Night of the Living Dead 4K UHD

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Monster Flick" or "Night of Anubis" or Night of the Flesh Eaters")

directed by George A. Romero
U.S.A. 1968

Shot outside Pittsburgh on a shoestring budget, by a band of filmmakers determined to make their mark, Night of the Living Dead, directed by horror master George A. Romero, is a great story of independent cinema: a midnight hit turned box-office smash that became one of the most influential films of all time. A deceptively simple tale of a group of strangers trapped in a farmhouse who find themselves fending off a horde of recently dead, flesh-eating ghouls, Romero’s claustrophobic vision of a late-1960s America literally tearing itself apart rewrote the rules of the horror genre, combined gruesome gore with acute social commentary, and quietly broke ground by casting a black actor (Duane Jones) in its lead role. Stark, haunting, and more relevant than ever, Night of the Living Dead is back.

***

In 1968, a small group of friends in the business of making commercials and industrial shorts wanted to try their hands at “real” movie-making. Given the recent explosion of the exploitation and horror film market, led in the USA by godfather of gore, Herschel Gordon Lewis, it was decided that a horror film stood the best chance of being seen and maybe even making some money. George Romero and John Russo came up with an idea, and the group scraped together just over $100,000 and got started. With money tight, they used local talent, friends, and even investors in the film as actors. One of the investors was a butcher who provided the blood n’ guts for the operation. No one could have guessed that from these humble beginnings would emerge what is, arguably, the greatest of American horror films. A movie who’s negative was once stored in the basement of a Pittsburgh ad agency, now resides in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.

Excerpt from Brook Kennon's review found HERE

Posters

Theatrical release - October 1st, 1968 - USA

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Review: Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Coming to 4K UHD in the U by Criterion in October 2024: The Criterion Blu-ray package: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Criterion Spine # 909 - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime	1:36:41.587
Video	1.37:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 63,955,596,428 bytes Feature: 62,721,607,680 bytes Video Bitrate: 79.94 Mbps Codec: HEVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate 4K Ultra HD:
Audio	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Commentaries: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1.37:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 63,955,596,428 bytes Feature: 62,721,607,680 bytes Video Bitrate: 79.94 Mbps Codec: HEVC Video Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc • The film in 4K UHD Criterion - Region Blu-rays Original Aspect Ratio 1.37:1 1080P / 23.976 fps Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,112,014,736 bytes Feature: 29,192,429,568 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.67 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Work Print Edit: Feature: 17,860,687,872 bytes Video Bitrate: 26.49 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Night of Anubis, a never-before-presented work-print edit of the film New program featuring filmmakers Frank Darabont, Guillermo del Toro, and Robert Rodriguez (23:41) • Never-before-seen 16 mm dailies reel (18:04) (Intro 3:41) New program featuring Russo on the commercial and industrial-film production company where key • Night of the Living Dead filmmakers got their start (11:58) • Two audio commentaries from 1994 featuring Romero, Russo, producer Karl Hardman, actor Judith O’Dea, and others • Archival interviews with Romero and actors Duane Jones (21:56) and Judith Ridley (10:42) • New programs about the film’s style and score (11:15) • New interview program about the direction of ghouls, featuring members of the cast and crew (13:05) New video essay by Tony Zhou and Taylor Ramos (11:57) Excerpts from July 3, 1979 episode of NBC Tomorrow (18:18) TIFF 2012 event hosted by Colin Geddes (45:31) Venus Probe (0:33) Newsreels from 1967 (2:49) Trailers 1968 (1:49), 2017 (1:13) ,5 radio spots, and 2 TV spots PLUS: An essay by critic Stuart Klawans 4K Ultra HD Release Date: October 4th, 2022 Transparent 4K Ultra HD Case Chapters 23

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective discs.

ADDITION: Criterion 4K UHD (October 2022): Criterion have released George A. Romero's 1968 classic "The Night of the Living Dead" to 4K UHD. Like Kino's 4K UHD of The Apartment, For a Few Dollars More , A Fistful of Dollars, In the Heat of the Night, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Koch Media's Neon Demon + one of the 4K UHD transfers of Dario Argento's Suspiria, this does not have HDR applied (no HDR10, HDR10+, nor Dolby Vision.) This is advertised as a 'new 4K digital restoration, supervised by director George A. Romero, co-screenwriter John A. Russo, sound engineer Gary R. Streiner, and producer Russell W. Streiner' also with a 'new restoration of the monaural soundtrack, supervised by Romero and Gary Streiner'.

Night of the Living Dead was restored by the Museum of Modern Art and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by the George Lucas Family Foundation and the Celeste Bartos Preservation Fund.

Colin extensively compared DVDs and Criterion's 2018 Blu-ray of Romero's "The Night of the Living Dead" HERE. We will be reposting many of those comments in this review. That 2018 Criterion package had two Blu-rays - the first with both the feature (theatrical and commentaries) and it included the 11-minute shorter Night of Anubis, and a never-before-presented work-print edit of the film, also in 1080P. The second Blu-ray offered more supplements.

Both of those Blu-rays are included in this 4K UHD package.

NOTE: This uncorrected 16mm work print of Night of the Living Dead features the alternate opening title (see HERE) and a day-for-night ghoul shot that was removed at the request of the original distributor. It is missing part two of the second reel. For this presentation, unrestored audio from the finished film has been conformed as closely as possible to the silent footage. The work print is introduced by co-produce Russell Streiner.

The 4K UHD, 2160P, offers the theatrical cut and the image only marginally improves over the already strong 2018 Blu-ray. In fact I double the size of a 1080P captures and toggled between a native 2160P and it only show a very marginal uptick in grain and contrast and almost nothing substantial in detail. Different systems may produce different results but this 4K would not be a primary reason for upgrading your system. There are plenty of more obvious examples out there. About the Blu-ray image Colin stated:

"We've compared many captures HERE with previous digital editions including the Studio Canal (through Optimum) Blu-ray from 2008. The Criterion 4K-restoration has a max'ed out bitrate and looks marvelous on my new system. It looks like a modern film trying to look like an older film the quality is so crisp and clear in-motion. The grain is not overwhelming but exists. Contrast is marvelous and may be the area you see the most improvement over the UK Blu-ray. It shows more information in the frame - although the work-print shows even more as well as the negative edges. The 'Work Print' 1080P is less technically robust and the image frequently looks blown-out with plenty of damage (see below) but it works as a fascinating curiosity for fans of the film."

NOTE: 50 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: Lost Highway (software uniformly simulated HDR), Videodrome (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Picture Show (software uniformly simulated HDR), It Happened One Night (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Mummy (1932)(software uniformly simulated HDR), Creature From the Black Lagoon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Bride of Frankenstein (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Amityville Horror (software uniformly simulated HDR), The War of the Worlds (1953) (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Incredible Melting Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cloak & Dagger (software uniformly simulated HDR), Event Horizon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Get Carter (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Killing (software uniformly simulated HDR), Killer's Kiss (software uniformly simulated HDR), Out of Sight (software uniformly simulated HDR), Raging Bull (software uniformly simulated HDR), Shaft (1971), (software uniformly simulated HDR), Double Indemnity (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Untouchables (software uniformly simulated HDR), For a Few Dollars More (no HDR), Saboteur (software uniformly simulated HDR), Marnie (software uniformly simulated HDR), Shadow of a Doubt (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Fistful of Dollars (no HDR), In the Heat of the Night (no HDR), Jack Reacher (software uniformly simulated HDR), Death Wish II (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Apartment (no HDR), The Proposition (software uniformly simulated HDR), Nightmare Alley (2021) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Godfather (software uniformly simulated HDR), Le Crecle Rouge (software uniformly simulated HDR), An American Werewolf in London (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Hard Day's Night (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Piano (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Great Escape (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Red Shoes (software uniformly simulated HDR), Citizen Kane (software uniformly simulated HDR), Unbreakable (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mulholland Dr. (software uniformly simulated HDR), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Hills Have Eyes (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Servant (software uniformly simulated HDR), Anatomy of a Murder (software uniformly simulated HDR), Taxi Driver (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Wolf Man (1941) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Frankenstein (1931) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Deep Red (software uniformly simulated HDR), Misery (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Silence of the Lambs (software uniformly simulated HDR), John Carpenter's "The Thing" (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Cat' o'Nine Tails (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (software uniformly simulated HDR), Perdita Durango (software uniformly simulated HDR), Django (software uniformly simulated HDR), Fanny Lye Deliver'd (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, (NO HDR applied to disc), Rollerball (software uniformly simulated HDR), Chernobyl (software uniformly simulated HDR), Daughters of Darkness (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vigilante (software uniformly simulated HDR), Tremors (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cinema Paradiso (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bourne Legacy (software uniformly simulated HDR), Full Metal Jacket (software uniformly simulated HDR), Psycho (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Birds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rear Window (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vertigo (software uniformly simulated HDR), Spartacus (software uniformly simulated HDR), Jaws (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Invisible Man, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucio Fulci's 1979 Zombie (software uniformly simulated HDR),, 2004's Van Helsing (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shallows (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bridge on the River Kwai (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Deer Hunter (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Elephant Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Quiet Place (software uniformly simulated HDR), Easy Rider (software uniformly simulated HDR), Suspiria (software uniformly simulated HDR), Pan's Labyrinth (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Wizard of Oz, (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shining, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Batman Returns (software uniformly simulated HDR), Don't Look Now (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Killed Killed and then The Bigfoot (software uniformly simulated HDR),, Bram Stoker's Dracula (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucy (software uniformly simulated HDR), They Live (software uniformly simulated HDR), Shutter Island (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Matrix (software uniformly simulated HDR), Alien (software uniformly simulated HDR), Toy Story (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Few Good Men (software uniformly simulated HDR), 2001: A Space Odyssey (HDR caps udated), Schindler's List (simulated HDR), The Neon Demon (No HDR), Dawn of the Dead (No HDR), Saving Private Ryan (simulated HDR and 'raw' captures), Suspiria (No HDR), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No HDR), The Big Lebowski, and I Am Legend (simulated and 'raw' HDR captures).

Criterion have the same audio transfer for their "Theatrical Cut" Blu-ray as this 4K UHD - a linear PCM (24-bit) that supports the film's modest effects and original music by Harry Bluestone and Emil Cadkin, William Loose and Jack Cookerly plus Spencer Moore. It is authentically flat - but even and carries some pleasing depth. The 'Theatrical' edition Blu-ray and 4K UHD have optional English (SDH) subtitles. The 'Work Print' has lossy Dolby audio and no subtitle options. The North American sold Blu-ray edition is Region 'A'-locked and the UK version is Region 'B'-locked.

There are no extras on the 4K UHD disc. The, duplicated, 2018 Blu-ray package supplements are reviewed below:

The Criterion Blu-rays include a brand new 24 minute featurette entitled "Light in the Darkness" featuring filmmakers Frank Darabont, Guillermo del Toro, and Robert Rodriguez discussing the importance of this seminal film, never-before-seen 18 minutes of 16mm dailies including raw footage and alternate takes with a 4 minute intro by Gary Streiner. Criterion have added a new 12 minute program, "Learning from Scratch", which remembers the early days of Latent Image, with partner, co-writer, director, editor George A. Romero and John Russo. There are also the two previously released audio commentaries from 1994 featuring Romero, Russo, producer Karl Hardman, actor Judith O’Dea, Marilyn Eastman, John Russo. They are both informative and contain lots of lighthearted back-and-forth banter. We get archival interviews with Romero and actors Duane Jones and Judith Ridley New programs about the film’s style and score. "Tones of Terror" is an all new 11 min featurette where Cirronella delves into the skillful music of existing library music used in scoring Night of the Living Dead. There is also a new 13 minute program (produced by Jim Cirronella) titled "Walking Like the Dead" about the direction of ghouls, featuring 10 members of the cast and crew, shot for the 2009 documentary "Autopsy of the Dead" New interviews with Gary Streiner and Russell Streiner. 12 minute new video essay by Tony Zhou and Taylor Ramos. They examine the style of Night of the Living Dead. 18 minutes of excerpts from an episode of NBC's Tomorrow with Tom Snyder. 3/4 Hour TIFF 2012 event hosted by Colin Geddes, featuring an interview with George Romero. There is half a minute featuring relevant information on the 'Venus Probe', mentioned in the film, a VHS recording of silent b-roll 16mm film shot for Pittsburgh Broadcast News with original music by Jeff Carney, 2 Trailers. 5 radio spots, and 2 TV spots. The package contains a liner notes booklet featuring an essay by critic Stuart Klawans.

Criterion's 4K UHD release of George A. Romero's 1968 classic "The Night of the Living Dead" doesn't offer anything beyond the non-HDR image in 2160P, and I suggest, looking at the law of diminishing returns, that most will not see any major differences from their original Blu-ray - which is included. Grain and detail slightly and, yes, superior in-motion. I suggest HDR application might have intensified the contrast / black levels, but we may never know. While we don't endorse a double dip, there is some cache to owning this important, pioneering, horror in the best possible home theatre presentation. The 4K UHD is it. The story of "The Night of the Living Dead" involves a group of 7 individuals trapped in a rural farmhouse in western Pennsylvania. They are under siege by an escalating group of flesh-devouring, undead zombies. Romero utilized many guerrilla filmmaking techniques that he had learned in his commercial (and industrial) work to finish the production on a budget of about $100,000. The rest is cinema history. "The Night of the Living Dead" has spawned an ongoing franchise that includes five official sequels - produced between 1978 and 2009 - all of which were directed by Romero. The film is a must-own for every digital library.

Gary Tooze

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