Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent
horror film written, directed, photographed and edited by
George Romero, co-written by
John Russo, and starring
Duane Jones and
Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven people who are trapped in a rural farmhouse in
Western Pennsylvania, which is besieged by a large and growing group of "
living dead". The 96-minute film was completed on a $114,000
budget (equivalent to $823,000 in 2018) and shot outside
Pittsburgh, where it had its theatrical premiere on October 1, 1968. It grossed $12 million
domestically ($87 million, 2018) and $18 million internationally ($130 million, 2018). Despite being heavily criticized upon its release for its explicit gore, the film eventually garnered critical acclaim and was selected in 1999 by the
Library of Congress for preservation in the
National Film Registry.
Night of the Living Dead led to
five subsequent films between 1978 and 2009, also directed by Romero, and inspired several remakes.
Film credit: George A. Romero