History Film / NightOfTheLivingDead1968

* CavalryBetrayal: An accidental version. [[spoiler:Ben]] has managed to survive in a house besieged by ghouls. In the morning, the Sheriff's posse that systematically kills the ghouls is approaching. [[spoiler:Ben]] comes out and [[spoiler:he is shot down because the members of the posse think that he is a ghoul]].

* ZombieApocalypse: The trope maker. The dead rise from their graves and attack the living. Due to being such an early example, many common aspects of the trope are not found in this film.

Prior to ''Living Dead'', zombies had traditionally been depicted as [[VoodooZombie creatures of voodoo]] which obeyed their masters. Romero did [[OurZombiesAreDifferent something completely different]]: he offered no explanation for their existence (save a speculative {{hand wave}} regarding an exploded space probe and [[NuclearNasty radioactive fallout]]), gave them no masters, and endowed them with an insatiable appetite for the flesh of living creatures. His FleshEatingZombie creation has come to be synonymous with the word "zombie" in popular culture. Romero also commented on the increasing social tensions manifest in America during TheSixties--as the film demonstrated, the living had as much to fear from each other as they did from zombies.

Prior to ''Living Dead'', zombies had traditionally been depicted as [[VoodooZombie creatures of voodoo]] that obeyed their masters. Romero did [[OurZombiesAreDifferent something completely different]]: he offered no explanation for their existence (save a speculative {{hand wave}} regarding an exploded space probe and [[NuclearNasty radioactive fallout]]), gave them no masters, and endowed them with an insatiable appetite for the flesh of living creatures. His new FleshEatingZombie creation has since become synonymous with the word "zombie" in popular culture. Romero also commented on the increasing social tensions manifest in America during TheSixties--as the film demonstrated, the living had as much to fear from each other as they did from zombies.

Prior to ''Living Dead'', zombies had traditionally been depicted as [[VoodooZombie creatures of voodoo]] that obeyed their masters. Romero did [[OurZombiesAreDifferent something completely different]]: he offered no explanation for their existence (save a speculative {{hand wave}} regarding an exploded space probe and [[NuclearNasty radioactive fallout]]), gave them no masters, and endowed them with an insatiable appetite for the flesh of living creatures. His FleshEatingZombie creation has since become synonymous with the word "zombie" in popular culture. Romero also commented on the increasing social tensions manifest in America during TheSixties--as the film demonstrated, the living had as much to fear from each other as they did from zombies.

* TheLoad: Barbra, Judy, and Helen are generally useless in the original.

* DoorHandleScare: Barbra is sitting in the living room while Ben busies himself boarding up the windows without her. She listens to the radio report about the flesh eaters roaming the countryside. The radio almost increases in volume with no other sound in the scene. She then hears a couple bangs behind the unchecked door beside her. The camera cuts back and forth between her face and the door. The knob doesn't turn, but the music soars as Harry Cooper and Tom suddenly emerge from the cellar, causing Barbra to scream and bring Ben running.

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Romero went back and forth on whether the black-and-white photography was for artistic or purely budgetary reasons. It does give the film a kind of documentary feel.

Prior to ''Living Dead'', zombies had traditionally been depicted as [[VoodooZombie creatures of voodoo]] who obeyed their masters. Romero did [[OurZombiesAreDifferent something completely different]]: he offered no explanation for their existence (save a speculative {{hand wave}} regarding an exploded space probe and [[NuclearNasty radioactive fallout]]), gave them no masters, and endowed them with an insatiable appetite for the flesh of living creatures. His FleshEatingZombie creation has since become synonymous with the word "zombie" in popular culture. Romero also commented on the increasing social tensions manifest in America during TheSixties--as the film demonstrated, the living had as much to fear from each other as they did from zombies.

Prior to ''Living Dead'', zombies had traditionally been depicted as [[VoodooZombie creatures of voodoo]] who obeyed their masters. Romero did [[OurZombiesAreDifferent something completely different]]: he offered no explanation for their existence (save a speculative {{hand wave}} regarding an exploded space probe and [[NuclearNasty radioactive fallout]]), gave them no masters, and endowed them with an insatiable appetite for the flesh of living creatures. His FleshEatingZombie creation has since become synonymous with the word "zombie" in popular culture. Romero also commented on the increasing social tensions manifest in America during TheSixties -- as the film demonstrated, people had as much to fear from each other as they did from zombies.

Prior to ''Living Dead'', zombies had traditionally been depicted as [[VoodooZombie creatures of voodoo]] who obeyed their masters. Romero did [[OurZombiesAreDifferent something completely different]]: he offered no explanation for their existence (save a speculative {{hand wave}} about an exploded space probe and [[NuclearNasty radioactive fallout]]), gave them no masters, and endowed them with an insatiable appetite for the flesh of living creatures. His FleshEatingZombie creation has since become synonymous with the word "zombie" in popular culture. Romero also commented on the increasing tensions manifest in American society in TheSixties -- as the film demonstrated, people had as much to fear from each other as they did from zombies.

''Night of the Living Dead'' is a 1968 horror film directed by Creator/GeorgeARomero, who co-wrote the screenplay with John Russo. Romero's first feature film and the first entry in the ''Film/LivingDeadSeries'', it became one of the most influential horror films ever made, while inaugurating the ZombieApocalypse subgenre in the process.

''Night of the Living Dead'' remains one of the most iconic horror films of all time. Numerous [[Film/ShaunOfTheDead movies]], [[Series/{{Angel}} television shows]], [[Franchise/ResidentEvil video games]], [[Literature/WorldWarZ books]], and [[Comicbook/TheWalkingDead comic books]] owe their origin to this pioneering work of zombie horror. And you know you made an excellent horror film when ''[[Creator/FredRogers Mister Rogers]]'', of all people, thought of it as a fun movie.

''Night of the Living Dead'' remains one of the most iconic horror films of all time. Numerous [[Film/ShaunOfTheDead movies]], [[Series/{{Angel}} television shows]], [[Franchise/ResidentEvil video games]], [[Literature/WorldWarZ books]], and [[Comicbook/TheWalkingDead comic books]] owe their origin to this pioneering work of zombie horror. And you know you made an excellent horror film when ''[[Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood Mister Rogers]]'', of all people, thinks of it as a fun movie.

''Night of the Living Dead'' remains one of the most iconic horror films of all time. Numerous [[Film/ShaunOfTheDead movies]], [[Series/{{Angel}} television shows]], [[Franchise/ResidentEvil video games]], [[Literature/WorldWarZ books]], and [[Comicbook/TheWalkingDead comic books]] owe their origin to this pioneer of zombie horror. And you know you made an excellent horror film when ''Mister Rogers'', of all people, thinks of it as a fun movie.

* RuleOfSymbolism: While Romero always maintained that Duane Jones simply gave the best audition and the story was [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical never meant to be a political statement]], there's something to say for sure about a story filmed right around the time of the Civil Rights Movement, about the breakdown of societal norms, where the (debatably) OnlySaneMan is an intelligent and pragmatic black man, who [[spoiler:outlives his companions only to be killed by the police.]]

* RecycledSoundtrack: The original film's score consists of stock music from Creator/CapitolRecords' "Hi-Q" production library, much of which had previously been used in other film and TV soundtracks. The opening-credits theme, for instance, had appeared in the unofficial ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone1959 Twilight Zone]]'' pilot "The Time Element"; other cues were lifted from the scores of such earlier B-movies as ''Film/TeenagersFromOuterSpace'', ''Film/TheDevilsMessenger'', and ''Film/TheHideousSunDemon''.

* RecycledSoundtrack: The original film's score consists of stock music from Creator/CapitolRecords' "Hi-Q" production library, much of which had previously been used in other film and TV soundtracks. The eerie opening-credits theme, for instance, had appeared in the unofficial ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone1959 Twilight Zone]]'' pilot "The Time Element"; other cues were lifted from the scores of such earlier B-movies as ''Film/TeenagersFromOuterSpace'', ''Film/TheDevilsMessenger'', and ''Film/TheHideousSunDemon''.

* RecycledSoundtrack: The original film's score consists of stock music from Creator/CapitolRecords' "Hi-Q" production library, much of which had previously been used in other film and TV soundtracks. The opening credits theme, for instance, was originally used in a ''Ben Casey'' episode; other cues were lifted from such earlier B-movies as ''Film/TeenagersFromOuterSpace'', ''Film/TheDevilsMessenger'', and ''Film/TheHideousSunDemon''.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfWoman: At one point Barbra wigs out and tries to go out the front door to "get Johnny". When Ben stops her from getting herself killed, she slaps his face, and he responds by ''punching'' hers. Subverted in that it actually sends her even further into shock and stupor.

* KillEmAll: None of the main characters make it through the film alive.

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler:Nobody in the film survives]].

** The very first zombie in the film picks up a rock and uses it to break open a car window to get to Barbara. Every other instance of zombies interacting with inanimate objects in the sequels are done with no real reason outside of muscle-memory, and even then that's just a theory that survivors are working with. The only exceptions to this were Bub from ''Day of the Dead'' (who was being domesticated) and Big Daddy from ''Land of the Dead'' (who's intelligence went beyond mindlessly hunting living humans).

* [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!]]: At one point Barbra wigs out and tries to go out the front door to "get Johnny". When Ben stops her from getting herself killed, she slaps his face, and he responds by ''punching'' hers. Subverted in that it actually sends her even further into shock and stupor.

* InNameOnly: Apart from the farm setting, character names, and opening sequence, this film has very little in common plotwise to the 1968 original.

Prior to ''Living Dead'', zombies had traditionally been depicted as [[VoodooZombie creatures of voodoo]] who obeyed their masters. Romero did [[OurZombiesAreDifferent something completely different]]: He offered no explanation for their existence (save a speculative {{hand wave}} about an exploded space probe and [[NuclearNasty radioactive fallout]]), gave them no masters, and endowed them with an insatiable appetite for the flesh of living creatures. His FleshEatingZombie creation has since become synonymous with the word "zombie" in popular culture. Romero also commented on the increasing tensions manifest in American society in TheSixties--as the film demonstrated, people had as much to fear from each other as they did from zombies.

* TooDumbToLive:
** Jesus, [[spoiler:Tom]], how hard is it to work a damned gas pump? Admittedly the hose was too short, he jerked the nozzle towards the truck, the hose ran out, and his hand hit the trigger spraying the gas all over Ben's torch - but anyone who has been to an unfamiliar gas pump ''once'' knows to stop the car close enough that even a short hose can reach. He parks a good 20 feet away!
** [[spoiler:Judy]], who runs outside out of worry for [[spoiler:Tom]], and gets locked out by Cooper. Ben and Tom end up having to drag her along. [[spoiler:She even inadvertently gets Tom killed, when she gets stuck in the truck. Tom goes to help her just as it blows up, killing them both. Had she not been out there, he would have had no reason to go back to the truck, and they might have survived the events of the movie.]]
** Everyone, in a sense. The zombies are slow and could be easily outrun, instead of doing the smart thing and running away, they decide to board the entire house up and let the zombies pile up. Did they ever think about the possibility of the zombies breaking in and having no way out, other than isolating themselves somewhere until there's no place left to run?
** As Cooper points out, if they're going to use the "barricade ourselves in" plan it makes more sense to fall back to the cellar, which only has one entrance to defend and isn't as easy to break through as the many windows. [[spoiler: The ending shows this would have worked.]]
** [[TakeAThirdOption The survivors who wanted to could have]] barricaded the place up securely, gone upstairs, brought all the supplies and tools up there and destroyed the staircase behind them, rendering them inaccessible. Zombies being unable to climb, they would be fine. From there they could keep an eye on the zombies and watch for rescue, or if they decided to escape they could climb out one of the windows and/or on to the roof, find a safe location to drop down to the ground and flee. This would have avoided altogether the risk of being boxed in down in the cellar in case Cooper's risky plan didn't work, along with the disastrous escape attempt with the truck and gasoline. If Cooper was so set on his basement plan, the Coopers could have stayed down there while the others went upstairs. None of the survivors even suggest this option. Of course, no matter the plan, there was still the matter of Karen being a ZombieInfectee, and a danger to anyone she was around.

** Granted, shooting a lock off a ''gas pump'' is something a sensible person would probably prefer to avoid if they have a choice, but with the keys not working and the zombie horde approaching, Ben didn't have many options.

** While Ben is fending off a small group of zombies, he strikes one in the face with a tire iron. The zombie in question clutches at its face, as if in pain, or even just acting upon reflex. All later films in the series depict zombies as being utterly indifferent to any attacks or injuries inflicted upon them.

** In general, the zombies as portrayed in this film are something of a cross-breed of the original African tribal legends of the VoodooZombie, and the moaning, groaning FleshEatingZombie type popularised by this film's sequels and imitators.

** Bill Hinzman, who played the cemetery zombie, based his shambling gait on Karloff's in the film ''The Walking Dead'' (1936).