Born out of a desire on the part of original Night of the Living Dead creator George A. Romero to make back some of the money that his 1968 horror milestone earned — but which he never saw — the 1990 version of NOTLD ended up becoming a minor horror classic in its own right. Directed by makeup FX legend Tom Savini (in his feature directorial debut) from Romero's screenplay, the remake stands in the shadow of its towering predecessor, but ultimately honors it. And, had Savini been allowed to fully realize his vision, it may have gone even further. A bit of what Savini intended has been restored in the movie’s new 4K UHD release on Blu-ray, which includes both the original theatrical cut of the film and an “uncensored” version. While it follows the same basic plot as its predecessor — seven people take refuge in a farmhouse as the initial stage of the zombie plague begins, with conflict and chaos ensuing — the 1990 NOTLD makes some notable changes as well: it turns female lead Barbara (Patricia Tallman) from a catatonic bystander into an action hero, and also alters the original ending, which was an acidic comment on the civil rights battles of the 1960s. |
