Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
The Night of the Living Dead (1990) episode of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written by Emilie Black, Narrated by Adam Walton, Edited by Victoria Verduzco, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Horror remakes are everywhere these days, but back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were quite a few less, in fact, they were pretty rare. Some of them had come and gone with varying degrees in quality and success. Some of the best are still remembered today, such as The Things and The Flies. In 1990, a remake was released to less enthusiasm. It was even put on Roger Ebert’s “Most Hated List” – not surprising, as he was a fan of some of George A. Romero’s originals. It was a big risk to remake a film so beloved, that broke boundaries and is still influential today. It’s Night of the Living Dead! (Watch it HERE)So what happened? What happened to make this film so poorly received, and now a nostalgic film? It’s one of those things that is hard to explain. Many people dislike remakes, and for good reason. However, many films are criticized before they have even been seen. Back in the day, remakes weren’t as hated as they are today, and there were fewer of them. Back in the day, something about the remake of Night Of The Living Dead irritated people. Horror fans did not expect the film to be a good one, even though Tom Savini directed it. After all, it was his directorial début and people who switch departments are not always the best at their directorial debuts. Savini’s stellar special effects and his acting were already well-known, but he had no idea what to expect when directing his first feature film. He had directed three episodes of the
Tales of the Darkside TV series. So he had experience in the field, but not for feature films. Many of his fans were on board right from the beginning, but others were not. The fact that the original was so beloved, and that it changed the genre of zombie films, kept many people from being excited about the remake. Some people would even say George A. Romero created zombie films, but this would be a stretch. Romero was a master of horror, and his work is a work to be admired for the way he used a simple scare device to create the undead as well as how he brought to life the original Night of the Living Dead. Romero’s film was a model for independent cinema, and for zombie movies. It’s a classic, for many reasons. Remaking it wasn’t something many people were in favor of. Nevertheless, Savini went forward and made his own version.Let’s take a look at the remake here, starting with the story. Romero wrote the final screenplay here. The credits state that George A. Romero, John A. Russo, and George A. Romero had written an earlier screenplay. The story is largely the same, with a few minor changes. A group of people are seeking shelter in an old house in the country. As the story progresses and the zombies multiply tensions increase and the survivors learn more about themselves. The story is very close to the original, with some modernization touches. This is something that many would expect. The film isn’t a shot-forshot remake, and it has its own ideas. This makes it stand out from other remakes when it comes to how they approached adapting a story from the original material. The changes made to the film are not egregious and are not too far from the original. They work. Tony Todd plays Ben, the role originally played by Duane. It was controversial in 1968, when having a black actor lead a cast was not common. Tony Todd was chosen for the remake because of his acting skills. Before then, he had a few horror films under his belt, but nothing like this. This film helped establish him, along with Candyman, as the horror icon that he is today. Of course, people at the time didn’t see it this way. Yet. Patricia Tallman is Barbara, Tom Towles, McKee Anderson, William Butler, Katie Finneran, Sarah, Heather Mazur, and Bill Moseley are co-stars in this remake. These names are now familiar to horror fans and have played a major role in the success of the film. Some of these people were well-known, but not as much as they are today. Many of these people are now horror and sci-fi specialists. We see them in thrillers, horrors, and sci-fi films all the time. Bill Moseley is one of the Fireflies, and Tony Todd plays Candyman. William Butler directs horror films, Tom Towles appears in Rob Zombie movies, etc. These are the horror stars of today. They are usually signed by several members of the cast or crew they have met at conventions. It’s like they are part and parcel of the convention, always in the autograph room or the vendor’s room. The cast of this film accounts for a lot in how the film went from just barely making a mark to becoming a cult film that many own and love nowadays.Let’s get back to the director of this remake, Tom Savini. Tom Savini has worked on many films in the “of the Dead series”. He appeared as Motorcycle Rider in
Dawn of the Dead and also assisted with stunts on the set when there was no stunt crew. He also did makeup effects and cosmetics for the film. He also did special effects makeup on
Day of the Dead, played the Sheriff in the remake of Dawn of the Dead, and was the Machete Zombie for Land of the Dead
as well as doing voiceover work in Diary of the Dead. These credits show that he was involved with the series since the beginning. It makes sense to have him direct the remake. Some have argued that his directing is lacking, but later on it is clear that he has talent. Savini had become a respected special effect master by 1990. It wasn’t a stretch for him to direct a remake. In interviews and panels at conventions, it is common to see the experiences described through rose-colored lenses. One interviewee, however, seems to disagree with the enthusiasm of some of the cast. This is director Savini, who describes filming as “the worst dream of ‘s life”. Savini also said in interviews that he had to cut the film down to avoid getting an X-rating, which would have killed the chances of the film being successful at the box office. Cinemas view an X-rating as a bad omen and will not accept it from the distributor. Savini believes that the scenes cut from Night of the Living Dead are the reason why people did not love the film when it was first released. He blames these cuts for the film’s low ticket sales. These scenes have been re-released in different ways, including as part of special features and online. The entire film, uncut with all of its gore and restored effects, does not appear to be available yet. It was neither a huge success nor a complete failure. It is likely that the film did well in terms of numbers. The film is likely to have been at the breaking-even point in terms of numbers. Not a number one but not bad. The numbers show that it brought in $2,884,679, which is not bad, but not abysmal either for 1990. The top 5 for that week were Fantasia in a release from 1940, Ghost which was a massive hit with a total gross over $172 million USD, Quigley Down Under which was a Tom Selleck film appealing to the mom crowd and the Western crowd, Memphis Belle
which was a war movie, and [his]Marked for Death
a Steven Seagal movie which opened at number one and was on its third week at number one. It was October so one would expect to see more horror films at the top of the box office, or even in the top 10. The only horror film to make the top 10 was the remake of
Night Of The Living Dead. In its second week, it faced a little more competition from horror films with the release Graveyard shift, and unfortunately it fell to number 14. Oddly, there was not much horror competition. Each week after that saw more horror being released, and Night of the Living Dead just dropped off the charts completely.As for reviews and public opinion, the film didn’t do all that great either. Roger Ebert, as mentioned previously, hated the movie and ranked it among his “Most Hated”, which is not an easy feat. Rotten Tomatoes shows that he was not the only critic who didn’t like the film. The film has a fresh rating of 68% from critics, and the same average for the public. This shows that critics and public are in agreement. The film is criticized for not having enough new elements in its story. However, it is praised for being gory and well-done gore. It’s clear from conversations with horror fans that not everyone loves the film. However, those who do love it love it it. The film has a cult-like following that has grown in the past two decades. Its issues are often overshadowed by nostalgia, which brings new fans to the film and makes some people see it differently after first seeing it. The cast’s appearances on the convention circuit and their names becoming more and more popular over the years have helped this film reach new audiences. Its popularity seems to be increasing, as it has been re-released by many collection labels and box sets. The film was released on Blu ray in recent years and there are a number of different editions that can be purchased on Blu ray disc or DVD. Below are a few of the previous episodes from WTF happened to this horror movie?. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX66BRNQQqkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E_NLXH_zxw
Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
The Night of the Living Dead (1990) episode of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written by Emilie Black, Narrated by Adam Walton, Edited by Victoria Verduzco, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Horror remakes are everywhere these days, but back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were quite a few less, in fact, they were pretty rare. Some of them had come and gone with varying degrees in quality and success. Some of the best are still remembered today, such as The Things and The Flies. In 1990, a remake was released to less enthusiasm. It was even put on Roger Ebert’s “Most Hated List” – not surprising, as he was a fan of some of George A. Romero’s originals. It was a big risk to remake a film so beloved, that broke boundaries and is still influential today. It’s Night of the Living Dead! (Watch it HERE)So what happened? What happened to make this film so poorly received, and now a nostalgic film? It’s one of those things that is hard to explain. Many people dislike remakes, and for good reason. However, many films are criticized before they have even been seen. Back in the day, remakes weren’t as hated as they are today, and there were fewer of them. Back in the day, something about the remake of Night Of The Living Dead irritated people. Horror fans did not expect the film to be a good one, even though Tom Savini directed it. After all, it was his directorial début and people who switch departments are not always the best at their directorial debuts. Savini’s stellar special effects and his acting were already well-known, but he had no idea what to expect when directing his first feature film. He had directed three episodes of the
Tales of the Darkside TV series. So he had experience in the field, but not for feature films. Many of his fans were on board right from the beginning, but others were not. The fact that the original was so beloved, and that it changed the genre of zombie films, kept many people from being excited about the remake. Some people would even say George A. Romero created zombie films, but this would be a stretch. Romero was a master of horror, and his work is a work to be admired for the way he used a simple scare device to create the undead as well as how he brought to life the original Night of the Living Dead. Romero’s film was a model for independent cinema, and for zombie movies. It’s a classic, for many reasons. Remaking it wasn’t something many people were in favor of. Nevertheless, Savini went forward and made his own version.Let’s take a look at the remake here, starting with the story. Romero wrote the final screenplay here. The credits state that George A. Romero, John A. Russo, and George A. Romero had written an earlier screenplay. The story is largely the same, with a few minor changes. A group of people are seeking shelter in an old house in the country. As the story progresses and the zombies multiply tensions increase and the survivors learn more about themselves. The story is very close to the original, with some modernization touches. This is something that many would expect. The film isn’t a shot-forshot remake, and it has its own ideas. This makes it stand out from other remakes when it comes to how they approached adapting a story from the original material. The changes made to the film are not egregious and are not too far from the original. They work. Tony Todd plays Ben, the role originally played by Duane. It was controversial in 1968, when having a black actor lead a cast was not common. Tony Todd was chosen for the remake because of his acting skills. Before then, he had a few horror films under his belt, but nothing like this. This film helped establish him, along with Candyman, as the horror icon that he is today. Of course, people at the time didn’t see it this way. Yet. Patricia Tallman is Barbara, Tom Towles, McKee Anderson, William Butler, Katie Finneran, Sarah, Heather Mazur, and Bill Moseley are co-stars in this remake. These names are now familiar to horror fans and have played a major role in the success of the film. Some of these people were well-known, but not as much as they are today. Many of these people are now horror and sci-fi specialists. We see them in thrillers, horrors, and sci-fi films all the time. Bill Moseley is one of the Fireflies, and Tony Todd plays Candyman. William Butler directs horror films, Tom Towles appears in Rob Zombie movies, etc. These are the horror stars of today. They are usually signed by several members of the cast or crew they have met at conventions. It’s like they are part and parcel of the convention, always in the autograph room or the vendor’s room. The cast of this film accounts for a lot in how the film went from just barely making a mark to becoming a cult film that many own and love nowadays.Let’s get back to the director of this remake, Tom Savini. Tom Savini has worked on many films in the “of the Dead series”. He appeared as Motorcycle Rider in
Dawn of the Dead and also assisted with stunts on the set when there was no stunt crew. He also did makeup effects and cosmetics for the film. He also did special effects makeup on
Day of the Dead, played the Sheriff in the remake of Dawn of the Dead, and was the Machete Zombie for Land of the Dead
as well as doing voiceover work in Diary of the Dead. These credits show that he was involved with the series since the beginning. It makes sense to have him direct the remake. Some have argued that his directing is lacking, but later on it is clear that he has talent. Savini had become a respected special effect master by 1990. It wasn’t a stretch for him to direct a remake. In interviews and panels at conventions, it is common to see the experiences described through rose-colored lenses. One interviewee, however, seems to disagree with the enthusiasm of some of the cast. This is director Savini, who describes filming as “the worst dream of ‘s life”. Savini also said in interviews that he had to cut the film down to avoid getting an X-rating, which would have killed the chances of the film being successful at the box office. Cinemas view an X-rating as a bad omen and will not accept it from the distributor. Savini believes that the scenes cut from Night of the Living Dead are the reason why people did not love the film when it was first released. He blames these cuts for the film’s low ticket sales. These scenes have been re-released in different ways, including as part of special features and online. The entire film, uncut with all of its gore and restored effects, does not appear to be available yet. It was neither a huge success nor a complete failure. It is likely that the film did well in terms of numbers. The film is likely to have been at the breaking-even point in terms of numbers. Not a number one but not bad. The numbers show that it brought in $2,884,679, which is not bad, but not abysmal either for 1990. The top 5 for that week were Fantasia in a release from 1940, Ghost which was a massive hit with a total gross over $172 million USD, Quigley Down Under which was a Tom Selleck film appealing to the mom crowd and the Western crowd, Memphis Belle
which was a war movie, and [his]Marked for Death
a Steven Seagal movie which opened at number one and was on its third week at number one. It was October so one would expect to see more horror films at the top of the box office, or even in the top 10. The only horror film to make the top 10 was the remake of
Night Of The Living Dead. In its second week, it faced a little more competition from horror films with the release Graveyard shift, and unfortunately it fell to number 14. Oddly, there was not much horror competition. Each week after that saw more horror being released, and Night of the Living Dead just dropped off the charts completely.As for reviews and public opinion, the film didn’t do all that great either. Roger Ebert, as mentioned previously, hated the movie and ranked it among his “Most Hated”, which is not an easy feat. Rotten Tomatoes shows that he was not the only critic who didn’t like the film. The film has a fresh rating of 68% from critics, and the same average for the public. This shows that critics and public are in agreement. The film is criticized for not having enough new elements in its story. However, it is praised for being gory and well-done gore. It’s clear from conversations with horror fans that not everyone loves the film. However, those who do love it love it it. The film has a cult-like following that has grown in the past two decades. Its issues are often overshadowed by nostalgia, which brings new fans to the film and makes some people see it differently after first seeing it. The cast’s appearances on the convention circuit and their names becoming more and more popular over the years have helped this film reach new audiences. Its popularity seems to be increasing, as it has been re-released by many collection labels and box sets. The film was released on Blu ray in recent years and there are a number of different editions that can be purchased on Blu ray disc or DVD. Below are a few of the previous episodes from WTF happened to this horror movie?. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX66BRNQQqkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E_NLXH_zxw
Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
