| �DEAD HEAD!� HORROR DIRECTOR GEORGE ROMERO ON BLOOD, CHOCOLATE AND ZOMBIES DEAD RECKONING �SFX� # 25 � MAY 1997 NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD AND ITS TWO SEQUELS, DAWN/DAY OF THE DEAD, ARE QUITE CLEARLY THE BEST ZOMBIE FILMS EVER MADE. MJ SIMPSON MEETS THEIR DIRECTOR, GEORGE A. ROMERO. AS THE DIRECTOR�S CUT OF �DAWN OF THE DEAD� SHUFFLES ITS CADAVEROUS WAY ONTO OUR VIDEO SHELVES THE NATION�S ZOMBIE-PHILES ARE NO DOUBT WONDERING WHAT EXTRA DELIGHTS THIS NEW VERSION MIGHT HAVE IN STORE. WHO BETTER TO EXPLAIN THAN THE LEGENDARY GEORGE ROMERO? �WHAT IS BEING RELEASED NOW IS LITERALLY THE FIRST CUT THAT WE MADE,� EXPLAINS ROMERO. �IT WAS THE FIRST THING WE PRINTED IN ORDER TO ATTRACT DISTRIBUTION. WE DID IT INDEPENDENTLY. WE SHOT THE FILM, CUT IT AND SCORED IT. DARIO ARGENTO [AS PRODUCER] HAD THE RIGHT TO MAKE HIS OWN CUT OF THE PICTURE, SO HE WAS OFF DOING HIS VERSION AND HE WAS ALSO GOING TO GO AND RECORD MUSIC FROM THIS GROUP GOBLIN. WE HAD THREE OR FOUR GOBLIN TRACKS AND I PUT THEM IN THIS VERSION. THE REST OF IT IN THERE IS LIBRARY STUFF.� �WE ACTUALLY SHOWED THIS TO A COUPLE OF AUDIENCES IN NEW YORK IN AN ATTEMPT TO ATTRACT DISTRIBUTORS. WE PUT A LITTLE AD IN THE PAPER AND SAID �WE�RE GOING TO SHOW �DAWN OF THE DEAD�, SEQUEL TO �NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD�.� WE HAD PACKED HOUSES BOTH TIMES AND WE WATCHED AND DECIDED WHAT WOULD MAKE A BETTER FILM. UNITED FILM RELEASED IT UNRATED HERE IN THE U.S, SO WE DIDN�T HAVE TO DEAL WITH CENSORSHIP. AND THEY DIDN�T PUT ANY PRESSURES ON US, OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT THEY�D LIKE IT TO BE A LITTLE SHORTER.� �BASICALLY, WHAT�S ON THIS VERSION IS EVERYTHING WE THOUGHT WAS EXECUTED SEUCCESSFULLY ENOUGH TO STAND A CHANCE OF GETTING IN THE FILM. FRANKLY, I�VE LOST TRACK. EVEN WHEN WE WERE DOING THE LASER DISC COMMENTARY I COULDN�T REMEMBER WHICH OF THE SCENES WERE CUT OUT. I THINK THERE WERE A FEW OF THE EFFECTS SCENES THAT WERE PARTICULARLY SCRAPPY THAT WE WOUND UP TAKING OUT. THERE�S NOTHING SENSATIONAL IN HERE. THIS ISN�T THE GORIER STUFF � BECAUSE THAT WAS ALL IN THE ORIGINAL! THERE�S NOTHING NEW IN THIS VERSION THAT THE GORE FANS WILL THINK �W-O-O-O-W!!!� AT LEAST, IN THE AMERICAN VERSION. I KNOW IN THE U.K. THERE WAS SOME CUTTING, SO I DON�T KNOW WHETHER IT�S GOING TO DISAPPOINT OR WHAT.� DAWN OF THE DEAD IS, OF COURSE, THE 1979 SEQUEL TO ROMERO�S 1968 CLASSIC �NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD�, AGAINST WHICH CONTEMPORARY HORROR FLICKS LIKE �DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE�, �WITCHFINDER GENERAL� AND �CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR�, LOOK DECIDEDLY OLD-FASHIONED� �I GUESS THERE WAS A REAL MOVEMENT,� SAYS ROMERO. �IT WASN�T JUST US; IT WAS TOBE HOOPER AND ALL THOSE �I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE� MOVIES. THERE WAS A SORT OF SUBCULTURE. AND THERE WERE COMIC BOOKS AND SO FORTH THAT WERE GOING BACK TO THE NITTY-GRITTY, MORE EC KIND OF HORROR THAT�S NEITHER GOTHIC NOR SEX-DEPENDANT NOR SPECTACLE. �NIGHT WAS ALL WE COULD DO WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE BUDGET. BUT WE WERE PERFECTLY HAPPY WITH IT BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING BACK TO THE ROOTS SOMEHOW. I DON�T THINK IT�S STERLING FILM MAKING. AND WE WERE RESTRICTED SO MUCH BUDGETARILY THAT I THINK IT HAS A KIND OF NA�VE INTEGRITY. A COUPLE OF WEEKS INTO THE SHOOTING, WHEN WE STARTED TO RAISE MONEY, WE TALKED ABOUT RESHOOTING WHAT WE�D ALREADY DONE AND STARTING OVER IN 16mm AND GOING COLOUR. BUT WE DECIDED TO STAY WITH BLACK AND WHITE. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, EVEN THE NEWS WAS IN BLACK AND WHITE, SO IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MORE REALISTIC TO ME THAN COLOUR!� �THE MOST EFFECTIVE BLOOD IMAGE I�VE EVER SEEN IS MARLON BRANDO�S FACE IN �ON THE WATERFRONT,� WHEN HE GETS BEATEN UP. THERE�S SOMETHING ABOUT BLACK AND WHITE THAT, TO ME, JUST PLAYS MORE REALISTICALLY. AND I ALSO JUST HAPPEN TO LOVE THE MONOCHROME FORMAT.� ONE PERENIAL � ALBEIT NOT OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH FILMING IN BLACK AND WHITE IS THAT FAKE BLOOD LOOKS COMPLETELY UNLIKE BLOOD WHEN SHOT IN MONOCHROME. SO IT THE RUMOUR TRUE THAT THE BLOOD USED IN �NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD� WAS ACTUALLY A MUCH LESS SCARY SUBSTANCE? �YES, WE DID USE CHOCOLATE SAUCE,� CONFIRMS ROMERO. AS WITH MANY A CLASSIC WORK, THE CREATORS OF �NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD� WERE NOT EXPECTING THE RESPONSE, WHICH THEIR MOVIE GENERATED. �WE THOUGHT IT WOULD GO OUT TO NEIGHBOURHOOD THEATRES AND DRIVE-IN THEATRES. THERE WERE PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF LITTLE HORROR FILMS THAT WERE BEING MADE ON $100,000 - $200,000 THAT WERE IN THE DRIVE-INS EVERY WEEKEND HERE. WE THOUGHT, �WE�LL MAKE IT FOR $100,000, WE�LL GET BACK $500,000 AND THEN WE�LL MAKE FIVE MORE!� THAT�S ALL WE EXPECTED. �ACTUALLY IT WAS PRETTY SUCCESSFUL ON THE DRIVE-IN CIRCUIT AND DID RETURN ABOUT $500,000. BUT THAT�S THE ONLY MONEY IT EVER RETURNED, BECAUSE AFTER ITS INITIAL RELEASE WE STOPPED SEEING THE MONEY. WE WOUND UP IN COURTS. THERE WAS A COPYRIGHT DISPUTE. IT WAS JUST A TYPICAL YOUNG FILM-MAKER�S EXPERIENCE. BUT ATYPICAL TO THE EXTENT THAT THE FILM WENT OUT AND IT CAME BACK TO LIFE. IT HAD THIS INCREDIBLE AFTERLIFE IN FRANCE, AND ONCE THAT HAPPENED, PEOPLE HERE HAD TO START LOOKING AT IT.� A DECADE LATER, AFTER INNUMERABLE EURO-REHASHES OF NIGHT�S IDEA, NO LESS A FIGURE THAN DARIO ARGENTO APPROACHED ROMERO ABOUT MAKING A PROPER SEQUEL. �A GUY WHO HAD PICKED UP MY FILM �THE CRAZIES� FOR DISTRIBUTION IN ITALY CONTACTED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT I WANTED TO MAKE A SEQUEL TO NIGHT BECAUSE ARGENTO WAS A BIG FAN AND INTERESTED IN PROVIDING SOME OF THE FINANCE.� �I HAD DECIDED THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD IDEA. WE KNEW THE PEOPLE THAT OWNED THIS SHOPPING MALL AND I WAS TALKING TO THEM ABOUT FINANCING THE FILM. THEY WERE SHOWING ME AROUND THE MALL AND THEY ACTUALLY HAD THIS SURVIVAL SPACE THERE WHICH WAS EQUIPPED WITH CIVIL DEFENCE STUFF AND ALL THAT. I JUST SAID �WOW! THAT WOULD BE PERFECT.� I HAD ALSO JUST GOTTEN THE IDEA THAT, GEE, IT WOULD BE NICE TO DO ONE OF THESE THINGS FOR EVERY DECADE AND TRY TO REFLECT THE ATTITUDES OF THE TIMES, INSTEAD OF DOING A DIRECT SEQUEL AND HAVING THE SAME CHARACTERS.� DAWN WAS FOLLOWED BY �DAY OF THE DEAD� IN 1985, BUT THE SERIES MAY YET CONTINUE IF SUITABLE BACKING CAN BE FOUND� �I�D LOVE TO DO A 90�S ONE,� ENTHUSES ROMERO. �THE PROBLEM IS MAKING THE DEAL. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE NOW WITH FINGERS IN THE PIE THAT IT�S REALLY HARD TO PUT A DEAL TOGETHER. I�M SO FRUSTRATED WITH THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM. LITERALLY, WE�RE GOING INTO THE SIXTH YEAR OF DEVELOPMENT ON ONE PROJECT � A GHOST STORY THAT WE�VE BEEN TRYING TO GET MADE FOR YEARS � AND IT�S DRIVING ME NUTS! IT�S BEEN AT MGM; NOW IT�S AT FOX�� �ALL THE STUFF YOU READ ABOUT HOLLYWOOD REALLY HAPPENS! AND THEN, OF COURSE, IT�S MONTHS BETWEEN PHASES BECAUSE YOU SUBMIT A DRAFT AND EVERYBODY�S TOO BUSY TO RESPOND. THE PRODUCER ON THIS FILM IS CHRIS COLUMBUS � WE LOST HIM FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS BECAUSE HE WAS MAKING �JINGLE ALL THE WAY!� YOU GET THE JOB TO WRITE IT AND BY THE TIME YOU HAVE A DRAFT EVERYBODY LIKES, THERE�S A WHOLE NEW MANAGEMENT TEAM AT THE STUDIO THAT DOESN�T LIKE IT. IT�S UNBELIEVABLE!� AS WELL AS HIS WORK WITH ARGENTO (THEY EACH DIRECTED ONE HALF OF ANTHOLOGY FILM �TWO EVIL EYES� IN 1988), ROMERO HAS ALSO COLLABORATED WITH FAMED HORROR SCRIBE STEPHEN KING ON SUCH FILMS AS �CREEPSHOW� AND �THE DARK HALF.� "HE AND I FIRST MET WHEN WARNER BROTHERS SENT ME UP TO MAINE TO TALK TO HIM BECAUSE THEY WANTED ME TO MAKE SALEM'S LOT. IT WAS A TYPICAL STUDIE RESPONSE - THEY SAW MY FLICK MARTIN AT SUNDANCE AND SAID, 'GEE! VAMPIRES IN A SMALL TOWN! THIS GUY WOULD BE GOOD FOR SALEM'S LOT.' SO WE DID THAT DANCE FOR A WHILE AND THE STUDIO THEN DECIDED THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO DO IT. THEY WERE GOING TO LET IT GO FOR TELEVISION. "BUT THEN WHEN I LEFT, STEVE GAVE ME A COPY OF THE STAND AND SAID, 'LET'S MAKE THIS MOVIE SOME DAY.' AND SO LATER HE WROTE A SCREENPLAY AND I WORKED ON IT WITH HIM. BUT AT THAT TIME STEVE DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO TV WITH IT; HE WANTED TO DO A THREE-HOUR FILM. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET FINANCING AND IT NEVER HAPPENED. YEARS LATER, THEY DID IT FOR TV. BUT I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHTS TO ANY KING MATERIAL NOW. MY PARTNER (RICHARD RUBINSTEIN) STILL DOES. HE KEEPS ON CRANKING THEM OUT. HE DID THINNER, AND HE JUST DID A LITTLE FILM CALLED NIGHT FLYER. STEVE IS NOW REMAKING THE SHINING. HE'S PRODUCING IT HIMSELF - I GUESS HE REALLY DIDN'T LIKE THAT MOVIE!" ROMERO'S OWN FORAY INTO TV WAS TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, A MID-80'S ANTHOLOGY SERIES WITH WAS SHOWN LATER-NIGHT ON ITV ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO. ROMERO CREATED THE SERIES AND WROTE FOUR EPISODES: 'TRICK OR TREAT' (THE PILOT) 'THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE,' 'BAKER'S DOZEN' AND 'CIRCUS.' HE ALSO ADAPTED KING'S 'CAT FROM HELL' AS ONE SEGMENT OF TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE, A 1990 FEATURE SPIN-OFF. "MY PARTNER RICHARD AT THE TIME WAS LEANING MORE TOWARDS TELEVISION, AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO DO THIS. BUT I WASN'T INVOLVED AT ALL IN PRODUCTION. IT WAS LIKE SHORT STORY WRITING. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A COUPLE OF IDEAS THAT I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE WEIGHTY ENOUGH FOR A FEATURE, AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE FUN WITH THEM. INITIALLY, WE HAD A WONDERFUL STORY EDITOR CALLED TOM ALLEN, WHO KEPT THE STORIES ON TRACK. I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT MOST OF TALES, PARTICULARLY THE FIRST 20 OR SO." OF ALL HIS FILM OUTPUT, WHICH INCLUDES NOT ONLY THE ZOMBIE FLICKS BUT JACKS'S WIFE, MONKEY SHINES, KNIGHTRIDERS, CREEPSHOW 1 AND 2 AND THE 1990 REMAKE OF NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD - ROMERO IS PROUDEST OF HIS 1976 PSYCHOLOGICAL VAMPIRE TALE, MARTIN. AND RIGHTLY SO, BECAUSE IT'S A SUPERB PIECE OF AMBIGUOUS DARK FANTASY. WITH ITS STARK CHARACTERISATION AND MOODY MONOCHROME INSERTS, THE FILM QUITE DELIBERATELY FAILS TO RESOLVE WHETHER THE TITLE CAHRACTER IS A REAL 'NOSFERATU' OR JUST A TROUBLED YOUNG MAN. "I'M ALMOST COMPLETELY HAPPY WITH MARTIN. THE ONLY THING THAT BOTHERS ME IS THAT THERE WAS A LONGER CUT AND I WANTED IT RELEASED COMPLETELY IN BLACK AND WHITE. UNFORTUNATELY, I MADE THE MISTAKE OF BELIEVING THE DISTRIBUTOR WHEN HE SAID, 'WHAT DOES IT HURT TO SHOOT A COLOUR NEGATIVE? AND WE CAN PRINT IN BLACK AND WHITE AND REBUILD IT WITH CONTRASTS.' SO WE DID THAT. WE ORIGINALLY PRINTED IT IN BLACK AND WHITE AND HAD A PRINT CUT WHICH I THOUGH WAS BETTER. SO I'M JUST SLIGHTLY FRUSTRATED WITH IT. "UNDERSTAND THAT THIS COST $275,000 AND I THINK THAT THE ENTIRE CAST AND CREW NUMBERED ABOUT 15 OR 16. BUT EVERYBODY WAS PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. WE REALLY WERE PURSUING THE SAME GOAL. AND I WAS ABLE TO MAKE 85% OF THE SHOTS THAT I ACTUALLY WANTED TO MAKE. THAT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN. YOU NEVER GET THAT FLEXIBILITY BACK UNTIL YOU'RE UP AT A HUNDRED MILLION BUCKS, YOU'RE JAMES CAMERON AND YOU CAN SAY, 'OKAY, IF WE CAN'T DO THE SHOT NOW WE'LL DO IT NEXT WEEK.' IT'S EXTRAORDINARY THAT THINGS EVEN COME OUT CLOSE. AND THE ONLY TIMES THAT THEY DO IT EITHER ON VERY SMALL FILMS OR VERY, VERY BIG FILMS." |