Friday again, and it’s Halloween eve, so this week’s film is the big one: Night of the Living Dead (1968). It’s a bit odd, a bit wrong, and free to watch, legally, right now.
Where to watch free
George A. Romero’s original fell into the public domain in the US when its distributor left the copyright notice off the prints. That’s why it’s legally free to stream on the Internet Archive.
- Night of the Living Dead (1968): free on the Internet Archive, any time.
Over on Talking Pictures TV (Freeview 82) tonight, there’s no film in the usual slot. Instead, Caroline Munro introduces Cellar Club Live at 9pm, with Kim Newman, Julian Glover and David McGillivray at the Water Rats, from 9:05pm. So watch that, then put Romero on afterwards.
What it’s about
A brother and sister visit their father’s grave in rural Pennsylvania, and something is wrong with the man walking towards them across the cemetery. Barbra escapes to a farmhouse, where Ben and a handful of strangers board up the windows and argue about what to do as the night closes in. That’s all you need going in.
Why it’s worth staying in for
It was shot in black and white on a tiny budget, and it more or less invented the modern zombie film. It still feels raw and mean. Duane Jones is terrific as Ben, and the ending still lands like a punch. It’s the perfect film for the night before Halloween.
Content note
Flesh-eating, gunshots, a child turned monster, and a bleak ending.
Over to you
Have you seen it, and does it still scare you? If you’re watching because of this post, come back and tell me how it went. Missed the last few? Catch up on Watchers (1988), Fright (1971) and The Changeling (1980).
Odd, a bit wrong, very watchable, nothing to pay. Happy Halloween.
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