Here’s an exciting one for all of you George A. Romero and zombie fans alike; coming this fall is your chance to see Birth of the Living Dead, an exciting new documentary exploring how Romero brought his classic Night of the Living Dead to the screen. The trailer has also recently been released for you to cast your undead loving eyes on!
Birth of the Living Dead is an in-depth documentary written, directed and edited by Rob Kuhns and produced by Esther Cassidy. It details how Romero gathered an unlikely team of Pittsburgh citizens — policemen, iron workers, teachers, ad-men, housewives and a roller-rink owner — to shoot, with a revolutionary guerrilla, run-and-gun style, his seminal film, Night of the Living Dead. During that process, Romero and his team created an entirely new and horribly chilling monster – one that was undead and feasted upon human flesh.
Shot in New York City, Toronto and Los Angeles between the end of 2006 and the Summer of 2011, Birth of the Living Dead immerses audiences into the singular time in which “Night” was shot and studies how Romero created a world-renowned horror film that was also a profound insight into how our society really works.
For the film, Kuhns carried out extensive interviews with George A. Romero in Toronto. Kuhns’ previous experience working as an editor for “Bill Moyers Journal” and later on “Moyers and Company,” gave him the opportunity to explore the powerful archival images of American history in the 1960s. Kuhns surveyed television news stories of the racial violence exploding across the country and horrific combat footage of the Vietnam War. He also saw the U.S. government responses to both. Kuhns realized that Romero and his collaborators created “Night of the Living Dead,” a film about the world coming to an end, at a historic time of enormous American upheaval. “Night” was revealing itself as a living document of the time in which it was made.
The Zombie craze is currently at its peak and it is great to see such a talented team put so much effort and love into documenting how it all began. Without Romero and Night of the Living Dead, the horror movie scene would not be the industry it is today. Romero opened the door to independent movie makers to get out there and do their own thing, even with the tiniest of budgets. A tradition that the likes of Jason Blum and Blumhouse productions still carry on today. By the looks of it, Kuhn’s documentary will be the quintessential visual guide to Romero and his creations.
Birth of the Living Dead will be screening across the US throughout October. Head over to the official website for details of when they will be at a screen near you.
Grizzly Bomb 