Posted by Brian Myers | Published
Remakes are a source of great division among horror fans, who seem to split into equally-numbered camps that embrace new classics or consider the very thought of reimagining a beloved film blasphemous. When it was announced in 1989 that George Romero's zombie cult Night of the Living Dead would be remade for a modern audience, the news was met with mixed reactions. For those who have seen the finished 1990 version, most will agree that it is just as much a gem as its 1968 predecessor.
I Night of the Living Dead the remake begins the same way as the original, with brother and sister Johnny and Barbara (played by Bill Moseley and Patricia Tallman, respectively) visiting their mother's grave in a Pennsylvania state cemetery. While laying flowers on the site, the brothers are attacked by an old man. In the fight to protect his sister, Johnny is killed.
Barbara runs from the cemetery and finds what she thinks is an empty farmhouse. But a small group of zombies, similar to the one that attacked him and Johnny in the cemetery, are there to greet him. She is suddenly joined by a man named Ben (Tony Todd), who helps her to stay immortal.
I Night of the Living Dead the remake follows the same pattern as Romero's original, and the farmhouse is inhabited by a group of survivors in the basement. Conflicts between newcomers and squatters arise, with dire consequences. With limited resources and few options, a small group tries to devise an escape strategy and find a better dig.
I Night of the Living Dead the remake marks the directorial debut of special effects and filmmaking wizard Tom Savini. Although he did not work on Romero's original 1968 film, Savini became the basis for Romero's subsequent films. The filmmaker/special effects master helped bring the immortals to life on screen with Dawn of the Dead again Day of the Deadas well as lending his acting talents to small roles in several of Romero's films including Dawn of the Dead again Martin.
I Night of the Living Dead the remake brought the horrors of the original in full, curved color. There is little left in the imagination of this version, and Savini was forced to edit some brutal scenes to avoid an NC-17 rating. An extra year aside, the film sticks pretty close to the original in terms of plot and character development, with one notable and welcome exception.
For the role of Barbara, Savini had actress Patricia Tallman (well known for her role Babylon 5) transform the character during the movie into an unbound power player. This is a far cry from the original Barbara of 1968, who was gentle and helpless.
I Night of the Living Dead the remake brings the best performances of its stars, especially Tallman and Tony Todd. Sharp-eyed horror fans will spot two faces from the 1968 version in Bill Cardille (who played a TV news reporter in both versions) and Russell Streiner, who played Johnny in the 1968 version and was cast as Sheriff McClelland in the 1990 reboot.
You can stream the 1990 remake Night of the Living Dead on Amazon.
