Night of the Living Dead

For those who are not familiar with this film by now, the 1968 NOTLD is the first in Romero's trilogy of zombie films and has set a standard for many horror movies today. The story revolves around seven people trapped within a farmhouse by a hoard of flesh-eating zombies. As the group struggles to protect themselves from the raging undead, their own frustrating ineptitudes also serve as a catalyst for the ensuing devastation. There is an obvious reason as to why purchasing the latest version of this cult classic should not be a priority in your life: colourised versions of B&W originals never measure up to their predecessors. NOTLD is no different. The shadowy imagery that worked so well in the original has been lost and the new colourisation leaves nothing to the imagination in the gore department. Still, there is a small level of novelty behind watching a familiar movie with a new spin and the Off Color Films crew has made it difficult to tell that this film was ever in black and white. The true selling point behind this DVD is the extras. Mike Nelson (Mystery Science Theatre 3000) provides commentary with a mix of "he's saying what I'm thinking" humour and a Pop-Up Video brand of wisdom. Normally inserting your own sarcastic remarks is the best part of the B-movie experience; however Nelson's commentary is a funny alternative. The DVD also offers a "Separated at Death" photo album that allows you to guess which celebrities look like various zombies from the feature. Unfortunately there are only a handful of these comparisons and a few of them require an extreme stretch of the imagination. The B&W original has been included in its digitally restored format too, which is great for anyone who doesn't already own it. The commentary and the ability to choose a scene is not available, however, when viewing the original, as it is for some reason included only as a special feature. Basically, this is the version that nobody asked for but there are some fun parts to it. Those looking for a more intense NOTLD experience however, really should check out earlier DVD releases. Plus: vintage horror trailers. (Fox)