Night Of The Living Dead (1968) ****

With Night Of The Living Dead (1968), George A. Romero set the bar for the modern zombie film (or "ghouls," as they are referred to in this one). By all means a classic and incredibly influential, there are  certain aspects that haven’t aged all that well.

A lot of the acting isn't particularly great and a bit over the top. Given the primarily single location and theatrical feel of the film, it works to a certain degree, but still detracts a bit from the viewing experience. 

Remembering that the film is more than 50 years old is important and part of the charm of NOTLD is the success it has endured on a such a low budget, however it often feels more like it was made even 10 years earlier than it was. 

The "score” of library music does feature some cool and creepy electronic sounds, efficiently used, but also has a lot of stock music that would be more at home in 40s noir films.  

All that said, NOTLD is a historic debut and an important piece of cinema. There’s plenty of indelible imagery and the finale (in particular the sadly still topical ending) continues to pack a wallop.

You can find my George A. Romero Feature Films Ranked list here.