Product Details

• Actors: Bill 'Chilly Billy' Cardille, Charles Craig (II), Frank Doak, Marilyn Eastman, Jack Givens
• Format: Black & White, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: ELITE ENTERTAINMENT
• DVD Release Date: March 12, 2002
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (512 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005Y6Y2
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,491 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #28 in	Movies & TV > Horror > Things That Go Bump > Zombies
  #66 in	Movies & TV > Horror > Things That Go Bump > Monsters
  #75 in	Movies & TV > Cult Movies > Horror

• For more information about "Night of the Living Dead (Millennium Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

• This is item 1 in The Romero's Dead Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

We can hardly imagine how shocking this film was when it first broke into the film scene in 1968. There's never been anything quite like it again, though there have been numerous pale imitations. Part of the terror lies in the fact that it is shot in such a raw and unadorned fashion that it feels like a home movie, and is all the more authentic because of that. It draws us into its world gradually, content to establish a merely spooky atmosphere before leading us through a horrifically logical progression that we hardly could have anticipated. The story is simple: Radiation from a fallen satellite has caused the dead to walk, and hunger for human flesh. Once bitten, you become one of them. And the only way to kill one is by a shot or blow to the head. We follow a group holed up in a small farmhouse who are trying to fend off the inevitable onslaught of the dead. The tension between the members of this unstable, makeshift community drives the film. Night of the Living Dead establishes savagery as a necessary condition of life. Marked by fatality and a grim humor, the film gnaws through to the bone, then proceeds on to the marrow. --Jim Gay

Product Description

It s one of the most celebrated horror films in the history of cinema. Now, Elite Entertainment has added even more bonus materials and special features to the classic title Night of the Living Dead. Marking the initial release in Elite s Millennium EditionTM DVD series, Night of the Living Dead has been restored with a newly approved THX Transfer, and includes a wide array of never-before-seen DVD features. Considered one of the true, classic horror films of all time, Night of the Living Dead tells the story of a group of strangers taking shelter in a farmhouse while the rest of the world is doing battle against an army of hungry un-dead.

Special Features Include:
Newly Approved THX Transfer Trailers/TV Spots Dual Commentary Tracks featuring George A. Romero and the Entire Cast Film Parody "Night of the Living Bread" Original Mono Soundtrack Dolby Digital 5.1 Remix Still Photo Gallery Featuring RARE COLOR Photos The History of Romero's Company, The Latent Image Scenes from the "Lost" Romero Film, "There's Always Vanilla" Liner notes by George A. Romero and Stephen King AND MORE!

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

183 of 203 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEWARE!! Stay away from the 30th Anniversary edition!, October 10, 2004

By	Michael K. Beusch (San Mateo, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

The five star rating I gave Night of the Living Dead is, of course, for the original, uncut, unadulterated edition. The original is, quite simply, the most terrifying movie I've ever seen, even when compared to horror classics like Diabolique (the original French version), Psycho, Rosemary's Baby, Halloween and The Shining. I saw NOTLD when I was 9 years old on Creature Features at midnight after a funeral. I had nightmares for the next two nights. The film still gives me the chills whenever I see it (usually at Halloween).

When the 30th Anniversary Edition came out, I bought it on VHS as I was curious to see what they termed as "new footage." What I got was a horrible mess that butchered the original film, removed the original music for a terrible synthesizer score and added pointless footage that makes the viewer want to grind his teeth down to the gums. One of the additions is a new character: a fire and brimstone preacher. While the acting in the original is amateurish, at best, the "actor" who plays the preacher makes the original cast look like Oscar winners by comparison. He snarls, and howls and gnashes his teeth like he has rabies. Even more ridiculous is the extra footage of Bill Hinzman -- the "cemetary zombie" in the original. The extra footage shows Hinzman's character emerging from the grave, then cuts to the original 1968 opening footage with Judith O'Dea and Russell Streiner. It's absolutely ridiculous as Hinzman looks 30 years older in the new footage. In addition, there are more zombies and a new ending to the film that makes no sense whatsoever. This "new" version is a piece of trash that desecrates the most frightening film of all time. Avoid it like the plague!

ORIGINAL VERSION: *****
30 Anniversary version: No Stars

111 of 125 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Millennium edition is really good., July 14, 2002

By	D. Mok (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review pertains only to the Millennium Edition DVD of Night of the Living Dead.

Okay...as I'd feared, my negative review of the John Russo-massacred "30th Anniversary Edition" of Night of the Living Dead has been lumped unwittingly into this product's review, so I' m writing this one to clarify.

This DVD edition is the best edition I've seen of the film yet. Anchor Bay may have raised the ires of legions of Living Dead fans by releasing the sacrilegious 30th Anniversary Edition, but Elite Entertainment did right by this new edition.

George A. Romero's personal appreciation appears in the back of this DVD -- this immediately restores our faith. And the contents don't disappoint -- the picture and sound are good, and though this doesn't exactly contain the richest batch of bonus materials (sets like the excellent 3-disc edition of Dario Argento's Suspiria and the recent double-disc Re-Animator both feature loads of extras), it is a nice solid collection. You get a Duane Jones interview (sadly with only audio and no image, but still great); an on-camera chat between Judith Ridley (Judy) and Marilyn Eastman (Helen); the hilarious student-film spoof "Night of the Living Bread" by Kevin S. O'Brien (which also appeared in the double-cassette VHS edition); two commentary tracks with Romero, Russo, Russ Streiner, Eastman, Karl Hardman and others. One very illuminating portion of this DVD for non-film-scholars is visually boring but informative -- several histories outlining the beginning of Romero's Latent Image company, on Hardman and Eastman's company, and how the two were married to produce Night of the Living Dead.

THIS is the right edition of Night of the Living Dead, the one to get for both fans and non-fans alike. It includes all the necessary people (notice that Russo, Streiner and Bill Hinzman were included in this release, despite their criminal participation in the 30th Anniversary Edition), and it presents the film the way it wants to be seen.
Now I'm waiting for a deluxe release of Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead...

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Aint It Cool News Review...., December 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Night of the Living Dead (30th Anniversary Limited Numbered Edition) (DVD)

I have had some pretty awful experiences in my life. As well as quite a few wonderful ones. The worst, I always thought, would be having to stand in the room while the authorities pulled the melted jewelrey from my mother's burnt corpse. That was a bad experience.

Then there were the two rusty nails that slammed into my knee to the hilt.

Oh yeah... and not being able to move my legs.

I always thought that nothing I could see in film could even approach the misery of these personal moments.

But then, I could never in a thousand years imagine the creative still-birth of the 30th Anniversary NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD DVD.

Now I know what you are thinking, or at least I think I do. You may be thinking that I have grossly overstated the level of personal offense with which I take this DVD, but I swear to you I am having to control myself sooo much right now from merely ranting... How can I tell you exactly how they pissed on this film?

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is one of my first favorite movies. Every week, for the first 6 years of my life, I watched NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD projected in 16mm. It was the first film that I had memorized.

It scared me away from wanting to ever frequent cemeteries. And it made me ask my Dad how they make movies. And he handed me my first Famous Monsters of Filmland, along with a book on LON CHANEY... a little thin blue book.

And that is how it began. Also at the time I was addicted to KING KONG, GORGO and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. I was seeing each of those... constantly alongside LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Corman version) and REEFER MADNESS.

In fact earlier this day I had watched the Alamo Drafthouse's last night of the Cannibal fest where they screened NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. I was in a great mood. I'd been saving watching this 30th Anniversary edition till after I saw this screening at the Drafthouse.

Quint came over to watch it with Father Geek and I... and my god... the horror.

I feel as though I have just watched a personal family member gang-raped by a pack of super sodomites.

If you love NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD don't even pick up the box that encases this dung heap.

First off, John Russo should be buried alive and fed through an IV and given adequate oxygen for the next 30 years. He has butchered, defaced and ruined one of the greatest horror films of all time. From his additions (as well as subtractions) to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, I can say with the utmost confidence that talent does not in any way reside within this shell of a so-called writer.

He has created something that at it's best moments perhaps achieves the utter stupidity of `GREEDO FIRED FIRST', but mostly resides with floating turds in a city sewer system.

There is not one instance in the entirety of the DVD that even begins to be good. And I'm even talking about the original footage. They have ruined every single second of the film through laughably awful sound effects and mixing, through a HORRENDOUS new bit of noise shat out by talentless hack, Scott Vladimir Ligina. They have erased all grain from the film, making it stark and crisp and in focus where it was once gloriously creepy and atmospheric.

Sigh... Perhaps I should just begin... at the beginning.

Gone are the opening shots of the film. Instead we begin upon the Chevy truck, that we later see Ben driving. But for now, it is driven by two redneck types hauling the body of the `cemetery ghoul' in a coffin in the back of their truck. Terrible dialogue about how he was a child murderer has been created as if to give some sort of backstory to the first zombie we ever see.

This is HORRIBLE. REALLY REALLY HORRIBLE. The dialogue and acting between the two corpse handlers is terribly written and delivered with all the subtlety and nuance of a kindergarten play about butterflies and toast.

When we finally arrive at the cemetery we get a look at this abominable tone deaf synthesizer addicted skinhead, Scott Vladimir Licina. Not only did he piss on the entire film with the single most offensive score I have ever listened to in my life, he and his gigantic teeth, have decided to bookend this film with an overbearing and painfully awful portrayal of a Reverend.

They have the cemetery zombie attack the two drivers and then we cut straight to Barbara and Johnny parked at the cemetery. All the foreboding shots of the drive... gone. Now, new thunder sounds pounding the entire scene. Drowning out their dialogue. This is... awful. I really have never known the meaning of that word till I witnessed this atrocity.

Let's cut forward a bit.

Remember where Ben and Barbara have first gone into the house together? When he tells her to go turn on all the lights, and then he begins searching for nails and hammer and wood? Well... we see him find the toolboxes. We no longer see him put the screwdriver in his back pocket, gone is the search for wood... he no longer looks under the sink, the initial nailing of wood is gone.... Oh yeah... as a matter of fact... When Barbara leaves the room here, it instantly cuts straight to her at the music box. All of the in-between and dialogue has been cut.

Remember Ben relating to Barbara what happened to him? Remember him talking about a tanker truck... describing that? GONE. Remember Barbara telling the story of Johnny and her? Well, they got to the cemetery... but all of her fantastic hysterical fits... GONE!

Gone. So much character development. Gone gone gone. Remember the scene between Harry and Helen in the basement where Harry talks about the Radio up stairs and Helen begins screaming at him about that. About how they don't like one another.

Well now... Harry goes down in the basement. Does his initial bit about , "We'll see who's right. We'll see when they come pleading for me to let them in" And then... cut to our all around swell guy, Tom pleading with Harry to come on back up... a mere minute and a half after he's entered the cellar... there by making it seem as if... Tom instantly had a change of heart. Gone is the development between Harry and Helen about their marriage problems, the issues with Harry's superiority complex.

If fact... throughout the entire film all of this basic fundamentally important to the story work is GONE, to be replaced with Reverend Wide Teeth and his bunch of morons.

Also... all the radio broadcasts are now different. It no longer feels like a radio broadcast from the period, but now feels like someone trying to impersonate a radio broadcast. Gone is most of the Venus probe stuff. Gone is the information about the Rescue Centers. Gone Gone Gone.

They hacked the hell out of this film. Remember the naked zombie? GONE!

Instead we have additional stumblers. No useful or even