BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD – The DVD Review

Review by Michael Haffner

There’s no question that George A. Romero’s 1968 film NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD gave birth to the modern zombie. No, we’re not talking about voodoo mysticism or Caribbean folklore which is where the idea of dead men rising from their graves at night stems from. What I’m referring to are the shambling, gut-munching, zombies who come back to life as rotting corpses. There’s no shortage of the “z-word” in pop culture these days as films, books, and television shows have all explored the subject. This is in large part due to one gory black and white indie film. With a budget of $114,000 and a script by Romero and John A. Russo, a horror film that tapped into the social conscience of the late 1960’s and still remains relevant to this day was born.

Director Rob Kuhns guides BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD along in a smooth and sensible manner. He begins the film with a look at George A. Romero’s life in Pittsburgh as a struggling filmmaker. There are some humorous anecdotes from Romero’s early career including his work on Mr. Rogers, beer commercials, and a FANTASTIC VOYAGE knock-off commercial called THE CALGON STORY that truly is fantastic. What helps give the film a creative edge is the inclusion of beautifully rendered black and white drawings depicting the behind the scenes of these early cinematic years as well as the making of Romero’s classic dead film. While the artwork by Gary Pullin is stunning, I get the feeling that they stand in place of any real interviews with the cast and crew describing the filmmaking process. George is the only one who speaks at great length about the production. Several names are discussed and what there responsibilities entailed, however we never hear from these extras, assistants, and actors. Most obvious among those missing is of course fellow writer John A Russo. This is especially disconcerting since there has been a few different accounts over the years of the different forms the original script took on, who re-wrote what, and if the political subtext was always “meant” or “intended” to be there. As someone who has listened firsthand to both men speak at screenings and festivals – never together of course – I can promise you a debate for the ages could be had. BIRTH’S saving grace of course is Romero’s openness in front of the camera. His easy smile and jovial personality is a joy to watch, and his love for the subject of zombies can be felt through the screen. Of course he has told these same stories over the years for other documentaries and featurettes that have popped up on the endless array of home video releases; after all these years not a whole lot has changed.

Gale Anne Hurd (ALIENS producer), Larry Fessenden (director of HABIT), Jason Zinoman (writer of SHOCK VALUE), and Elvis Mitchell (renowned film critic) are just some of the talking heads who dissect the importance of NOTLD. Each one shares their personal connection with the film. There’s no debating the cultural impact the film has had on these individuals and on the film community as a whole, but the link between NOTLD and the Vietnam War as well as the Civil Rights movement has been addressed ad nauseam over the years that the statements made here are far from groundbreaking. To those new to the horror genre, BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD does provide some insight into a film that is considered by many as one of the best horror films ever made. For some seasoned scare veterans, the novelty of seeing respected names like Hurd and Fessenden discuss the film may or may not be enough to make this a watch if you have already seen other docs like ONE FOR THE FIRE.

George Romero can go on with the rest of his life and never make another seminal film to add to his career. Some would say he has done exactly that for over 25 years now. BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD is not without its merits, but taking yet another look at Romero’s first dead film isn’t as eye-popping as it would be to see a new horror film from the iconic director. At the very least, this documentary serves as a nice reminder to revisit an often imitated but never duplicated classic.