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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. |
Posters
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Theatrical release - October 1st, 1968 - USA
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Review: Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Box Cover |
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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 bytesFeature: 62,721,607,680 bytes Video Bitrate: 79.94 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate 4K Ultra HD: |
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Audio |
LPCM Audio English
1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit 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 bytesFeature: 62,721,607,680 bytes Video Bitrate: 79.94 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video
Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc • The film in 4K UHD
Criterion - Region
Blu-rays
1080P / 23.976 fps Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,112,014,736 bytesFeature: 29,192,429,568 bytesVideo Bitrate: 35. 67 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Work Print Edit: Feature: 17,860,687,872 bytes Video Bitrate: 26.49 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Night
of Anubis, a never-before-presented work-print edit of the film
4K Ultra HD
Release Date: October 4th, 2022 Chapters 23 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
and
4K UHD
captures were taken directly from the respective
discs.
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 HEREWe 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. |
Menus / Extras
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY and 4K UHD CAPTURE TO SEE IN FULL RESOLUTION
1) Criterion (Theatrical) - Region 'A' 'B' - Blu-ray TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM |
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1) Dimension Films/Genius Products - Region 1 - NTSC TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
|
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1) Criterion (Work Print) - Region 'A' 'B' - Blu-ray TOP2) Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM |
More full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K Ultra HD Captures for Patreon Supporters HERE
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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 |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |