..Night Of The Living Dead, 1968. I watched most of it last nite in the spirit of the season, & yeah, its a hokey premise, $1.98 props, make-up, & EFX, no-name actors & all, but why do I always end up shakin' after its over ? I've always found it to be a profoundly disturbing movie, yet I always go back..."They're Coming To Get You, Sandy..." What sayest all y'all ?

I just watched the remake of Dawn of the Dead last night Sandy, great flick! :thmbsp:

I think NOLD has the impact it has precisely for that reason: it is cheaply, not terribly "well-made" and that, combined with the subject matter, gets under your skin in ways a more slick production won't.

I think of it as the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre Syndrome": the shortcomings of the filmmaking help the film get through your defenses because it somehow feels more 'documentary-like' in a way.

There is an old saying: the medium is the message.

It is indeed. You are as powerfully affected by the way something is presented to you as you are by the content itself.

Best,
C.

Watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre (for the umpteenth time) a couple nights ago, and I'd have to agree with you Cosmic.

If you dissect TCM piece by piece (no pun intended) it's not that great. Shot on 16mm, with local actors & non-actors, a skimpy plot and special effects that were (let's face it) not that special.

For all its faults; it still works. It's one of the few horror films that actually scare me. It's practically bloodless, but in spite of that, almost every one remembers it as being very gory. Who knows? But I bet Hollywood would love to bottle it!

At least there's a kewl old Motorola TV in NOLD..An' the '65 Lincoln the Big Shots ride in is nice, too.

Like "Christmas Story" at Christmas, Night has been a Halloween standard at my home for many years except last night.

Changed it up for Phantasm.

http://www.stomptokyo.com/guests/img/phantasm1.jpg

I just watched the remake of Dawn of the Dead last night Sandy, great flick! :thmbsp:

Haven't seen that one but the original was a staple at the midnight movies when I was in HS. Gotta love cheesy horror flicks.

I think the flip of this is, just cuz Hollywood spent a bundle making a flick, doesn't mean it will be any good.

Yeah...Romero & Russo would have LOVED to have had a tenth of the money that was wasted on "Waterworld"...Or "3 Amigos"...Or "Showgirls".."Showgirls"-That one always tickled me...Yeah, I always wanted to see if Elizabeth Berkeley was as HOT as I figured she must have been...And she was, but I found myself thinking, "Jessie ! Put yer clothes back on, girl !" That flick sure kicked her career into the terlet, didn't it ?

......ahem.....likes Waterworld & Postman too......

I need to see the original NOLD sometime. Dawn of the Dead is a fun movie because of the mall setting. The new one from Mr Romero with John Leguizamo was pretty lame. TCM is crazy. The energy from the actors, the direction. It's just intense. Speaking of Christmas and horror movies, Black Christmas is another low-budget classic.