NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990) - ORIGINALLY RECEIVED POORLY, TOM SAVINI REMAKE APPRECIATED MORE IN LATER YEARS...BUT NOT BY ME

 

1990 was a weird year for movies - many films from this year seem to have one foot still in the eighties but the other foot unsure of which way to walk. The only NOTLD official remake, directed by special effects extraordinaire Tom Savini, in collaboration with George Romero, is one such film. At the same time, it struggles within itself to stay in homage to the original but be something new at the same time. Originally audiences and critics gave it a thumbs down, citing this same misguided nature. Future decades would be much kinder to this unique remake, but I still have lots of problems with it. 

My biggest complaint of many is the casting and in particular Patricia Tallman in the lead as Barbra (not to mention her hairdo.) I understand in this version Barbra is not supposed to be a passive wimp like the original but a warrior instead, as merciless in killing the zombies as Ben and the rest. Still, I don't understand this casting choice. And even worse, the guy they chose to play Cooper - he just doesn't have that annoying vibe about him like the original, which btw, was played by one of the shareholders, he wasn't even a pro actor. Tony Todd, however, is awesome as Ben and one of the main reasons to watch this. 

The things that work - my biggest plus here is the exclusion of all the TV and radio reports from the original and just sticking to the action and rest of the plot. The zombies of course are awesome, thanks to Savini. Music is excellent but still doesn't come close to matching the original. The opening sequence in the graveyard, I like the little changes they make. 

I've come to realize over time with this and lots of the sequels how special the original farmhouse from 1968 is. That house in a lot of ways is one of the main characters of the original and it casts such a perfectly desolate and creepy backdrop that is just not there in any other version. Maybe it was haunted.

Savini never really found his footing as a director and to me, he is to blame for the mixed bag this ultimately became. Still, as a homage, and firmly putting down roots for the last three decades, it's too late now - Savini's version is part of NOTLD's permanent family history, like it or not.

Streams on Tubi and Pluto. 2.5 stars/5