Reviews (375)

There's No More Room in Hell, So the Dead Now Walk the Earth
1978's DAWN OF THE DEAD is the second entry in George Romero's "DEAD" trilogy, though it isn't as scary or as groundbreaking as his first, the classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). Still, for a low-budget sequel, it is an interesting and entertaining film, an unusual mix of action, drama, comedy, and horror that actually functions on two levels: One, it is a stomach-churning study of the depths to which people will sink in order to ensure their survival; and two, it is a dark satire that takes several pokes at Western consumerism.

The plot of DAWN OF THE DEAD builds on the premise of its predecessor. The world is now becoming overrun with the flesh-eating zombies, and in the United States, martial law has been declared and all survivors are required to go to state-run "rescue stations" for shelter and protection. The manager of a TV station and her helicopter-pilot boyfriend decide to defy authorities and seek out their own save haven, and two police officers--friends of the helicopter pilot--decide to abandon their duties and go along with the couple. The group eventually arrives at an abandoned shopping mall, and when they realize that the stores within contain all they need to survive--food, clothing, and weapons & ammunition--they seal off the building, dispose of most of the zombies inside, and take up residence. But when their claim on the mall and its goods is challenged by a band of motorcycle-riding marauders, the quartet is soon fighting for survival against not only the zombies, but also against their own kind.

Although the audience has been made to sympathize with the film's four protagonists, there is no true heroism in this world of Romero's making. Instead, there are only different levels of self-interest and narcissism. After the four move into their new home and start living off the "fat of the mall," they quickly develop a sort of bourgeois attitude towards the comforts they now enjoy. Of course, that is exactly the Western attitude that Romero is ridiculing--that sense of security and satisfaction one feels after amassing material goods. And when the group's right to possession is violently challenged by outsiders, Romero clearly demonstrates just how tenuous a security based on personal possessions really is.

Romero is a master storyteller who knows how to manipulate the emotions of his audience. In this film, he creates a relentless sense of unease by juxtaposing the repulsive and grotesque with the lighthearted and humorous. For example, when the quartet of protagonists first occupies the mall, they turn on the mall-wide Muzak system to mask from the zombies the noises they make while looting the stores. So for several scenes there is this macabre contrast between bloody, pasty-faced zombies and syrupy instrumental music. Uncomfortably comical and humorously disturbing.

Creepy, bloody (FX by Tom Savini), boisterous, and constantly full of surprises, DAWN OF THE DEAD is easily one of the most entertaining zombie movies ever made. True, it does have an underlying anti-materialism message that is none too subtle, but that doesn't detract in the least from the enjoyment of being playfully spooked and repulsed by all the zombie grotesquerie. All in all, horror fans will have a good time watching this minor Romero masterpiece.

The Divimax Edition DVD from Anchor Bay offers an excellent digital transfer of the U.S. theatrical cut (often considered superior even to the director's cut), and there are lots of cool extras, too, not the least of which is a feature commentary with writer/director Romero and FX man Savini. A worthy addition to the film collections of serious horror fans, and well worth amazon.com's very reasonable asking price.

Dawn Of The Dead Is A True Horror Masterpiece!
An intense and overlooked horror classic, George A. Romero's "Dawn Of The Dead", the second and most popular in his Dead trilogy, is probably his most epic tale to date. Regarded by many, including Roger Ebert, as the ultimiate definition in horror films, "Dawn" is truly the thinking man's horror movie. Its horror is far more subtle than that of in-your-face suspense films like "Halloween" or "Exorcist" or for that matter, Romero's first Dead film, "Night". Where most slasher films provide those quick thrills that make us jump but dissapear from our memory almost as quickly as they appeared, "Dawn" creeps into our fears and shows us a view of our downfall as a civilazation.

"Dawn" centers around four survivors, two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. members and a couple from a newstation, who are trying to escape a zombie plague that has engulfed the country. The film opens with chaos ensuing as a handful of newscasters attempt unsuccesfully to put together an emergency broadcast. We move forward to a project house where the tenants are protecting the undead because as one of the central characters explains, "They still believe there is honor in being dead". Guns blaze as seemingly more humans are taken down than actual zombies courtesy of a SWAT team bigit who goes buckwild but ends up getting his before the smoke clears.

As the violence in the city seems to be piling up, our four characters use the local news chopper to escape to the country side where the situation isn't any less of a problem though a handful of trigger-happy rednecks seem to be having a great time with their beers and shotguns. After a brief touchdown at said location where the group runs into a few problems with both the zombies and each other while gassing up their helicopter, they head back up into the sky and eventually land at a shopping center, the film's cental location.

Placing the story at a mall makes for not only a unique and creative backdrop but also allows for Romero to provide an intriguing social commentary on the madness of consumerism that seemed to sweep the late 70's. The zombies who try to break into the center are portrayed as people who loved shopping there so much in life that all they want to do is be there after death.

Romero and make-up effects wizard, Tom Savini are at the most sadistic during the concluding act of this film as our heroes do battle with another band of survivors, a motorcycle gang who shows up and tries to take over the mall for themselves. The zombies, who prior to this were pretty much an afterthought regain their power because their human counterparts are far too busy with each other to notice that they are regaining control of the place. Savini's graphic make-up effects really make for a great finale.

"Dawn Of The Dead" is very much a different film from "Night Of The Living Dead". "Dawn" takes a far different approach to the "dead taking over the world" concept that George helped create in "Night". The mall setting is far less clostrophobic than the farmhouse in the original but it is the nightmare outside that our characters must deal with. In "Night", it was all about getting past the problem that lie in front of them and it's smooth sailing. In "Dawn", the problem is almost reversed. They are safe inside their location, though their safety is an illusion, and it is the outside world that is coming in. They don't want to get away. The outside world is falling apart and the mall is almost a false symbol of protection.

"Dawn" probably will not be an instant overnight favorite. I, myself, was expecting a much different movie than the one I watched. Having caughts bits and pieces of "Day" before I actually sat down to watch it, I was expecting it to have more of the look and feel that I associated with that movie. I honestly didn't know what to make of the weird clothing, the Smurf-blue make-up effects, and the strange Goblins music that popped up through out the film. Within two weeks of watching it, it had become one of my favorite films. All these weird visuals that I found strange actually kept dragging me in over and over again. Though the film is over 25 years old, I can still honestly say that there are very few films of any genre that resemble it.

THE BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER!!! AT LAST!!!
A four disc edition? Who can ask for more? Obviously we saw it coming... the remake was there... the Divimax edition early this year... everybody was saying a big multi-disc edition was coming... and here it is!

To start analyzing this film we must take a look at NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. This film was a landmark as it introduced the zombies as we know today. Now, DAWN OF THE DEAD set a new landmark. In it, the zombies were a mature (sub)genre in modern cinema.

What makes this film so important? Everything! First it is the brilliant screenplay. The story... you already know: as the zombie population increases more and more, four people barricate themselves inside a big shopping mall, where they endulge themselves with all consumering desires they can think of.

Sounds simple? It is, but there is more than meets the eye: as the zombies try to get in (you'll have to wonder why) the four heroes inside discover their paradise makes them more empty than they would have thought it would... and slowly, life start making no sense.

DAWN OF THE DEAD is the kind of film that has been changing as the decades pass. Its violence seems to have softened if we think of all the action and horror films who came in the decades that followed (just like it happened with other horror landmarks like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, FRIDAY THE 13TH, HALLOWEEN and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD). Its makeup is not comparable to the vast majority of horror films that came after (who had bigger makeup budgets)... but on the other hand, elements like tension, drama, character development and social critique have all grown more powerful then in all of the films that followed.

In other words, audiences who see this film today, many times discover the fact that its weight is changing fields... from graphic horror to social horror. And this kind of horror is no less potent and much more rare.

Mr. Romero is one of those rare horror screenwriter/directors who do have a strong critic point of view (and we can see it as he continues to deliver so in his later third zombie film - the sadly underated gem - DAY OF THE DEAD).

Clearly, this is a multi-layered film that demands multiple levels of reading. You must be aware of all the issues put inside this film. Otherwise, if you're in just for the cheap thrills, gore and violence, you'll probably be disappointed.

As a product of the late seventies, this is a production triumph because it manages to deliver a lot with minimum budget. The remake released early this year made a great update on this basic premisse.

I loved them both.

This edition seems to be more than we've all asked for (now that the simpler Divimax edition made all the money it could...). Here, you'll find all the versions and lots of extras.

But again... DAWN OF THE DEAD is a film that I am sure will be seen and celebrated for years to come. See it with an open mind and you too will discover why.

DAWN OF THE DEAD
A GREAT ZOMBIE MOVIE AND SEQUEL TO NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS GUT RIPPING,FLESH TEARING ZOMBIE FILMS.VERY WELL DONE AND ACTED WITH LOTS OF GORE.ANOTHER MASTERPIECE FROM GEORGE ROMERO. GET IT!!!! A++++

Can't Wait
I must be honest, I almost got tricked into buying the DiviMax edition aswell, but after taking a look at what features it had on it and hearing rumours about this four-disc edition, I decided not to bother. All in all by looking at the cover art and reading about what will be on it, I believe that this edition will be a great buy for the month of September and for any Dead fan out there and, hopefully it will be the last edition for this particular movie. I can just see it now, six months from now, brand new "SIX DISC" Special Edition, that would be quite a sight . ... Read more

Reviews (217)

Well made flim to the last Romero zombie trilogy.
I review this film before and the only reason, what i the film again. Because of the DVD. The picture quatily is Above Average but I thought some of the darker scenes, it`s looks digital, would be Better than the VHS. But again it`s all right. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is pretty good. Anyway John Harrison music, he compose for the film is Above Average. Some excellent Make-Up work from Tom Savini(He directed the fine remake of Night Of The Living Dead.) Writer and Director-George A. Romero is most underrated film to Date. Good Cast for the unknown actors, I did like Lori Cardille(Her Father played The T.V interviewer in Night Of The Living Dead and the Remake.), John Amplas(His Excellent Performance in George A. Romero`s Martin). Joe Pilato(Little Known for playing a Cop in U.S. theartical cut of Dawn of the Dead.Terry Alexander, Joseph Conroy, Antone Dileo and Gary Howard Klar and again Richard Liberty.

Am sure Anchor Bay Entertainment are planning to resorted the picture to be much brighter and also the sound. Also an commentary track from the director:Geroge A. Romero and Tom Savini. One of Romero`s best films and also the most underrated one. Grade:A-.

Mmmmm.....apocalicious!
A fine horror film in its own right, but it suffers in comparison to "Dawn of the Dead". Where "Dawn" thematically succeeds on its criticism of consumerism, it's hard to find where "Day" fits in the trilogy. And George Romero himself has stated that this was only a shadow of the original "dead" grand finale he envisioned. But the good news is that maybe we'll see a another sequel some day? It's time...the world needs another Zombie film!

But no matter...it's creepy, apocalyptic nightmare that probes a primal fear, i.e. being eaten. It's quite well-acted (in a yelling and screaming sort of way) in spite of its other shortcomings. Lori Cardille and Jarlath Conroy stand out; too bad they haven't done more film work (both are very active in indie/theater work). Josef Pilato has gone on to character roles, including Dean Martin in "Pulp Fiction".

One note regarding the special effects...they're *really* disturbing, especially Sarah's field surgery upon Miguel. But people don't pull apart or break quite so easily.

It's well worth seeing. If you can still find it, buy it. The extras (including a home video "making of" documentary) are compelling.

Divimax delivers the best edition ever
This is one of the best DVD re-releases I have ever purchased. I have always been a fan of the George A. Romero films, and Day of the Dead has always been one of his best. This DVD is loaded with bonus features. 2 featurettes, Trailers, Commentary, and photo galleries. An absolute must for all fans.

The best of the trilogy
I loved 'Night' and 'Dawn,' but 'Day of the Dead' is the ultimate zombie flick and George Romero's masterpiece. It was ridiculously underrated upon its release, but I'm sure its audience grows by the day. It's bleak, ugly, gory, and funny. Love the post-apocalyptic plotline, love the scenes of amateur actors screaming at each other until their temples protrude, love Bub, and love his zombie brethren staggering around moaning and ripping people's faces off. This is what zombie movies are all about.

DAY OF THE DEAD
NOT AS GOOD AS ROMEROS OTHER ZOMBIE FILMS.A LITTLE DRAGGED OUT AND TIRING AT TIMES. BUT,STILL WORTH CHECKING OUT THE ZOMBIES.THIS FILM DOES HAVE ITS MOMENTS AND HAS A CLAUSTROPHOBIC FEEL TO IT. HAVE TO ADD TO YOUR GHOUL COLLECTION!!! ... Read more

Reviews (375)

There's No More Room in Hell, So the Dead Now Walk the Earth
1978's DAWN OF THE DEAD is the second entry in George Romero's "DEAD" trilogy, though it isn't as scary or as groundbreaking as his first, the classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). Still, for a low-budget sequel, it is an interesting and entertaining film, an unusual mix of action, drama, comedy, and horror that actually functions on two levels: One, it is a stomach-churning study of the depths to which people will sink in order to ensure their survival; and two, it is a dark satire that takes several pokes at Western consumerism.

The plot of DAWN OF THE DEAD builds on the premise of its predecessor. The world is now becoming overrun with the flesh-eating zombies, and in the United States, martial law has been declared and all survivors are required to go to state-run "rescue stations" for shelter and protection. The manager of a TV station and her helicopter-pilot boyfriend decide to defy authorities and seek out their own save haven, and two police officers--friends of the helicopter pilot--decide to abandon their duties and go along with the couple. The group eventually arrives at an abandoned shopping mall, and when they realize that the stores within contain all they need to survive--food, clothing, and weapons & ammunition--they seal off the building, dispose of most of the zombies inside, and take up residence. But when their claim on the mall and its goods is challenged by a band of motorcycle-riding marauders, the quartet is soon fighting for survival against not only the zombies, but also against their own kind.

Although the audience has been made to sympathize with the film's four protagonists, there is no true heroism in this world of Romero's making. Instead, there are only different levels of self-interest and narcissism. After the four move into their new home and start living off the "fat of the mall," they quickly develop a sort of bourgeois attitude towards the comforts they now enjoy. Of course, that is exactly the Western attitude that Romero is ridiculing--that sense of security and satisfaction one feels after amassing material goods. And when the group's right to possession is violently challenged by outsiders, Romero clearly demonstrates just how tenuous a security based on personal possessions really is.

Romero is a master storyteller who knows how to manipulate the emotions of his audience. In this film, he creates a relentless sense of unease by juxtaposing the repulsive and grotesque with the lighthearted and humorous. For example, when the quartet of protagonists first occupies the mall, they turn on the mall-wide Muzak system to mask from the zombies the noises they make while looting the stores. So for several scenes there is this macabre contrast between bloody, pasty-faced zombies and syrupy instrumental music. Uncomfortably comical and humorously disturbing.

Creepy, bloody (FX by Tom Savini), boisterous, and constantly full of surprises, DAWN OF THE DEAD is easily one of the most entertaining zombie movies ever made. True, it does have an underlying anti-materialism message that is none too subtle, but that doesn't detract in the least from the enjoyment of being playfully spooked and repulsed by all the zombie grotesquerie. All in all, horror fans will have a good time watching this minor Romero masterpiece.

The Divimax Edition DVD from Anchor Bay offers an excellent digital transfer of the U.S. theatrical cut (often considered superior even to the director's cut), and there are lots of cool extras, too, not the least of which is a feature commentary with writer/director Romero and FX man Savini. A worthy addition to the film collections of serious horror fans, and well worth amazon.com's very reasonable asking price.

Dawn Of The Dead Is A True Horror Masterpiece!
An intense and overlooked horror classic, George A. Romero's "Dawn Of The Dead", the second and most popular in his Dead trilogy, is probably his most epic tale to date. Regarded by many, including Roger Ebert, as the ultimiate definition in horror films, "Dawn" is truly the thinking man's horror movie. Its horror is far more subtle than that of in-your-face suspense films like "Halloween" or "Exorcist" or for that matter, Romero's first Dead film, "Night". Where most slasher films provide those quick thrills that make us jump but dissapear from our memory almost as quickly as they appeared, "Dawn" creeps into our fears and shows us a view of our downfall as a civilazation.

"Dawn" centers around four survivors, two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. members and a couple from a newstation, who are trying to escape a zombie plague that has engulfed the country. The film opens with chaos ensuing as a handful of newscasters attempt unsuccesfully to put together an emergency broadcast. We move forward to a project house where the tenants are protecting the undead because as one of the central characters explains, "They still believe there is honor in being dead". Guns blaze as seemingly more humans are taken down than actual zombies courtesy of a SWAT team bigit who goes buckwild but ends up getting his before the smoke clears.

As the violence in the city seems to be piling up, our four characters use the local news chopper to escape to the country side where the situation isn't any less of a problem though a handful of trigger-happy rednecks seem to be having a great time with their beers and shotguns. After a brief touchdown at said location where the group runs into a few problems with both the zombies and each other while gassing up their helicopter, they head back up into the sky and eventually land at a shopping center, the film's cental location.

Placing the story at a mall makes for not only a unique and creative backdrop but also allows for Romero to provide an intriguing social commentary on the madness of consumerism that seemed to sweep the late 70's. The zombies who try to break into the center are portrayed as people who loved shopping there so much in life that all they want to do is be there after death.

Romero and make-up effects wizard, Tom Savini are at the most sadistic during the concluding act of this film as our heroes do battle with another band of survivors, a motorcycle gang who shows up and tries to take over the mall for themselves. The zombies, who prior to this were pretty much an afterthought regain their power because their human counterparts are far too busy with each other to notice that they are regaining control of the place. Savini's graphic make-up effects really make for a great finale.

"Dawn Of The Dead" is very much a different film from "Night Of The Living Dead". "Dawn" takes a far different approach to the "dead taking over the world" concept that George helped create in "Night". The mall setting is far less clostrophobic than the farmhouse in the original but it is the nightmare outside that our characters must deal with. In "Night", it was all about getting past the problem that lie in front of them and it's smooth sailing. In "Dawn", the problem is almost reversed. They are safe inside their location, though their safety is an illusion, and it is the outside world that is coming in. They don't want to get away. The outside world is falling apart and the mall is almost a false symbol of protection.

"Dawn" probably will not be an instant overnight favorite. I, myself, was expecting a much different movie than the one I watched. Having caughts bits and pieces of "Day" before I actually sat down to watch it, I was expecting it to have more of the look and feel that I associated with that movie. I honestly didn't know what to make of the weird clothing, the Smurf-blue make-up effects, and the strange Goblins music that popped up through out the film. Within two weeks of watching it, it had become one of my favorite films. All these weird visuals that I found strange actually kept dragging me in over and over again. Though the film is over 25 years old, I can still honestly say that there are very few films of any genre that resemble it.

THE BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER!!! AT LAST!!!
A four disc edition? Who can ask for more? Obviously we saw it coming... the remake was there... the Divimax edition early this year... everybody was saying a big multi-disc edition was coming... and here it is!

To start analyzing this film we must take a look at NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. This film was a landmark as it introduced the zombies as we know today. Now, DAWN OF THE DEAD set a new landmark. In it, the zombies were a mature (sub)genre in modern cinema.

What makes this film so important? Everything! First it is the brilliant screenplay. The story... you already know: as the zombie population increases more and more, four people barricate themselves inside a big shopping mall, where they endulge themselves with all consumering desires they can think of.

Sounds simple? It is, but there is more than meets the eye: as the zombies try to get in (you'll have to wonder why) the four heroes inside discover their paradise makes them more empty than they would have thought it would... and slowly, life start making no sense.

DAWN OF THE DEAD is the kind of film that has been changing as the decades pass. Its violence seems to have softened if we think of all the action and horror films who came in the decades that followed (just like it happened with other horror landmarks like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, FRIDAY THE 13TH, HALLOWEEN and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD). Its makeup is not comparable to the vast majority of horror films that came after (who had bigger makeup budgets)... but on the other hand, elements like tension, drama, character development and social critique have all grown more powerful then in all of the films that followed.

In other words, audiences who see this film today, many times discover the fact that its weight is changing fields... from graphic horror to social horror. And this kind of horror is no less potent and much more rare.

Mr. Romero is one of those rare horror screenwriter/directors who do have a strong critic point of view (and we can see it as he continues to deliver so in his later third zombie film - the sadly underated gem - DAY OF THE DEAD).

Clearly, this is a multi-layered film that demands multiple levels of reading. You must be aware of all the issues put inside this film. Otherwise, if you're in just for the cheap thrills, gore and violence, you'll probably be disappointed.

As a product of the late seventies, this is a production triumph because it manages to deliver a lot with minimum budget. The remake released early this year made a great update on this basic premisse.

I loved them both.

This edition seems to be more than we've all asked for (now that the simpler Divimax edition made all the money it could...). Here, you'll find all the versions and lots of extras.

But again... DAWN OF THE DEAD is a film that I am sure will be seen and celebrated for years to come. See it with an open mind and you too will discover why.

DAWN OF THE DEAD
A GREAT ZOMBIE MOVIE AND SEQUEL TO NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS GUT RIPPING,FLESH TEARING ZOMBIE FILMS.VERY WELL DONE AND ACTED WITH LOTS OF GORE.ANOTHER MASTERPIECE FROM GEORGE ROMERO. GET IT!!!! A++++

Can't Wait
I must be honest, I almost got tricked into buying the DiviMax edition aswell, but after taking a look at what features it had on it and hearing rumours about this four-disc edition, I decided not to bother. All in all by looking at the cover art and reading about what will be on it, I believe that this edition will be a great buy for the month of September and for any Dead fan out there and, hopefully it will be the last edition for this particular movie. I can just see it now, six months from now, brand new "SIX DISC" Special Edition, that would be quite a sight . ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Very interesting Romero
This one goes way back to when he used to direct, write, shoot, and edit the films. It certainly has its flaws and drags in places, but this is from the time when he was making some of the most original, entertaining movies around. It's fairly certain you'll never see another film quite like this -- although his own MARTIN has much of the same feel. Rather introspective. Be warned, the budget constraints can be felt when viewing this film. On the other hand, Romero consistently proved during this period that large budgets do not make the movie. Oh yeah... it has a very effective climax, as well. SEASON doesn't have the same visceral shocks of MARTIN, but I'd say go watch the latter film first. If you like it, chances are good you'll really enjoy this one as well.

To the devil with what people say...
Alright, so the acting is often amateurish and it isn't approved by Wiccans and the lot. They can go play with their chalices and swords -- it's a brilliant little movie. Romero looks at sexual frustration, the sexual revolution (California-style), and the relationship of these things to what would become known as "New Age spirituality" with a critical, curious, searching eye, making his most reflective and unusual film. Donovan's song is nicely used, and there are some almost Cassavetes-like moments where the characters push each other into revealing deep-seated frustrations and fears... Also some interesting considerations of the relationship between religious beliefs and sexual needs which, really, just aren't TREATED that often in cinema. The film seems to seriously want to explore everything that Romero thinks might be healthy about witchcraft, without being afraid to also criticize it, as well. I'd almost be willing to call it a feminist film, in that Romero earnestly tries to frame 70's west-coasty let's-pretend/ let's-get-nekkid occultism in the context of VERY REAL female struggles at the time. His cynicism ultimately wins out, however; though the movie remains ultimately a little ambiguous, the last scene seems pretty mocking, to my eyes... In any event -- it is worth watching and thinking about. And yes, Satanism and Wicca are different things, and YES, Romero takes some liberties with his depiction of "The Craft," but Cripes, guys, what, do you just watch THE WICKER MAN over and over and over and over and over and over and over? Lighten up! (And please don't put any curses on me).

Inconsistent, Yet Interesting
SEASON OF THE WITCH (aka JACK'S WIFE aka HUNGRY WIVES) is a story of a bored housewife who finds fascination in the occult. All the while, she has been suffering from strange nightmares that would ultimately result in tragedy.

SEASON OF THE WITCH is a rather interesting, yet inconsistent film by George Romero.While the idea of a bored housewife exploring the unknown is a quite novel one, the rest of the film is hampered by a low budget, amateurish acting, slow pacing, & very little shocks. I think Romero is trying to be personal in this film, but fails in some areas. His most personal film is MARTIN, but that's another review. Slow, ponderous, & sometimes comical, SEASON OF THE WITCH is an odd film in the George ROmero filmography. Even die-hard Romero fans would have trouble liking this film.

One of the worst movies i've ever seen in my life!
I didn't know horror was a bunch of people talking for 90 minutes. Because this is exactly what this movie is. If you think that this movie will be a terrifying gore-fest like Romero's other movies, YOU'RE WRONG!!! What you get is a movie with all dialog and a few stupid, no scary "dream scenes". The only thing I liked about this movie is when they showed downtown Pittsburgh for about 5 seconds. The best part of this movie is when the screen reads "THE END" ! Save yourself some time and money and DONT SEE THIS MOVIE!

What a novel concept. A horror movie with no horror.
Like probably any die-hard horror buff, I'm a huge fan of both Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead. But after seeing this movie, I think George Romero needs to stick with the zombies. This film involves a detatched unsatisfied house wife that finds solace in some kind of obscure tupperware-cult of housewife witches. Additionally, she suffers from a whole bunch of pointless meandering nightmares. I kept watching thinking some hint of the supernatural was going to enter the picture, but it never happened. There's just alot of constipated dialogue (complete with a whole bunch of washed-out 70's lingo) and alot of boring events that are nothing less than contrary to the film's title. When I hear about witches, I'm thinking about noxious potions and creepy demon familiars. But the witches in this movie just kind of sit around reading tarot cards and occasionally mubling prayers to some obscure witchy divinity. I mean nothing, no demons, no monsters, no pacts with the devil. Where's the horror? It's not the worst movie you'll ever see, but it's about as frightening as Roadhouse. Romero should have thrown some zombies in there, maybe Bub, or even Rhodes from Day of the Dead. Something. ... Read more

Reviews (292)

Truly a cult classic!!!!!!!!!
When I first saw this film it scared the Hell outa me. George A Remero is a genuis. this film spawned a new genre of horror movies like "Halloween," and The "Evil Dead" series. This film is definately the best horror movie of all time. Although Black and White films are mostly corney and dull, this is one of those films that set the standards for future movies to come.
Anyway, A satalite from outerspace let out radiation from the planet Venus and is causing the dead to walk. Barbara (Judth O'dea) and her brother Johnny (Russel Streiner) go to visit a deseaced family member to pay respects.
Barbara and Johnny were attacked by the famous cemetary ghoul (Bill Heinzman). Barbara Escapes to the car and makes it to a nearby farmhouse only to meet her hero Ben (Duane Jones) who helps her through this incredible ordeal. later they find out five people are in the basement hiding out. Ben and the others must come together to defeat these terrible flesheating creatures outside. This is my favorite film of all time and I defenitally recommend it. I give it two thumbs up. I also liked the remake in 1990 by Tom Savini. He did an exellent job of bringing back the characters although it was missing the erie atmosphere the original had. Savini's good, but he'll never be a George Remero.

The original is always best!!!!!!!!!
Night of the living Dead is the best horror movie picture of all time in my eyes. I give it 5 stars for its creepy soundtrack and its great one of a kind feel. It starts with Barbara(Judith O'dea) and her brother Johnny going to visit thier mothers grave to pay thier respects, when all of a sudden "Ther're comming to get you Barbara" says Johnny just fooling around. and it actually turns out to be the creepiest Zombie of the film. Anyway Johnny gets what was coming to him and Barbara gets away and runs to a nearby farmhouse where Ben(Duane Jones)helps board down the doors and windows to keep the flesh eaters out. later on they find out there were five people in the basement hiding. The whole plot is seven people in an isolated farmhouse trying to stay out of reach of the flesh eating ghouls outside the house for the night. The film that started the best and coolest Dead series of all-time, thanks to George A. Remero.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
BY FAR THE ABSOLUTE BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER!!! BEING IN BLACK AND WHITE ONLY MAKES THIS CLASSIC SCARIER.THE MOOD OF THIS FILM IS INCREDIBLE. JUDITH ODEA DESERVES AN AWARD FOR HER ACTING!!SHE GAVE AN EXTREMELY CONVINCING PERFORMANCE.NOT VERY GORY BUT DEFINITELY SCARY!!!!THE SOUNDTRACK IS AWESOME AND IS A BIG PART OF WHY THIS FILM IS SO FRIGHTENING.A DEFINITE TRUE HORROR MOVIE THAT SHOULD BE SEEN AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE OR MANY, MANY TIMES LIKE MYSELF.A+++++ ALL AROUND!!!! GET THIS MOVIE.

Piece of Crap.
Another terrible movie from that terrible Director George A. Romero. This time, there are only about twenty zombies waiting outside.

The zombies in this look better than those in Dawn of the Dead (1978)but are still very boring and unrealistic. Like i've said before, zombies wouldn't be able to move without certain orgains opertating properly in their bodies. Another thing I have just discovered is the fact that if the heart and lungs were operating and moving the body, then the rest of the organs in the body would be recieving blood, so they would be operating too. Meaning the body would be alive. ALIVE!!!!

The story is terrible. A group of people seek shelter in some house and, for some reason, are afraid to leave. There are about 15-20 zombies waiting outside. Why don't they just brake in the house? Because the man sets a chair on fire and throws it outside. Wait a minute. Why are they afraid of fire? They're dead. They don't know what fire is and they don't get hurt by the flames. Why does it scare them so? Romero never answered that question. It sounds to me like Romero just needed an answer.

Another question not answered. Why are zombies walking around the earth? They put out the idea of radiation from Venus, but never confirmed it. In Dawn of the Dead (1978) they said that there was a possibility of a viral outbreak. So , they still haven't found the answer. I wonder when Romero will tell the answer. If Romero doesn't need to answer the question, why does James Gunn's and Zack Snyder's obviousley superior version of Dawn need an explanation. They set out the idea of a virus, just like the original Dawn. Who knows? It sounds to me like the people are just trying find away to make an argument between which version of Dawn was better. The answer to that is obvious. The new Dawn.

The acting is terrible. I know it was low-budget, but you could get better women performances from the lady serving you at the resteraunt. The women in the movie were just terrible. The men were good, but the women were terrible. I couldn't stand them.

This is a comedy that was poorly done. It wasn't very funny and...What? It's not a comedy? It looked like a comedy. It wasn't scary, or entertaining as a matter of fact. I thought they were trying to be funny. The way the zombies acted, the acting, the lines, the pathetic attempt to gas up the truck. I thought this was supposed to be a comedy.

This is a terrible movie and a terrible DVD. I think it's about time George Romero died. He's just not a good director.

Thank god they fired him from Resident Evil. I can't stand thinking of the name. George A. Romero's Resident Evil. It's the George A. Romero's part that I don't like. Paul Anderson did a better job than Romero would have ever done.

A Classic That Worms Its Way Into Your Dreams
"Night of the Living Dead" is a classic that worms its way into your dreams. Truly amazing stuff. Back when Romero and Russo wrote and films this, they did not yet realize they were created a whole new subgenre of horror. Much as I like the remake, the undead are creepiest in the shadows of black and white film.

I'm writing to respond to one reviewer's nitpick and another reviewer's well-intentioned mistake. Complaining that most of it is in mono is like complaining that it's in black and white. That's how the original was made, plain and simple. Another reviewer complained about how horrible the version with added footage is. That individual is right about that version, but that's the 30th Anniversary Edition and NOT the Millenium Edition. The 30th Anniversary Edition with added scenes and weird, distracting music is too horrible for words, and not even in a "Plan 9 From Outer Space" so-bad-it's-funny way. The Millenium Edition is simply an official DVD made from a cleaned up print, with extras like the interviews. If you want to see the real "Night of the Living Dead" and get some cool extras for your money, this is the way to go. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Inspired by the controversial E.C. Comics of the 1950s--which also provided the title and inspiration for the popular Tales from the Crypt TV series--director George Romero and screenwriter Stephen King serve up five delightfully frightful stories. Utilizing comic-book panels, animated segues, and exaggerated lighting and camera angles, Romero and cinematographer Michael Gornick come very close to replicating a horror comic in film format. The results mix fine acting with the morbid sense of humor and irony that made the E.C. books so popular in their heyday.Actors such as Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, Ted Danson, Adrienne Barbeau, Ed Harris, E.G. Marshall, and even King appear in the stories, which include tales of a sinister father's day celebration, a mysterious meteor, seaweed-draped zombies, a monster in a crate, and a cockroach-phobic millionaire. Fiendishly fun fare from one of horror's most famous directors. --Bryan Reesman ... Read more

Reviews (87)

Spooky fun
Director George Romero (Night of the Living Dead) and horror author extraordinairre Stephen King teamed up for this adaptation/homage to the classic 1950's horror EC Comics, and while the film as a whole has it's share of creepy moments, it's more of a fun horror film, and a labor of love for Romero and King. Five tales are told, beginning with a dead, rich father coming back to life for his birthday cake (yes, you read that right), a simplistic farmer finding a strange meteorite, an insanely jealous husband taking vengeance on his cheating wife and her lover only to get it back to him, a mistreated husband discovering a box containing a monster which he unleashes on his drunken wife, and a man with a severe cockroach problem. Featuring Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, and even King himself, plus great gore and makeup effects by the always excellent Tom Savini; Creepshow is a real treat.

Great Original Horror Film!
In this collaboration with Stephen King, director George Romero assembles a distinguished cast and pays vividly hued homage to the E.C. horror comics of the 1950s. (This film appeared years before the TALES FROM THE CRYPT series.) Five creepy tales are strung together by a framing story involving a young boy being punished by his father for reading the gruesome, titular comic book. "Father's Day" tells the tale of a family patriarch exacting beyond-the-grave revenge on the daughter who murdered him. In "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill," a Maine hayseed (King himself in a ridiculously over-the-top performance) is overtaken by a meteor-based plant growth. A cuckolded husband exacts watery revenge on his cheating wife and her lover in "Something to Tide You Over." A hairy beast in a box is used for nefarious purposes at a university in "The Crate." Finally, in "They're Creeping Up on You," a wealthy, arrogant New Yorker with a fear of germs has a disturbing run-in with cockroaches during a blackout.

While the stories are a bit brief, the style is appropriate for the anthology format. Romero's use of garish colors to mimic the ink in comic books is visually appealing, preventing the gore on display from being too off-putting. Featuring early appearances by actors such as Ed Harris and Ted Danson, CREEPSHOW is eerie, engaging entertainment.

There are so many reasons why I like this film. The length of the film. 120 minutes. That's two hours of horror stories. If you notice lately, any movie that has more than two stories is usually about an hour and a half. Stephen King and George A. Romero on the other hand, were able to put together a two hour film.

It's mostly the suspensful scenes, that get you asking, "what if that was me?" Seeing people suffer in this movie, adds a great effect on the audience. Most of the time I could feel the pain they were going through. Like Ted Danson's story, or when Ed Harris was under that grave. Stephen King was funny as he acted as a retarded farm boy.

If you haven't seen this film, then do so. If you get the same effect I did, then my review should be helpful to you.

Oh yeah! if you're one of those guys who like having snacks and pop during a scary movie, then I would suggest you eat up fast before the last story. Trust me on this one!

I hope my review was helpful to you!

Creepy and cool, the best short story horror movie
This is, for me, the best short story horror film i seen so far. I seen a good amount, i am not going to say all but i seen enough to know what is good and not good. This is the best. I love all the stories, some have there weak moments but the one wih the moster in the box and the roaches are the best. I dont want to type a lot but pure in simple this movie is a good rental and worth 10 or 15 bucks in my book.

it has its charm
What can you say about this movie? It isn't the best movie King has written, not by far. Romero has given us better films--Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead. It has bad animation. Bad effects (even though I am a Savini fan). Bad acting, though we get a young Ed Harris and Leslie Nielsen does put in a surprisingly good performance. And it has those annoying comic book frames within frames. There is a lot to hate about this film. But it does have a certain charm to it. Ted Danson helpless and not so suave or in control. A gruesomeness to it. King plays the hokey hick very well. You can't help but to like this movie, bad as it is.

For TALES FROM THE CRYPT fans everywhere!
The film tells the story of a young boy whose comic contains five stories told in the same vein of early 50's horror comic stories. The film is written by Stephan King (who also appears in the second story in his only starring role,) and directed by George A. Romerio (origonal LIVING DEAD trilogy). Included also are a few brief animated sequences.

A man pays a visit to his family from beyond the grave...

A farmer finds a meteorite that, when broken, spills fourth a strange moss that grows on everything, including his own flesh...

A man and his lover seek revenge on her husband AFTER they've been murdered...

A mysterious crate found in the basement of a college hids some thing that should never be let out. You're about to find out what...

Finally, a cold-hearted billionare with a horrible fear of germs and insects finds his penthouse apartment infested with nine hundread QUADRILLION cockroaches! ... Read more

Reviews (87)

Spooky fun
Director George Romero (Night of the Living Dead) and horror author extraordinairre Stephen King teamed up for this adaptation/homage to the classic 1950's horror EC Comics, and while the film as a whole has it's share of creepy moments, it's more of a fun horror film, and a labor of love for Romero and King. Five tales are told, beginning with a dead, rich father coming back to life for his birthday cake (yes, you read that right), a simplistic farmer finding a strange meteorite, an insanely jealous husband taking vengeance on his cheating wife and her lover only to get it back to him, a mistreated husband discovering a box containing a monster which he unleashes on his drunken wife, and a man with a severe cockroach problem. Featuring Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris, Leslie Nielsen, Ted Danson, and even King himself, plus great gore and makeup effects by the always excellent Tom Savini; Creepshow is a real treat.

Great Original Horror Film!
In this collaboration with Stephen King, director George Romero assembles a distinguished cast and pays vividly hued homage to the E.C. horror comics of the 1950s. (This film appeared years before the TALES FROM THE CRYPT series.) Five creepy tales are strung together by a framing story involving a young boy being punished by his father for reading the gruesome, titular comic book. "Father's Day" tells the tale of a family patriarch exacting beyond-the-grave revenge on the daughter who murdered him. In "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill," a Maine hayseed (King himself in a ridiculously over-the-top performance) is overtaken by a meteor-based plant growth. A cuckolded husband exacts watery revenge on his cheating wife and her lover in "Something to Tide You Over." A hairy beast in a box is used for nefarious purposes at a university in "The Crate." Finally, in "They're Creeping Up on You," a wealthy, arrogant New Yorker with a fear of germs has a disturbing run-in with cockroaches during a blackout.

While the stories are a bit brief, the style is appropriate for the anthology format. Romero's use of garish colors to mimic the ink in comic books is visually appealing, preventing the gore on display from being too off-putting. Featuring early appearances by actors such as Ed Harris and Ted Danson, CREEPSHOW is eerie, engaging entertainment.

There are so many reasons why I like this film. The length of the film. 120 minutes. That's two hours of horror stories. If you notice lately, any movie that has more than two stories is usually about an hour and a half. Stephen King and George A. Romero on the other hand, were able to put together a two hour film.

It's mostly the suspensful scenes, that get you asking, "what if that was me?" Seeing people suffer in this movie, adds a great effect on the audience. Most of the time I could feel the pain they were going through. Like Ted Danson's story, or when Ed Harris was under that grave. Stephen King was funny as he acted as a retarded farm boy.

If you haven't seen this film, then do so. If you get the same effect I did, then my review should be helpful to you.

Oh yeah! if you're one of those guys who like having snacks and pop during a scary movie, then I would suggest you eat up fast before the last story. Trust me on this one!

I hope my review was helpful to you!

Creepy and cool, the best short story horror movie
This is, for me, the best short story horror film i seen so far. I seen a good amount, i am not going to say all but i seen enough to know what is good and not good. This is the best. I love all the stories, some have there weak moments but the one wih the moster in the box and the roaches are the best. I dont want to type a lot but pure in simple this movie is a good rental and worth 10 or 15 bucks in my book.

it has its charm
What can you say about this movie? It isn't the best movie King has written, not by far. Romero has given us better films--Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead. It has bad animation. Bad effects (even though I am a Savini fan). Bad acting, though we get a young Ed Harris and Leslie Nielsen does put in a surprisingly good performance. And it has those annoying comic book frames within frames. There is a lot to hate about this film. But it does have a certain charm to it. Ted Danson helpless and not so suave or in control. A gruesomeness to it. King plays the hokey hick very well. You can't help but to like this movie, bad as it is.

For TALES FROM THE CRYPT fans everywhere!
The film tells the story of a young boy whose comic contains five stories told in the same vein of early 50's horror comic stories. The film is written by Stephan King (who also appears in the second story in his only starring role,) and directed by George A. Romerio (origonal LIVING DEAD trilogy). Included also are a few brief animated sequences.

A man pays a visit to his family from beyond the grave...

A farmer finds a meteorite that, when broken, spills fourth a strange moss that grows on everything, including his own flesh...

A man and his lover seek revenge on her husband AFTER they've been murdered...

A mysterious crate found in the basement of a college hids some thing that should never be let out. You're about to find out what...

Finally, a cold-hearted billionare with a horrible fear of germs and insects finds his penthouse apartment infested with nine hundread QUADRILLION cockroaches! ... Read more

Reviews (34)

The Shy, Teenaged, Virgin Nosferatu. How Interesting!
Poor, Martin (John Amplas) just happens to be an 84 year old vampire in a shy, teenaged, virgin boy's body.

Martin gains his victims' cooperation with the use a needle and drugs instead of the usual power of hypnotism that vampires are supposed to have, and uses razors to slice forearms & necks in the place of fangs. Martin's vampiric episodes are intercut quite nicely with black and white footage of an earlier period in his life.

Crosses, garlic, sunlight, and mirrors have no effect whatsoever on Martin. He explains that things of that nature are just superstition & Hollywood's idea of vampirism.

George Romero paints a lovely horror picture with this film made in 1976. Highly recommended for any vampire lover or Romero fan. Most excellent!

Romero`s Best & Personal film.
Martin (John Amplas in a excellent performance) is a misunderstood young man, who is also a Rapist & a Murderer towards Young Woman or Anyone gets in his Way. Martin thinks, he lived the life of a Vampire before maybe? He has a few problems with his eyes. He creates a illusion or that could be his pass life, when he starts out as a Vampire. But he`s craving for blood towards young woman but he has problems with his Cousin or could be his Uncle Cuda (Lincoln Maazel also good) who believes in the Famuily Curse of Vampires.

DVD`s an fine Pan & Scan (1.33:1) aspect ratio & an good Dolby Digital 2.0 mono Sound. Written and Directed by George A. Romero gives his Most Interesting Movie yet, this has an Unusual Premise with Tongue in Cheek Humor. Including an excellent running commmentary track by Director:George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Bruiser), Actor:John Amplas (Day of the Dead) & Make-up Artist:Tom Savini (The 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead). Romero`s First Cut was 165 Minutes but that Cut is Missing (As he said in the Commentary Track) and Euporean Version has be Re-Edited and Has an Different Score from the Goblins (Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead). Also included an very interesting trailer. George A. Romero`s best work as a Director & His most personal film to Date. An unusual and a unique film from the Horror Director. Grade:A.

Flawed Masterpiece.
Still worthy of 5 stars, although all we are left with is the incomplete cut. The original director's cut is seemingly lost for good. This version suffers somewhat from uneven, jerky pacing, but no matter. It still manages to compete with the best of Romero's 'Dead' Trilogy for billing as his greatest cinematic achievement. Like 'Night...', this film succeeds because, not in spite of, its' humble resources. Slow as it occasionally gets, there is a certain dreamy, depressive quality to the film that fits the theme perfectly. John Amplas is unforgettable in the title role and I find myself watching it over and over again. This easily tops my list of greatest vampire films of all time (and that's figuring in 'Nosferatu' and 'The Vampyr').

Martin by George Romero
The movie stars John Amplas and even has a special appearence
by Legend Makeup effects man Tom Savini (Dawn of Dead, Night Of the Living Dead to name a few). The movie also has an appearance by George Romero himself as Father Howard.

Amplas has been in alot of Romero's movies but Martin is the
only movie where he is the star and it's by far his best acting
and by far his best role.

Ive always like George Romero's movies, their full of action, great camera angles, eerie music, and some gore too, the biggest complaint though and this is BIG!! is that George always find a way to screw up his movies. He always likes to kill of several main characters in his movies, just when we are starting to understand or like them.

From Night of The Living Dead to Day of the Dead , George always winds up killing our favorite characters,Barbara, Roger the policeman/swat in Dawn, Captain Rhodes in Day of the Dead etc.

Martin is no exception, I was visually entertained through out the whole film, the great camera shots, the dreamlike scenes in
which Martin is with that girl he bites and the housewife he
meets in his little world.

Oh yes , I forgot to mention Martin is a wannabee vampire who doesnt have fangs but has a strong fetish for blood, he is one sick puppy. But taken his surroudings it's a little understandable. He has some human elements to him but most of the film deals with his addictiveness toward human blood and woman. His Grandfather suspects he is a vampire like Nosferatu and constantly watches Martin.

Martin has some 70's nostalgia to it like the music.

When I saw the cheap ending where Martin's Grandfather killed him,though, I said "Oh no" George did it again, he put a bad ending to a good film.

However to his defense, I know George kills off his characters on purpose, though you would think he would kill of the annoying characters and not the good ones.

My advice to anyone seeing this movie is expect more of the
same in his other movies, great from the beginning and middle
but kinda lets you down in the end.

A good film from a great ,yet stubborn director.

They're just like us!
Martin isn't like other kids his age. He's cunning, smart & conceited (he doesn't care about what others think of him, yet acts as though he thinks people should just get it.). The only way he feels comfortable with being around people is when he has physical controll over them. Yet what he really is is a lost & scared kid that's just trying to be like everyone else. He moves in with his much older cousin Cuda, a religious fanatic determined to rid his family of the "curse" of vampirism that's supposedly plagued his family for centuries (Cuda believes Martin was born in 1892). At some times, even Martin himself considers himself a sort of old soul. However, Martin knows this isn't true & blames this thinking on his cousin's religious rantings. Martin knows he needs help, but is afraid to seek it for fear of being found out & riddiculed. He finds solace in the host of a radio talk show, much like a teenager may find comfort in reaching out to a celebrity who, they feel, may have gone through the same things.
The black & white clips were at first confusing because I had no idea where these scenes were going at first. But then I saw how it fit with Cuda's belief that his family was cursed. The ending is a beautiful, but tragic reminder of how society is both intolerant and ignorant of what they can't (or very often refuse to) understand. A must see for any student of psychology and/or sociology! ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Camelot is a State of Mind
A film that incorporates Arthurian legend within a modern day Renaissance Faire that has knights doing battle on motorcycles? Directed by famed horror director George A. Romero? It may seem like a silly concept, but you know what? It worked, for this viewer, at least.

Knightriders (1981) stars Ed Harris, Gary Lahti, Tom Savini, and Amy Ingersoll. Harris is Billy, the king and inspiration behind the Faire, believing and living the noble ideals of a time long since past. Problem is, these ideals often conflict with the present, and especially when it comes to paying the bills.

This epic tale (it runs almost 2 ½ hours) details the relationships within this seemingly tight knit group, the conflicts that develop as commercialism tries to creep in by means of a sleazy promoter wanting to take the 'act', as he calls it, to bigger, more theatrical venues, which threatens to spoil the noble ideals Harris tries to put forth and live on a daily basis. Things start to fall apart as the conflict between the members grows worse, and outside pressures force decisions to be made.

In a really gutsy move that I don't think paid off in terms of financial success at the time of the films' release, Romero breaks out of his the genre he's become known and respected for, delivering a lavish tale, one that I found interesting, although a tad drawn out, at times. The character Harris plays seems like a kook, but you may begin to understand his beliefs, what he's trying to put forth, creating a community of not just entertainers, but a family of different peoples who believe in themselves and what they do. The action is quite thrilling as the knights ride around on motorcycles instead of horses, doing battle using jousting poles, broadswords, battle-axes, and maces. There is plenty of action, and the stunt work is quite excellent, adding a realistic flavor throughout.

Some of the drawn out plot threads seemed a bit odd to me, like the one involving a rather minor male character and questions that arose with regards to his sexual preferences. I didn't have a problem with the material, but just how the subject came out of nowhere and continued to linger on for quite awhile. It just seemed too much attention was focused on this minor plot point, and thereby causes it to stick out against the rest of the film. I think this tact was followed in a move to try an develop at least a passing interest in as many of the characters as possible, allowing for the viewer to take a real interest within the group, and thus feel the difficulties as the characters did at the fragmenting of the group, but it was just taken a bit too far at a couple of points, in my opinion. Harris is great as the ideal driven leader, fighting a seemingly losing battle of trying to hold the group together and keep the spirit alive. Tom Savini is also wonderful. Usually known more for his work on special effects, he shows he can really act playing the character of Morgan, the Black Knight, whose main reason for participating is for the thrills and excitement. Appearing as only a two dimensional character in the beginning, Savini really infuses much into Morgan throughout the film, providing a great deal of depth.

Presented here is a really good looking wide screen print and special features include a commentary track by director Romero, stars Tom Savini, John Amplas, Christine Romero, and film historian Chris Stavrakis. Also included are behind he scenes home movies, a theatrical trailer, and television spots. Some notable appearances to look for are Stephen King and his wife Tabitha as spectators (actually, they're credited as Hoagie Man and Hoagie Man's Wife as King is seen chowing down while spouting off how fake the fighting is), and a young Patricia Tallman as Julie, a love interest to Gary Lahti's character. While not a starring role here, she later did star in Romero's 1990 remake of his classic Night of the Living Dead, as Barbara. Knightriders is a fun, drawn out tale with lots of action and a lot of heart. The ending seemed a bit hokey, but really, looking back on it, I wouldn't have expected different. Fate and destiny, at least in the movie world, just cannot be denied.

Cookieman108

One of Romero`s Best Work as a Director.
When a Troupe of Motorcyclists, who are members of a Traveling Renaissance Faire. They move Town to Town with Great Audiences Each Time from Oridinary People. They used Amor, Wielding Lances, Battle-Axes, Maces and Boardwoods. They are the Perfect Medieval Jousting Tournament Group. The rule of the Game, if Someone of the another Gang lead by Arthur (Tom Savini), if they win, He will become the new King of Camelot, if he doesn`t win. Billy (Ed Harris) will always stay King of Camelot. But Billy almost believes too real about the real world of today society of Camelot is being Renewed. While they get national attention much to the dismay of the Current King of This Camelot and the Crew asked themselves, Why they are There doing, What they Loved in the First Place.

Written and Directed by:George A. Romero (Creepshow, Monkey Shines, The Dark Half) shows a unique style and flair to this Ambitious Unusual Film. It was a flop in Theaters but the Movie gained a Cult Following on Video. Ed Harris (The Right Stuff, Apollo 13, Pollack) gives a Strong Performance in his first lead role. DVD`s has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and An clear Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Sound. DVD`s Extras are:An running commentary track by Director:George A. Romero, Make-Up Artist and Actor:Tom Savini, Film Historian:Chris Stavrakis, Brief Commentary by Christine Romero (Monkey Shines) and Even Briefer one by Actor:John Amplas (George A. Romero`s Martin) and more Extras. While this film is not for all tastes but is Still a Stunning Film. Great Score by Donald Rubinstein. Watch for Stephen King and His Wife:Tabitha King in Cameos. Grade:A-.

Romero's Take on the King Arthur Legend
After huge success with "Dawn of the Dead," independent filmmaker George A. Romero signed a 3-picture deal with United Film Distribtuion Company, the studio that put "Dawn" in theatres. Instead of playing safe with another horror film, Romero jumped genres to the adventure/drama "Knightriders" concerning a traveling fair that live by the code of King Arthur, Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table. Basically think "Easy Rider" meets "Excalibur."

Life is great for this large family until the outside world steps in with promises of fame and fortune. King Billy (a fantastic Ed Harris!) wants to live a simple life free from money and greed. However, others led by the black knight Morgan (special effects artist Tom Savini in an equally good performance) simply want to survive. Soon, this family unit splits in half with those devoted to Billy and others to Morgan.

Writer/director Romero has said in the past that "Knightriders" is his favorite of his films. It shows when watching the film. This is Romero's epic filled with great scenery, scope and performances. The film's premise is a bit odd, but it's best strength is it's ability to come off as believeable. Also worth noting are the well-filmed scenes involving the knights jousting.

However, one can't help but complain towards the film's length. At 145 minutes, it's just too long. Sure it's an epic, but you can only have so much in one film. A good 20-25 minutes could have been dropped and would have made "Knightriders" a better film. Despite the argument for the length (and a few too many B-plots), "Knightriders" remains one of Romero's best films.

The DVD is a nice presentation with an anamorphic widescreen transfer showcasing the lush cinematography of D.P. Michael Gornick. It's hard to believe a film mostly seen on home-video and over 20 years old(!) looks this good. On the bonus matertials section, there's a great commentary track featuring writer/director Romero, actors Savini, Christine Romero (Romero's wife), John Amplas (of Romero's vampire film "Martin") and film historian Chris Stavrakis. Add 15 minutes of silent "home-movies," (minus any commentary track sadly), the theatrical trailer and two tv spots and you have a nice package for an under-appreciated film.

Never heard of George Romero!
I never heard of George Romero, and vaguely know of his day or dawn of dead series.

I loved this movie because it was a great movie...the story, the characters, the music, especially the beautiful song during Ed Harris's (King Billy) funeral.

I was just browsing in the Video Store and came across this gem. (am a fan of Ed Harris).

Truly a great movie, it you love movies.

Sometimes you get lucky.
Sometimes you get lucky, and are a fan of a great filmaker, and on the hunch that anything they make will be gold, you go out and get a film and are treated to a gem like this.

No this film is not for everyone. Yet perhaps it is? I know all about where the movie came from and what inspired it. I belong to the SCA. This film captured, at least for me, exactly what I joined the SCA for. A kind of escape from reality, without being totaly delusional and dysfunctional.

It's a joyride into many peoples ideals of getting away from it all, and doing your own thing. At the same time the ideals of Arthurian legends are lived, not just imagined.

As movies go it is quite possibly the best example I have ever seen of what a truly gifted writer/director can do with the least amount of money and hype. Nothing else I could say would do justice to this film. It's now one of my favorites of all time, and I don't need to justify why. Simply pick up this movie, give it a good sturdy chance at winning your heart, and you will find something about this movie that will really pull you in. Nuff said, what are you waiting for go get this movie :) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Legendary horror directors George Romero and Dario Argento team up to direct a pair of short films inspired by the writing of Edgar Allen Poe.In Romero's story, a woman (Adrienne Barbeau) and her lover hypnotize her ailing, older husband into signing over his riches. But when he dies while still under their command, his soul haunts them, seeking to be freed from their hypnotic spell. In Argento's tale, a crime-scene photographer (Harvey Keitel) kills his live-in girlfriend in a fit of jealous rage, but her black cat continues to torment him after her death. While Romero's piece toys with horror conventions and Argento's plays out in his typically elongated fashion, their dramatic story lines, unexpectedly gruesome imagery, and ironic endings shock some life into the movie. It is rumored that this was originally meant to be a quartet of horror tales with contributions from Wes Craven and John Carpenter, but at least we got these two. --Bryan Reesman ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Two horror greats in one film.
While George A. Romero and Dario Argento worked together on the production of Dawn of the Dead, this was the first movie the two actually 'worked' on together as directors. Each contributed a short film based on a story by Edgar Allen Poe. Romero adapted The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar while Argento chose The Black Cat. Romero's comes first and it is routine EC comic style stuff, solidly made yet hampered by pacing that is a tad too methodical. But the payoff is worth the trip and the cast (Adrienne Barbeau, Ramy Zada, and Bingo O' Malley) contribute nice work. Argento's segment is far more energetic, a surreal trip into madness as a crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel) is driven by his art to kill his live-in girlfriend's black cat. Of course the cat returns, again and again, and things get even worse in that surreal nightmare way that only Argento can pull off. Not content to just adapt The Black Cat, Argento also tosses in references to other Poe stories; namely The Pit and The Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, Bernice, and several characters have famous Poe names (Usher, Pym, etc.). If he didn't go overboard, then he wouldn't be Argento, now would he? Blue Underground has done another first rate job with this wonderful disc. The maligned movie has never looked or sounded this good and the extras are more than worth the bonus disc. Romero and/or Argento fans will love it. Recommended.

Animal-Handling AND Masonry: Components for Perfection
When directors get together, they have the potential to make interesting things happen. When great directors join forces and decide to take on a project, even better results areexpected. It honestly doesn't matter what type of material they're doing or if the viewing population has tasted it time and time again. They, the silver screen's version of power coupling, know their art, understand the little versions - or perhaps perversions - of atmosphere that balance the viewing scales, and have the most cards to play when it comes to forging complete pictures. Unfortunately, both don't always deliver a knockout punch like you'd like.

In this initial piece, it's a story you've heard before. An older fellow with dollarsign-laced pockets decides to marry a younger woman. People jeer it in the community and friends seem appalled by it, but attraction is attraction and a little IWantATrophyWife-itus is sometimes what wealth is all about. In our tale, we join an ex "airline hostess" and her much older husband as he's teetering on that painful plateau just outside of dying. Plans are in the works on how to acquire some of his fortune before his estate and the long years of "settling" are addressed, with hypnosis and the application of falsified doctor reports working fairly well. It all seems to be going splendidly, too, and three million dollars is all set to arrive in two weeks - providing the wife, Jessica, can keep her husband around that long. As movies would have it, however, he dies and the planning gets worse and worse and worse until....

This Romero addition to the power duo has some serious flaws in it. The plot is thin, the effects are a little drowsy, and what seems to start off well dances down the corridors of lackluster architecture. Honestly, it's a good thing that things happen the way they do in these tales, because the atypical plan thrown into this type of movie would normally end up with someone going to jail for a very long time. Money or not, you wouldn't want to bury someone in your own backyard with a couple of bullet holes in them and you wouldn't want them kicking it with you ice-cream and getting freezer burn. This is worse than that in some ways, however, because it seems to say that a master in his field and Savini can't get together and make something that hasn't been seen a hundred times over. Instead of illustrating a story the way an audience knows they can, they take a Poe idea, splash a little effect work on it, and somewhat go through the motions.

In Argento's version of The Black Cat, things play out a lot better. Our focal point, a man with a gruesome day job, brings home a little hatred and finds himself in a not-so-happy position of trying to conceal what he's done. When things get a little stressed and push come to shove (and hack and slice), it seems that things can get a little ugly at home. This seems especially when you're the owner of a cat you hate and don't want to keep up with, and moreso when you're half of a marriage that will ultimately self-destruct. Without giving all the gray matter away, this ultimately becomes a testament to revenge going awry, why you should treat animals a little bit better, and why post-it notes are a good thing if you don't want to leave out any small details to a crime.

In my personal opinion, the Argento piece is a short film made in gore heaven. Not only does it make a show of force with all its little pieces coming together and working out all-too-well, but it also gives little shout-outs to other Poe stories as well.
And then the eye candy begins to make its rounds.
The first effects, mutilated bodies, birth even better effects. The deaths seem to get worse and worse until, in one place, I saw something that I could almost feel because of the way the image evoked words like "pain." Still, it didn't stop there. With little kitties doing things little kitties shouldn't do; hairless, nasty, and bathed in the debris brought to you by a mind that has imported images of this variety time and again, it gets even more graphic. And that's all I really ever wanted.

Combine that with build, a good plan that twists until it morphs into something horrific that the main character couldn't foresee, and nice acting and you can even overlook Romero's shoddy addition to this collection. Simply be warned that it does have a little kick in the "gruesome" department.

The Evil Eyes are crossed---but it's still good stuff.
I have to confess: I was thrilled beyond words when I heard Blue Underground was releasing this 1991 collaboration between two of my favorite horror masters, George Romero and Dario Argento. I bought the DVD sight-unseen, having only seen a few snippets of sequences from the second story in this two-movie collection, Argento's adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat".

I had seen those snippets as part of a larger Argento documentary called "Dario Argento: an Eye for Horror"---and they were ghoulish indeed! Harvey Keitel impaled on a stake? Mewling, hairless baby cats walled up with a gore-caked corpse, 'Cask of Amontillado' style? The gruesome final finishing touch---death by merciless, razor-sharp pendulum---that even Poe himself had shied away from?

I had to have it, just for the Argento work alone! As for the Romero adaptation of "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar", well how could you lose, with the evil mastermind behind "Night of the Living Dead" helming up a short movie about a miser left in hypnosis after death?

Blue Underground has done an excellent job with their Limited Edition DVD: the DVDs themselves are nicely decorated with two of the more chilling sequences from the film, and the material on the bonus DVD (including---hey!---a tour of make-up guru Tom Savini's home!)is worth the price of admission alone. It's a handsome DVD, and a nice addition to any horror movie aficionado's collection.

As for the movies---well, they're not what I had expected, highly uneven, and not the best examples of either Argento or Romero's work. But they're enjoyable, gory, ghoulish fare, with Romero's piece more subtle and stylish and Argento's entry an over-the-top assault on the senses that pays tribute to some of the nastiest of Poe's nuggets, including "The Black Cat", "Lenore" (ah yes, her lovely 32 teeth! nice touch, Dario!), "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Cask of Amontillado", "The Tell-Tale Heart", and even a glib nod to "The House of Usher".

Taken together, the two pieces that comprise "Two Evil Eyes" give the film a "Creepshow"-like feel, not surprising given that Romero helmed that movie. Romero's piece here has been unfairly savaged, and while it seems sedate in comparison to Argento's gory Italian Grand Opera, it's a stately, stylish little chiller. Adrienne Barbeau plays the crafty youngish wife of financier Valdemar (played to the hilt by Bingo O'Malley, who gave me the creeps!---he also shows up as Stevie King's dad in the Meteor episode of Creepshow), who plots with her hypnotist lover to get rid of the sick old man and abscond with a fortune.
Not surprisingly, things don't go as planned; look for an opening shot right out of "Night of the Living Dead" and a scene-chewing contest by movie veteran E.G. Marshall and Barbeau (who holds her own).

But it's really Argeno's sanguine little number you should check in for. Ostensibly an adaptation of "The Black Cat", it features Harvey Keitel as a demented crime photographer whose lifestyle and pre-occupations would make his "Bad Lieutenant" character cry for his mommy. It's not Dario at the height of his game, but it's wicked, depraved, gory stuff.

All told, these two shorts make a jolly, gory little evening of Poe-vian goodness. Break out a nice cask of Amontillado from your cellar (don't mind the knocking from the other side of the wall), open up a tin of caviar for your trusting black cat, put a blanket over your pet raven's cage, and enjoy two horror masters having some fun with their medium.

Good horror, great directors
This movie is based on the writings of Poe. The first film is okay. It drags a little, but once things pick up it gets very interesting. The second film is probably the BEST horror short ever made. If you're a fan of episode horror films, (Creepshow, Trilogy Of Terror and the like), then this is a MUST HAVE DVD. The extras alone are worth the purchase. It's a limited edition, so make sure you snag it up before it's gone!

for completists only
I bought this movie only because I am an Argento nut and wanted to have everything he has done. His segment is the only reason I gave this three stars; Romero's segment is a real let-down. I can't even believe it was made by the same guy who made Dawn of the Dead and Martin! ... Read more

Reviews (292)

Truly a cult classic!!!!!!!!!
When I first saw this film it scared the Hell outa me. George A Remero is a genuis. this film spawned a new genre of horror movies like "Halloween," and The "Evil Dead" series. This film is definately the best horror movie of all time. Although Black and White films are mostly corney and dull, this is one of those films that set the standards for future movies to come.
Anyway, A satalite from outerspace let out radiation from the planet Venus and is causing the dead to walk. Barbara (Judth O'dea) and her brother Johnny (Russel Streiner) go to visit a deseaced family member to pay respects.
Barbara and Johnny were attacked by the famous cemetary ghoul (Bill Heinzman). Barbara Escapes to the car and makes it to a nearby farmhouse only to meet her hero Ben (Duane Jones) who helps her through this incredible ordeal. later they find out five people are in the basement hiding out. Ben and the others must come together to defeat these terrible flesheating creatures outside. This is my favorite film of all time and I defenitally recommend it. I give it two thumbs up. I also liked the remake in 1990 by Tom Savini. He did an exellent job of bringing back the characters although it was missing the erie atmosphere the original had. Savini's good, but he'll never be a George Remero.

The original is always best!!!!!!!!!
Night of the living Dead is the best horror movie picture of all time in my eyes. I give it 5 stars for its creepy soundtrack and its great one of a kind feel. It starts with Barbara(Judith O'dea) and her brother Johnny going to visit thier mothers grave to pay thier respects, when all of a sudden "Ther're comming to get you Barbara" says Johnny just fooling around. and it actually turns out to be the creepiest Zombie of the film. Anyway Johnny gets what was coming to him and Barbara gets away and runs to a nearby farmhouse where Ben(Duane Jones)helps board down the doors and windows to keep the flesh eaters out. later on they find out there were five people in the basement hiding. The whole plot is seven people in an isolated farmhouse trying to stay out of reach of the flesh eating ghouls outside the house for the night. The film that started the best and coolest Dead series of all-time, thanks to George A. Remero.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
BY FAR THE ABSOLUTE BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE EVER!!! BEING IN BLACK AND WHITE ONLY MAKES THIS CLASSIC SCARIER.THE MOOD OF THIS FILM IS INCREDIBLE. JUDITH ODEA DESERVES AN AWARD FOR HER ACTING!!SHE GAVE AN EXTREMELY CONVINCING PERFORMANCE.NOT VERY GORY BUT DEFINITELY SCARY!!!!THE SOUNDTRACK IS AWESOME AND IS A BIG PART OF WHY THIS FILM IS SO FRIGHTENING.A DEFINITE TRUE HORROR MOVIE THAT SHOULD BE SEEN AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE OR MANY, MANY TIMES LIKE MYSELF.A+++++ ALL AROUND!!!! GET THIS MOVIE.

Piece of Crap.
Another