NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990): Tom Savini’s Directorial Debut & Reclaiming the Dead

In the final episode of our Romero/Savini series, we come full circle—back to the film that started it all. After years of legal battles trying to reclaim the rights to the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), George Romero and his Image Ten partners decided the best way to protect their creation—and maybe finally make some money from it—was to remake it. In 1990, they did just that. Romero wrote the screenplay, updating key elements of the original while preserving its structure, and handed directing duties to his longtime collaborator Tom Savini. For Savini, best known for his work behind the makeup chair, it was a chance to prove himself as a director on a film that carried enormous legacy and expectation. In this episode, we explore the making of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990), the creative choices behind the remake, the challenges Savini faced behind the camera, and how the film has been reappraised over time. Coming Up: BATMAN BEGINS (2005) THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012) Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy. This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne & Justin Bishop, with special thanks to Todd Davis. Visit our website for episode archives, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net Follow us: twitter.com/cinema_shock facebook.com/cinemashocknet instagram.com/cinema_shock