Back in July we hit you with the trailer for the upcoming BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD, a new documentary focusing on the making-of and the legacy of George Romero's classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. We followed that bit o'news up in August with some release details for the doc which was reportedly originally scheduled to hit various VOD outlets on November 6. But it seems that plans have changed and now the film is scheduled to come our way later this month. Seems appropriate as Halloween is right around the corner.
The Rob Kuhns-helmed documentary is now set to tear its way onto iTunes on October 15th, followed by a limited theatrical release on October 18th. Works for me! This documentary will no doubt be a must see for any fan of the zombie genre as we'll get a fantastic look behind the making of one of horror's most classic films.
In 1968 a young college drop-out and aspiring filmmaker named George A. Romero directed Night of the Living Dead, a low-budget horror film that shocked the world; became an icon of the counterculture; and invented the modern movie zombie, which has spawned legions of films, books, comics, and video games, generating billions of dollars.
Night of the Living Dead is not only internationally recognized as an art film, revered for its groundbreaking treatment of American race relations and allegorical references to the Vietnam war, the film still maintains its cult status as a classic horror masterpiece. The film made history when it simultaneously screened at MOMA and the notorious grindhouse theater circuit on 42nd Street. Since its release Night of the Living Dead has been selected for preservation by the Library of Congress and the National Film Registry.
Rob Kuhns' feature documentary BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD goes beyond just being a tribute to director George Romero’s work to explore a critical moment in the American experience and the notion that horror acts as a reflection of national anxiety. The film details how Romero gathered an unlikely team of real Pittsburgh citizens — police officers, iron workers, teachers, housewives and a roller-rink owner — to shoot in a revolutionary guerrilla style that became a cinematic landmark and one of the most visceral and influential horror films ever made.