Best Horror Movie You Never Saw: Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Welcome to Arrow in the Head's The Best Horror Movie You Never Saw, which will be dedicated to highlighting horror films that, for one reason or another, don't get as much love as we think they should. We know plenty of you horror hounds out there will have seen many of the movies we pick, but there will be plenty of you who have not. This column is for all of you!

This week we take a look at Tom Savini's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (WATCH IT HERE – OWN IT HERE), starring Tony Todd

THE STORY: On a day when the dead have inexplicably come back to "life," a group of people hole up in a farmhouse and struggle to figure out what to do. Tensions eventually rise and the humans find out dealing with each other is just as difficult as fighting off the dead.

THE HISTORY: George Romero, director of 1968's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and his film partners were eager to remake the classic film for a variety of reasons, chief among them the fact that, because of a copyright issue, they barely saw any profit from the original movie (which some estimate made over $50 million on a budget of $100,000) and had trouble reacquiring the rights from its original distributor. Once they got the rights back (but still not much of the money), the filmmakers thought they should remake the film before someone else got to it first. Legendary schlock producer Menahem Golan was interested in making the film, and Romero and Co. struck a deal with him.

The film had a budget of around $4 million, and at the encouragement of Romero, make-up FX wiz Tom Savini took the reins on his first feature. (Savini always regretted that he wasn't able to participate in the original.) Romero wasn't around for the first half of the production, which Savini says was incredibly difficult on him, having clashed with the producers often. Romero eventually freed himself of his other responsibilities and came to the set to keep a close eye on things. (It's been said that he even directed portions of the film). Savini maintains that his original vision for the film was rather different than what the final product shows, claiming only about 40% of what he intended made it in. 

WHY IT'S GREAT: As you well know, this column doesn't necessarily presume you haven't seen the films we discuss. More often than not, we're spotlighting movies that haven't gotten the praise they deserve; movies that have fallen by the wayside of the horror community. For us, Tom Savini's remake of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is one such movie; a good film that hasn't always received a ton of love because it has the very difficult task of living up to one of the greatest horror movies of all time. You can assume Savini, Romero (who wrote the remake of his classic debut) and the rest of the gang knew what they were getting themselves into; there was always going to be doubt and scrutiny surrounding this new NIGHT. But they went for it, made a movie that is remarkably similar to its predecessor in some ways and fairly different in others. The result is a picture that is surprisingly up to the task of bearing its famous name; a well-executed, well-acted and pretty scary horror-drama that gets under your skin in all the right ways.

It's the pervading atmosphere of dread that really makes the Night remake so effective. It's crucial that we feel as helpless and confused as the characters in a setting like this; the original film almost perfectly achieves the mounting sense of doom among the ragtag group we watch, and so it's a relief when you realize the remake is working on the same level. After the shock of realization wears off, once we just have to accept the fact that the dead are walking and they are quite imposing in hordes, we have to come to terms with this new reality. But that's a tough pill to swallow, and the characters in this film can't hold it together long enough to survive the night. Savini and Romero consistently keep the tension high and suspense tight; this isn't exactly a "fun" horror romp, but instead a emotional and frequently uncomfortable character drama. Listen, if we're all honest with ourselves, we can admit this is what it would really be like, and that's what makes the film so impactful. We like to think we'd pull it together, work with our neighbors, and defeat an unimaginable threat, but the truth is we're always more likely as a species to turn against one another. The Night remake keeps that sobering truth at the forefront at all times very effectively. Night of the Living Dead is a strangely depressing experience sometimes, and I actually do mean that as a compliment.

The cast is very strong here, giving full-blooded performances and thankfully not coming off as boring zombie-fodder. Tony Todd leads the way as Ben, the strong-willed de facto leader of the survivors. What's great about the character of Ben is that he's far from perfect; he's just as frightened and prone to losing his cool as the others. Todd's performance is exceptional, and I would definitely argue just as good as Duane Jones' turn in the 1968 version (save your hate mail). His main adversary is Tom Towles as smug and selfish Harry Cooper, and Towles is every bit as intense as Todd is. Harry Cooper is probably one of the most frustrating and stubborn characters in horror movie history, and Towles completely nails the self-righteous sonofabitch. Patricia Tallman makes for a sympathetic and strong heroine; in one of the main departures from the original film, Barbara isn't a catatonic basket case here but a resolute protagonist not willing to take crap from anyone. I've always supported this change wholeheartedly, and it makes the drama unfolding inside the house that much more powerful. 

Also different, to some degree, is the finale, although it's no less disheartening. Even though it looks like there may yet be hope for the world at large, our lone survivor is a broken person, and has to bear witness to more human ugliness (Lynchings, bodies being burned, the works.) The imagery on display is no less subtle than in Romero's original (even though he always maintained he was not making any kind of political statements with the film), and the final notes of despair are truly hammered home. The Night of the Living Dead remake is one of those movies that make you feel wrung out and weary when it's over. It's an unsettling experience that doesn't let its characters or its audience off easy, and that's what great horror flicks are supposed to do.

BEST SCENE: I've always been partial to the failed trip to the gas pump that ends with two characters foolishly blowing themselves up and destroying whatever hope the rest of the group had. (Love Paul McCollough's eerie score throughout, but especially in this sequence.)

WHERE TO WATCH: Night of the Living Dead can be seen on a variety of streaming services, including Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu and iTunes. It's also available on Blu-ray, so you've got no reason not to revisit this gloomy treat.

PARTING SHOT: For whatever reason, the Dawn of the Dead remake gets off a lot easier than the Night remake. I'm here to declare that Night is the better, more effective movie; it's darker, creepier and leaves a mark. We're all past the point where we just write off remakes; Night should be mentioned alongside some of the better ones.