Let's get the stupid question outta the way first.You've all seen George A. Romero's 1968 cult classic,Night of the Living Dead before,right?I'm pretty sure there are some Triconympha trying on wigs in the intestine of a termite somewhere that have seen one or more incarnations of it by now.And I'm pretty sure I saw a Shamatari Indian on a NatGeo special give his best,"They're coming to get you,Barbara..." in primitive clicks,snorts,and whistles sometime.Or maybe I was just high,but you get the point.It's pretty much a universal fact that said movie is one of the greatest horror movies of all-time,yes?The only people that would deny the above statement would also bludgeon Santa Claus into a coma tent with a blackjack in front of a crowd of eight year old children.They're no-goodskis,milk-breathed teat-suckers,and we don't like 'em around these parts.There's been a lot of vacuous negative wind billowing about on the interwebs about tonight's review,and frankly,it bums me out.When you get nearly 150 different artists to work on a single project,in a wide range of mediums,styles, and processes,each artist's interpretation of the movie will out in his or her respective work.Some of which,happen to be funny,which has apparently offended the praise police,who have brought forth two stone tablets of horror movie commandments,one of which readeth,"Thou shalt find NO humour in thine horror classics."Excuse me,is what I'll interject with,as made popular in the late seventies by a certain comedian in bunny ears that picked at a banjo a piece from time to time.Though I found many scenes appropriately chilling,I also found lots of humour in the movie,being of a twisted sense myself.As much as I may come off like one,kids,I'm no horror snob,believe me.Before we begin,a tip of my cabbie to Wild Eye's producing partner,Rob Hauschild,for setting me up with the screener for tonight's review.Whenever you want one of your films reviewed,or somebody roughed the eff up,you come and see me.
Bill Hinzman as the Cemetery Zombie,or Fred Lincoln after a weekend bender at Plato's Retreat?You decide.
After a spirited introduction by horror host,Count Gore De Vol,that harkens back to the glory days of Zacherle and Dr. Shock,the viewer is treated to a wildly original reimagining of the black and white shocker,as artists and animators from all over the globe put their own personal spin on each classic scene in whatever medium they choose.The results are often dazzling,making for a highly enjoyable new artistic joyride in a favorite old cinematic muscle car.Some of the art is truly spectacular and very moving to behold,and coupled with the original soundtrack,succeeds on all levels;in both homage to and as a stand alone,fresh creative collaborative effort.It's all here,from the title sequence with Johnny and Barbara paying their respects at the cemetery,right through to the zombies on the woodpile end titles.Each scene is a mash up of several different artist's interpretations,sometimes shot for shot recreation,which really hits a nostalgic nerve for an old horror-head like this guy over here.Seeing Bill Hinzman as a stop motion animated Mego doll shambling towards the old Pennsylvania farmhouse brought me back to my parents' kitchen,where I had a vcr haphazardly hooked to a thirteen inch black and white television from the sixties,with the forty dollar Media vhs popped in on a rainy Saturday night,the first experience I had with the groundbreaking,historic scene way back when.And it retains its effectiveness here,proving that these artists loved the subject matter just as much as horror buffs like you or I,and its plain to see.
"During the next Soul Train commercial break,that clicker is mine",plots Cooper.
Of course,some sequences were weaker than others for me,such as the inclusion of Ren and Stimpy-esque cartoons,although the Mr. Cooper mouse slapfighting(his face,especially) with the cat zombies through the barricaded window shot was pretty choice,and the news broadcast being delivered by sock puppets lost its momentary appeal to me in less time than that.Mr. and Mrs. Cooper bickering back and forth as Barbie dolls in the cellar also wasn't a big favourite of mine,either,truth be told.That said,none of my least favourite personal scenes truly detracts from the overall feel of the production,though they may set it back a bit,at times.Instead,it gives the air of the movie as a patchwork thank you card from all the original's most creative fans towards one of their most beloved works,and that's not half bad,when you think about it,is it?The classic downer ending is brilliantly juxtaposed against beautiful artwork and magnificent caricatures of the cast,recapturing the unsettling ironic vibe you experienced when first watching the original.Not the same type of screening you get with the 1968 film,but something excitingly new and different.If that's what the filmmakers were aiming for,success is surely theirs.The Emperor approves.
Cooper gets his just desserts,just becoming his daughter's dessert.
In closing,I fully recommend that all woprophiles out there get their mitts on a copy of tonight's entry.You can do so by going right to the source for screening dates,or snag a copy on Amazon.If Night means as much to you,as it means to me,and more importantly,to the people involved in the production itself,you'll do well to see it.Anything else I could say in my current altered state would be overkill,really.Great job,guys,four wops.
Two big thumbs,way the fuck up.
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