night of the living dead Archives

In Memoriam: George A. Romero (1940-2017)Film icon George A. Romero has passed away at the age of 77. His extensive and varied filmography is one of daring and uniqueness and will continue to be studied, enjoyed and admired.Romero shocked audiences in 1968 with his jarringly bleak zombie offering NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. The film’s haunting chiaroscuro, over-the-top violence and surprisingly grim conclusion shocked viewers used to rubber monsters and happy endings. With this film he changed the entire mythology of zombies, turning them from docile, voodoo-created undead into the ravenous, rotting flesh-eaters that have become the expected norm.In 1977 he attacked another traditional monster mythology, twisting the folk rules of vampirism in his masterpiece MARTIN, an endlessly curious investigation of the parameters of religion and psychology resulting in a stark indictment of religion and irrational belief.In DAWN OF THE DEAD Romero upped the ante with outrageous inventive violence, special effects, and “splatstick” comedy to create one of the greatest critiques of blind conformist consumerism. The scathing satire has spawned countless copycats and remakes ad nauseam, but none have come near the profound, layered brilliance of this entry.Romero’s hilarious grand guignol anthology, CREEPSHOW remains a classic homage to the EC horror comics that both he and writer Stephen King were inspired by. It remains a perfect synthesis of chills, gore, bizarre characters and stories.I was fortunate to have met Mr. Romero and found him to be gracious, witty and fun. We discussed his career, a mutual fondness for the dark fantasy films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, how their vivid fairy-tale depictions of the surreal and grotesque inspired his work. He expressed great pride in his place in culture and film history, and although he understood imitation as flattery, he wondered aloud why more film makers didn’t develop unique ideas and take more chances. We spoke about audience reaction and how much it thrills him; he chuckled as I related a story of an ill-fated trip to THE DARK HALF to a theater full of crack users who fearfully conversed with the screen.During a recent revival of MONKEY SHINES I delighted in hearing audience members shriek at the absurd finale and marveled at the staying power of his films, remembering our conversation and realizing how much he would have loved to hear the screams.While George A. Romero’s unique oeuvre has frequently displayed humans at their most cruel and volatile, they have also depicted the power of the individual against gruesome odds. They also cleverly, powerfully and profoundly articulate the humor in the darkest moments, absurdity arising from tragedy. —Magister Charles Fortworth

Basics of Satanism

Policy Statements

Essays & Interviews

Basics of Satanism

Policy Statements

Essays & Interviews

night of the living dead