"Night Of The Living Dead" (1968) by George A. Romero - HD Quality
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Night of the Living Dead (a.k.a. Night of the Flesh Eaters; not to be confused with the 2008 movie Night of the Flesh Eaters directed and written by J.R. McGarrity) is a 1968 American independent zombie horror film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a US$114,000 budget. The film became a financial success, grossing $12 million domestically and $18 million internationally. It has been a cult classic ever since. Night of the Living Dead was heavily criticized at its release for its explicit gore, but eventually garnered critical acclaim and has been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as a film deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
The story follows characters Ben (Duane Jones), Barbra (Judith O'Dea), and five others trapped in a rural farmhouse in Pennsylvania which is attacked by unnamed "living dead" monsters, drawing on earlier depictions in popular culture of zombies. Night of the Living Dead was the basis of five subsequent Living Dead films (1978–2010) also directed by Romero, and has inspired remakes.
Plot:
Barbra (Judith O'Dea) and Johnny Blair (Russell Streiner) drive to rural Pennsylvania for an annual visit to their father's grave, at their mother's request. Noticing Barbra's discomfort, Johnny teases, "They're coming to get you, Barbra", before she is attacked by a strange man (Bill Hinzman). Johnny tries to rescue his sister, but breaks his neck on a gravestone, killing himself. Barbra flees by car but crashes into a tree. With the stranger in pursuit, she escapes on foot, and later arrives at a farmhouse where she discovers a woman's mangled corpse. Running out of the house, she is confronted by strange menacing figures like the man in the graveyard. Ben (Duane Jones) takes her into the house, where Barbra slowly descends into shock and insanity as Ben drives the monsters from the house and seals the doors and windows.
Ben and Barbra are unaware that the farmhouse has a cellar, housing an angry married couple Harry (Karl Hardman) and Helen Cooper (Marilyn Eastman) and their daughter Karen (Kyra Schon), who sought refuge after a group of zombies overturned their car; and teenage couple Tom (Keith Wayne) and Judy (Judith Ridley), who arrived after hearing an emergency broadcast about a series of brutal murders. Karen has fallen seriously ill after being bitten by one of the zombies. They venture upstairs when Ben turns on a radio, while Barbra awakens from a stupor. Harry demands that everyone hide in the cellar, but Ben deems it a "deathtrap" and continues, upstairs, to barricade the house, with Tom's help.
Radio reports explain that a state of mass murder is sweeping across the eastern United States. When Ben finds a television, the emergency broadcaster reports that the recently deceased have become reanimated and are consuming the flesh of the living. Experts, scientists, and the United States military fail to discover the cause, though one scientist suspects radioactive contamination from a space probe returning from Venus, which was deliberately exploded in the Earth's atmosphere when the radiation was detected.
When the reports list local rescue centers offering refuge and safety, Ben plans to obtain medical care for Karen. Ben and Tom therefore refuel Ben's truck, while Harry hurls Molotov cocktails from an upper window at the "undead". Fearing for Tom's safety, Judy follows him. At the pump, Tom accidentally spills gasoline on the truck, setting it ablaze. Tom and Judy try to drive the truck away from the pump, but Judy is unable to free herself from its door, and the truck explodes, instantly killing Tom and Judy.
Ben returns to the house, but is locked out by Harry, and forces entry. Angered by Harry's cowardice, Ben beats him, while the undead feed on the remains of Tom and Judy. In the house, a news report reveals that, aside from setting the "reactivated bodies" on fire, only a gunshot or heavy blow to the head can stop them, and that posses of armed men are patrolling the countryside to restore order...
Directed by George A. Romero
Produced by Karl Hardman, Russell Streiner
Written by George A. Romero, John A. Russo
Starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne, Judith Ridley, Bill Cardille, Kyra Schon
Music by William Loose, Fred Steiner (stock recording)
Cinematography George A. Romero
Edited by George A. Romero, John A. Russo
Production company Image Ten, Laurel Group, Market Square Productions
Distributed by The Walter Reade Organization
Release dates October 1, 1968
Running time 96 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $114,000
Box office $30 million
The story follows characters Ben (Duane Jones), Barbra (Judith O'Dea), and five others trapped in a rural farmhouse in Pennsylvania which is attacked by unnamed "living dead" monsters, drawing on earlier depictions in popular culture of zombies. Night of the Living Dead was the basis of five subsequent Living Dead films (1978–2010) also directed by Romero, and has inspired remakes.
Plot:
Barbra (Judith O'Dea) and Johnny Blair (Russell Streiner) drive to rural Pennsylvania for an annual visit to their father's grave, at their mother's request. Noticing Barbra's discomfort, Johnny teases, "They're coming to get you, Barbra", before she is attacked by a strange man (Bill Hinzman). Johnny tries to rescue his sister, but breaks his neck on a gravestone, killing himself. Barbra flees by car but crashes into a tree. With the stranger in pursuit, she escapes on foot, and later arrives at a farmhouse where she discovers a woman's mangled corpse. Running out of the house, she is confronted by strange menacing figures like the man in the graveyard. Ben (Duane Jones) takes her into the house, where Barbra slowly descends into shock and insanity as Ben drives the monsters from the house and seals the doors and windows.
Ben and Barbra are unaware that the farmhouse has a cellar, housing an angry married couple Harry (Karl Hardman) and Helen Cooper (Marilyn Eastman) and their daughter Karen (Kyra Schon), who sought refuge after a group of zombies overturned their car; and teenage couple Tom (Keith Wayne) and Judy (Judith Ridley), who arrived after hearing an emergency broadcast about a series of brutal murders. Karen has fallen seriously ill after being bitten by one of the zombies. They venture upstairs when Ben turns on a radio, while Barbra awakens from a stupor. Harry demands that everyone hide in the cellar, but Ben deems it a "deathtrap" and continues, upstairs, to barricade the house, with Tom's help.
Radio reports explain that a state of mass murder is sweeping across the eastern United States. When Ben finds a television, the emergency broadcaster reports that the recently deceased have become reanimated and are consuming the flesh of the living. Experts, scientists, and the United States military fail to discover the cause, though one scientist suspects radioactive contamination from a space probe returning from Venus, which was deliberately exploded in the Earth's atmosphere when the radiation was detected.
When the reports list local rescue centers offering refuge and safety, Ben plans to obtain medical care for Karen. Ben and Tom therefore refuel Ben's truck, while Harry hurls Molotov cocktails from an upper window at the "undead". Fearing for Tom's safety, Judy follows him. At the pump, Tom accidentally spills gasoline on the truck, setting it ablaze. Tom and Judy try to drive the truck away from the pump, but Judy is unable to free herself from its door, and the truck explodes, instantly killing Tom and Judy.
Ben returns to the house, but is locked out by Harry, and forces entry. Angered by Harry's cowardice, Ben beats him, while the undead feed on the remains of Tom and Judy. In the house, a news report reveals that, aside from setting the "reactivated bodies" on fire, only a gunshot or heavy blow to the head can stop them, and that posses of armed men are patrolling the countryside to restore order...
Directed by George A. Romero
Produced by Karl Hardman, Russell Streiner
Written by George A. Romero, John A. Russo
Starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne, Judith Ridley, Bill Cardille, Kyra Schon
Music by William Loose, Fred Steiner (stock recording)
Cinematography George A. Romero
Edited by George A. Romero, John A. Russo
Production company Image Ten, Laurel Group, Market Square Productions
Distributed by The Walter Reade Organization
Release dates October 1, 1968
Running time 96 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $114,000
Box office $30 million