Redefining the genre: Area filmmaker talks about Romero classic ‘Night of the Living Dead’
无毛视频淣ight of the Living Dead无毛视频� is a classic horror movies with ties to the area. (Submitted photo)
Jeff Monahan
无毛视频淣ight of the Living Dead无毛视频�
Associated Press
Associated Press
Director George Romero poses with some fans dressed as zombies after accepting a special award during the Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 12, 2009, in Toronto. Romero无毛视频檚 classic 无毛视频淣ight of the Living Dead无毛视频� and other horror films turned zombie movies into social commentaries, and his flesh-devouring undead spawned countless imitators, remakes and homages.
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Its budget was small, but its impact was big.
Fifty-four years after 无毛视频淣ight of the Living Dead无毛视频� was released, the George A. Romero classic continues to endure.
无毛视频淐ulturally, besides adding a whole new 无毛视频榤onster无毛视频� into the pantheon of creatures, it was always George无毛视频檚 approach that the real monsters of the piece were the living humans who couldn无毛视频檛 get along with each other enough to solve the threat that they were under,无毛视频� said Jeff Monahan, an actor, writer and director from Connellsville who无毛视频檚 worked with Romero.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 so relevant today with all of the troubles in the world we have now 无毛视频� not so much because of the problems themselves, which are significant, but because people often can无毛视频檛 put aside their prejudices and narrow-minded thinking long enough to do anything constructive,无毛视频� he said.
Filmed in and around Pittsburgh and released in 1968, 无毛视频淣ight of the Living Dead无毛视频� follows seven people barricaded in a rural farmhouse in western Pennsylvania as it is under assault by an ever-growing group of zombies. Until then, Monahan said, movie zombies were 无毛视频淰oodoo automatons,无毛视频� and the film redefined them as 无毛视频渓iving-dead flesh eaters.无毛视频�
Even though the antagonists in the film were never referred to as 无毛视频渮ombies,无毛视频� the movie spawned a subgenre of horror that无毛视频檚 influenced literally hundreds of movies and television shows, said Monahan.
And he should know. The actor, writer and director has appeared in movies like 无毛视频淟one Star无毛视频� and 无毛视频淟ast Flag Flying,无毛视频� and television shows like 无毛视频淥utsiders无毛视频� and most recently, 无毛视频淪pree无毛视频� on Freevee.
Monahan worked as an actor in several of Romero无毛视频檚 films, including 无毛视频淒ay of the Dead无毛视频� (where he played a zombie), 无毛视频淭he Dark Half无毛视频� (which was partially filmed in Washington County) and the 2020 thriller 无毛视频淏ruiser.无毛视频� Monahan also collaborated with Romero on the television series 无毛视频淕eorge A. Romero Presents Deadtime Stories,无毛视频� and worked as a screenwriter on several of Romero无毛视频檚 later scripts.
In all, Romero directed 17 movies and co-wrote 无毛视频淣ight of the Living Dead,无毛视频� which continues to hold up to the blockbusters of today, Monahan said.
无毛视频淏esides being a very technically proficient as a film, creating suspense and making us care about the characters, it talks about human emotions and issues, and that无毛视频檚 always something drama deals with because it无毛视频檚 always present in our lives,无毛视频� Monahan said.
He added that the team behind 无毛视频淣ight of the Living Dead,无毛视频� which also included co-writer John Russo and producer/actor Russ Streiner, wanted to make a good movie on the small budget they had.
无毛视频淕eorge told me that nowadays people talk about the technical things like cameras that can do this or that, but he said he often didn无毛视频檛 even know what some of that meant, like when a cameraman would tell him that new cameras can make the black background blacker,无毛视频� Monahan said. 无毛视频淗e said that as long as you have a good story, the audience will care about that and not need the bells and whistles that often put form over content.无毛视频�
According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), the film无毛视频檚 budget was about $114,000 (equivalent to about $941,800 in 2022). Its gross: $30 million (equivalent to $247.8 million in 2022), making it one of the most profitable independent movies ever made.
Beyond the movie无毛视频檚 contributions to cinema, it has also made an impact on Southwestern Pennsylvania. Monahan said there无毛视频檚 a certain pride that filmmakers in Pittsburgh have about working in the birthplace of a little independent movie that made history in horror.
无毛视频淚 think it gives us all confidence that if a little movie shot around here can have such a universal and long-lasting impact, then anything无毛视频檚 possible,无毛视频� Monahan said.
He recalled Romero, who died in 2017, as a 无毛视频済reat guy无毛视频� who regularly did the unexpected.
无毛视频淢y fondest memory of him was when we recited the opening monologue of 无毛视频楻ichard III无毛视频� together from his balcony in Toronto,无毛视频� Monahan said. 无毛视频淗e was full of surprises.无毛视频�
Those who无毛视频檇 like to see 无毛视频淣ight of the Living Dead无毛视频� on the big screen will have the opportunity to do so locally on Friday, Oct. 21.
At 2 and 7 p.m., the movie will be shown at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown as part of its Classic Film Series.
Tickets can be purchased at the theater and are $5 and $3 for seniors and students.
For more information, visit statetheatre.info.