Night of the Living Dead (1990) Review
Night of the Living Dead (1990) Review
Given that director Tom Savini made his name as one of horror cinema’s premier make-up and gore effects artists, his remake of George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) is surprisingly restrained when it comes to splatter. Having contributed his gruesome talents to Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (1978), I was expecting considerably more bloodshed from Savini’s directorial debut. In that respect, the film is something of a disappointment. Some of the effects are also surprisingly ropey, with the dummy representing Barbara’s brother proving particularly unconvincing as his head strikes a gravestone. In another director’s hands, such shortcomings might be forgivable. Given Savini’s reputation, however, they’re rather harder to overlook.
These gripes aside, this Nineties reworking of the zombie apocalypse has enough inspired touches to make it a worthwhile companion to Romero’s original. The pacing is brisker, and I particularly like the decision to make the farmhouse the home of the young Tom rather than simply a property occupied by a conveniently deceased stranger. It gives the siege a slightly different dynamic, even if the film sacrifices much of the eerie, creeping tension that made the 1968 version so effective. In its place, we get considerably more screaming, much of which feels unnecessary. Sometimes silence really is golden, particularly when the dead are walking.
The climax also departs from the original, allowing Barbara to survive the ordeal without succumbing to the catatonic state that defined her earlier incarnation. Returning to the farmhouse, she discovers that Ben has become one of the undead and that Mr Cooper is still alive, although his continued existence is about to become rather less comfortable. The film also incorporates a sequence inspired by an idea considered for Romero’s original screenplay, depicting zombies hanging from a tree and being used for target practice. It’s a bleak, effective addition that reinforces the casual brutality of a world in which the living can be every bit as monstrous as the dead.
Another notable alteration involves Cooper’s zombified daughter, who chooses to bite her mother rather than dispatch her with a garden trowel. Savini provides a satisfying splash of gore involving the trowel, offering a visual nod to the original film, but the moment lacks the sheer horror of Romero’s infamous stabbing scene. There was something particularly disturbing about the original sequence, not least because the method of attack seemed so horribly incongruous with the creature committing it. Of course, the word ‘zombie’ remains conspicuously absent from the dialogue, as it was in the original.
The pivotal role of Ben went to Tony Todd, who beat out competition reportedly including Laurence Fishburne and Eriq La Salle, and who would subsequently become a horror icon thanks to Candyman (1992). Todd delivers a strong, assured performance, bringing a welcome authority to the role. Patricia Tallman’s Barbara, on the other hand, left me somewhat unconvinced. Her characterisation is frustratingly inconsistent, alternating between steely determination and a more traditional damsel-in-distress approach. One minute she’s channelling Ellen Ripley; the next, she’s screaming as though the entire apocalypse has come as something of a surprise. Given everything she endures, a little consistency would have gone a long way.
Ultimately, Savini’s Night of the Living Dead is an affectionate homage to Romero’s landmark horror film. It never comes close to matching the original’s atmosphere, social subtext or sustained sense of dread, and the shortcomings of some of the effects are particularly disappointing coming from a man of Savini’s considerable talents. Nevertheless, the faster pace, revised character dynamics and handful of worthwhile additions give the remake an identity of its own.
It may not dethrone the original, but it doesn’t disgrace it either. For fans of Romero’s classic, there are enough changes and surprises to make this return to the farmhouse worthwhile. The dead may walk again, but at least Savini gives them a slightly different route to follow.
