Night of the Living Dead (1990) [DVD]

Romero's original film - made at the height of the Vietnam War and in the cauldron of the civil rights struggle - portrayed young people faced with senseless slaughter, juxtaposed the imagination of the living against the blind obedience of the dead, and made emphatic the racial and generational tensions of the plot.

From the very first, Savini's remake of this classic, groundbreaking film cranks up the tension and the dramatic quality of the original as a brother and sister argue on their way to their mother's plot in an isolated graveyard. Romero collaborated in this remake of his zombie masterpiece - working closely with Savini, the remake benefits from advances in technology and the freedom of a much bigger budget, and this is apparent from the opening shots.

Faithful to Romero's original - at least throughout the first half - this is an intensified and amplified drama. While it cannot recapture the novelty and impact value of the original, in many respects this is one of those rare events in cinematography - a remake which equals its progenitor in quality. Savini has better resources and uses them to effect. If his version has a weakness it is in its failure to capture the suffocating sense of claustrophobia Romero managed with his survivors trying to barricade themselves in safely.

Savini also loses much of the political gravitas of the original. This is a commercial remake, not a statement about political realities. But Savini does diverge from the original storyline, and, in doing so, makes his own political statements. His female characters are more independent, more assertive. And the living are shown to be just as barbaric as the dead - it's not death which has turned the zombies into mindless creatures, society has already done that to the living.

Tom Savini uses his resources with authority and perception. He takes the dynamic originality of Romero's vision and elaborates on it skilfully. The result is more visceral, more mature, more sanguine in its consideration of dramatic potential. He delivers a film which is every bit as good as the original and which is a worthy parallel to Romero's work.

And the DVD offers some interesting extras - an excellent 'making of' featurette (25 minutes) is well worth watching. As a resurrected classic, this is an excellent production, a must-see for horror fans, and a DVD you should add to your collection.

Enjoy!!!!

The NOTLD remake may never be the classic the original was, but it's still a fine film. Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman are good leads, with the rest of the cast generally doing a good job.

As for the DVD, the picture quality is sharp, and the Dolby Surround is clear. There's also a director's commentary and a documentary (which features alternate footage cut by the censors).

One of the best zombie films of the 90's.