BB 10/26/15

Good morning Phoenix! It’s time for Movie Monday. Since The Walking Dead aired last night, how about for our last pre-Halloween Movie Monday, a very appropriate one – Night of the Living Dead? It’s a classic.

Plot:

Barbra and Johnny visit their father's grave in a remote cemetery when they are suddenly set upon by zombies. Barbra manages to get away and takes refuge in what seems to be an abandoned farm house. She is soon joined by Ben who stopped at the house in need of gas. Beset by the walking dead all around them, Ben does his best to secure the doors and windows. The news reports are grim however with creatures returning to life everywhere. Barbra and Ben are surprised when they realize there are 5 people hiding out in the basement: Harry, Helen and Judy Cooper; and a young couple, Tom and Judy. Dissensions sets in almost immediately with Harry Cooper wanting to be in charge. As their situation deteriorates, their chances of surviving the night lessen minute by minute.

Trivia:

• When the zombies are eating the bodies in the burnt-out truck they were actually eating roast ham covered in chocolate sauce. The filmmakers joked that it was so nausea inducing that it was almost a waste of time putting the makeup on the zombies, as they ended up looking pale and sick anyway.

• Readers Digest tried to warn people away from watching the film in 1968 by claiming if it's ever watched, it will inspire cannibalism.

• One of the first films to graphically depict violent murders on screen.

• The first movie filmed in Pittsburgh.

• The US rating system was instituted November 1968. *Night of the Living Dead* was released October 1 1968, making it one of the last films released in the US without a rating.

Goofs:

• When the characters are first arguing about whether to stay upstairs or hide in the cellar, the shadow of the boom mic is clearly visible across Ben in one shot.

• As Ben informs Barbara that the house is secure and all windows have been sealed up, a plain, uncovered, unsecured window is visible right behind him.

• The headlights of the truck, smashed in an earlier scene by a zombie, are intact during Ben, Judy, and Tom's attempted escape.

• The movie takes place in April, but when you see a calendar in the kitchen of the farmhouse over Ben's shoulder it says December.

• When Johnny Blair gets out of his car, the car window reflects the camera and the head of a crew member.

Have a fangtastic day my friends!

<3 Brock V"""V