SHERDOG MOVIE CLUB: Week 136 - Night of the Living Dead

[Andersons Foot]

I had seen bits and pieces of this throughout the years but never watched from beginning to end. I wish I had done it sooner, really enjoyed it. I didn't even remember the Harry guy from the parts I had seen before. I didn't love that character but I'm glad he was there. Wouldn't have been any internal conflict if he wasn't.

The acting wasn't all that great, and there were times where they way overacted, but that's expected considering the budget. Also they really jacked up their escape plan with the truck, that was about as bad as you could mess that up. And I think the black and white messed me up on something. When they tried to get gas in the truck it was night time right? But then they watch the report on the news at 3 and it's day time. I got all mixed up there, could've just been re-showing a report from that afternoon.

Great movie.

 

[Andersons Foot]

Don't love that ending tho.

 

[Tufts]

Here we have @the muntjac funeral-week and @Tufts totally Frank Grimes him.

My sheepdog was actually killed getting attacked by another dog. Though I wasn't there when it happened. Fortunate that your incident turned out a lot more auspicious.

Damn. I’m so sorry. That really sucks. May he RIP.

 

[BeardotheWeirdo]

The scariest dog I ever met belonged to a friend of my dad's in India. I was super excited to find out we were going to stay with a person with a dog, and then I met the dog....

And yes there were bars between us when I met him.

This dog had been beat and trained to only respond to the one person, my dad's friend. He existed to guard the house. To keep others out, and probably to keep the friend's daughters in. Not that that worked out for the family, as she ran away with a Hindu boy.

Anywhoo, tt was made very clear to me that all I would get out of going outside after dark was attacked. Made me so sad. I wasn't in the habit of sneaking out alone in India, but I still felt trapped in that house after dark.

When I was in India a couple of years ago, I noticed all of the guard dogs chained up outside banks and luxury stores at night. I had quite the collection of pictures when I got back. They were all on 1 meter long chains, and nobody would ever approach them. It was scary just taking their pictures.

So I'm guessing maybe that little old Indian lady had been exposed to these types of dogs. What was especially interesting is that most of the dogs were not that big, or of a distinctive breed. Just scarier than shite.

Yeah, she probably did know some dogs like that.

I met a couple Dobermans like that when I delivered for a wrecking yard. One of our competitors had them as guard dogs. I wasn't allowed to leave my truck until I parked in the building and the garage shut, and the dogs were on leashes during the day when I went. Miserable life for a dog.

 

[the muntjac]

Don't love that ending tho.

The ending was...

 

[Andersons Foot]

The ending was...

Ehh idk. I’m not saying it was bad. I just figured it was coming. They didn’t even investigate the house really like they said they were going to.

 

[the muntjac]

Ehh idk. I’m not saying it was bad. I just figured it was coming. They didn’t even investigate the house really like they said they were going to.

Do you mean before or after they shot him? After they shoot him, they show that montage of Ben being dragged out with meat hooks and thrown into the fire, so I assume they checked around the house then.

 

[Andersons Foot]

Do you mean before or after they shot him? After they shoot him, they show that montage of Ben being dragged out with meat hooks and thrown into the fire, so I assume they checked around the house then.

True. I just felt lowballed that they were so careless there. I get just blasting everything that moves in an open field, but you haven’t checked that house for survivors yet so why would you just fire blindly into a window.

Minor gripe tho.

 

[europe1]

Mr Cooper dissmisses AndersonsFoots foolish assessement about the ending!!!

Sorry... the gif was just to funny to go unused

 

[the muntjac]

True. I just felt lowballed that they were so careless there. I get just blasting everything that moves in an open field, but you haven’t checked that house for survivors yet so why would you just fire blindly into a window.

Minor gripe tho.

These are western Pennsylvanians after all, and possibly at just the right angle, at just the right distance, and in just the right light, Ben looked like a Cleveland Browns fan.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

These are western Pennsylvanians after all, and possibly at just the right angle, at just the right distance, and in just the right light, Ben looked like a Cleveland Browns fan.

In the updated version they'd spare the Browns fan out of sympathy.

 

[the muntjac]

In the updated version they'd spare the Browns fan out of sympathy.

Haha yeah. He’d be a Ravens fan now.

 

[Zer]

True. I just felt lowballed that they were so careless there. I get just blasting everything that moves in an open field, but you haven’t checked that house for survivors yet so why would you just fire blindly into a window.

Minor gripe tho.

I thought it would've been far more effective if they had a clearer view of the guy too. If he was severely dehydrated and weak and stumbling towards them in the open or some shit. If he was deliriously happy and relieved to be rescued only get to shot down for looking like a slobbering, crippled mess. Pro-tip for the zombie apocalypse - if you're about to be rescued bust out this walk

As it is I maybe would've had the dudes go up and check him out after they'd shot him and be like 'whoopsy daisy' as if they'd already killed a number of legit survivors. Although I do like ending the film at the moment he gets shot and starting dat music at that point

 

[Andersons Foot]

I thought it would've been far more effective if they had a clearer view of the guy too. If he was severely dehydrated and weak and stumbling towards them in the open or some shit. If he was deliriously happy and relieved to be rescued only get to shot down for looking like a slobbering, crippled mess. Pro-tip for the zombie apocalypse - if you're about to be rescued bust out this walk

As it is I maybe would've had the dudes go up and check him out after they'd shot him and be like 'whoopsy daisy' as if they'd already killed a number of legit survivors. Although I do like ending the film at the moment he gets shot and starting dat music at that point

Yeah it just felt off to me. And yeah I agree the timing of the ending with the photos and music was very cool.

 

[Yotsuya]

I think the final scene was a bit lazily directed. The shots of the posse and the survivor did not match that well.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

Been a while since I watched this one. I had the option of watching an 87 minute version or a 97 minute version on my cable, and I'm curious what 10 minutes differed. Maybe it was the colorized version? I prefer this film in B&W. Adds to the tension, I think.

Zombies are so different in this than how we're used to them in later cinema. That one in the beginning that killed the guy who we thought would be the main character with glasses, he grabbed a brick to break a window. Another one grabbed the tire iron. They're using tools, and the zombies we know and love couldn't do that. Their fear of fire is also interesting to me. I guess that's why they call them "ghouls".

This film used to make people lose it, and yet it 50 years later it barely moves the needle. It's amazing to see how the standard of content and acceptability has transformed. Films these days would have been banned if they were made back then.

I have a lot less to say about this than I thought. I admit I watched it while working on my other monitor so I didn't pay it the attention I normally do, but still. The main character was solid, especially considering he wasn't an actor. I'm sure it was noteworthy for race in cinema, and I'm glad for it.

Far be it for me to point out continuity issues, but when they escape from the house, it's dark out. Meanwhile, when the first truck is driving away, it's daylight. Then at the barn with the gas pump, it's dark again. Make up your mind, y'all.

When the mother gets taken out by the young daughter, she just lies there while the daughter stabs her to death. I mean...it's a shocker to watch your daughter eat your dead husband (I think it's the husband, I might have lost track), but I figure there'd be a better reaction than shouting no and getting stabbed.

About ten minutes left, Romero just decided, "ok, it's time to kill everyone." So let it be written, so let it be done. No happy endings in a zombie apocalypse.

8/10.