Rating: 
Summary: Don't tamper with masterpieces
Review: This is probably one of the best horror movies ever made and an undoubted classic. I just don't understand how anybody could ever come up with the idea to add some 15 minutes of new scenes shot in 1999 to this 1969 masterpiece. What would you think if they did that to say Casablanca? These new scenes do not add anything original or new insights. On the contrary, they distract, ridicule the movie (probably unintentionally) and thus make a perfect movie lesser so. Since the original version is also on this disc I strongly recommend to watch the original, specifically to those seeing it for the first time. You will then see the movie as it was intended by its creators visually. You won't hear the original music, though. It has been replaced by a new music score, recently composed. Don't ask me why. The original suspense score fit the movie very well. No need to better it. From a strict audio point of view the DD 5.1 rendered score sounds better than the monaural original. But does it fit to the movie? Does it enhance the dramatic viewing experience? The predominant piano reminded me strongly of expressionist silent movies and I don't think it's adequate for this film. BTW: Above rating refers to this edition only. The movie, of course, is five stars!
Rating: 
Summary: The greatest horror movie ever made gets a makeover
Review: The new scenes are truely a great addition. If you are a true fan of this movie, you will love the small stories that come forth in the new scenes. Like the story behind Beekman's Diner and the cemetery zombie. Trust me, you'll love it!
Rating: 
Summary: An Unspeakable Travesty
Review: Every single moment of new footage and new scoring is a raging miscalculation. You're left bewildered, scratching your head, wondering how good-intentioned people could screw up so comprehensively. Get the great Elite edition instead.
Rating:
Summary: THE DEAD HAVE A REASON TO WALK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Simply put....DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS VERSION! John Russo has ruined a classic film(oh the humanity!) First off he re-edited the film(cutting out major scenes of dialogue) then he had the film re-scored(destroying the haunting atmosphere of the original) He then substituted scenes that were not to be in the original film(because they werent up to par!) Even the news broadcasts were changed(now sounding very fake & not matching this period piece) This movie is very near & dear to my heart & it saddens me to see it butchered like this...THE DEAD ARE WALKING ALLRIGHT....OUT OF THE GRAVE & STRAIGHT AFTER JOHN RUSSO!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The original version gets 5 stars, this ones gets 3
Review: Bill Hinzman (cemetary zombie) and John Russo (co-writer) for whatever reason decided to film new scenes and insert them throughout the movie. They expanded on the cememetary Zombie and added a Reverand to try and cover the epidemic from a religious stand point. Here are the problems. Bill Hinzman recreates his roll as the cemetary Zombie, only he's 30 years older and 30 years rounder. His face looks older and his body is bigger. On top of that, when we first see Bill Hinzman come back to life, he has a brand new suit on. Two scenes later we cut to the original film and he has a dirty old suit with some tears on either of his shoulder and a big dust splotch on his back. Fast forward to the end of the movie and Bill comes back to the cemetary and we see that his left shoulder is torn. Obviously the original is riddled with flaws, I can forgive that. But if you have 30 years to add scenes to a movie, then you need study each and every frame until you have your new scenes perfected. This reverend guy (aside from being a terrible actor) destroys the events in Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead as we see him get bit by Bill's Zombie and then see him 1 year in the future not in a zombie infested city but in a quarantined hospital in a bustleing city (he has not been infected, god has chosen him so he says) filled with normal people midning there buisness. I don't care about the religious implications of this, but if you follow the Dead time line, Dawn of the Dead is maybe 2 months after Night, etc. One year later should be six months after Day of the Dead. It's not like the dead take a break from coming back to life. The good points are, you get a choice between the 98 edit (which is new score, remastered) and 30th aniversary (which has the news scenes, new score etc). The new transfer looks great, and the sound is really clean. I'm not sure I dig the new score though...
Rating:
Summary: Burn your copy
Review: I saw this wretched dvd at a friends house. I couldnt decide whether or not this was supposed to be funny or taken seriously.
Regardless, John Russo and friends totally ruined George Romeros groundbreaking horror classic. The soundtrack is ridiculous, it sounds as though the composer bought a $30 Casio keyboard and wrote some cheesy gothic horror songs for the soundtrack. And who do they think they are fooling with Bill Heinzman reprising his role as the original zombie 30 years later? Did they think no one would notice he looked like he was close to 40 in the original, and in the new footage he looks like hes 70 at the youngest?Please. Also i noticed another thing about the family who died at Beekmans Diner in the car crash:Check out one of the kids shoes, as they are actually Sketchers I believe. I'm no expert on the shoe business so correct me if I'm wrong, but I dont think the Sketchers shoe company was around in 1968. Did anyone see the "music video" for the ridiculous "Dance of the Dead". Thats probably the most entertaining feature about the dvd. I found the music video to be corny and terrible, but utterly hiliarious. Anyways, don't waste your money on this garbage. The new music score is way below subpar as is the acting and scripting for the additional material. The original Romero feature was a low budget masterpiece. This, however is just a half-assed attempt at filmmaking and yet another way for no talent filmakers to cash in on a classic. Avoid.
Rating:
Summary: It Made Me Sick
Review: Putrid. It is a real shame when you see people who should be digging ditches or flipping burgers somewhere getting money to make a film. The additional scenes and new music score in this version of NOTLD made me cry. Blind, aimless talent took advantage of the copyright freedoms on this one and created what may be the worst expeirience in film histoy. Only in America can this kind of crap get through so many levels of screening and no doubt make money. I honestly think I will give up on caring about anything now that I realize I could probably vomit on celluloid and enjoy profitable returns.
Rating:
Summary: It's dead, it's ... uhhhh ... all messed up
Review: 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. I gave this disaster one star only because the ratings systems doesn't allow a no star rating. Avoid it like the plague!
Rating:
Summary: what?
Review: I rented this version because it's the only one I could get my hands on and I had read and been told over the years how great a movie it is. Well, this was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Supposedly this version is to be avoided, but I did not know that going into this. I must admit, I did see a second or two of brilliance here and there throughout the film, but all in all it was utterly EXCRUCIATING.Poorly edited, terribly acted (both of which mean to me that Romero is an awful director), synched like a Japanese overdub at parts, and not in the least bit humorous as I was led to believe. I don't see a classic in here in any sense. The lighting/setting and music were the only descent things about this flick. I hung in there, waiting for the promised greatness to come, but all I got for my trouble was an Alistair Crowley wannabe spending the last 5 minutes of the film irritating me more than a parental lecture did at age 15. If this is truly a 4-star film and someone butchered it this badly, they deserve to have their fingernails slowly ripped out with pliers and then be used as the guinea pig in an under-funded dental school. All that said this movie did do one thing it set out to. It scared me. . . from ever even thinking about getting my hands on the original.
Rating: 
Summary: Confound you, ambitious filmmakers!
Review: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is arguably the greatest horror film of all-time, and easily one of the most influential ever made. However, this DVD does NOT contain the true version of the film. Despite the fact that it includes a couple nice special features, this version of the film is for die-hard Romero fans only.
The film has been re-edited, with new, completely unnecessary scenes inserted; also, Scott Vladimir Lacina has replaced the popular score of library music from the first film with a new score. John A. Russo lead the project, and said he was surprised by the reaction of fans. Well, nice job, Mr. Russo, you damned the film straight to hell. I cannot tell you enough times not to purchase this edition.
Confound you, ambitious filmmakers!
|
