Previously, i’ve made it known that im not the biggest fan of the original ‘Night of the living dead’, But one thing thats always been stuck at the back of my mind is whether the reason I wasnt fond on it, was because I hadnt really seen it as originally intended. While I can say i’ve seen ‘Night’ at least a dozen or so times over my life. 90% of those screenings were usually TV broadcast or from bargain basement value pack DVD’s or VHS’s both of which were usually sourced from some Nth generation, all but destroyed ‘Public Domain’ film print.

Well! tonight I had the absolute privilege and chance of a lifetime to see ‘Night of the Living Dead’ as optimised as it could possibly be! a fairly recent ground up 4k remastering presented in a half packed cinema with a projectionist who clearly took his job very seriously as the print was sharp as a pin on screen and the sound was properly balanced and crystal.

Im a firm believer that for some films, and I should stress this is only a very minute few. The cinema is probably the best possible place to see them. I had an experience a few years ago now with ‘Jaws’ where, after a lifetime of watching it on various size TV screens in various formats over the years, I managed to catch it in theaters with a packed audience, some of whome it was clearly there first time. I liken it to the closest thing to a religious experience i’ve ever had. Magical is too small a word.

I knew for years that horror fans lauded ‘Night’ as being some kind of ‘mythic’ status horror movie that changed the face of horror. And while I cant deny it’s influence, I just never could quite see what these people saw. It was revolutionary for the US, but its not like ‘Coffin Joe’ wasnt tearing it up in Brazil some 4 years prior to this. I understood its significance in history. I just didnt understand how some people could STILL consider it a 5 star film in 2024 given how creaky and ropey it looked and felt.

So I figured, if watching this film in the optimum conditions doesnt turn me around on my way of thinking. Then I’ll know this film just isnt for me.

And while I cant say that this film was a ‘Jaws’ moment for me on the big screen, I can wholeheartedly say that I really truely appreciated it more in this presentation than in ANY of my previous viewings.

While I do still have some issues around the pacing (The film opens and ends strong enough, but sags something rotten int he middle) Seeing this film on a big screen reveals something that I Hadnt honestly noticed before. There are TONS of tiny dynamic shot moves in this thing.

On previous viewings scenes felt sluggish, fixed and stale, but one a HUGE screen, you see that this was VERY much a handheld production and you see, feel and hear every single tiny breathable moment that the cam op is experiencing throughout the picture. It frankly brought the film alive in a way that i’d never seen before.

The increased screen size also brings with it another benefit, you can see every single small micro emotion playing out across each of the characters faces as the plot unfolds. I had previously had a strong dislike for Barbara, thinking she was just whiney and hammy. But I have a much revived appreciation for Judith O’Dea’s performance here. She plays traumatised and shell shocked incredibly well, and those small flickers are SO much more noticable in a cinema environment than on a TV.

Duane Jones as Ben shines through stronger than his smaller screen appearences. I thought he was the best part of the original, but seeing this film cleaned up and presented in the optimum way, he too has wonderful subtleties in his performances. Whereas previously I took him as quite blunt. Here his small nuances add so much more to the character.

The zombies all look a HELL of a lot better when you can see the fine detail that goes into their makeup and their performances after the years of grime and debris have been brushed away.

And tying all of this together is the sound mix, which, when compared to the old 2.0 mono tracks that come from a standard TV output, are simply no contest. In a theater environment, the score surrounds you like the zombie hoards themselves, never getting TOO aggressively loud, but always making you feel on edge and in discomfort. Its also nice to actually be able to hear EVERY word thats said, as older prints would lose the quieter moments in the hiss.

The lighting setups, the shadow work, the composition flicking between carefully considered shots that are curated and primed vs the more rough and ready look of the handheld stuff (Barbaras chase scene in the beginning in particular looks extroadinary) its all gorgeous, and I was really quite impressed.

I left the theater tonight a little giddy on my experience with this film. While I still dont outright ‘Love’ it, I feel like a shifts occured. I dont think I can go back to the bluray copy and my tv set version again with this one. This film was meant to play in a theater or drive in, it wasnt built for TV. and it joins my incredibly small list of ‘Films that take on a whole new life when watched in a theater environment’.

While I still have issues around character dynamics and pacing which I feel really prevent the film from truely shining, and compared to its younger siblings (Dawn + Day) its still quite creaky, My experience tonight with this film made me re-evaluate my experiences with it. Put it this way, if I ever get the opportunity to see it in a cinema again, I will in a heartbeat. and I advise you absolutely do the same.

source https://letterboxd.com/tytdreviews/film/night-of-the-living-dead/1/