Birth of the Zombies
Main Cast: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman
Director: George A. Romero
This is the movie that started it all: the grandfather of all zombie movies. Slightly dated, more than a little cliché and hokey at times, none the less it has not lost its lurking horror or escalating feeling of dread.
The story begins with a couple driving up into a cemetery. This sets the tone for all that follows: quirky and dark. The darkness ramps up sharply. After paying their respects, the guy starts teasing the woman about her fears of the graveyard. Dare I say that the joke will ultimately be on him? After this the plot moves briskly into hunt mode, with the action centered on an old farm in the middle of nowhere.
A group of wildly different people find themselves trapped inside. News reports are sporadic and, rightly, doesn’t dwell too much on the reason for the madness. What we have are the walking dead. Deal with it.
And deal they do. Some of the occupants rage, some withdraw into themselves. And others try to make plans, but will the zombies cooperate?
I enjoyed this because it isn’t brainless. The people, more or less, act like anyone would in their situation. There aren’t too many forced scenes. The zombies are neither more nor less than what they should be. This is a wonderful entry in the genre, so don’t let its age put you off.
Enjoy. 3 stars.
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