Poster of Birth of the Living Dead

Birth of the Living Dead

Documentary

Director: Rob Kuhns

Release Date: October 18, 2013

Where to Watch

If you are a George Romero fan, you may be interested in seeing Birth of the Living Dead. Birth of the Living Dead is a 76-minute documentary about two topics: the story of how Night of the Living Dead was created and distributed and the political, social and cultural significance of Night of the Living Dead when it was released. Because Birth of the Living Dead does not divide these topics evenly, but are interwoven throughout the film, viewers not interested in both topics will probably feel short-changed and dissatisfied. I am really into film theory and enjoy films like Room 237 and The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology so I preferred the analytical part of the film, but if you are not, you may react with displeasure and mutter, “It is just a movie.” I felt like the behind the scenes portion of Birth of the Living Dead was weaker and uneven though I find Romero utterly charming. Birth of the Living Dead is not a must see documentary, but if you are interested in film theory and behind the scenes tidbits, keep your expectations low, and you will enjoy Birth of the Living Dead.

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