I don't know how to post links but The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are reporting that George Romero has passed away after a short battle with cancer. My first exposure with the Living Dead movies was back in '83 when my family and our neighbors were standing in line to see Return of the Jedi. I got out of line to go the bathroom and when I came out in poked my head into the other theater to see what was playing. At that moment they were showing a trailer for the re-release/midnight showing of Dawn of the Dead. The moment they showed those zombies shuffling through the mall with the biker gang racing around them I was hooked. I had to see that movie. A few years later, once we got a VCR and my parents went out to dinner one weekend, I went to the local video store and rented Dawn of the Dead. Needless to say it scared the crap out of me and made me feel nauseous at the same time. I only have the original trilogy on DVD, I never could get into the later Living Dead movies and it's a shame he could never really find success outside of the Living Dead movies. If you haven't read The Zombies that Ate Pittsburg I would highly recommend it, if you can find a copy, as it offers a fascinating insight into the struggles he had getting his projects off the ground and funded and some of the movies he had planned but never came to fruition. R.I.P. George.
Sad news. I love all romeros dead films. His empire of the dead comic is also excellent. If it wasn't for romero the walking dead wouldn't exist. RIP George Romero.
Very sad news. The man who reinvented the Zombie Genre. I loved his movies. In honor of him, i am going to watch one of his movies today. May he Rest in Peace.
Aw, man, I didn't even know he was sick. His contributions to the Horror genre really cannot be measured. There are not many people who can take credit for creating an entire genre. The original Night of the Living Dead is an unparalleled classic-- it's not only innovative on a creative and artistic level, but it uses its low budget to the best possible advantage, creating a true nightmare of a movie. Dawn of the Dead-- which I first saw in 1979 at a midnight showing, dragged there by a friend and not knowing what I was about to see-- is one of the most terrifying movies I've ever seen. Not because of the scary monsters, but because of the overwhelming feeling of utter hopelessness. RIP, George Romero.
When I was a kid the first one came out, and it scared the beejezuz out of me, mostly because it was in black and white. It took me a long time to get over the little girl scene. And at school, it was a kind of status symbol to have seen it. I read years ago that he had briefly worked with Steven King on a version of The Stand, but it fell through. King didn't like the direction George was going, apparently. R.I.P. George Think they'll put a layer of concrete over his grave, just to make sure?
A genre legend. It's too bad that he had to fight so hard to get his movies made having basically created a whole genre of horror that is still strong today. Night of the Living Dead even ended up in the public domain because he was so green he didn't copyright it correctly.
It would have been nice had he lived to see the end of the Walking Dead series. Maybe a cameo as the last person seen on screen.