I remember seeing this at a cinema in the early 90s and the audience laughed through it, but just try watching it at home alone, especially if in a deserted house like the one in the film. It was a remarkably accomplished debut, very well directed, especially considering the low budget and still holds up well.
Yes, some of the acting is a bit creaky (especially the women, who admittedly have weaker characters), and the shots of the zombies staggering around outside are funny rather than scary, but the atmosphere is still terrifically creepy, the music effective, and some scenes still pack a wallop: the failed escape attempt, when the little girl kills her parents horribly, and the nihilistic ending.
Attention was given to the film because the hero (Duane Jones) was black – but although he seems sensible and brave, he’s not much of a hero: his decision to stay upstairs is wrong, he organises a disastrous escape attempt, he’s bossy, he gets himself shot at the end when he should have known to keep his head down.
No comments:
Post a Comment