Night of the Living Dead: 10 Fun Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

Source: Continental Distributing

Night of the Living Dead is a timeless horror movie that has been scaring audiences for more than five decades. The film, directed by George A. Romero, has gained a cult following and has served as an inspiration for numerous other horror movies. However, there are several fascinating facts about the movie that you might not be aware of.

1. Saving Some Cash

The budget for the movie was only $114,000 Despite its success, Night of the Living Dead was made on a shoestring budget of just $114,000. The movie was shot in black and white to save money on color film.

2. Night of the Flesh Eaters?

The movie was originally called “Night of the Flesh Eaters”. However, the title was changed to “Night of the Living Dead” after the filmmakers discovered that they could not copyright the original title.

3. Makeup

The film’s iconic zombie makeup was created using a mixture of mortician’s wax and chocolate syrup

4. Casting

The lead actor, Duane Jones was cast in the role of Ben because he was the best actor who auditioned for the part. The filmmakers did not originally intend to cast a black actor in the lead role.

5. No Love

The movie was not a hit when it was first released, despite its status as a cult classic today. Many critics panned the movie, and it was not widely seen until it was released on home video.

6. Quick Moves

Night of the Living Dead was filmed in a little over a month. The filmmakers were under a tight schedule and had to work rapidly to capture all the needed shots. Despite the limited timeframe, the movie is regarded as a masterpiece of horror cinema.

7. Game Changer

Night of the Living Dead is widely considered a movie that popularized the modern zombie genre. The movie’s depiction of slow-moving, flesh-eating zombies has become a genre staple.

8. Script?

The movie was filmed without a proper script. The filmmakers had a basic outline of the story, but much of the dialogue was improvised on set.

9. Bleak Ending

The movie’s ending is famously bleak, with the lead character being shot and killed by a group of rednecks who mistake him for a zombie. The ending was controversial at the time but has since become one of the movie’s most iconic moments.

10. To Color or Not to Color

Columbia Pictures was the only major studio interested in distributing the black-and-white film. They passed due to competition from color televisions. A color remake was eventually distributed by Columbia in 1990. American International Pictures also considered releasing it, but requested an upbeat ending and love story subplot.