Top 10 Horror Movie Countdown! #8 - Night of the Living Dead

The countdown rolls on today folks and we are at #8! You know what that means? Only 8 more days till Halloween!! Getting excited? Nice! (you're welcome) So what ranks at the 8th spot of the Top 10 Horror Movies of All-Time countdown? None other than perhaps the quintessential, most famous zombie film of all-time - a true "classic" in every sense of the word ...


#8 - Night of the Living Dead

If anyone knows ANYTHING about me, its that EJ loves zombies, and Night of the Living Dead is THEE zombie film. Written and directed by the legendary George Romero, Night of the Living Dead debuted in 1968, (the oldest film on the countdown) and if you've never seen it, I can't stress enough that you have to watch it in its original Black & White. The story is quite simple as it involves a girl and her brother getting attacked one day, out of nowhere, by a strange old man. Turns out the old man is actually a zombie, and unable to help her brother, the girl takes refuge in a nearby house where she and a ragtag group of individuals aim to survive the night by banding together ... Or at least that's the PLAN, anyway ...

How does it make the top 10?

Its hard to deny a classic and Night of the Living Dead earns that distinction by holding true to the core of what makes zombie films so great. Anyone who understands the appeal of zombie movies knows that its not REALLY about the zombies ... Its about the survivors. A character study on how seemingly normal and average people handle an abnormally fantastic, dire, and insurmountable situation. Romero makes you relate to each character at least a little and wonder what the "right" course of action would be.

The movie is kept blessingly (not a real word) simple by steering clear of any elongated buildup to the horror and not bogging viewers down with unnecessary information or explanation as to the "why" the zombies are attacking. We're trapped with the survivors in the house and know what THEY know ... which is nothing! And its the 'not knowing' of what is going on, what is causing this madness, if your loved ones are safe out there somewhere, or if there is any hope or reprieve from this nightmare, that the true terror lies

... And on top of battling the undead zombies outside, they also have to deal with the monsters lurking inside the hearts of the desperate people they are trapped inside the house with, who will do ANYTHING to ensure their OWN survival.

With a fantastic ending that we don't get the likes of anymore, (I'm not even going to spoil it for you) Night of the Living Dead is without a doubt one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. Definitely check it out. You will NOT be sorry that you did.

Tomorrow? - #7 on the Top 10 countdown!
Be there ... or ELSE!!

 Share on Facebook, click Follow or Join this Site! ... or get more insight and shenanigans on Twitter @DarkOcean