# Night of the Living Dead question (spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126 "2011-02-12T14:10:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/21 "2011-02-12T23:10:03Z")
Note that the short timespan argues against zombie-ism being an infection - the same issue with virulence remains a potential issue whether the infection from the bite merely kills the victim, or kills and reanimates them, and there’s the issue of how the hell it turned into a nationwide plague in a span of hours. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/22 "2011-02-13T00:10:48Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > _Return Of The Living Dead_. 😛 Yeah, that was clearly an influence - although I don’t recall any of the _Return of the_… films featuring zombie penguins. > [@](#): > > _Braindead_ (_Dead Alive_). 😛 But in that one, didn’t bites actually spread the infection? The joke in this comic is that the bite was no more dangerous than any other animal bite. The guy just chopped off his hand because he assumed the zombies were like the ones in the movies he’d seen. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/23 "2011-02-13T00:36:03Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > One of Russo’s Living Dead spin-offs featured a character who was infected by a zombie bite, but for some reason (which I don’t think the film ever explained) never lost his higher mental faculties. That’s actually typical of Russo (or O’Bannon as they’re often called) zombies in all three\* of the Return of the Living Dead movies. They retain full intelligence, but have intense pain which can only be alleviated by eating BRAIIIIIINNSSSSSSSSSS \*Yes, there were two more sequels made for SciFi/direct to video, but they’re pretty bad and don’t keep all the rules the first three had, so I don’t recall if those zombies retained intelligence or not ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/24 "2011-02-13T00:46:55Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > That’s actually typical of Russo (or O’Bannon as they’re often called) I THINK he’s talking about Children of the Living Dead, a direct sequel to Russo’s cut of Night, not one of the Return movies. (It was direct-to-DVD, and generally considered awful. I’ve not seen it, myself, so this is second-hand.) No Dan O’Bannon involved at all. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/25 "2011-02-13T02:23:50Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Note that the short timespan argues against zombie-ism being an infection - the same issue with virulence remains a potential issue whether the infection from the bite merely kills the victim, or kills and reanimates them, and there’s the issue of how the hell it turned into a nationwide plague in a span of hours. Actually, from what I could gather of the broadcasts (I know there was some background radio stuff we missed) it was only happening on the eastern seaboard. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/26 "2011-02-13T05:50:29Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > That’s actually typical of Russo (or O’Bannon as they’re often called) zombies in all three\* of the Return of the Living Dead movies. They retain full intelligence, but have intense pain which can only be alleviated by eating BRAIIIIIINNSSSSSSSSSS I don’t think they were fully intelligent (e.g. couldn’t open doors and stuff) but they were intelligent enough to deliver comedic lines, e.g. the infamous “send more paramedics” line. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/27 "2011-02-13T21:33:58Z")
Romero’s never been all that consistant on how long it takes to go from death to reanimation. Some zombies come back withing minutes (especially if it’s a main character that died onscreen) others remained “dead” long enough for an autopsy to be start (several hours minimum). In the remake of Night (which Romero wrote) one zombie was dead long enough to be autopsied, embalmed, dressed & preped for burial, gone through an open casket funeral, only to reanimate as it was about to be buried at the cemetary. That’s at least 3/4 days. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/28 "2011-02-15T01:38:02Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > I THINK he’s talking about Children of the Living Dead, a direct sequel to Russo’s cut of Night, not one of the Return movies. (It was direct-to-DVD, and generally considered awful. I’ve not seen it, myself, so this is second-hand.) No Dan O’Bannon involved at all. Oh, is there an intelligent zombie in that? I only ask because I couldn’t make it more than a few minutes through that one it was so bad. And I watched Uwe Bol’s House of the Dead in it’s entirety. 😃 > [@Superhal](#): > > I don’t think they were fully intelligent (e.g. couldn’t open doors and stuff) but they were intelligent enough to deliver comedic lines, e.g. the infamous “send more paramedics” line. They were able to have conversations and stuff, like when they interrogated the rotted away half corpse woman on the table, and the guys that took the gas directly still seem to know what they’re doing even as they start wanting to snack on brains, so I still gotta go with retaining intelligence. I don’t recall them being unable to work doors, at least not any unbarricaded doors. Pretty much the pound on doors because people lock them and hide behind them with their sweet… juicy… BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINS ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/29 "2011-02-16T04:54:19Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Oh, is there an intelligent zombie in that? Yeah. Abbot Hayes. He doesn’t seem to talk, from what little I’ve seen of the movie (while researching this… And, yep…it’s awful.), but he thinks, and plans, and reacts. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/30 "2011-02-16T19:59:49Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > I don’t think they were fully intelligent The one trapped in the original canister is smart enough to use a chain and a ratchet-crank to winch open a locked door someone’s hiding behind. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/31 "2011-02-16T21:51:03Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > I don’t remember this situation exactly, but the story in the movie is: > > Zombies only rose for 2 reasons: > > 1. Infection by another zombie. > 2. Being dead when the meteor passed. > > Anyone who didn’t die by by zombie, after the meteor passed, didn’t become a zombie. I know others have addressed this, but I’ll address it more strongly: it is explicitly false in _NotLD_. Harry (Karl Hardman) was killed by Ben (.22 in the gut, but a critical hit), and rose a few minutes later. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/32 "2011-02-17T00:40:07Z")
Well, that’s unclear - he may or may not have been dead when his daughter started eating him. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/33 "2011-02-17T02:17:57Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I know others have addressed this, but I’ll address it more strongly: it is explicitly false in _NotLD_. Harry (Karl Hardman) was killed by Ben (.22 in the gut, but a critical hit), and rose a few minutes later. Are you saying a source as reliable as [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_living_dead) is mistaken?: > [@Wikipedia](#): > > Ben wrestles the gun from Harry and shoots him. The ghouls begin to tug Helen and Barbra through the windows. Harry stumbles into the cellar to find Karen has died from the infected bite on her arm, and Harry dies. Helen frees herself of the ghouls and proceeds to the cellar to find Karen reanimated and consuming **Harry’s flesh**. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/34 "2011-02-17T02:24:15Z")
Hmm, even more fuel to add to the controversy: according to the same wikipedia article, there are 4 different versions of the original 1968 production and 2 remakes, meaning we could be misremembering 6 different versions cobbled together. The version I watched was in black and white and on VHS, iirc. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/35 "2011-02-17T02:41:01Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Hmm, even more fuel to add to the controversy: according to the same wikipedia article, there are 4 different versions of the original 1968 production and 2 remakes, meaning we could be misremembering 6 different versions cobbled together. I’m not sure it’s that many - looks to only be 4 distinct versions - the original cut, Russo’s cut, the first remake, and the 3d version. The other versions seem to be minor revisions to the presentation that wouldn’t effect the story… ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/36 "2011-02-19T01:44:38Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > I’m not sure it’s that many - looks to only be 4 distinct versions - the original cut, Russo’s cut, the first remake, and the 3d version. The other versions seem to be minor revisions to the presentation that wouldn’t effect the story… 3D version isn’t even a remake, really, just a fairly lame zombie movie with some of the characters with the same names as in the original. IIRC, at one point someone in the movie is actually watching the original Romero NOTLD on TV. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/37 "2011-02-19T02:53:16Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > 3D version isn’t even a remake, really, just a fairly lame zombie movie with some of the characters with the same names as in the original. IIRC, at one point someone in the movie is actually watching the original Romero NOTLD on TV. Don’t say that; it’s insulting to lame zombie movies. I saw it in 2D, but I can’t imagine it’s any better in 3D. Maybe watching it while stoned would improve it, but I doubt it. It was so ban it actually manged to make **Survival of the Dead** look good. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/38 "2011-02-19T19:13:01Z")
Weekend homework: everybody grab a copy of NotLD and note the clues about how the zombie virus/radiation works. Try to grab any information about version as well. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/39 "2011-02-20T00:13:14Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Don’t say that; it’s insulting to lame zombie movies. I saw it in 2D, but I can’t imagine it’s any better in 3D. Maybe watching it while stoned would improve it, but I doubt it. It was so ban it actually manged to make **Survival of the Dead** look good. :eek: I also saw a 2D version, and can’t argue with your assessment. Still, not the worst I’ve seen, sadly. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126/40 "2011-02-20T00:47:50Z")
What’s the context of the line “Send more paramedics?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/night-of-the-living-dead-question-spoilers/571126.md?page=3)