It seems everywhere I go that sells DVDs, I see a different version of Night of the Living Dead. I know many small companies manage to put out DVDs of many old tittles, and a lot of them put out really piss poor products. So, does anyone know of a really good DVD of Night of the Living Dead out there?
Well, you don’t set out the criteria you are wanting in the DVD. I don’t know about extras or any of that stuff, in fact I haven’t seen this movie on DVD, but I would not hesitate to recommend this version. It is THX certified and that means high quality picture and sound. And it looks like it has decent extras as well.
What Adam Yax said. The Millenium edition is endorsed by George Romero, has two sets of commentaries, trailers, and interesting odds and ends, including clips from Romero’s “lost” film, There’s Always Vanilla. It has the original mono soundtrack and a refurbished 5.1 soundtrack, plus a sparkling new transfer.
Under no cicumstances buy the 30th anniversary edition–John Russo butchered it by adding new footage to the movie and using an electronic score that sounds godawful.
Hey, thanks guys. I was more concerned with simple picture and sound quality, but all those other extras are a great bonus.
Yes. Do NOT buy the 30th Anniversary edition. To do so is to subsidize the butchery of a classic… plus, it frankly kind of sucks.
I bought one version a few years ago, and I was quite disappointed by the new soundtrack. Is that the 30th Anniversary version? Does the Millennium edition have the original sound?
By all reviews I have seen The millenium edition is your best bet. You really have to watch out for the tonnes of cheapy knock offs with piss poor quality.
There was some weird mistake made where NOTLD became public domain when a copywrite notification was accidentally dropped from the titles and so everyone and their mother have been able to put out fifth generation vidoe transfers that came from a copy of a copy of the print.
I have not yet seen it but All indications say the 30th anniversery edition is a steaming pile of crappola.
By the way I have Anchor Bays latest version of Day of the Dead and it the absolute bees knees!
The 30th Anniversary Edition is the one with the crappy, new synth soundtrack. Three of the original creative team, John A. Russo(co-writer of the 1968 version), Russ Streiner (“Johnny” in the 1968 version and co-producer), and Bill Hinzman (the 1968 “graveyard ghoul”), unwisely decided to update the original, so they shot new footage that totally does not match the tone or texture of the 1968 original and they added a really terrible techno soundtrack that fits the film like a mermaid on roller skates.
Do NOT buy it.
The Millenium Edition has the original 1968 mono soundtrack plus a lovingly remastered 5.1 soundtrack that is truly kickass. It has two sets of commentaries by the director and the cast, plus
It is the ultimate, perfect edition of this horror classic.
Moreover, the new Anchor Bay Day of the Dead is indeed amazing–great transfer and sound, 2 commentaries, retrospective documentaries, trailers, make-up and advertising galleries, and more.
The February 2004 Anchor Bay release of Dawn of the Dead is supposed to be even more incredible–3, count them, 3 editions of the film–the US release, the German release, and the director’s cut that incorporates the complete dock sequence–plus, two sets of commentaries, documentaries, including Document of the Dead, trailers, and more.