The Next Reel Film Podcast Night of the Living Dead • The Next Reel
"Kill the brain and you kill the ghoul."
Zombies are commonplace nowadays, but in the mid 60s, they were more connected to voodoo stories. It wasn’t until George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead in 1968 when zombies as we know them today became firmly established. But how well does the film hold up when watching through today’s zombie-filled goggles? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue celebrating 50th anniversaries of films and franchises by kicking off a series looking at Romero’s original Dead trilogy, starting with this film.
We talk about why zombies are such interesting creatures to use when looking at various elements of society for thematic statements. We look at the low budget nature with which Romero and his team used to craft this story and what that means to the overall film. We talk about some of the performers, notably Duane Jones, and what they brought to the table. We look at the various interpretations people make with this film and how the film was not made with those intentions, but how art is for the people and people take away from it anything they feel is valuable. And we walk through the struggles this film has had with copyright and what that has meant to this film and its releases.
It’s a fun film and one that essentially birthed the modern zombie film. We have a great time talking about it on the show this week, so check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.
Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!
Film Sundries
Thank you for supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast on Patreon!
- Watch this film: iTunes • Amazon • Hulu • YouTube
- Script Transcript
- Original theatrical trailer
- Original poster artwork
- Art of the Title
- Flickchart
- Letterboxd
- CDC Zombie Preparedness Website
Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:
- Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year
- Join our Discord community of movie lovers
The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:
- Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements
- The Film Board
- Movies We Like
- The Next Reel Film Podcast
- Sitting in the Dark
Connect With Us:
- Main Site: Web
- Movie Platforms: Letterboxd | Flickchart
- Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | Pinterest
- Your Hosts: Andy | Pete
Shop & Stream:
- Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & more
- Watch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussed
- Originals: Source material from our episodes
- Special offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible