Night of the Living Dead (film series)

George A. Romero's Dead series
The original poster for Night of the Living Dead
Directed by	George A. Romero
Produced by	Night of the Living Dead Karl Hardman Russell Streiner Dawn of the Dead Richard P. Rubinstein Day of the Dead Richard P. Rubinstein Land of the Dead Mark Canton Bernie Goldmann Peter Grunwald Diary of the Dead Peter Grunwald Sam Englebardt Artur Spigel Ara Katz Survival of the Dead Paula Devonshire
Distributed by	The Walter Reade Organization United Film Distribution Company (2-3) Universal Pictures The Weinstein Company Magnet Releasing
Release date(s)	1968-2010
Country	United States
Language	English

Night of the Living Dead is a series of six zombie horror films written and directed by George A. Romero beginning with the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead written by Romero and John A. Russo. The loosely connected franchise predominantly centers on different groups of people attempting to survive during the outbreak and evolution of a zombie apocalypse. The latest installment of the series, Survival of the Dead, was released in 2010.

History

After Night of the Living Dead's initial success, the two creators split in disagreement regarding where the series should head,^[1] and since the film was in the public domain,^[2] each were able to do what they liked with the continuity of their projects. Romero went on to direct five additional Dead films focusing on society as the living dead begins to evolve, while Russo branched off into literary territory, writing Return of the Living Dead, which was later loosely adapted into a film of the same name and have its own franchise, and Escape of the Living Dead.

Labeled "Trilogy of the Dead" until Land of the Dead,^[3] each film is laden with social commentary on topics ranging from racism to consumerism. The films are not produced as direct follow-ups from one another and their only continuation is the epidemic of the living dead. This situation advances with each film, but with different characters, and the time moves ahead to the time when they were filmed, making the world's progression the only interlocking aspect of the series. The fifth film does not continue the depiction of the progress of the world; instead it goes back to the beginning of events from the first film, but is nonetheless contemporary as the sequels are. The films deal with how different people react to the same phenomenon ranging from citizens to police to army officials and back again. There are no real happy endings to the films, as each takes place in a world that has gotten worse since the last time we saw it, the number of zombies ever increasing and the fate of the living remnant always in the balance.

Romero does not consider any of his Dead films sequels since none of the major characters or story continue from one film to the next.^{[citation needed]} The one exception is that the military officer (Alan van Sprang) who robs the main characters in Diary of the Dead goes on to become a protagonist in Survival of the Dead.

Plot

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Main article: Night of the Living Dead

The plot of the film follows Ben Huss (Duane Jones), Barbra (Judith O'Dea), and five others, who are trapped in a rural farmhouse in Pennsylvania and attempt to survive the night while the house is being attacked by mysteriously reanimated ghouls, otherwise known as zombies.

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Main article: Dawn of the Dead

Following the scenario set up in Night of the Living Dead, the United States (and possibly the entire world) has been devastated by a phenomenon which reanimates recently deceased human beings and turns them into flesh-eating zombies. The cause of this phenomenon is unknown. Despite desperate efforts by the US Government and local civil authorities to control the situation, society has effectively collapsed and the remaining survivors seek refuge. Roger (Scott Reiniger) and Peter (Ken Foree), two former SWAT members, join up with Francine (Gaylen Ross) and Stephen (David Emge), a helicopter pilot and his girlfriend planning on leaving the city. The group comes across a shopping mall, which becomes their private sanctuary. To make the mall safe for habitation, they kill the mall's zombie population and block the large glass doors with trucks to keep the undead gathered outside from entering. Some time later a gang of bikers break into the mall, which also allows hundreds of the zombies inside and causing their utopia to finally collapse.

Day of the Dead (1985)

Main article: Day of the Dead (1985 film)

Some time after the events of Dawn of the Dead, zombies have overrun the world. An underground army missile bunker near the Everglades is the base for a group which is part of a military-supported scientific team assigned by the remnants of the government to study the zombie phenomenon in the hopes of finding a way of stopping or reversing the zombification process. Dwindling supplies, loss of communication with other survivor enclaves, and an apparent lack of progress in the experiments have already caused tension and loss of cohesion among the scientists and soldiers. Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty), the lead scientist on the project, has been secretly using the recently deceased soldiers in his experiments, trying to prove his theory that the zombies can eventually be domesticated.

Land of the Dead (2005)

Main article: Land of the Dead

Years after the events of the previous film, there are very few living humans left. Many have fled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where a feudal-like government has taken hold. Bordered on three sides by rivers and on the fourth by an electric fence, the city has become a sanctuary. Fiddler's Green is where the rich and powerful live in luxury, while the rest of the population subsists. Paul Kaufman (Dennis Hopper) rules the city with overwhelming firepower. "Big Daddy" (Eugene Clark), a zombie, is unusually aware and intelligent, directs his fellow zombies to use firearms and overcome the human defenses. The zombies learn, adapt, and even communicate with primitive moans and grunts. When Big Daddy realizes the river is no obstacle he leads the zombies in an assault on the human city. The electric fence that once kept the zombies out now keeps the humans trapped inside.

Diary of the Dead (2007)

Main article: Diary of the Dead

Taking place during the initial outbreak of the zombie pandemic, Diary of the Dead follows a band of students, making a horror film, who decide to record the events in a documentary-style while trying to get back home and end up themselves being chased down by zombies.

Survival of the Dead (2010)

Main article: Survival of the Dead

The first part of the film follows the actions of former Colonel and current Sergeant "Nicotine" Crockett (Alan van Sprang), who, after a failed raid of sorts that ends in the deaths and reanimation of several fellow National Guardsmen and his getting demoted to Sergeant, deserts his post with Kenny (Eric Woolfe), Francisco (Stefano Colacitti) and Tomboy (Athena Karkanis). The four go on to rob the protagonists of the previous film.

Reception

Review aggregate results

Motion Picture	Rotten Tomatoes		Metacritic	BFCA
	Overall	Top Critics
Night of the Living Dead	96% (47 reviews)[4]	75% (40 reviews)[5]	N/A	N/A
Dawn of the Dead	94% (36 reviews)[6]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Day of the Dead	79% (29 reviews)[7]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Land of the Dead	74% (170 reviews)[8]	66% (32 reviews)[9]	71 (30 reviews)[10]	63[11]
Diary of the Dead	61% (126 reviews)[12]	65% (26 reviews)[13]	66 (29 reviews)[14]	70[15]
Survival of the Dead	29% (82 reviews)[16]	6% (18 reviews)[17]	43 (22 reviews)[18]	61[19]
Average Ratings	72%	53%	60	64

Accolades

Awards
Motion Picture	Organization/Guild	Ceremony	Category	Name	Outcome
Night of the Living Dead	National Film Preservation Board (1999)	National Film Registry			Won[20]
Dawn of the Dead
	Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films	8th Saturn Awards	Best Make-Up	Tom Savini	Nominated[citation needed]
	Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films	31st Saturn Awards	Best DVD Classic Film Release	Ultimate Edition	Won[21]
	International Press Academy	9th Annual Satellite Awards	Best Overall DVD	Anchor Bay	Nominated[22]
Day of the Dead
	Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films	14th Saturn Awards	Best Make-Up	Tom Savini	Won[23]
	Sitges Film Festival (18 ed. 1985)	Maria	Best Actress	Lori Cardille	Won[24]
Land of the Dead
	Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films	32nd Saturn Awards	Best Horror Film		Nominated[citation needed]
			Best Make-Up	Howard Berger, Gregory Nicotero	Nominated[citation needed]
	Directors Guild of Canada (2006)	DGC Craft Award	Outstanding Achievement In Picture Editing - Feature Film	Michael Doherty	Nominated[25]
			Outstanding Achievement In Production Design - Feature Film	Arvinder Grewal	Nominated[25]
			Outstanding Achievement In Sound Editing - Feature Film	Kevin Banks, Nelson Ferreira, Lee de Lang, Craig Henighan, Jill Purdy, Nathan Robitaille	Nominated[25]
	Empire Awards	11th Empire Awards	Best Horror		Nominated[26]
	Teen Choice Awards (2005)	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Summer Movie		Nominated[27]
Diary of the Dead	Gérardmer Film Festival (2008)		Critics Award	George A. Romero	Won[28]
Survival of the Dead	Venice Film Festival	66th Venice International Film Festival	Golden Lion	George A. Romero	Nominated[citation needed]

See also

• Zombie (fictional)

References

1. ^ Boluk, Stephanie; Lenz, Wylie (June 16, 2011 (2011-06-16)). "Introduction: Generation Z, the Age of Apocalypse". In Boluk, Stephanie; Lenz, Wylie. Generation Zombie: Essays on the Living Dead in Modern Culture. Jefferson, North Carolina, US: McFarland & Company. p. 5. ISBN 978-0786461400. http://books.google.co.il/books?id=Jc3Or27Mzr0C&lpg=PP1&dq=Generation%20Zombie%3A%20Essays%20on%20the%20Living%20Dead%20in%20Modern%20Culture&hl=en&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved August 26, 2011 (2011-08-26). 
2. ^ Boluk, Stephanie; Lenz, Wylie (June 16, 2011 (2011-06-16)). "Introduction: Generation Z, the Age of Apocalypse". In Boluk, Stephanie; Lenz, Wylie. Generation Zombie: Essays on the Living Dead in Modern Culture. Jefferson, North Carolina, US: McFarland & Company. p. 5. ISBN 978-0786461400. http://books.google.co.il/books?id=Jc3Or27Mzr0C&lpg=PP1&dq=Generation%20Zombie%3A%20Essays%20on%20the%20Living%20Dead%20in%20Modern%20Culture&hl=en&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved August 26, 2011 (2011-08-26). "Night of the Living Dead was famously the source of a legal conflict which resulted in the film entering the public domain when the disributor, the Walter Reade Organization, forgot to add a copyright notice after making changes to the title screen" 
3. ^ Hakeem. "George Romeros Trilogy of the Dead Review". MoviesOnline. http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_4530.html. Retrieved 26 August 2011. 
4. ^ "Night of the Living Dead (All Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1015052-night_of_the_living_dead/. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
5. ^ "Night of the Living Dead (Top Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1015052-night_of_the_living_dead/#top-critics-numbers. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
6. ^ "Dawn of the Dead (All Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1005339-dawn_of_the_dead/. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
7. ^ "Day of the Dead (All Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1005360-day_of_the_dead/. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
8. ^ "Land of the Dead (All Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/land_of_the_dead/. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
9. ^ "Land of the Dead (Top Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/land_of_the_dead/#top-critics-numbers. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
10. ^ "Land of the Dead Metascore". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/movie/land-of-the-dead. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
11. ^ "Land of the Dead Critics choice rating". BFCA. http://www.bfca.org/movie/movie.php?id=1543. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
12. ^ "Diary of the Dead (All Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/diary-of-the-dead2007/. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
13. ^ "Diary of the Dead (Top Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/diary-of-the-dead2007/#top-critics-numbers. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
14. ^ "Diary of the Dead Metascore". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/movie/diary-of-the-dead. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
15. ^ "Diary of the Dead Critics choice rating". BFCA. http://www.bfca.org/movie/movie.php?id=2448. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
16. ^ "Survival of the Dead (All Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/survival_of_the_dead/. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
17. ^ "Survival of the Dead (Top Critics)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/survival_of_the_dead/#top-critics-numbers. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
18. ^ "Survival of the Dead Metascore". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/movie/survival-of-the-dead. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
19. ^ "Survival of the Dead Critics choice rating". BFCA. http://www.bfca.org/movie/movie.php?id=3083. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
20. ^ "Library of Congress Names 25 More Films to National Film Registry" (Press release). Library of Congress. November 16, 1999 (1999-11-16). http://www.loc.gov/film/nfr99.html. Retrieved September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11). 
21. ^ "Past Award Winners: Best DVD Classic Film Release". Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#dvdclassic. Retrieved November 9, 2011 (2011-11-09). 
22. ^ "9th Annual Satellite Awards Nominees and Winners". International Press Academy. http://pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2005a.shtml. Retrieved November 9, 2011 (2011-11-09). 
23. ^ "Past Award Winners: Best Make-Up". Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#dvdclassic. Retrieved November 9, 2011 (2011-11-09). 
24. ^ "18ed. Festival Internaciona de Cinema Fantàstic de Sitges (4/10 - 12/10)". Sitges Film Festival. http://sitgesfilmfestival.com/eng/arxiu/1985/palmares#01. Retrieved November 9, 2011 (2011-11-09). 
25. ^ ^{a b c} "2006 DGC Awards/Nominees". Directors Guild of Canada. http://www.dgc.ca/PHPUploads/2006%20DGC%20Awards%20Nominations.pdf. Retrieved November 9, 2011 (2011-11-09). 
26. ^ "Empire Awards 2006 - Best Horror". Empire (film magazine). http://www.empireonline.com/awards2006/winners/horror.asp. Retrieved November 9, 2011 (2011-11-09). 
27. ^ "Teen Choice Awards 2005 (List of Awards Winners and Nominees)". whosdatedwho. http://www.whosdatedwho.com/tpx_2871774/teen-choice-awards/2005. Retrieved November 9, 2011 (2011-11-09). 
28. ^ "Gérardmer Film Festival 2008 (List of Awards Winners and Nominees)". whosdatedwho. http://www.whosdatedwho.com/tpx_2870996/gerardmer-film-festival/2008. Retrieved November 9, 2011 (2011-11-09). 

External links

• Night of the Living Dead (1968) at the Internet Movie Database
• Dawn of the Dead (1978) at the Internet Movie Database
• Day of the Dead (1985) at the Internet Movie Database
• Land of the Dead (2005) at the Internet Movie Database
• Diary of the Dead (2007) at the Internet Movie Database
• Survival of the Dead (2010) at the Internet Movie Database