DVD Review: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED (2009)

Wild Eye Releasing and MVD Visual are releasing NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED next Tuesday, September 21st. I got a chance to watch an advanced copy, and I have to say that this is one DVD you will want to add to your collection for sure.

The premise behind this project is very interesting. Mike Schneider was the director/organizer of this project, and he got over 100 different artist to re-create George Romero's classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD using nothing but different art forms and types of animations. Each artist took a certain scene from the film and animated it in their own, unique way. Almost every form of animation you can think of is used to recreate this film, including Oil Paintings, comic illustrations, stop motion, simple sketches, even sock puppets! All this was then edited together and placed in sync with the original audio track! What you are left with is a movie you don't just watch, but experience.

Imagine going to an art museum. Usually that is a very boring thing to do, in my opinion anyway. But imagine you were going to an art museum that had nothing but scenes painted and drawn from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD! I bet you would go to that! Well this movie puts all the paintings, drawings, etc. together on one disc for you to look at! It really was fun to sit back and just enjoy all this great zombie themed art.

I was surprised at how well it was edited all together. With so many different styles and looks meshed together, and with some scenes only lasting a few seconds, I was really worried about the movie seeming to choppy to really enjoy. I was relieved to see how well this film was put together.

If you have never seen the original film, then first off, you need to re-evaluate your priorities in life. Second, go see the original film NOW! (You can actually watch it free online here) It is a true classic that kick started zombie cinema as we know it today. Then, watch this new "Reanimated" version. It could be hard to follow if you have never seen the original, so you definitely need that prior knowledge of the original film to follow along and just enjoy the awesome artwork.

This is a perfect meshing of two art forms. The film mixes visual art such as drawing/painting with the art of film making. This is a must have for any fan of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD or any fan of art in general. Either way, it makes for a very enjoyable experience.

The DVD come loaded with extra features, including a behind the scenes look at the animation processes, 2 different commentary tracks, alternate/deleted "scenes", trailers, some short films, and more! There is even a cool introduction of the film from the legendary Count Gore De Vol!

Be on the lookout next Tuesday, 9/21, and purchase a copy of this awesome DVD, or, you can order on line from the link below.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to visit the official website