Night of the Living Dead is George Romero's low budget horror classic that ushered in a new era of horror and defined what exactly a zombie is without even mentioning it by name. A group of people end up in a deserted Pennsylvania farm house after being harassed by the dead rising from the grave and eating their living counterparts.Night of the Living Dead isn't a total late '60's horror film- it's also a look at the interactions of people. The main living characters all represent different personalities of normal life and how they would react in this situation, which of course leads to conflict. I can see this film being shown in sociology classes someday.
Romero defines the creepy feel of the film, shooting at angles and making it into something that had never been seen before: unadulterated horror. This film was no holds barred for 1968 and it thrived in the drive in theater circuit to become the legendary film that it is today.
So what's so special about Night of the Living Dead? Mainly, it's the fact that this is the first monster movie where the monster wasn't from outer space or a mad scientists lab. The monster is essentially us. Horror had come home and this film would be the catalyst for all the thrillers that were set in our own backyards that followed it.
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