Night of the Living Disappointment. When searching for a skin crawling horror movie do not expect zombie history to be your go to search. “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) is opinionated to be the zombie movie that descended into what we have today, but it does not do this title justice. The audio, sound effects, editing, special effects, acting, and much more can leave you feeling annoyed and regretting the time you wasted watching it. So before you sit down with a bucket of buttery fluffy goodness and expect to watch an old and horror filled zombie tale, take a few minutes to find out why you should not.
Audio: sound effects and music. If something action filled is about to happen, you will know it. Like any horror classic an eerie song begins to play before something action packed happens, to raise our emotional levels of suspense. Toying with our emotions is a horror classic, but “Night of the Living Dead” plays that eerie music before, during, and after every minute scary scene. After the first few songs the sense of suspense is long dead (longer than the “Ghouls”). Some added features to help kill your feeling of suspense and scare it out the door are the sound effects. The sound effects in “Night of the Living Dead” are so terrible they are hilarious. The two major sound effects that left an imprint in my mind are the sounds used to suggest someone being punched and the screaming of a certain character during their death scene. In nearly every fight someone or
The article “Dead man still walking: Explaining the zombie renaissance” by Kyle Bishop is about the revitalization of the zombie genre. The article talks about the inception in the late 1960’s, the category of zombie films has had its roller coaster ride of ups and downs, starting with its decline in the early 1980’s with the release of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. Furthermore, during 1990’s, due to the shift in the cultural consciousness that came with the Clinton Administration and the countries isolation from global tragedies, the popularity of these films continued to decline. Cultural consciousness refers to the understanding and awareness a shift in feelings, sensations, thoughts, of not only our own culture, but adjoining cultures.
Zombies, as we know them today, have mortified movie viewers for the last forty six years. Modern zombies first appeared in George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead in 1968. These zombies were the slow moving, staggering ghouls that one has seen in countless films, but in 1985, Return of the Living Dead featured a new kind of zombie, the first fast moving and talking ghoul. Both Night of the Living dead 1968 and Return of the Living Dead 1985 feature the zombie as its villain, but Return of the living dead’s fast moving, talking zombies are a more modern take on the movie monster.
Low angle shot, where a camera points upwards from below, generally make people or things look bigger, more courageous and important. However, same angle shots sometimes will be chosen to emphasize different effects in one film. In the movie “Night of the Living Dead,” the director George A. Romero uses low angles for different purposes.
Night of the Living Dead (Romero, 1968) is a movie that contains a large amount of historical significance. This movie is well known for its incredible relevance to the year that it was released. The movie has been described as “A Newsreel of 1968”, and there is ample reason to make that statement. The year 1968 was a very tumultuous period in American history that saw a great deal of violence overseas and in the United States itself. There were many history altering events that took place during 1968, which would all serve to rile up and instill fear and anger in the American people. 1968 saw the latest presidential election in which there was great division amongst the parties, and was the election in which Robert Kennedy was assassinated. Not only did that year see the assassination of another Kennedy, but it also bore witness to the assassination of the most prominent civil rights leader of the time, Martin Luther King Jr. With these tragedies a war in Vietnam raged which had riled much of the country into protest, especially young people.
Facing Death is a compelling documentary on, oftentimes, the final journey patients and their families will venture through together in life. The documentary seeks to capture how the patients and their families respond to the inevitability of death. The film includes families who respond to the issue by allowing their family member, the patient, to pass through the door of death without aggressive care, while there are yet other families who insist on everything being done to delay the moment of death. This topic of fighting death is attributed with producing much debate. On one hand are those who do not see the point of fighting death, however, on the other hand, there are those who believe that delaying death and staying alive is what ought to be done. Personally, from what I understand of either party, I think that I am a part of the later party. In addition, this issue naturally delves into what one believes occurs after death, as it is an issue dealing directly with death. This also compels me to view this topic from the viewpoint of the later party.
In the film, Night of the Living Dead, the movie starts with two siblings, John and Barbara, driving to their father's grave to drop off flowers. John is reluctant to be there and is eager to leave while Barbara is trying to pray. John teases her like when they were children saying “They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” when they both see an unknown man. Barbara goes to apologize to the unknown man but it seems he is dazed and kills John. Barbara escapes and finds herself at an empty house. In the house, she meets Ben, who borders up to the windows after taking down 3 undead. After a bit of listening to a radio for the current status of the state of emergency, Harry and Tom come upstairs. We learn that two men, two women, and a child had been in the basement of the house during Barbara’s and Ben’s struggle with the undead. After much argumentation on if the basement or upstairs was safer between Harry and Ben, Harry went back downstairs to his wife and child. Tom and his wife, Judy, stayed upstairs with Ben believing they could properly border up the windows together. After much convincing from Helen, Harry’s wife, Harry and she join the others upstairs. While listening on the radio, they are given more updates of the state of emergency. The radio announcer suggests instead of staying in place, to now go to one of the designated “safe areas”. When places are announced, Tom says that one of the
The foundation of horror genre was set by monsters that not only haunted your dreams but also conveyed rich themes found deep beneath the surface. Vampires are considered a symbol of seduction and sophistication while Frankenstein monsters represent misunderstanding, oppression, and rebellion. Some of the strongest symbolism is found in standard films of the horror genre does not come from the frequently updated relics. Utilizing fear and horror as mechanisms for subtext, social commentary, and symbolism, George Romero created a new horror genre, one that scares and shines just as much as great horror classics. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead revolutionized the once stagnant zombie film and made into something unstoppable, still to this day zombie movies rake in millions of ticket sales at the box office while remaining culturally relevant.
1968 was the year that North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive against the United States and South Vietnam, the year that Martin Luther King JR and Robert Kennedy were assassinated, the year that started student protests and riots, the year that Black Power salute occurred and finally, the year that Night of the Living Dead came out. You may be wondering why a film would have anything to do with these historic events that occurred in 1968. Well, Night of the Living Dead is a zombie horror film directed by George A. Romero, this film that Romero created was a game changer for the film industry it lead to something bigger than purely entertainment. Romero’s goal behind his low budget black and white film was to construct subtext about social issues such as the Vietnam War and many other issues that went on during 1968. Romero’s zombie film’s present a sense of the failure of human co-operation.
There has been a resurgence of zombie films in the last decade, ranging from Danny Boyles 28 Days Later to Paul W.S. Andersons Resident Evil. This renaissance of zombie cinema has resurfaced in response to the cultural, political, and social volatility experienced in today’s society, much like its predecessors. A zombie film, unlike other monster movies, plays more with the real-world fears and anxieties, presenting the audience with inescapable realities. However, to understand why this subgenre has been brought back into the mainstream cinema, a comparison is needed across generations of film. This paper will focus on the comparison between George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead and Danny Boyles 28 Days Later; in an attempt to show how zombie cinema is a reaction to cultural shocks.
The 1968 cult classic, Night of the Living Dead, begins under the credits with brother and sister Johnny (Russell Streiner) and Barbara (Judith O’Dea) bickering about the long journey to rural Pennsylvania after arriving at a secluded cemetery to leave flowers on their father’s grave at their mother’s request. As they make their way back to the car, Johnny begins to tease Barbara. “They’re coming to get you, Barbara… They’re coming for you… Look, there’s one now!” A staggering, pale-faced figure (S. William Hinzman) approaches the two siblings and attacks Barbara. When Johnny comes to her rescue, he is killed during the struggle
In 1928 ground-breaking technology made it possible for movies to have sound. This revolutionized horror films because sound gave an extra dimension to terror. Noise built suspense and signaled the presence of a threat. (Wilson) Instead of a monster suddenly making an appearance without warning, music would signal that they were near. Growls, Snarls, footsteps, and screams allowed the audience members to feel like the victims of the movie.
As the music goes on, the constant loud bang of the drum adds that scary effect that you don't know what's going to happen next. The sound of a train and furnaces firing up are amongst a few which add a heavier eerie feel to the sequence. The editing can be seen that throughout the sequence a filter was put on top of the film, as well as this many of the shots have a blur around the edges. This effect could connotate the feelings of the main character when he first comes out of the coma. A time-lapse shot has also been used from 0:09 to 0:11 to convey the many years that have passed since he has been in the coma. Many of the cuts are raw and sudden, the shot will go from landscape (wide shot) to a extreme close-up. Once again foreshadowing the events to come, this could mirror the act of the zombies suddenly appearing. lump cuts are also used In scenes of an abandoned house, giving a Jarring effect to the pace. The titles appear amongst the scene, sometimes moving. The final title 'The Walking Dead' flickers into shot over a green background that fades to black at the edges. The use of mise-en-scene in this sequence evokes anticipation in the audience. The post-apocalyptic world is conveyed through micro elements such as, the bare and dirty decor of the abandoned house and the low-key dingy lighting. The contrast of natural and low key
Corpse Bride is a beautiful movie about love, death, and sacrifices, in a classic Tim Burton style the movie is dark but with a gradual light. The living world is portrayed as dull and nearly colorless but the land of the dead is a completely different situation because it is full of color and excitement. Although this movie sounds like a horror film just by the title and the appearance of the cover art but it is the exact opposite. This movie is very well written and played out, it may one of the most beautiful and touching animated love stories. Tim Burton is an excellent writer, animator, director, artist, and producer known for his dark and gothic works so this movie does not fall short of any expectations. Many people compare Corpse Bride to other Tim Burton movies because of its eerie vibes and uniqueness. (Member reviews for Tim Burton's Corpse Bride | Common Sense Media.).
''The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you!!! ...'' Father Merrin&Father Damien Karras from the movie -The Exorcist-
Horror films are known for their ability to scare audiences, to get the audience’s hearts racing, their blood rushing. A good horror film will cause viewers to be on the edge of their seats and having their perception of reality distorted as they attempt to understand the unraveling plot of the horror film. The tone of the film aides in the amount of suspense that a horror film produces, since a much darker film will create a more suspenseful atmosphere than one that is more focused on campy monster makeup. But the tone of a film is determined by the sound of the film, or in other words, the score. Sound or music in a horror film, or the lack thereof, make the intense scenes and without the addition