Night of the Living Dead: The Official Story of the Film book coming in September

Back in 1968, George A. Romero brought the world the horror classic Night of the Living Dead, the film that changed the definition of what “zombies” could be without even calling its ghouls zombies! This September, author Simon Braund is teaming up with Titan Books to bring us a 192 page book on the making of that masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead: The Official Story of the Film. To be exact, the book will be reaching store shelves on September 30th.

Directed by Romero from a screenplay he wrote with John A. Russo, Night of the Living Dead has the following synopsis: A disparate group of individuals takes refuge in an abandoned house when corpses begin to leave the graveyard in search of fresh human bodies to devour. The pragmatic Ben does his best to control the situation, but when the reanimated bodies surround the house, the other survivors begin to panic. As any semblance of order within the group begins to dissipate, the zombies start to find ways inside — and one by one, the living humans become the prey of the deceased ones. The film stars Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman, Judith Ridley, Keith Wayne, Kyra Schon, Bill Hinzman, George Kosana, Russell Streiner, and Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille.

Night of the Living Dead: The Official Story of the Film has the following description: Released in 1968, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead revolutionized horror, redefining the zombie subgenre and influencing filmmakers for generations. This official retrospective tells the full story of how the film was made by a small group of people at the outset of their film-making careers. Interviews with cast and production company members explore the genesis of the movie, from persuading friends and family to become investors, finding the perfect run-down farmhouse in rural western Pennsylvania for the central location, assembling a cast of extras to portray “flesh-eating ghouls”, including the ground-breaking casting of a black actor in a leading role—Duane Jones as Ben—to the rough-and-tumble guerilla-style shoot. The book explores how Night of the Living Dead went from controversial to iconic over the years, gaining critical acclaim and a hardcore cult following. And how zombies—as envisioned by Romero and his co-creators—now permeate everything from video games to literature, all tracing back to the unparalleled original. Illustrated with movie stills, memorabilia, and unpublished on-set photos never previously seen, and including analysis of the original shooting script annotated by George A. Romero, this book is a must-have for horror fans.

The original Night of the Living Dead is the movie I have watched more than any other, my default choice to put on when I just want to sit back and relax, and I’m always happy to see it continue to be referenced and celebrated. Night of the Living Dead: The Official Story of the Film sounds like a great, “must own” addition to this horror fan’s collection.

Will you be reading Night of the Living Dead: The Official Story of the Film? Let us know by leaving a comment below.