[paultagonist]

guffinator12, on 16 February 2012 - 11:01 PM, said:

NOTLD must be the most remade film ever.

There's been some news lately about recent NOTLD remakes/prequels, and, along with guffinator12's comment above, it got me to thinking about all the different versions of NOTLD. The raping of this film isn't anything new. So, because I'm a list whore, let's just name them off, shall we? I've compiled a list of all the versions I know of with links for each film (I tried to link to these message boards when possible).
First, of course, there's the original masterpiece:

1968 - Night of the Living Dead (original)

Then all hell breaks loose.

• 1986 - NOTLD colorized version (zombies had green skin)
  
• 1990 - NOTLD Savini remake
  
• 1997 - NOTLD Colorized (by Anchor Bay, zombies had grey skin)
  
• 1999 - NOTLD 30th Anniversary Edition ("removes 15 minutes of footage from the original film and inserts 15 minutes of new footage shot especially for this edition.. George A. Romero was not involved with this version." Children of the Living Dead is a sequel to this one.)
  
• 2004 - NOTLD Colorized (by Legend Films, different from the previous two)
  
• 2005 - Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien, Flesh Eating, Hellbound, Zombified Living Dead Part 2: In Shocking 2-D ("The makers of this parody of Night of the Living Dead took George Romero's classic and wiped the soundtrack clean, then redubbed it with comedic dialogue.")
  
• 2005 - NOTLD Survivor's Cut ("recut version of Romero's classic, with additional footage added and scenes digitally treated for dramatic effect")
  
• 2006 - NOTLD 3D remake
  
• 2007 - NOTLD SOV remake
  
• 2009 - NOTLD Re-Animated (arty "animated" film that used a bunch of different clips from various animators that animated different scenes of the original movie, set to the original audio)
  
• 2009 - NOTLD Rifftrax treatment (like MST3K)
  
• 2009 - NOTLD Colorized 3D (3D treatment of the 2004 colorized version)
  
• 2012 - NOTLD Origins 3D (3D CGI animated film)
  
• 2012 - NOTLD Re-Animation (3D live-action)
  
• 2012 - NOTLD Resurrection (a British remake)
  
• 2012 - NOTLD remake (not much info, this one may fall through.. directed by Matt Cloude)

Are there any that I'm missing?
Are you looking forward to any of those last four? More details can be found on their respective topics.

[Morbidfilm]

Night of the Living Dead 2012 is coming.

The title won't stay dead.

[DarthJoe8]

Nice job.


I've seen a bunch of those but a couple I will need to track down. My favorite is the Savini remake. Which ones do you think are worth the watch?

[paultagonist]

Morbidfilm, on 19 February 2012 - 10:36 PM, said:

Night of the Living Dead 2012 is coming.

The title won't stay dead.

Thanks, added it.

DarthJoe8, on 19 February 2012 - 10:36 PM, said:

Nice job.


I've seen a bunch of those but a couple I will need to track down. My favorite is the Savini remake. Which ones do you think are worth the watch?

Thanks :-) Yeah, as far as I'm concerned, that's the only remake worth anything.. The Rifftrax version is fun for a watch. And I was impressed with the most modern (non-3D) colorized version. Actually the Rifftrax and colorized version can be bought on the same DVD.

[Frallon]

Dude this is a top notch thread I look forward to making my way down the list. Hopefully some of the new comers look towards Savini for some inspiration because he knew what the epidemic was really about. Some more small time people looking to make zombie films could take some notes. It's not all about this and this there's just more to the genre than that. Great Thread!

[Cornflakes]

I did not realise there were that many remakes, I only seen the original and knew of 3 on the list.

though number 10 looks interesting.

Quote

10.2009 - NOTLD Re-Animated (arty "animated" film that used a bunch of different clips from various animators that animated different scenes of the original movie, set to the original audio)

I migt check that one out.

http://www.youtube.c...GFG6r_ip8#t=58s

looks like my cup of tea.

[paultagonist]

Cornflakes, on 20 February 2012 - 01:33 AM, said:

though number 10 looks interesting.

Quote

10.2009 - NOTLD Re-Animated (arty "animated" film that used a bunch of different clips from various animators that animated different scenes of the original movie, set to the original audio)

I migt check that one out.

looks like my cup of tea.

Yeah I thought it would be interesting too.. it kind of is, but it just gets old fast. A lot of the animation is redundant, and some is just like putting a rotoscope filter over the movie or something; it barely passes for "animation." But yeah check it out for yourself, it's available for fairly cheap (7.86 pounds on your Amazon.co.uk) and it's on Netflix, so maybe it's on LoveFilm over in Britain.
You've GOT to see Savini's 1990 remake. There's some scary-ass zombies in it, and it stays true to the original while still tweaking the story a bit here and there to throw some surprises at you.

Frallon, on 20 February 2012 - 12:30 AM, said:

Dude this is a top notch thread I look forward to making my way down the list. Hopefully some of the new comers look towards Savini for some inspiration because he knew what the epidemic was really about. Some more small time people looking to make zombie films could take some notes. It's not all about this and this there's just more to the genre than that. Great Thread!

Hey thanks man :-)
Everybody loves the original NOTLD, and since it's public domain, it turns into an easy target for budding filmmakers. It's an automatically recognizable name. At least, it seems, most of them do genuinely love the original, and are just trying to get noticed in a saturated indie horror scene. Can't blame them too much for that, I suppose. The one's I hate are the ones that re-edit the original, add a couple of their own scenes (like the 30th Anniversary Edition), and then sell it to the unsuspecting fan. That's just ridiculous.

I know there's quite a few zombie flicks out there that use footage from NOTLD in their movie.. a couple, like Nerd of the Living Dead (you've gotta read the review to believe it) and O.C. Babes and the Slasher of Zombietown, go overboard and use waaay too much of the film in their movie. It's unadulterated laziness. There's even one movie, The Dead of Night, that combines Night of the Living Dead and Carnival of Souls (since it, too, is public domain) to make a "new" movie. Jesus.



Savini's NOTLD was pretty fucking badass (some even claim to like it better than the original, which, of course, is utter blasphemy ;-) ). But I'm sure some of that is due to the bigger budget, Savini's experience, and Romero's involvement. Smaller filmmakers simply can't compete with that. But it is a shining beacon of how a remake is done right.

I just wish these movies were better, hahaha. Maybe the recent crop of NOTLD prequels/remakes/reimaginings/whatever coming out soon will be halfway decent. Maybe......

[zombie surfer]

Wow. I never relised there was as much versions as this, i only have 3 of them. I am a fan of Savini's & i don't see the point of remake again but if it comes & has a good budget it may be cool.

[Action Avenue]

Morbidfilm, on 19 February 2012 - 10:36 PM, said:

Night of the Living Dead 2012 is coming.

The title won't stay dead.

LOL!! Great zinger. Remakes are a way of life in Hollywood! All we can hope is that when a remake gets released, hopefully, the remake will at least be as interesting as the original. Savini's Night of The Living Dead remake was very good in my opinion.

[paultagonist]

Action Avenue, on 21 February 2012 - 06:38 AM, said:

Remakes are a way of life in Hollywood!

Yeah, but none of those are from Hollywood, heh. I don't even think Savini's remake was.

Here's the 3D version for sale, if anyone's interested..

[Morbidfilm]

If I was smart I would say fuck it and make my own Night of the Living Dead film. I have the personal contact info for allot of Night, Dawn and Days actors and I'm sure many would do it if we asked.
I hate to say it, but that would actually be fun.

[paultagonist]

Morbidfilm, on 26 February 2012 - 07:55 PM, said:

If I was smart I would say fuck it and make my own Night of the Living Dead film. I have the personal contact info for allot of Night, Dawn and Days actors and I'm sure many would do it if we asked.
I hate to say it, but that would actually be fun.

Hell yeah that'd be fun.. but you have something holding you back, called "artistic integrity." ;-) And good for you. There's been too damn many NOTLD remakes as it is. We need more new and innovative films, not rehashes of old ones.

[Morbidfilm]

paultagonist, on 26 February 2012 - 08:12 PM, said:

Morbidfilm, on 26 February 2012 - 07:55 PM, said:

If I was smart I would say fuck it and make my own Night of the Living Dead film. I have the personal contact info for allot of Night, Dawn and Days actors and I'm sure many would do it if we asked.
I hate to say it, but that would actually be fun.

Hell yeah that'd be fun.. but you have something holding you back, called "artistic integrity." ;-) And good for you. There's been too damn many NOTLD remakes as it is. We need more new and innovative films, not rehashes of old ones.

I know I know. Damn you artistic integrity! Ha!

[MorganaLeFaye]

There's a copy of 1968 NOTLD with a commentary by Mike Nelson (this is not a RiffTrax edition) and an option for color or B&W.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=DC1Xq7q1Ytg

http://www.nexternal...et=products.asp

[Morbidfilm]

I never understood why anyone would want to see Night in color. Half of the atmosphere comes from the nice b&w photography. It's like saying, lets take away half of the horror from the film.

[paultagonist]

MorganaLeFaye, on 27 February 2012 - 08:15 AM, said:

There's a copy of 1968 NOTLD with a commentary by Mike Nelson (this is not a RiffTrax edition) and an option for color or B&W.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=DC1Xq7q1Ytg

http://www.nexternal...et=products.asp

Oooooh yeah, that's the one I meant.. the Rifftrax version is a separate one, I didn't realize! I thought they were one and the same, with the Rifftrax one selling on its own just because they could.

Morbidfilm, on 27 February 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

I never understood why anyone would want to see Night in color. Half of the atmosphere comes from the nice b&w photography. It's like saying, lets take away half of the horror from the film.

Well, for me it's curiosity. After watching the movie a zillion times it's nice to watch it in color or with a commentary on or something. I don't watch it to be scared anymore, it's just to notice stuff I may not have seen. Or to see it in color, heheh.
Understand a bit better now?

[Morbidfilm]

Oh yeah I understand completely. My comment was more directed towards the people who actually do the colorizing.