After Barbara flees from a hungry zombie to a convenient isolated farmhouse, she mopes in a near-catatonic state, even after her odds of survival improve when our hero, Ben (Duane Jones), arrives. Ben fortifies the edifice but forgets to check out the cellar, so he is surprised when a family emerges from it.
They consist of jerk hothead Harry (Karl Hardman), his undoubtedly long-suffering wife Helen (Marilyn Eastman), their unfortunate preteenaged daughter Karen (Kyra Schon), and earnest young married couple Tom (Keith Wayne) and Judy (Judity Ridley). Friction arises between Harry and Ben over who is boss, while Tom and Judy make a desperate attempt to escape past the front line of the growing zombie army outside the farmhouse.
How others will see it. It's not like this film had an opening weekend at number one. But the indie success rolled on for years afterward. Its notoriety ensured, it was an early addition to the National Film Registry, and has a whopping 45K user ratings at imdb.com. These ratings are extremely high, despite a modest downslope with advancing age: those under 18 give it an 8.6, while those over 45 grade it a nonetheless esteemable 7.7.
The influence of this movie is difficult to overstate. It establishes the "rules" for zombies. They arise in a sudden epidemic, they are killed by head shots, they are obsessed with human flesh, and they are easy to kill. The difference between the original and the knock-offs has to do with humor. Since no one can top the drama of the 1968 model, later films (e.g. Zombieland) go for the jocular, with invariably lesser results.
How I felt about it. The original Night of the Living Dead is notorious for its low budget. Yet there are a couple dozen actors with speaking lines, numerous extras, and even a helicopter landing. This is not a $1,000 movie, even in 1968 dollars. Even its grainy black and white cinematography doesn't work against it because of its genre.
One reason why the film is as great as it is has to do with a lack of cynicism, or even comic relief. Throw in a first rate script and committed amateur actors, and you have a miracle. It makes you wonder: with determination and talent, why can't such a success be repeated? It's not like any of Romero's other films have been nearly as noteworthy, although they have made him a ton of money.
For a film to be as great as this one is, all the stars must be aligned. The key decision was casting Duane Jones in the lead. Before that, Barbara was intended to be the central character. Karl Hardman is the jerk we love to hate, even though he turns out to be correct: everyone should have waited out the crisis in the cellar.
Everyone, that is, except the young daughter, whose spectacular moment of cinematic glory is the scene everyone remembers from the film. A handyman's trowel will never the look the same again. Definitely pushing the envelope for its era, at the dawn of the 'R' and 'X' rated era. The attitude that any plot development is possible, no matter how grim, becomes part of its appeal. We don't need, or even want, a happy ending. Let the zombies win.