NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (1999)
Directed by John Russo
Starring Bill Hinzman and Debbie Rochon
George Romero's masterpiece "Night of the Living Dead" suffered a fate worse than death when co-screenwriter John Russo added his own, badly written, horribly directed scenes to it in 1999.
The original film, which has been colorized and even remade once as a disappointing 1980s zombie film, received its worst treatment yet in Russo's hands. You know from the opening "prologue," depicting the origins of the "cemetery zombie" we all remember from the original (Hinzman), that what you're about to witness is the rape of a classic movie.
Unlike the "Star Wars" special edition, which restored lost footage and added new special effects, Russo's tragic mistake of a movie adds brand new footage, introduces new characters who have nothing to do with the events in the original film and, perhaps worst of all, adds a totally new film score, performed on a synthesizer! Although he promises in press materials that the footage "seamlessly" blends in with the movie, nothing could be further from the truth. The new scenes don't even remotely look the same.
He winds up ruining Romero's movie, destroying the mood of the film and taking away any sense of awe or horror viewers of the original had. I feel sorry for both Russo and Anchor Bay, the company that released this film. It's a "special edition" that never should have been permitted. I doubt it will even be a collector's item even after it goes out of print. What amazes me is that Romero didn't insist on having his name completely removed from this version of his film. Russo managed to singlehandedly ruin what he created.
Russo may have once been a fine writer. His novelization of "Night," published back in the 1970s, was great. I even liked one of his movies, "Midnight." But he failed big time with this atrocity. It's not even worth renting as an oddity. It's worse than the lamest Italian zombie films and is even worse than some of Russo's other movies, including the laughable "Santa Claws."
The biggest tragedy of this release is that some people will no doubt purchase it believing it to be the original "Night of the Living Dead." It isn't. It's a badly mangled shadow of that movie. Fans of the original will literally feel sick watching it. Then the rage will set in.
The video box claims the film has been "expanded and enhanced" to celebrate its 30th anniversary, but it's only been raped and pillaged.