Night of the Living Dead (1990) Review

Written by: Moviemaven   

Okay, I know I am constantly complaining about remakes. As a rule, I think they are a waste of time. Only a couple stand out as worthy of holding the original title. One of those is John Carpenter's The Thing. Another is Tom Savini's Night of the Living Dead. I think that part of the reason for this is that Savini has worked on most of the Romero dead films so he has a clear idea of what would please Romero as well as a true love for the movies themselves. Funny story: When I saw this in the theater, the friend I was with threw nachos all over an elderly woman when Uncle Rege fell off the landing of the stairs. I tell you this to illustrate how Savini so expertly crafted this film. It is scary. The basic story is the same, seven people find themselves trapped in a farmhouse attempting to escape the zombies trying desperately to eat them. But a few changes were made and I don't even mind them. For one, Barbara is not the catatonic heroine of yesteryear. In this glorious re-telling, she is strong and capable; a woman of the nineties. The ending is also different, but in a good way. Not better, mind you, just different. If a remake of any Romero film was to be made, it pleases me that Savini remade Night of the Living Dead.