GEORGE ROMERO
We pay tribute to the late king of zombie flicks – and a master of horror cinema.
George Andrew Romero may have left this world on 16 July (aged 77) but, much like the zombie armies that headlined his most famous movies, his legacy is unlikely to ever die. Born in the Bronx to a working class family on 4 February 1940, the future fright-film master would attend university in Pittsburgh. After graduation, Romero settled in the city and would later revolutionise the horror genre with Night Of The Living Dead. Released in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War and shortly after Martin Luther King was assassinated, the racial tension and documentary-style violence of the film immediately registered with audiences of the era.
“I think of these zombie films as reflective of the times they were released,” Romero told SFX in 2005. “They are all little snapshots – ‘here’s what happening now.’”
Romero would follow up Night Of The Living Dead with five sequels. Just as the original would usher in a new wave of realistic and politically minded American horror, Dawn Of The Dead (1978) also proved influential, with its full-colour gore paving the way for the Friday The 13th series. Critically acclaimed, epic and socially astute, the satirical Dawn Of The Dead led to the gruelling Day Of The Dead (1985), a flop that would later be redeemed as a fan favourite, the big studio Land Of The Dead (2005), which landed to audience ambivalence, and the lower-budgeted Diary Of The Dead (2007) and Survival Of The Dead (2009). In the interim, Zack Snyder’s blockbuster rehash of Dawn Of The Dead (2004) hit cinemas and helped kickstart a zombie renaissance that brought us Zombieland (2009) and The Walking Dead (2010 onwards). “My stuff was just out there at the right time,” said Romero. “And it was a little more political. I went to see the Dawn remake and I don’t think that they were thinking much past the commerciality of it.” Romero’s other work included numerous classic accomplishments. His 1973 shocker about germ warfare, The Crazies, remains prophetic and disturbing while his 1977 vampire opus Martin brought the figure of a bloodsucking prowler into the present day. In addition, his garish Stephen King team-up Creepshow (1983) would be a box office success, allowing the director to helm slick mainstream efforts, such as Monkey Shines (1988) and The Dark Half (1993). “After the success of Night Of The Living Dead I knew I was going to be labelled as a horror guy,” explained Romero. “But my zombies don’t run, man, they would snap their ankles if they did. I just don’t understand running zombies.” A true legend, Romero may not have approved of the way his beloved zombie hordes evolved (he turned down a chance to direct an episode of The Walking Dead) but few, if any, figures have created more impact on horror cinema. His genius will continue to devour future generations.