Night of the Living Dead: Behind the Scenes of the Most Terrifying Zombie Movie Ever by Joe Kane
Confession first. I only saw the movie "Night of the Living Dead" a few days before reading the book of the story behind it. I wasn't particularly impressed by this 1968 film as it appeared
dated (not because it's in B&W) and by today's horror standards, it's a rather tame affair. However, author Joe Kane, a self-confessed Deadhead, explains why this movie was groundbreaking for its time. I made nothing of the lead character being black or the scene where he shoots an arrogant white bloke who was threatening their survival in the face of a zombie onslaught. However, backtrack to America in the 60s and the racial tension that manifested itself in the murder of Martin Luther King and this scene now has a significance which is lost on us today.
The author talks about other zombie movies which are somehow connected to George Romero, the director of Night of the Living Dead. Since I'm not a zombie fan, I find the information extraneous and the slang occasionally off-putting.
Hence, my 5/10.
The movie was relevant during the 60s and the horror standards of that time. It must have appealed to people at that time with the racial tension it could have been a way for the blacks to voice their frustration. A creative movie director can re-do the movie to suit the current target audience.