Paula Hammond - Features EditorReleased in 1968, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead revolutionised horror, redefining the zombie genre and influencing filmmakers for generations.
Much has since been written about this seminal slice of subculture. Titan Books’ latest release, in their growing catalogue of must-read film books, finally offers up the retrospective we’ve all been waiting for.
Night of the Living Dead: The Official Story of the Film (ISBN 978183541401) by Simon Braund, tells the full story of how a film — made by a small group of people at the very beginning of their careers — became a bonafide classic.
Running to 192 pages, Braund’s superb book features interviews with cast and production company members, shedding genuine light on what it took to turn a rough-and-tumble guerilla-style shoot into a classic.
From persuading friends and family to become investors, finding the perfect run-down farmhouse in rural western Pennsylvania, assembling a cast of extras to portray ‘flesh-eating ghoul’, to the ground-breaking casting of a black actor in a leading role — Duane Jones as Ben — it’s all here.
Illustrated with movie stills, memorabilia, never before seen on-set photos, along with an analysis of the original shooting script annotated by George A. Romero himself, this is gem of a book that’s sure to leave horror fans howling for more.
The official retrospective of one of cinema’s most important films – Night of the Living Dead —is out now in hardback, RRP £39.99.
