy tales are strung together by a framing story involving a young boy being punished by his father for reading the gruesome, titular comic book. "Father's Day" tells the tale of a family patriarch exacting beyond-the-grave revenge on the daughter who murdered him. In "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill," a Maine hayseed (King himself in a ridiculously over-the-top performance) is overtaken by a meteor-based plant growth. A cuckolded husband exacts watery revenge on his cheating wife and her lover in "Something to Tide You Over." A hairy beast in a box is used for nefarious purposes at a university in "The Crate." Finally, in "They're Creeping Up on You," a wealthy, arrogant New Yorker with a fear of germs has a disturbing run-in with cockroaches during a blackout.

While the stories are a bit brief, the style is appropriate for the anthology format. Romero's use of garish colors to mimic the ink in comic books is visually appealing, preventing the gore on display from being too off-putting. Featuring early appearances by actors such as Ed Harris and Ted Danson, CREEPSHOW is eerie, engaging entertainment.

There are so many reasons why I like this film. The length of the film. 120 minutes. That's two hours of horror stories. If you notice lately, any movie that has more than two stories is usually about an hour and a half. Stephen King and George A. Romero on the other hand, were able to put together a two hour film.

It's mostly the suspensful scenes, that get you asking, "what if that was me?" Seeing people suffer in this movie, adds a great effect on the audience. Most of the time I could feel the pain they were going through. Like Ted Danson's story, or when Ed Harris was under that grave. Stephen King was funny as he acted as a retarded farm boy.

If you haven't seen this film, then do so. If you get the same effect I did, then my review should be helpful to you.

Oh yeah! if you're one of those guys who like having snacks and pop during a scary movie, then I would suggest you eat up fast before the last story. Trust me on this one!

I hope my review was helpful to you!

Creepy and cool, the best short story horror movie
This is, for me, the best short story horror film i seen so far. I seen a good amount, i am not going to say all but i seen enough to know what is good and not good. This is the best. I love all the stories, some have there weak moments but the one wih the moster in the box and the roaches are the best. I dont want to type a lot but pure in simple this movie is a good rental and worth 10 or 15 bucks in my book.

it has its charm
What can you say about this movie? It isn't the best movie King has written, not by far. Romero has given us better films--Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead. It has bad animation. Bad effects (even though I am a Savini fan). Bad acting, though we get a young Ed Harris and Leslie Nielsen does put in a surprisingly good performance. And it has those annoying comic book frames within frames. There is a lot to hate about this film. But it does have a certain charm to it. Ted Danson helpless and not so suave or in control. A gruesomeness to it. King plays the hokey hick very well. You can't help but to like this movie, bad as it is.

For TALES FROM THE CRYPT fans everywhere!
The film tells the story of a young boy whose comic contains five stories told in the same vein of early 50's horror comic stories. The film is written by Stephan King (who also appears in the second story in his only starring role,) and directed by George A. Romerio (origonal LIVING DEAD trilogy). Included also are a few brief animated sequences.

A man pays a visit to his family from beyond the grave...

A farmer finds a meteorite that, when broken, spills fourth a strange moss that grows on everything, including his own flesh...

A man and his lover seek revenge on her husband AFTER they've been murdered...

A mysterious crate found in the basement of a college hids some thing that should never be let out. You're about to find out what...

Finally, a cold-hearted billionare with a horrible fear of germs and insects finds his penthouse apartment infested with nine hundread QUADRILLION cockroaches! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Chapter three of George Romero's mighty zombie trilogy has big footsteps to follow. Night of the Living Dead was a classic that revitalized a certain corner of the cinema, and Dawn of the Dead was nothing short of epic. Day of the Dead, however, has always been regarded as a comedown compared to those twin peaks--and perhaps it is. But on its own terms, this is an awfully effective horror movie, made with Romero's customary social satire and cinematic vigor--when a "retrained" zombie responds to the "Ode to Joy," the film is in genuinely haunting territory. The story is set inside a sunken military complex, where Army and medical staff, supposedly working on a solution to the zombie problem, are going crazy (strongly foreshadowing the final act of 28 Days Later). Tom Savini's makeup effects could make even hardcore gore fans tear off their own heads in amazement. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (217)

Well made flim to the last Romero zombie trilogy.
I review this film before and the only reason, what i the film again. Because of the DVD. The picture quatily is Above Average but I thought some of the darker scenes, it`s looks digital, would be Better than the VHS. But again it`s all right. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is pretty good. Anyway John Harrison music, he compose for the film is Above Average. Some excellent Make-Up work from Tom Savini(He directed the fine remake of Night Of The Living Dead.) Writer and Director-George A. Romero is most underrated film to Date. Good Cast for the unknown actors, I did like Lori Cardille(Her Father played The T.V interviewer in Night Of The Living Dead and the Remake.), John Amplas(His Excellent Performance in George A. Romero`s Martin). Joe Pilato(Little Known for playing a Cop in U.S. theartical cut of Dawn of the Dead.Terry Alexander, Joseph Conroy, Antone Dileo and Gary Howard Klar and again Richard Liberty.

Am sure Anchor Bay Entertainment are planning to resorted the picture to be much brighter and also the sound. Also an commentary track from the director:Geroge A. Romero and Tom Savini. One of Romero`s best films and also the most underrated one. Grade:A-.

Mmmmm.....apocalicious!
A fine horror film in its own right, but it suffers in comparison to "Dawn of the Dead". Where "Dawn" thematically succeeds on its criticism of consumerism, it's hard to find where "Day" fits in the trilogy. And George Romero himself has stated that this was only a shadow of the original "dead" grand finale he envisioned. But the good news is that maybe we'll see a another sequel some day? It's time...the world needs another Zombie film!

But no matter...it's creepy, apocalyptic nightmare that probes a primal fear, i.e. being eaten. It's quite well-acted (in a yelling and screaming sort of way) in spite of its other shortcomings. Lori Cardille and Jarlath Conroy stand out; too bad they haven't done more film work (both are very active in indie/theater work). Josef Pilato has gone on to character roles, including Dean Martin in "Pulp Fiction".

One note regarding the special effects...they're *really* disturbing, especially Sarah's field surgery upon Miguel. But people don't pull apart or break quite so easily.

It's well worth seeing. If you can still find it, buy it. The extras (including a home video "making of" documentary) are compelling.

Divimax delivers the best edition ever
This is one of the best DVD re-releases I have ever purchased. I have always been a fan of the George A. Romero films, and Day of the Dead has always been one of his best. This DVD is loaded with bonus features. 2 featurettes, Trailers, Commentary, and photo galleries. An absolute must for all fans.

The best of the trilogy
I loved 'Night' and 'Dawn,' but 'Day of the Dead' is the ultimate zombie flick and George Romero's masterpiece. It was ridiculously underrated upon its release, but I'm sure its audience grows by the day. It's bleak, ugly, gory, and funny. Love the post-apocalyptic plotline, love the scenes of amateur actors screaming at each other until their temples protrude, love Bub, and love his zombie brethren staggering around moaning and ripping people's faces off. This is what zombie movies are all about.

DAY OF THE DEAD
NOT AS GOOD AS ROMEROS OTHER ZOMBIE FILMS.A LITTLE DRAGGED OUT AND TIRING AT TIMES. BUT,STILL WORTH CHECKING OUT THE ZOMBIES.THIS FILM DOES HAVE ITS MOMENTS AND HAS A CLAUSTROPHOBIC FEEL TO IT. HAVE TO ADD TO YOUR GHOUL COLLECTION!!! ... Read more

Reviews (375)

There's No More Room in Hell, So the Dead Now Walk the Earth
1978's DAWN OF THE DEAD is the second entry in George Romero's "DEAD" trilogy, though it isn't as scary or as groundbreaking as his first, the classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). Still, for a low-budget sequel, it is an interesting and entertaining film, an unusual mix of action, drama, comedy, and horror that actually functions on two levels: One, it is a stomach-churning study of the depths to which people will sink in order to ensure their survival; and two, it is a dark satire that takes several pokes at Western consumerism.

The plot of DAWN OF THE DEAD builds on the premise of its predecessor. The world is now becoming overrun with the flesh-eating zombies, and in the United States, martial law has been declared and all survivors are required to go to state-run "rescue stations" for shelter and protection. The manager of a TV station and her helicopter-pilot boyfriend decide to defy authorities and seek out their own save haven, and two police officers--friends of the helicopter pilot--decide to abandon their duties and go along with the couple. The group eventually arrives at an abandoned shopping mall, and when they realize that the stores within contain all they need to survive--food, clothing, and weapons & ammunition--they seal off the building, dispose of most of the zombies inside, and take up residence. But when their claim on the mall and its goods is challenged by a band of motorcycle-riding marauders, the quartet is soon fighting for survival against not only the zombies, but also against their own kind.

Although the audience has been made to sympathize with the film's four protagonists, there is no true heroism in this world of Romero's making. Instead, there are only different levels of self-interest and narcissism. After the four move into their new home and start living off the "fat of the mall," they quickly develop a sort of bourgeois attitude towards the comforts they now enjoy. Of course, that is exactly the Western attitude that Romero is ridiculing--that sense of security and satisfaction one feels after amassing material goods. And when the group's right to possession is violently challenged by outsiders, Romero clearly demonstrates just how tenuous a security based on personal possessions really is.

Romero is a master storyteller who knows how to manipulate the emotions of his audience. In this film, he creates a relentless sense of unease by juxtaposing the repulsive and grotesque with the lighthearted and humorous. For example, when the quartet of protagonists first occupies the mall, they turn on the mall-wide Muzak system to mask from the zombies the noises they make while looting the stores. So for several scenes there is this macabre contrast between bloody, pasty-faced zombies and syrupy instrumental music. Uncomfortably comical and humorously disturbing.

Creepy, bloody (FX by Tom Savini), boisterous, and constantly full of surprises, DAWN OF THE DEAD is easily one of the most entertaining zombie movies ever made. True, it does have an underlying anti-materialism message that is none too subtle, but that doesn't detract in the least from the enjoyment of being playfully spooked and repulsed by all the zombie grotesquerie. All in all, horror fans will have a good time watching this minor Romero masterpiece.

The Divimax Edition DVD from Anchor Bay offers an excellent digital transfer of the U.S. theatrical cut (often considered superior even to the director's cut), and there are lots of cool extras, too, not the least of which is a feature commentary with writer/director Romero and FX man Savini. A worthy addition to the film collections of serious horror fans, and well worth amazon.com's very reasonable asking price.

Dawn Of The Dead Is A True Horror Masterpiece!
An intense and overlooked horror classic, George A. Romero's "Dawn Of The Dead", the second and most popular in his Dead trilogy, is probably his most epic tale to date. Regarded by many, including Roger Ebert, as the ultimiate definition in horror films, "Dawn" is truly the thinking man's horror movie. Its horror is far more subtle than that of in-your-face suspense films like "Halloween" or "Exorcist" or for that matter, Romero's first Dead film, "Night". Where most slasher films provide those quick thrills that make us jump but dissapear from our memory almost as quickly as they appeared, "Dawn" creeps into our fears and shows us a view of our downfall as a civilazation.

"Dawn" centers around four survivors, two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. members and a couple from a newstation, who are trying to escape a zombie plague that has engulfed the country. The film opens with chaos ensuing as a handful of newscasters attempt unsuccesfully to put together an emergency broadcast. We move forward to a project house where the tenants are protecting the undead because as one of the central characters explains, "They still believe there is honor in being dead". Guns blaze as seemingly more humans are taken down than actual zombies courtesy of a SWAT team bigit who goes buckwild but ends up getting his before the smoke clears.

As the violence in the city seems to be piling up, our four characters use the local news chopper to escape to the country side where the situation isn't any less of a problem though a handful of trigger-happy rednecks seem to be having a great time with their beers and shotguns. After a brief touchdown at said location where the group runs into a few problems with both the zombies and each other while gassing up their helicopter, they head back up into the sky and eventually land at a shopping center, the film's cental location.

Placing the story at a mall makes for not only a unique and creative backdrop but also allows for Romero to provide an intriguing social commentary on the madness of consumerism that seemed to sweep the late 70's. The zombies who try to break into the center are portrayed as people who loved shopping there so much in life that all they want to do is be there after death.

Romero and make-up effects wizard, Tom Savini are at the most sadistic during the concluding act of this film as our heroes do battle with another band of survivors, a motorcycle gang who shows up and tries to take over the mall for themselves. The zombies, who prior to this were pretty much an afterthought regain their power because their human counterparts are far too busy with each other to notice that they are regaining control of the place. Savini's graphic make-up effects really make for a great finale.

"Dawn Of The Dead" is very much a different film from "Night Of The Living Dead". "Dawn" takes a far different approach to the "dead taking over the world" concept that George helped create in "Night". The mall setting is far less clostrophobic than the farmhouse in the original but it is the nightmare outside that our characters must deal with. In "Night", it was all about getting past the problem that lie in front of them and it's smooth sailing. In "Dawn", the problem is almost reversed. They are safe inside their location, though their safety is an illusion, and it is the outside world that is coming in. They don't want to get away. The outside world is falling apart and the mall is almost a false symbol of protection.

"Dawn" probably will not be an instant overnight favorite. I, myself, was expecting a much different movie than the one I watched. Having caughts bits and pieces of "Day" before I actually sat down to watch it, I was expecting it to have more of the look and feel that I associated with that movie. I honestly didn't know what to make of the weird clothing, the Smurf-blue make-up effects, and the strange Goblins music that popped up through out the film. Within two weeks of watching it, it had become one of my favorite films. All these weird visuals that I found strange actually kept dragging me in over and over again. Though the film is over 25 years old, I can still honestly say that there are very few films of any genre that resemble it.

THE BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER!!! AT LAST!!!
A four disc edition? Who can ask for more? Obviously we saw it coming... the remake was there... the Divimax edition early this year... everybody was saying a big multi-disc edition was coming... and here it is!

To start analyzing this film we must take a look at NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. This film was a landmark as it introduced the zombies as we know today. Now, DAWN OF THE DEAD set a new landmark. In it, the zombies were a mature (sub)genre in modern cinema.

What makes this film so important? Everything! First it is the brilliant screenplay. The story... you already know: as the zombie population increases more and more, four people barricate themselves inside a big shopping mall, where they endulge themselves with all consumering desires they can think of.

Sounds simple? It is, but there is more than meets the eye: as the zombies try to get in (you'll have to wonder why) the four heroes inside discover their paradise makes them more empty than they would have thought it would... and slowly, life start making no sense.

DAWN OF THE DEAD is the kind of film that has been changing as the decades pass. Its violence seems to have softened if we think of all the action and horror films who came in the decades that followed (just like it happened with other horror landmarks like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, FRIDAY THE 13TH, HALLOWEEN and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD). Its makeup is not comparable to the vast majority of horror films that came after (who had bigger makeup budgets)... but on the other hand, elements like tension, drama, character development and social critique have all grown more powerful then in all of the films that followed.

In other words, audiences who see this film today, many times discover the fact that its weight is changing fields... from graphic horror to social horror. And this kind of horror is no less potent and much more rare.

Mr. Romero is one of those rare horror screenwriter/directors who do have a strong critic point of view (and we can see it as he continues to deliver so in his later third zombie film - the sadly underated gem - DAY OF THE DEAD).

Clearly, this is a multi-layered film that demands multiple levels of reading. You must be aware of all the issues put inside this film. Otherwise, if you're in just for the cheap thrills, gore and violence, you'll probably be disappointed.

As a product of the late seventies, this is a production triumph because it manages to deliver a lot with minimum budget. The remake released early this year made a great update on this basic premisse.

I loved them both.

This edition seems to be more than we've all asked for (now that the simpler Divimax edition made all the money it could...). Here, you'll find all the versions and lots of extras.

But again... DAWN OF THE DEAD is a film that I am sure will be seen and celebrated for years to come. See it with an open mind and you too will discover why.

DAWN OF THE DEAD
A GREAT ZOMBIE MOVIE AND SEQUEL TO NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS GUT RIPPING,FLESH TEARING ZOMBIE FILMS.VERY WELL DONE AND ACTED WITH LOTS OF GORE.ANOTHER MASTERPIECE FROM GEORGE ROMERO. GET IT!!!! A++++

Can't Wait
I must be honest, I almost got tricked into buying the DiviMax edition aswell, but after taking a look at what features it had on it and hearing rumours about this four-disc edition, I decided not to bother. All in all by looking at the cover art and reading about what will be on it, I believe that this edition will be a great buy for the month of September and for any Dead fan out there and, hopefully it will be the last edition for this particular movie. I can just see it now, six months from now, brand new "SIX DISC" Special Edition, that would be quite a sight . ... Read more

Amazon.com

After years of dominating the midnight circuit with the likes ofNight of the Living Dead, Martin, and Dawn of the Dead,George A. Romero took a departure from bona fide horror films to make this naturalistic tale of a traveling troupe of motorcycle-riding jousters. (Think Hell's Angels on Wheels goes to the Renaissance Faire.) While this may sound ludicrous on the surface, the film emerges as a powerful character study. When the success of their jousting tournaments--in which armor-clad bikers go at each other with real lances for the entertainment of county fair crowds--attracts the attention of bigtime promoters, creeping commercialism threatens to spoil their delicately constructed Camelot. The troupe is a mirror of King Arthur's court, complete with its King (Ed Harris), Merlin (Brother Blue), and Morgan le Fay (Tom Savini). Only they ride motorcycles, and try to knock each other off with maces. Ed Harris turns in a topnotch performance as Billy, the focus of the film, who goes progressively nuts as it becomes apparent he's losing his grip on the troupe (unconsciously playing out the final days of Camelot). Knightriders is thoroughly engrossing during the jousting tournaments and whenever Ed Harris is onscreen, but is less successful in-between, when toeing the line of the Arthurian Legend makes the film too mannered. And at 145 minutes, the film could have been trimmed a bit. But why cavil when presented with the spectacle of Ed Harris spinning slowly out of control? Watch for a cameo by Stephen King himself, playing a spectator debunking the jousting tournaments as "all fake," through ample mouthfuls of his hoagie. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (217)

Day of the Dead is...
...a horror masterpiece, a must see for anyone who considers themself a zombie movie fan or expert. Extremely awesome and inventive plot twists and high doses of gore add even more appeal to an already great movie.

It really baffles me how many so-called "zombie movie fans" fail to recognize Day of the Dead as a great movie. Yes, there are some negative aspects about Day, you could make a case about over-acting, un-interesting characters, and the concept of a domesticated zombie. I might agree that it isn't as great as the first two, but to give it anything less than the 5 star rating is unfair. Day is right up
there with Night and Dawn, in some ways it even outdoes them, like the exciting and fulfilling climax. I don't think Dawn or Night had such a cool and bold ending. I thought the bleak view fit the tone of the plot-it's the end of the world it should be somewhat depressing, but the ending justifies all the negativity in a big way.

The reason I like Day is because it breaks into new territory for a zombie movie. The military survivors are out of control, and are abusing their power. They have given up on rational behavior, they made the situation bad for all those living in the underground facility and began to only care for their own well being. They have become the antagonists. In this sense, the viewer actually cheers for the zombies- something that is a bold and innovative device that Romero pulled off. Romero gives the viewer what they are hoping for, but don't think will happen. If you haven't see it, seek out a copy at once. The whole theme becomes justice will be served. And man does the sh*t hit the fan- what a gore drenched finale. Tom Savini's effects are incredible. There aren't many movies out there with that go for the throat, in your face approach to flesh eating and graphic, brutal gore and violence. Day also delivers some very gory scenes involving experiments on the zombies. Trust me, any gorehound will be in awe.

To really appreciate Romero's brilliance, one needs to experience all 3 films. You can see the development of the zombies progress from Dawn to Day, they are able to use tools and think on a basic level. The explanation is they are retrieving memories from their former life. In this case it is concievable that a zombie could be "trained" to control it's actions. Therefore Bub (the experimental zombie in Day) is somewhat realistic. It's actions aren't that far fetched.

In Dawn of the Dead, the plot was designed to provide lots of humor, action, and violence. It achieved that, yet the story didn't really go anywhere. Zombies had taken over the earth at the beginning of the film and at the end nothing had changed, except alot of the characters were killed off. In Day, there is a pay off to all the events that occur leading up to the climax. That's the biggest difference, and in that way Day is more successful and fulfilling. Dawn also leaves the ending open, we don't get to see what becomes of the survivors. In Day we are able to see the protagonists deal with their situation and come up with a plan that is mutually beneficial- so there is a message among all the mayhem.

Thumbs way up for Day of the Dead, a must see in my opinion, as well as the whole trilogy. One of the best horror movies of all time without a doubt, and yet very underrated. Note: this review covers the Anchor Bay 102 minute version vhs. Hopefully the dvd will be re-issued. Please don't hesitate to check this one out people.

didn't get the credit it deserved
ok, i'll get right to the point. this movieis without a question, one of the more unknown, and ignored movies made. But that dosen't matter. this movie definetly did NOT get the credit it deserved. the last movie in george romeros dead trilogy. don't listen to the critics, this movie is a wonderful piece of work, with an extrodinary musical score.

the story follows a group of humans, an army captain, other soldiers, doctors, a helicopter pilot, and a radio specialist, who are forced to sweat it out below in a florida missle silo, while the living dead regroup above on earth. The doctors in the silo study the zombies they catch in the underground caves, under strict orders by the army captain, Rhodes. After all seams hopeless, the army men kill two of thwe doctors, and force the helicopter pilot john, to fly them out, and leave the lady doctor sarah, and the radio man, mcderrmont in the caves with the zombies, to be eaten. But after one of the soldiers miguel goes above, he let's a very large group of zombies on earth to enter the silo. the climax ending is probably the best part of the movie, so i reccomend this movie to any person who likes to be entertained. the dvd is out of print, but Anchor Bay entertainment will come out with a new version in March of 2003.

The best of the trilogy
I do have all three of George Romero's "zombie" series but I believe Day of the Dead is the best of the three! I have watched this one quite a few times and although it does not give the novice the thrills that the original one gives it is still the best when it comes to suspense and thought provoking ideas. The series revolves around a pitiful gang of humans remaining and living in an underground bunker somewhere in Florida. They are not the scared and dissoriented people of the first two movies. They are actually a disturbing and pathetic gang full of desperation for a better life but lacking the ability to stop fighting and join forces to find a way out of their problems. In other words a good description of humanity today. The zombies are definately more frightening than in the other two movies and they also seem more inteligent too. There are subplots and twists in the story that surprise even the guru in suspense movies! As the movie develops you almost wish the zombies get done with all the characters in the movie (well, almost all) in order to stop seeing the things they do to each other. There are a few characters you do care about and even a very unlikely character that displays more humanity than the rest of the group put together but the way the movie develops you must watch it close to the end to see what I am talking about!

Anyway, I am not here to spoil the movie for those that have not seen it. It does stand by its own as a movie so even if you do not care to see any other of the series (something I would NOT recommend since all of them are excellent) you can still watch this one without feeling you missed something!

For the gore (fans) there is plenty of this to satisfy the eye and the soul! The music score is excellent too. In a sum an excellent movie for the ones who like this type!

Nightmarish.
This movie is awesome, just as good as dawn of the dead. Sick, terrifing, nightmarish. Overall: AWESOME.

Very Gory and Very Dramatic Performance
Well first let me say that I am a fan of zombie movies and although this is not my favorite zombie movie, it certainly ranks high in the charts. For me Day is the best in series, (although the Night of the Living Dead Color verson is pretty cool too.) But for me this film presents something interesting that you rarely find in a film. Which is how do you solve such an impossible task ? You can't leave the bunker, you can't stay because you drive one another crazy and there doesn't seem to be anyone left. To top it all off, not all of you can fit in your ride. I did find the soldiers to be repulsive but I think to some extent Romero probably got this one right. I liked Logan he definately suited the roll of a nut job trying to do something that couldn't work at all. I give it five stars because if you are new to the film then it has alot of twists to the plot IF and only if you give it chance. If you've seen it even a hundred times there are things in it you miss that help you to appreciate a film like this before. The nice thing about this film is unlike the rest of the series it ends on hopeful note. ... Read more

Description

The masters of modern horror - George Romero and Dario Argento - bring you an unprecedented pair of shockers inspired by the talesof Edgar Allan Poe.

In Romero's The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar, a conniving wife (Adrienne Barbeau of THE FOG) and her lover use a hypnotic trance to embezzle a fortune from her dying husband, only to receive some chilling surprises from beyond the grave. Then in Argento's The Black Cat, a deranged crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel of RESERVOIR DOGS) is driven to brutal acts of madness and murder by his girlfriend's new pet. But will this cunning feline deliver a final sickening twist of its own? ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Two horror greats in one film.
While George A. Romero and Dario Argento worked together on the production of Dawn of the Dead, this was the first movie the two actually 'worked' on together as directors. Each contributed a short film based on a story by Edgar Allen Poe. Romero adapted The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar while Argento chose The Black Cat. Romero's comes first and it is routine EC comic style stuff, solidly made yet hampered by pacing that is a tad too methodical. But the payoff is worth the trip and the cast (Adrienne Barbeau, Ramy Zada, and Bingo O' Malley) contribute nice work. Argento's segment is far more energetic, a surreal trip into madness as a crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel) is driven by his art to kill his live-in girlfriend's black cat. Of course the cat returns, again and again, and things get even worse in that surreal nightmare way that only Argento can pull off. Not content to just adapt The Black Cat, Argento also tosses in references to other Poe stories; namely The Pit and The Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, Bernice, and several characters have famous Poe names (Usher, Pym, etc.). If he didn't go overboard, then he wouldn't be Argento, now would he? Blue Underground has done another first rate job with this wonderful disc. The maligned movie has never looked or sounded this good and the extras are more than worth the bonus disc. Romero and/or Argento fans will love it. Recommended.

Animal-Handling AND Masonry: Components for Perfection
When directors get together, they have the potential to make interesting things happen. When great directors join forces and decide to take on a project, even better results areexpected. It honestly doesn't matter what type of material they're doing or if the viewing population has tasted it time and time again. They, the silver screen's version of power coupling, know their art, understand the little versions - or perhaps perversions - of atmosphere that balance the viewing scales, and have the most cards to play when it comes to forging complete pictures. Unfortunately, both don't always deliver a knockout punch like you'd like.

In this initial piece, it's a story you've heard before. An older fellow with dollarsign-laced pockets decides to marry a younger woman. People jeer it in the community and friends seem appalled by it, but attraction is attraction and a little IWantATrophyWife-itus is sometimes what wealth is all about. In our tale, we join an ex "airline hostess" and her much older husband as he's teetering on that painful plateau just outside of dying. Plans are in the works on how to acquire some of his fortune before his estate and the long years of "settling" are addressed, with hypnosis and the application of falsified doctor reports working fairly well. It all seems to be going splendidly, too, and three million dollars is all set to arrive in two weeks - providing the wife, Jessica, can keep her husband around that long. As movies would have it, however, he dies and the planning gets worse and worse and worse until....

This Romero addition to the power duo has some serious flaws in it. The plot is thin, the effects are a little drowsy, and what seems to start off well dances down the corridors of lackluster architecture. Honestly, it's a good thing that things happen the way they do in these tales, because the atypical plan thrown into this type of movie would normally end up with someone going to jail for a very long time. Money or not, you wouldn't want to bury someone in your own backyard with a couple of bullet holes in them and you wouldn't want them kicking it with you ice-cream and getting freezer burn. This is worse than that in some ways, however, because it seems to say that a master in his field and Savini can't get together and make something that hasn't been seen a hundred times over. Instead of illustrating a story the way an audience knows they can, they take a Poe idea, splash a little effect work on it, and somewhat go through the motions.

In Argento's version of The Black Cat, things play out a lot better. Our focal point, a man with a gruesome day job, brings home a little hatred and finds himself in a not-so-happy position of trying to conceal what he's done. When things get a little stressed and push come to shove (and hack and slice), it seems that things can get a little ugly at home. This seems especially when you're the owner of a cat you hate and don't want to keep up with, and moreso when you're half of a marriage that will ultimately self-destruct. Without giving all the gray matter away, this ultimately becomes a testament to revenge going awry, why you should treat animals a little bit better, and why post-it notes are a good thing if you don't want to leave out any small details to a crime.

In my personal opinion, the Argento piece is a short film made in gore heaven. Not only does it make a show of force with all its little pieces coming together and working out all-too-well, but it also gives little shout-outs to other Poe stories as well.
And then the eye candy begins to make its rounds.
The first effects, mutilated bodies, birth even better effects. The deaths seem to get worse and worse until, in one place, I saw something that I could almost feel because of the way the image evoked words like "pain." Still, it didn't stop there. With little kitties doing things little kitties shouldn't do; hairless, nasty, and bathed in the debris brought to you by a mind that has imported images of this variety time and again, it gets even more graphic. And that's all I really ever wanted.

Combine that with build, a good plan that twists until it morphs into something horrific that the main character couldn't foresee, and nice acting and you can even overlook Romero's shoddy addition to this collection. Simply be warned that it does have a little kick in the "gruesome" department.

The Evil Eyes are crossed---but it's still good stuff.
I have to confess: I was thrilled beyond words when I heard Blue Underground was releasing this 1991 collaboration between two of my favorite horror masters, George Romero and Dario Argento. I bought the DVD sight-unseen, having only seen a few snippets of sequences from the second story in this two-movie collection, Argento's adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat".

I had seen those snippets as part of a larger Argento documentary called "Dario Argento: an Eye for Horror"---and they were ghoulish indeed! Harvey Keitel impaled on a stake? Mewling, hairless baby cats walled up with a gore-caked corpse, 'Cask of Amontillado' style? The gruesome final finishing touch---death by merciless, razor-sharp pendulum---that even Poe himself had shied away from?

I had to have it, just for the Argento work alone! As for the Romero adaptation of "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar", well how could you lose, with the evil mastermind behind "Night of the Living Dead" helming up a short movie about a miser left in hypnosis after death?

Blue Underground has done an excellent job with their Limited Edition DVD: the DVDs themselves are nicely decorated with two of the more chilling sequences from the film, and the material on the bonus DVD (including---hey!---a tour of make-up guru Tom Savini's home!)is worth the price of admission alone. It's a handsome DVD, and a nice addition to any horror movie aficionado's collection.

As for the movies---well, they're not what I had expected, highly uneven, and not the best examples of either Argento or Romero's work. But they're enjoyable, gory, ghoulish fare, with Romero's piece more subtle and stylish and Argento's entry an over-the-top assault on the senses that pays tribute to some of the nastiest of Poe's nuggets, including "The Black Cat", "Lenore" (ah yes, her lovely 32 teeth! nice touch, Dario!), "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Tell-Tale Heart", and even a glib nod to "The House of Usher".

Taken together, the two pieces that comprise "Two Evil Eyes" give the film a "Creepshow"-like feel, not surprising given that Romero helmed that movie. Romero's piece here has been unfairly savaged, and while it seems sedate in comparison to Argento's gory Italian Grand Opera, it's a stately, stylish little chiller. Adrienne Barbeau plays the crafty youngish wife of financier Valdemar (played to the hilt by Bingo O'Malley, who gave me the creeps!---he also shows up as Stevie King's dad in the Meteor episode of Creepshow), who plots with her hypnotist lover to get rid of the sick old man and abscond with a fortune.
Not surprisingly, things don't go as planned; look for an opening shot right out of "Night of the Living Dead" and a scene-chewing contest by movie veteran E.G. Marshall and Barbeau (who holds her own).

But it's really Argeno's sanguine little number you should check in for. Ostensibly an adaptation of "The Black Cat", it features Harvey Keitel as a demented crime photographer whose lifestyle and pre-occupations would make his "Bad Lieutenant" character cry for his mommy. It's not Dario at the height of his game, but it's wicked, depraved, gory stuff.

All told, these two shorts make a jolly, gory little evening of Poe-vian goodness. Break out a nice cask of Amontillado from your cellar (don't mind the knocking from the other side of the wall), open up a tin of caviar for your trusting black cat, put a blanket over your pet raven's cage, and enjoy two horror masters having some fun with their medium.

Good horror, great directors
This movie is based on the writings of Poe. The first film is okay. It drags a little, but once things pick up it gets very interesting. The second film is probably the BEST horror short ever made. If you're a fan of episode horror films, (Creepshow, Trilogy Of Terror and the like), then this is a MUST HAVE DVD. The extras alone are worth the purchase. It's a limited edition, so make sure you snag it up before it's gone!

for completists only
I bought this movie only because I am an Argento nut and wanted to have everything he has done. His segment is the only reason I gave this three stars; Romero's segment is a real let-down. I can't even believe it was made by the same guy who made Dawn of the Dead and Martin! ... Read more

Amazon.com

George A. Romero monkeys with nature in this gripping and fearful tale based on the novel by Michael Stewart. Allan Mann (John Beghe) is a law student who's hit by a truck while jogging, leaving him a quadriplegic. Luckily, his scientist friend Geoffrey (John Pankow) is experimenting with capuchin monkeys, making them smarter with injections of human genetic material. Geoffrey arranges with Melanie (Kate McNeil)--who's working on an experimental program that matches monkeys with paraplegics to perform guide-dog functions--to train his prize subject, Ella (Boo), to act as Allan's helper. Allan is paralyzed from the neck down, confined to a wheelchair he moves by working a lever with his mouth. He's really vulnerable. Ella can fetch things and do errands, and a real emotional bond develops between Mann and monkey. Too strong a bond, it turns out, as Allan begins to experience dreams from the monkey's-eye view (capuchin-cam), Ella's boosted intelligence giving her the residual benefit of a telepathic ability in which the monkey begins to act out Allan's subconscious rage. Allan's nurse, former girlfriend, doctor, even his mother are terrorized by the creepy capuchin, leading to a showdown between Ella and Allan himself. With Allan trapped in a house, alone with a super-intelligent and malevolent monkey, there is plenty of suspense to make you rip holes in your upholstery. But perhaps even more tension could have been wrung out of this story if Ella had been more sympathetic (being as she was the victim of a scientific experiment gone bad), her wicked antics the acts of a kind of exterminating angel. Performances are brilliant by both Ella and Jason Beghe, who turns in one of cinema's most accurate and intelligent depictions of a high-level quadriplegic character. --Jim Gay ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Romero's best
I never cared too much for Romero's zombie movies, but I've always thought "Monkey Shines" is an extremely good movie. -His best, actually. It's a brilliant script, and the acting is superb. A very suspensful movie from start to finish. I have the first of its two DVD releases from MGM, but unfortunately the piture quality is not all that sharp (-only slightly better than VHS, I'd say), and therefore no more than acceptable. This is not the first somewhat sloppy disc from MGM, so they better shape up if they want happy costumers. -In their defense I must add that I haven't seen the newest edition, but this Hitchcock-like thriller deserves to look a lot better than this.

One of the forgotten gems of the 80's
"Night of the Living Dead" fanatics will disagree, but in my opinion "Monkey Shines" represents George Romero at the top of his game. (Okay, I love "Creepshow", too.) It is one of the most well-crafted suspense movies I have ever seen. It takes a potentially ludicrous scenario and knocks your socks off with it. A quadriplegic law student named Alan (excellently played by the underrated actor Jason Beghe), develops a psychic bond with his nurse-maid monkey, Ella. Alan understandably has a short temper and no sense of humor about his condition; he's not aware, however, that the confused but well-meaning Ella has been acting upon his violent revenge fantasies. It all comes to a head one dark and stormy night when Ella finally goes over the edge and menaces her master endlessly, despite vain rescue attempts by his pals.
How many ways can a little monkey torment a grown man? Plenty, it turns out, if you can't move like Alan. His claustraphobia and terror are wonderfully and effectively splashed across the screen by both Beghe and Romero's camera. The supporting cast, especially the two actors playing his overbearing mother and his best friend Geoffrey (forgive me, I can't remember their names at the moment), is superb. And if the suspense-packed final 30 minutes of this movie don't give you goosebumps a-plenty, you'd better check your pulse.
A couple flaws:
1. An overly cheesy ending preceded by a lame "final scare" (which I hear was forced upon Romero by the studio).
2. A bizarre sex scene which induces either head-scratching confusion or incredulous laughter.
3. The whole "mad scientist" aspect of the plot: WHY exactly does Geoffrey's intelligence-boosting potion wind up linking Ella to Alan psycically? Not explained.
But these flaws are far from fatal. They can be easily ignored, in favor of the immense enjoyment factor of the movie as a whole. Spooky, suspenseful, and frequently touching, it's a great "popcorn" movie. Bravo, George!

Killer Psycho Monkey
This is actually one of the funniest movies ive ever seen in my life. From the killer psycho monkey to the man in the wheelchair, this movie will have you roaring in laughter. Although this movie is disguised as a horror, it is actually a comedy(not meant to be a comedy.) When you see this little monkey kill someone it is so funny that if your parents walked in on you theyd think you are on drugs because you are laughing so hard at something so stupid.But this is whats so great about the movie, its so stupid that its funny. I mean they never even explain why this monkey testicals kills people, it just goes on a killing rampage and doesn't stop until it feeds it thirst for blood. This is definately a must see movie.Everyone who talks negatively about this movie is either blind or has no sense of humor.

The greatest movie since Tremors
I was blown away by this movie. This is a very artsey movie and the screen play is fantastic. I laughed through a lot of the movie, but it was filled with suspense. I recommened this movie to everyone, it is a great movie. Yale is better then Harvard Will, yes it is.

Holy Monkey!
This was the funniest movie I have ever seen and should definitely be re-released in the movie theaters so the younger generations can experience the wonderful tale of "Monkey Shines." While select scenes are a tad on the vulger side (a.k.a. the sex scene--what was that!?)the rest of the movie is burned in my mind forever as the best movie ever to play in the theater.
P.S.-Shout out to the swim team-I know all of you truly love "Monkey Shines" ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although it lacks the creepy subtleties of Stephen King's celebratednovel, George Romero's underrated adaptation of The Dark Half ranks amongthe best films based on King's fiction, with Romero taking care to honor King'scentral theme while serving up some gruesome gore in the film's much-criticizedfinale. Inspired by King's own admission that he wrote several novels under thepseudonym Richard Bachman, The Dark Half explores the duality of awriter's impulse, ranging from literary respectability to the viscerallycathartic thrills of exploitative pulp fiction.

Author and teacher Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) finds himself torn betweenthose extremes when he "kills" his profitable, pseudonymous alter ego GeorgeStark (the bestselling "dark half" to Thad's light), who then assumes an evil,autonomous form (again played by Hutton) to lethally defend his role in Thad'screative endeavors. Forced to wrestle with this evil manifestation of his ownunformed twin, Thad must fight to protect his wife (Amy Madigan), their twinbabies, and his own survival as an artist. Romero skillfully develops thetwin/duality theme to explore the writer's dilemma, and Hutton is outstanding inhis dual roles, playing Stark (in subtly fiendish makeup) as a redneck rebelwith a knack for slashing throats. Julie Harris adds class in a supporting role,and horror fans will relish Romero's climactic showdown, in which swarms ofsparrows seal Stark's fate. It favors a pulp sensibility with clunky expositionto explain Stark's existence, but The Dark Half is a laudable effort fromeveryone involved. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Great Movie!
I must say I absolutely loved this movie! Timothy Hutton is one of my favorite actors, and Stephen King is one of my favorite authors, so the movie was perfect! I greatly admire Hutton's ability to play not only the hero, Thad Beaumont, but also the villian, his 'evil twin' George Stark. One scene in particular strikes me. Beaumont, in an effort to discover what Stark's plans are, lets him take over his body, or at least his hand, and askes him questions while Stark writes the answers with Beaumont's hand. Hutton did a wonderful job of acting this scene, making us believe that he was indeed talking to his dark half. Favorite quote in the movie, involves a People Magazine reporter while interviewing Thad Beaumont about his pseudonym George Stark. Reporter: "You'll uh, forgive me for noting, but these behaviors could be interpreted as classic symptoms of schizophrenia." Beaumont: "Yes, I'll forgive you for noting that. I don't think George would, though."

The Better Half?
Following their underated collaboration on the cult horror film Creepshow, author Stephen King and director George A. Romero came together for The Dark Half. While the film boasts a strong performance from Timothy Hutton, and plenty of "chills and thrills", the presentation of the movie on DVD leaves a lot to be desired.

Best selling author and teacher Thad Beaumont (Hutton) hopes to distance himself from his murder novels and from George Stark, the name he has used to anonymously author them. To accomplish this goal, he cooks up a murder of his own: a publicity stunt that should lay Stark to rest forever. But when the people around him are found brutally murdered and his own fingerprints pepper the crime scenes, Beaumont is dumbstruck, until he learns that Stark has taken on a life of his own...and has a gruesome plans to seek revenge against his alter ego. With Beaumont's wife Liz (Amy Madigan) in danger, and Sheriff Alan Pangborn (Michael Rooker) investigating him, he finds himself doubting his very sanity.

Romero has fun translating King's novel for the movies. Hutton is superb as a split personality. The film is genuinely creepy. Given the story, I suppose King worked out a lot of his own frustrations over his career, with this work. Like the aforementioned Creepshow, The Dark Half, is underappreciated. While the film is worth a look...

The DVD, distributed by MGM, loses my total endorsement, thanks to lackluster so called extras, and little care for the film itself. All you get for your money here is the movie's theatrical trailer and a behind-the-scenes booklet. Normally, this kind of thing wouldn't really bother me, but to add insult, the film is only available in the full-screen format??!! C'mon get with it! The film deserves better. If the film was shot in widescreen, you should have the option to see it that way....It is the 21st century after all.

See this underated film--but be advised the DVD is, to put it in a nice way--lacking.

It's Only Half Good.
THE DARK HALF is about a famous writer, Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton), who has been writing very successful thrillers under a different name, George Stark. When a little weasle from out of town threatens to blackmail Beaumont and blow his cover, he decides to let the world know that there is no George Stark and that he has been writing the best-selling books all along. But, what if there really is a George Stark? And what if George Stark wasn't totally real, but a part of Thad that was cut away a long time ago? And what if that George Stark came to life and starting killing people like the characters in his books do? That pretty much sums up the plot of THE DARK HALF. The movie ends in a climatic battle of the wills between Thad and George.

The film contains some pretty decent acting, especially by Timothy Hutton who plays both Beumont and Stark. The directing is done by horror master George Romero and is almost faultless. Nevertheless, more so because of a lackluster script than anything else, the movie never reaches it's full potential. The movie has a great premise, an interesting plot, and begins as an enthralling thriller. However, about a third of the way through, things start to loosen up and fall apart. The mood changes and instead of an enthralling thriller, the movie feels more like a semi-suspenseful dark comedy. In the last act, the movie picks up steam again, but not enough to overcome the shortcomings of the second act. It's not a film I would recommend to buy, but it's a great movie to rent.

The divided man.
Thad Beaumont is a writer who goes public about the novels he wrote under an assumed name. Now his fictious counter part, George Stark (his Dark Half) has become a real physical person, and Stark is rather upset that he's been killed off. And now a battle to become the dominate personality has begun. I thought this was a terrific movie. George Romero and Stephen King have been friends a long time, and Romero's care really comes through in the material. Timothy Hutton plays a double role as both the clumsy Thad and the ruthless Stark, and he dose a wonderful job, he was very underrated by the critics. Michael Rooker's Sheriff Pangborn was a nice touch, a good, smart cop who's sympathetic to Thad's problem, at least as much as his rational mind will let him be. All the other characters and actors do a good job. The best is Thad's fellow professor, the least being Thad's wife. The action is rough and mean spirited, I loved it. The gore is actually pretty mnimal, but what's there is impressive. I recoment it whole heartedly.

Hutton's great
Hutton is extremely good in two roles, playing Thad and his evil persona that turned into human form. somewhat of a slow pace, which lags this down a bit, but then the finale when evil Hutton gets ripped apart by all those sparrows that enter into the place is just awesome. there's a lot of evilness to the way Hutton puts it into his character and you can see that when he slices the victims up. ... Read more

Reviews (292)

The Millennium edition is really good.
This review pertains only to the Millennium Edition DVD of Night of the Living Dead.

Okay...as I'd feared, my negative review of the John Russo-massacred "30th Anniversary Edition" of Night of the Living Dead has been lumped unwittingly into this product's review, so I' m writing this one to clarify.

This DVD edition is the best edition I've seen of the film yet. Anchor Bay may have raised the ires of legions of Living Dead fans by releasing the sacrilegious 30th Anniversary Edition, but Elite Entertainment did right by this new edition.

George A. Romero's personal appreciation appears in the back of this DVD -- this immediately restores our faith. And the contents don't disappoint -- the picture and sound are good, and though this doesn't exactly contain the richest batch of bonus materials (sets like the excellent 3-disc edition of Dario Argento's Suspiria and the recent double-disc Re-Animator both feature loads of extras), it is a nice solid collection. You get a Duane Jones interview (sadly with only audio and no image, but still great); an on-camera chat between Judith Ridley (Judy) and Marilyn Eastman (Helen); the hilarious student-film spoof "Night of the Living Bread" by Kevin S. O'Brien (which also appeared in the double-cassette VHS edition); two commentary tracks with Romero, Russo, Russ Streiner, Eastman, Karl Hardman and others. One very illuminating portion of this DVD for non-film-scholars is visually boring but informative -- several histories outlining the beginning of Romero's Latent Image company, on Hardman and Eastman's company, and how the two were married to produce Night of the Living Dead.

THIS is the right edition of Night of the Living Dead, the one to get for both fans and non-fans alike. It includes all the necessary people (notice that Russo, Streiner and Bill Hinzman were included in this release, despite their criminal participation in the 30th Anniversary Edition), and it presents the film the way it wants to be seen.
Now I'm waiting for a deluxe release of Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead...

Mutilation
This 30th Anniversary Edition takes the original Night of the Living Dead movie and throws in a new soundtrack and new scenes. As far as I was concerned, the original movie was perfect as is and this was unnecessary, however I decided to be openminded and give this edition a chance considering that the new material was written by John Russo (who co-wrote the original movie), and has photography (and acting) by Hinzman (who also helped create the original). I was completely let down.

The new scenes include a new introduction, miscellaneous scenes of zombies marching and getting killed by rednecks, and a new epilogue. The miscellaneous scenes sometimes interfere with the flow of the movie, the makeup is less effective, and some of the new extras are terrible. They do a half decent job of editing in the new scenes, but they are still noticeable (for example, the fashions are not quite right). The new introduction and epilogue are ridiculous.

The intro merely establishes that the lead zombie (played by Hinzman) was a criminal when alive. This takes away from one of the films most effective elements: that the zombies could be your next door neighbour or a close friend or relative, but they will still mindlessly try to kill you. Hinzman is obviously older in the frontal shots (the profiles are okay). When he starts attacking two gravediggers, one of the "actors" begins running away then realizes Hinzman was supposed to grab him first, so he actually goes back to the coffin and leans down so Hinzman can grab him!!! The fact they didn't do a second take shows a lack of care.

The epilogue is a "one year later" interview with an insane hellfire and brimstone preacher who survived the carnage. It is stuck in the middle (spoiler warning) of the scene of Duane Jones being killed and the ending credits showing the rednecks disposing of his body!! Talk about interfering with a very effective ending!

You do have the option to watch the original cut (on an excellent print), but you can only watch it with the new soundtrack! The old soundtrack was made up of library music, but it worked excellently. At best, the new soundtrack is mediocre. Sometimes it doesn't even fit the mood of the scene, for example being frantic when the action is more sedate and depressive.

The booklet contains interviews mostly consisting of the actors talking about how "flawlessy" the new scenes were added and how old fans will love the new version (wrong). There is a fun commentary track, but you get the same people (plus others, including Romero) giving the same info on the commentary tracks in the far superior Elite Millennium Edition.

Confusing Reviews
Many of the negative review below are for the Anchor Bay 30th Anniversary Limited Edition which has a new (mediocre) soundtrack and new footage, and have nothing to do with the dvd listed here, so don't get confused by all the negative reviews. This Elite edition is the definitive Night of the Living Dead dvd, approved by George Romero and stacked with extras. I doubt I need to go into what an excellent and important film this is or try to talk you into getting at least one version, so if you are just unsure of which edition to get, this is the one!

Whew, Amazon Really Has Made A Mess of This!
Why would Amazon lump all the reviews of the many editions of this movie together? Holy cow, what a mess! Who the hell knows what you're gonna wind up with, right?

This review is for the "Special Collector's Edition" DVD. The sound and picture quality are excellent, you get some nice extras and there are not one, but two, audio commentaries available for your delight!! Now you can pick up little bits of wisdom that were previously unavailable. Yeah, the movie gets the royal treatment that it deserves. A winner in every sense.

A great film butchered.
This review pertains only to the "30th Anniversary Edition".

I had been collecting George A. Romero's "Living Dead" trilogy on DVD and had purchased this without paying enough attention. Big mistake.

Night of the Living Dead has had some colossally confusing release patterns thanks to a copyright gaffe which had enabled every company under the sun to release the film and profit from it. But of the 'rogue editions' I've seen, nothing is worse than this one.

Notice the list of personnel involved in this project: John Russo, Russ Streiner, Bill Hinzman...anybody missing? That's right: George A. Romero himself. This "30th Anniversary" edition is a collaborated effort by Romero's former colleagues in the Night of the Living Dead crew to rip off Romero's work and make a profit from it.

The result is disastrous indeed. The new footage written and directed by John Russo serve to butcher the original film. Not only do the new scenes not contribute to the story, they look amateurish, mostly due to horrible writing. Russo had always wanted to claim more credit for the success of Night of the Living Dead than was due him; this attempt at appropriating credit for the original film only shows that Romero is the only one who understands the concept of the Living Dead films. Russo's heinous, childish writing and direction -- which are no better than that of the tongue-in-cheek soft-core videographers of, say, Seduction Cinema -- barely rise above the level of beginner film students. And his claim that the new footage matches the old is just ludicrous. Basically Streiner, Russo, Hinzman et al. have raped Romero's film, trying to use their involvement in the original to steal credit from Romero's work, desperately trying to put as much of their handprint onto the original as possible with this 'new footage'. Well, one minute watching Dawn of the Dead will show you that Romero was the filmmaker, and the others were the hacks.

Yet another guilty party in this whole enterprise is Scott Vladimir Licina, who had composed a new score for the film and plays a priest in the new scenes. The new score jars terribly with the old footage, and Licina's acting is atrocious -- reflective of the all-around low quality of the Russo footage.

Skip this one, crucify it, and leave it out for the zombies to chew on. This edition is a disgrace to Romero's legacy. Night of the Living Dead is one of the greatest horror films ever made; don't allow this sacrilegious edition to mislead your perception on the original film. ... Read more

Description

Its code name is 'Trixie,' an experimental government germ weapon that leaves its victims either dead or irreversibly insane. When the virus is accidentally unleashed in Evans City, Pennsylvania, the small community becomes a war zone of panicked military, desperate scientists and gentle neighbors turned homicidal maniacs. Now a small group of citizens has fled to the town's outskirts where they must hide fromtrigger-happy soldiers while battling their own depraved urges. But even if they can escape the madness of this plague, can they survive the unstoppable violence of THE CRAZIES? ... Read more

Reviews (20)

-Wasn't as creepy as you would expect a Romero flick to be.-
Pittsburgh director, George Romero's second film, The Crazies wasn't as creepy as one would expect Night of the Living Dead's younger sister to be. Taking advantage of a larger budget, higher quality film, and featuring more experienced actors, The Crazies never received the same spooky, washed-out look that The Night of the Living Dead had. Lack of creativity wasn't to blame, only directorial inexperience, as the plot is still wonderfully survivalistic.A plane loaded with bacterialogical weaponry crashes, infecting the water supply of a small Pennsylvania town. When the good townspeople begin brutaly murdering each other, the army is sent in to set up a quarantine. Despite it's not being very scary this film is still an important addition to any horror buff's collection.

Little Known but Excellent Romero Film
George Romero's contributions to the horror genre are legendary. Here is the guy who made "Night of the Living Dead" in the late 1960s, single-handedly bringing flesh-eating zombies into the lexicon of millions of horror fans. Two sequels followed with differing levels of success, but Romero's zombie films also inspired several Italian directors, most notably Lucio Fulci and Umberto Lenzi, to churn out a plethora of grue drenched films featuring the shambling dead. Of course, Romero didn't just sit around during the intervals between zombie films; he made other films that, while not as well known as the trilogy of "Dead" films, are eerie in there own right. One of these movies is "The Crazies," sometimes referred to by its alternate title "Codename: Trixie" (a title I like better, for some inexplicable reason). I sing the praises of the DVD revolution in nearly every movie review I write, but seeing an early Romero film with some extra goodies really makes my day. Getting background on a film like this one would never have been possible in the old VHS days.

"The Crazies," shows the deadly implications of a biological weapons accident on a small American town named Evans City, Pennsylvania. An army plane carrying a weapons grade virus known as Trixie crashes in a field outside of town. The military dispatches a team of specialists and cleaners to inspect the damage, and the technicians do their thing and declare the area safe for the residents. In typical paranoid, Vietnam era style, the military hides the potential dangers of the crash, but since no contamination took place the only results are a few wiped brows and some sighs of reassurance. Only a small circle of military high ups will ever realize how close America came to total destruction, for Trixie is a highly communicable virus with no known cure. What a relief!

You didn't think it would end there, did you? C'mon, this is a Romero film! As it turns out, a small quantity of Trixie did leak into the town's water supply. By the time the military realizes this actuality, some of the residents in town start showing signs of infection: a pasty complexion and a propensity to suddenly indulge in bloody violence. The army answers with a bunch of troops decked out in white detox suits armed with automatic weapons. The colonel in charge of the town quickly sets up a quarantine line around the town in an effort to stop the spread of Trixie, but try as he might, he simply lacks the necessary manpower and equipment to know for sure if his efforts are working. No one knows if Trixie moved beyond the borders of the town between the time of the crash to the first signs of infection. Since the army needs to keep the townspeople placated, they put a tight rein on any potentially damaging information. As long as the townspeople play like good little American citizens, everything will turn out for the best. As for Trixie, the army brings in a doctor who helped build the virus in the laboratory, and he starts working on a vaccination right away despite his pessimism about the communicability of the virus and the high probability that it did indeed escape the town's borders. His only hope is to find someone with immunity to the disease and thereby acquire the necessary immunological materials needed to fashion a cure.

Unfortunately for the army, one of the locals is a nurse at the doctor's office. She quickly learns what's going on and takes off to find her husband, a firefighter who is currently battling a blaze that resulted because a Trixie victim went on a rampage. The husband has a few questions himself before he ever meets up with his wife: why are there soldiers dressed in detox suits exchanging gunfire with a local? Why is it so tough to get any answers about what is going on in town? Eventually, husband and wife hook up with a few other locals and the group decides to make a break for the edge of town. The biggest problem with this plan is that several people in the group have Trixie and are slowly wasting away as the hours pass. Simultaneously, the town descends into anarchy, with soldiers and locals blazing away at each other with firearms and explosives. "The Crazies" concludes with the customary Romero ambiguity, as we wonder what will happen to the rest of the country if and when Trixie gets loose.

"The Crazies" is a low budget production that manages to put across a chilling scenario of "what if"? The soldiers do look ominous in those containment suits, and the performances of the cast are quite good considering the no name talent, with special mention going to Lynn Lowry, an amazingly sexy Sissy Spacek look alike who plays Kathy Bolan, a young lady infected with Trixie. Her death scene constitutes one of the more memorable, and upsetting, scenes in the film. A few good gun battles help move the film along, as does the occasional cutaway to officials in Washington, D.C. who consider dropping a nuclear bomb on the town if it looks like Trixie will spread. What really helps the DVD version of the film are the extras: a short interview with Lynn Lowry, a commentary track with Romero, trailers, tons of production stills from the movie, and an informative George Romero biography. "The Crazies" might well be low budget '70s fare, but it's never cheesy thanks to a claustrophobic atmosphere, capable performances, and a great plot.

More bark than bite
Talk, talk, and more talk; with some action scenes randomly inserted. I felt like I was watching C-SPAN with a bad science fiction twist. The movie delves too much in wordy technical political blunders. I wish Romero were more clever in incorporating the social satire with the action as he has done with Dawn and Night. The movie is as bland as a licking a paper plate. The real problem here was the dialogue. I felt like I had to trim fat off a piece of meat to get to the real message underneath this sea of people talking in a room. The movie felt as if it never ventured beyond the same rooms the entire time.

We hear so much about how the virus is so dangerous, yet this point was never illustrated. We do see the corruption of the army just when they break into people's homes and quarantine them and when they go into mild gunfights. That's about it and it only makes a small fraction of the entire movie. It was basically the army and some doctor switching back and forth with arguments about the virus and blah blah blah. There's too much excruciating detail delivered only in wor