Review by Peter Syslo
It seems like this is the week of remake reviews. I recently caught the 2006 remake of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, which is properly titled NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD 3-D. However, I watched it on a cable on-demand channel, so (unfortunately) I didn't get to see it in its full 3-D glory (I enjoy 3-D, I'm easily amused). Sometimes I latch onto the strangest things and I fully understand that I am a weird individual because... I actually liked this movie. Technically, I shouldn't have liked this film – it messes with a classic and it doesn't exactly make sense - but there is something about it that I enjoyed and I had a fun time watching it. Maybe it was one of those “right films at the right time”, where I was in the mood for it. Maybe it was a “palate-cleanser” for the more serious stuff that I have been watching. Whatever the reason, I don't think that it is a bad film and if I do see it on DVD, I will probably pick it up (cheap) for the complete 3-D experience.
NOTLD 3-D is directed by Jeff Broadstreet and is written by Robert Valding (based on the Romero &Russo original screenplay). The film stars Brianna Brown, Joshua Des Roches, Sid Haig, Greg Travis, Johanna Black, and Adam Chambers.
The movie follows the storyline of the original 1968 film, with a few changes. Barbara (Brown) and her brother arrive at the cemetery and the brother gets attacked by zombies. Barbara runs and meets up with the owner of the cemetery and funeral parlor, Mr. Tovar (Haig). He doesn't seem surprised by the walking dead and Barbara continues to run to the woods nearby. She is rescued from zombies by Ben (Des Roches) and the two travel to the nearby Cooper farm. The Coopers (Travis &Black) are marijuana farmers and Ben was actually on his way there to buy some pot. In a short period of time, they all get trapped inside the house by zombies and after awhile, Mr. Tovar pays them a visit. As they make plans for an exit, they have a few run-ins with the zombies, there is death and dismemberment, and they learn how all of the mayhem began.
Yeah, there are a few notable changes to the original but I honestly liked this movie. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I just liked the atmosphere of it and the fun of it all. I never saw the 1990 remake - so I can't speak about that - and I tried not to consider the 2006 version as a remake of the original. It was different with the HALLOWEEN and FRIDAY THE 13th remakes; I had more of a personal investment in those (especially HALLOWEEN because the original is my favorite horror film). Don't get me wrong, I do love the 1968 NOTLD and it is one of my favorites, but for some reason I am OK with a remake and I am tolerant of some “poetic license”. In part, I feel that no remake can ever touch the original NOTLD and that is the bottom line. Therefore, I am simply going into a NOTLD remake and viewing it as an interpretation of the original story. With the other remakes that I mentioned, they were kind of marketed as being modern equivalents to the originals and that bit of arrogance bothered me. I don't know exactly how, but NOTLD 3-D was less of a violation of a sacred thing.
I felt that NOTLD 3-D remained faithful to the spirit of the original and it seemed to show some respect for it (actually, there are small references to it throughout). The major changes are the marijuana farming and the Tovar explanation of things, but I was at ease with both of those things. I thought that the Coopers being pot farmers was a funny addition and a plausible addition. Plus, it's part of the current “vibe” in horror cinema. Regarding the explanation of the living dead, I thought that it was a great addition to the story and it was also very plausible. Along with my enjoyment of watching Sid Haig tell a story, the explanation did make sense yet it didn't get in the way of the zombie threat. In short, I felt that the added material made it modern, gave it a unique spin, and fostered a continued reverence for the 1968 film.
Moving on, I enjoyed all of the actors in NOTLD 3-D. Sid Haig was definitely the standout and was enjoyable as always. Also, Greg Travis was excellent as Mr. Cooper, who (in this version) was more of a peaceful man who was morally conflicted and had a sketchy past. One of the other things that I liked about the picture was the way that it was filmed. Even though I didn't catch the 3-D, I did get hints of it throughout and the whole presentation of the movie is almost like a vibrant comic book. To give you an idea, it has the look of CREEPSHOW, which is kind of a tribute to the horror/sci-fi films of the fifties. Along with that presentation, the zombies were a little different-looking than usual. Yes, they do have that “rotting” quality, but they are very comic-esque and are reminiscent of the clowns in KILLER CLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE or reminiscent of Jim Henson characters. Strange bedfellows for a NOTLD film, but somehow it all worked. Aside from that, there is a surprising lack of gore in the film and a surprising inclusion of gratuitous nudity, but it just seemed to balance itself out and it was enjoyable to watch. Throw in the nice, brooding musical score and it became an interesting film that was effective.
Gnawing through the flesh: NOTLD 3-D wasn't bad at all. It makes some additions to the original story but it remains respectful to the 1968 film. There are some loopholes in the logic of the film (such as Mr. Tovar being able to let a zombie suck on his wrist without being infected) but the whole thing is played with a bit of humor in it and it just has fun with itself. Romero purists may not like it - and I could understand why - but I can see it as being one of those films that is fun for a group of people to watch. It's light, I had fun with it, and I give it a 7/10.