Dawn is probably my favorite. Everything blends perfectly. I've been going through more of his filmography recently. Love his brain, love the way he thinks.
Been seeing this sentiment lately. I haven’t seen it since it came out and then one time soon thereafter. It never really made a huge impression, but maybe I should give it another go.
@@Devilsblood Walking Dead pretty much ruined zombies forever for me. I never could get into that show no matter how many times I tried. Just way too much filler and bad storytelling.
I love how you’re a keeper of the flame with setting records straight in regards to false info, Doc. Tough to disagree with this list. Great breakdown. Here’s hoping for that region 1 Martin Blu-ray!
I met George a while back, and I told him Day was my favorite of his. He said it was his favorite, too. Now I know there's a good chance he was lying to me. If he wasn't, then it's cool that we shared that in common. If he was, then he was only doing so because he knew it would make me feel good. Either way, he was a good person who made horrible (in a good way) movies.
Creepshow is when Romero really let savani and his team take the reins in 1982. The make up effects were right on par with the thing movie effects. It was the build up to day of the dead make up effects. Wonderful progression imo. I gotta watch creepshow 2 and check any comparisons.
I agree, the makeup and effects are amazing in Creepshow. What really sells it for me is the stories and the comic book transitions and stylization. It is just a perfect EC comic brought to life, and does what the TV series doesn't really "get", that moral comeuppance to the wrongdoers at the end of the stories (except the Jordie Verral one, but it's the outlier). That dark sense of humor is perfect. Romero/King working together was perfection.
Anyone else think land of the dead is the hell that elliot west is dragged to in amityville 3? Same face burn, same actor, all he knows is he was pulled from a big fire by riley.
it's somewhat hard to believe that he chose a black actor to play the lead simply because he was the best actor, and they didn't change anything (the ending) after that fact, considering the obvious implications and commentary of the ending. he is a great actor, and definitely played the part excellently. the movie still would've been a masterpiece of ground breaking indie horror if the lead were a white man, but it would have been a completely different movie, not on the same culturally important level.
I don't find it hard to believe - Romero said the same thing in every interview. I believe him and take his word for it. They would have certainly been aware that casting him could have some implications, for sure, but the dialogue doesn't mention race one time. I believe they used the original script as-is and that he was always going to die in the end. Why would Romero lie about that? Not hard to believe he cast the best actor available as the lead role in his movie.
@@drgangrene well, i might not go so far as say he lied about it (why would he...other than the fact that directors often don't reveal everything about their films.) all i meant, was that i found it hard to believe, because the racial implications are so obvious (it's not necessary to have it mentioned in dialogue, some things are obvious visually.) and i can see how the original script may not have had any racial implications, but maybe when the decided to go with a black lead, they modified some things. OR, maybe it was all just kismet & it just happened to come together that way (either way, of course he would cast the best actor available.) from a Vox article about the subject: "Jones, who played Ben, is an African-American man, and though Romero always said he hadn’t intended to make the film about race - insisting that Jones simply gave the best audition - it’s impossible to escape that this is a film about a black man trapped in a house with white people who can’t seem to fend off the danger themselves. But after managing to survive the zombies, Ben is shot by a white sheriff."
Day of the Dead is his best 'Dead' movie .... Dawn is completely overrated .. I've never understood the fanaticism about that one. The Goblin score is the best thing about it. ... Kind of reminds me of the hype for the first Halloween movie ... great score, but a snooze fest with a huge cult following. .... I thought Halloween 3, season of the witch as weird and campy as it was , was still way more interesting than those boring 'heavy breather in a mask' movies. Night of the Living Dead is also a much better movie than Dawn, .. and Creep Show is an absolute classic.
Agreed. I saw "Dawn" on VHS back in the early 80's followed by "Day", when it was released in 85. IMO "Day" was always the superior movie and not primarily because of the fantastic physical effects. The characters are more varied and interesting, and although the performances are decent in "Dawn", I think they're better in "Day". Often critizised as over the top, however, this is humanity's last wimper, and I think most survivors would be right on the edge of sanity. I like "Dawn", it just doesn't hold up anywhere near as well as "Day". The blue zombies do not help. Romero stated that "Day" , often seen as the runt of the original trilogy, was his favourite of the three.
@@kennethmckinley8414 He was right ... even the creator knew it was his best zombie flick. I can't stand the way the zombies looked in Dawn, the orange paint blood, the painfully slow pacing. It's worth a watch for sure, but it's just weird to me how fans of these movies are so in love with that one. For me it was never even close to being as good as Day ... sure, the effects were just mind blowing, the claustrophobic flavor of the underground bunker, the characters were more over the top but also so animated and fun to watch, the way factions of survivors wanted different solutions to their predicament making them just as dangerous as the zombies encroaching. The pacing was also much better ... the score was OK, didn't compare to the Goblin score of Dawn, but that's probably the only thing I could say was done better with that movie. I also felt the satire in Dawn was a bit obvious and made the movie less disturbing .. Like a joke. I didn't like that stuff ... the motorcycle gang throwing pies in the faces of those boring looking zombies. That movie just does nothing for me. I don't get it.
I think all 3 of Romero's original zombie series are brilliant, and love them each for different reasons. I don't dislike any of them at all, and picking a favorite for me often comes down to my mood that day.
@@drgangrene I understand that people really enjoy Dawn , I just don't understand why it seems to be unanimously loved by horror fans and if you criticize it, they all seem to go crazy. Halloween is also one of those movies they'll call you dumb if you don't like it. Even as a kid I wasn't all that effected by Dawn and forgot about it really quickly ... Day of the Dead though .. man that movie stuck with me, and I look at it as the quintessential zombie flick. Nothing else I've ever seen in that genre ever had that sort of impact. I always think about Rhodes being ripped apart while he watches the zombies engulf him and pull out his intestines... The effects and the visuals in that movie just did it for me and still does. Or that guy screaming while his throat is being pulled out and it it goes from a normal pitch to a nightmarish squeal as his larynx is stretched. ... The zombies all felt much more threatening in that one too. I don't know ... I just don't get why Dawn is looked at as so great. I liked Night of the Living Dead better as well. ... Hell, Return of the Living Dead is more of a classic for me than Day .. and it's a spoof. Savini's remake of Night was better than Dawn .. I sort of love that movie.
Thanks! I certainly understand anyone going with Dawn #1… I factored in cultural impact and the fact Night started an entire genre of horror films. Hard to top that. And it's one I revisit often. But so is Dawn. They're both amazing films.
Day of the dead 1985 is top of the trilogy. Hands down with a second doubt. Grease paint zombies in 1978 were frowned upon by savani. Dawn could have been much better zombie wise but oh well, nothing is perfect.. except maybe milla jovovich.
Hey Kanao Kanegon - I accidentally deleted your comment. So sorry my friend! I had a spammer leave a comment and I tried to delete it on my phone, and it deleted both it and your comment. But thanks for the comment. I totally agree about Martin - GREAT movie!
Ah, good times, Doc. Really nice to see Land get some love. I've always liked that one. Saw it at the theater while on vacation down in Panama City Beach. And then Martin, that's been on my "Needs to get a nice release" wishlist for years and years. Probably my third favorite Romero film.
Thanks man! Can't fault you there, it's a great one. Creepshow is probably my actual favorite when it gets right down to it but the impact of Night is undeniable.
Day of the dead will always be the ultimate Romero film. Not only is it a great horror movie it's a great movie acting special effects and George's direction were all on point. George was at the peak of his powers here. The Florida scenes and Miguel sacrificing himself were totally inspired. Miss you George you were part of my childhood and you will never be forgotten.♥️
@@drgangrene day leaves land of the dead behind in every aspect of film making. According to christine Forrest George was in very poor health when he made land she was surprised he pulled it off. I think poor health and George's lay off from film making in his later years was why his movies had lost there bite (no pun intended) another interesting fact George pitched an idea for a TV show about a group of survivors in a camper van fighting zombies but he couldn't get any interest from studios then later the walking dead happens George was extremely bitter about it so basically his idea was stolen apparently.
Night of the living dead, dawn of the dead ,diary of the dead ,survival of the dead,day of the dead and land of the dead are all connected in the same universe confirmed by the god father of the zombies himself rip George Romero I love you !!!!
Martin, I believe, got a 4K release from British label Second Sight. 4K doesn't have region restrictions. I got an Italian import of Dawn Of The Dead that had the European version in 4K and the other cuts on region B Blu Ray. The 4K transfer was supervised by Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. I don't know why they didn't have Argento supervising the transfer.
I bought the Blu-ray of it but it won't play on my all region player. Wish I'd have gotten the 4k for that very reason. Of course then I'd have to get a 4k player...
Great video, Doc! While I'm not a huge fan of the zombie genre, it's clear that Romero is one of it's trailblazers. Oddly enough, the movie that caught my attention the most was "Bruiser". Love the countdowns and reviews, so keep them coming!
Definitely agree that the top 5 are pretty interchangeable depending on the day. Never seen Martin, so that will be next on my list! Thanks for the video, Doc.
No way is Night of The Living Dead better than the near perfect Dawn of the Dead, sure it’s influential but as a watch, it’s slow and not much happening. I was obsessed with Creepshow when I first saw it in the 80s and being a comics fan
Hey man, I love them both, so it's a matter of choice. I weigh the ground breaking original a tad higher but don't fault anyone who prefers Dawn. I totally get it - they both rock!
@@drgangrene although I don’t care for Night at all, i totally respect your opinion and apart from this one point, I very much agreed with you about the rest. Keep up the good work
Given the love for Dawn, its brave of you to put Night above it. Any ranking of the films is of course, subjective but I can't fault you putting Night at number, based on your reasoning.
I didn't realize that Survival of the Dead was a Romero film until now, I'm pretty sure I saw it on the Syfy channel so I assumed it was one of their originals lmao
When it comes to George’s Zombie Movies I’d put Diary last followed by Land, Survival, Night, Day and finally Dawn Of The Dead at #1. Is others movies have one that stands above all others and that is The Crazies. Speaking of The Crazies why do a hell of a lot of fans think Lynn Lowry is the sexiest woman but no one mentions or shows any love for Lane Carroll who in my opinion is absolutely stunningly beautiful
Dawn being at #3 and below Creepshow and Night Of The Living Dead couldn’t be so different to mine. At #3 Day Of The Dead #2 The Crazies and at #1.. Dawn Of The Dead, the greatest movie George ever made as well as it being the greatest Zombie movie of all time no matter which version you choose to watch
The list is good.. wrong.. but good.. Night , Dawn and Day will always be in spots 1-3 in that order. Martin tho? Really? In 4? I saw it once.. and was not really impressed with it.
That's the great thing about lists like this, they encourage discussion, and there's really no wrong answer. That original trilogy is amazing, but I do truly love Martin and it's Indy vibe. It's an underrated masterpiece, and I'd encourage you to give it another try. It's pure Romero.
I just watched Martin ... and I'm surprised you (and the man himself?! George A! Really?!) like the downtrodden, modern day (1970's) Vampire in Pittsburgh tale so much. I heard there was a 2 and 1/2 hour version, too! Maybe I need to watch Martin again, but it won't be anytime soon. The ending (and the dialogue with the radio show host) was good enough, but it was almost a slog dealing with the 90 minute version of Martin --- is he or is he not: A Vampire. Talking/Writing rather uncomplimentary of Martin reminded me of Knightriders which I vividly remember watching on HBO when I was a 9th or 10th grader and thinking 'What the hell is this? This isn't George Romero! Where's the horror!? The Horror!" I embellish a bit . But, I kept watching. I immediately became a fan of Ed Harris, while developing an appreciation for a good story revolving around 'Knights of the Round Table", and who would be king (as it were). Plus, the realization the modern day bikers lifestyle is a character study that dips a toe in the pool 'lake' (Lady 😋) of the Taxi Driver. To this day I have a DVD of Knightriders -- all 145 minutes of it -- which I am watching again because of your informative video. I had never heard of There's Always Vanilla or The Amusement Park. I need to watch Monkey Shines, again, too. That was a movie I was disappointed when I first saw ... then watched again while in my early 20's and kind of liked it. It is different and tense (from what I recall). I haven't seen it in decades. Thanx for The Crazies reminder. Saw the remake, too. It is not as good as the Dawn of the Dead (Zach Snyder) remake (I think you'd agree). Great having the 'safe haven' be the mall which slams the satire on commercial and consumerism right in our oh so bloody faces. I have not watched Romero's The Crazies in 40 yrs. Yikes! How did that happen ? Why I don't Have a copy of Creepshow I can't explain. But, "I can hold my breath a lonnng time!" Oh! Ed Harris is in the one "Where's My Cake?! I want My Cake!" LOL Too Fun! I thought the 2nd Creepshow was good enough too with Romero writing but not directing. "Thanks for the ride lady!" Just thought it worth a mention. Dr Gangrene ... good video sir.
Thank you for watching! Let's see... Martin. I adore this one. The bleak outlook, unorthodox music, and ambiguous origin of Martin make for a truly unique film. Nightriders is great because of the same reason, it's unlike anything else. Ed Harris gets his moment to shine in it. I prefer The Crazies remake to the Dawn one. Not a fan of the running zombies in it. The first 15 minutes or so are terrific though. I thought The Crazies remake was solid all the way through. Still prefer the original though. And yes, you absolutely need to own a copy of Creepshow! A masterpiece!
@@drgangrene In hindsight I think I became one of those people that got tired of Romero making zombie movies (no doubt, also, because I liked Knightriders so much ) and by the time Land of the Dead and Diary of the Dead (2007, cant believe it was that long ago) I was in denial of a good original movie made (Hammer productions suffered the same too many horror productions with no budget improvements), but I still haven't seen Diary of the Dead (Diary not on your list, I see...). Land of the Dead and Two Evil Eyes I have to see again, too. I think I had some preconceived notions of Barbeau in Two Evil Eyes because Adrienne had already been cast as the bitch wife in Creepshow with Hal Holbrook. Anyways ... I now have The Crazies and Dawn Of the Dead and their sequels to watch again as well as the aforementioned, not as popular (it seems) Romero flicks. Again, Thanx for your time and appreciation for all things horror! Romero lives with us in zombie satire, Pitt Americana ... and more.
Being an 80's kid i was into all things Horror back then, especially movies, it was after all the hayday of the Slasher Genre. Dawn of the Dead and Creepshow were my introduction to George Romero movies when i was a kid, then followed closely by Day of the Dead upon it's release. I was a big fan of Zombie movies, and George's were the gold standard in the Genre and gave me plenty of nightmares as a kid...cheers. I really enjoyed George Romero's movies, and after a bit of digging i discovered gems like Night of the Living Dead and The Crazies during my teens. Nice video, fine list order too. Cheers.
Your top 5 Romero list matches mine 👍🏻. The only thing I’d change would be #16 & #17. I’d rather watch Survival Of The Dead than Bruiser. My short list of favorite directors is John Carpenter & George Romero.
@@drgangreneI just rewatched It and I agree 💯. The pacing was a miss. Perhaps the writing and editing is the cause? 🤔 Btw I understand this reply is 3 months late but I thought of your response after watching the film again for the first time in about 8 years. Cheers! 🤘🏻
Dawn of the Dead is a great movie but the zombies look like crap. The effects are so much better in the third movie. Dawn suffers doubly by comparison with the excellent Tom Savini remake of the original.
I think Dawn is a masterpiece. I get what you're saying about the zombie makeup but it was an aesthetic George was going for that has its own unique look. I disagree about the Savini remake. I appreciate it but think the original is better in every aspect. Especially as there's nothing to compare it to at that time, The Last Man on Earth being the closest influence. The original Night was groundbreaking and one of the most influential films in horror history. Can't overestimate its impact.
@@drgangrene I get that and wouldn't want to take anything away from these movies or their place in history. I still love them. When revisiting, I definitely choose the Savini version though. (It also helps that I have a lingering crush on Patricia Tallman from when I first saw her in Knightriders.)
I honestly feel Romero has 5 masterpieces. Night, Dawn, Day, Martin and Creepshow, and they're interchangeable. It's a personal preference as to which speaks to you the most, but they're all brilliant in different ways.
He was co director and sevigny was top director. It’s a Romero flick that’s way more refined and gory. I could talk circles around you about zombie flicks.@@drgangrene
I can have an alright time with Diary of the Dead because I felt Romero was trying with it but it felt like a backward step to me because it was pretty much a redo of Night but done in the modern day. Bruiser, I actually didn't mind either because for me it was just a typical revenge movie with a supernatural twist of the guy losing his identity. I really enjoy Night Dawn Day and even Land I didn't like Survival much at all felt like Romero wanted to do a western but was forced to make it a zombie film and now they're making a sequel to Night of the Living Dead with Romero family which is concerning to me.
My favorite Romero film has also been Dawn of the Dead, considering it less claustrophobic that its predecessor. Never liked Creepshow though. My favorite anthology movies have always been House That Dripped Blood and Tales from the Crypt.
I LOVE the Amicus anthologies, so I get that. But to me Creepshow is a perfect film. It's a love letter to EC comics and a perfect partnership between Romero and King, a comic book come to life.
Thank You for the reviews Dr Gangrene! Curiosity got the best of me and I ordered a copy of “Martin”. Not Blu-Ray lol. Definitely makes you wonder and I wasn’t expecting that ending 😳. I’m amazed at all that’s out there that I never knew of! Thanks again!
i thought diary of the dead was pretty good remember being sick of reality pov movies at the time and thought id dislike it from the get go. still like it now does it right imo
