Rifftrax: Night of the Living Dead DVD Review
Rifftrax: Night of the Living Dead DVD Review
New smack talk from the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000
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Do you think that George A. Romero's seminal zombie movie of 1968 is an untouchable classic, totally beyond reproach and completely above lampooning? If so, then Rifftrax: Night of the Living Dead is definitely not for you. Fortunately for me, I never quite "got" the appeal of those shambling undead brain-eaters, but I do love Mystery Science Theater 3000 — so in my book this new Rifftrax DVD is pretty much all good.
As the DVD advert says, "The classic zombie thriller that started it all - made new with a hilarious, rapid-fire commentary by Mike Nelson and the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Yes, the dead are walking, and hunger for human flesh. A group of panicked survivors hole up in a deserted farmhouse while an army of zombies encircles them - can they last the night?! Terror turns to laughter as Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett live through the Night of the Living Dead!"
Well, it's an interesting idea and for the most part I enjoyed it, but even though it's not personally a favorite of mine, Night of the Living Dead is not a bad movie. It's not a cheesy z-flick, like the ones they used to have so much fun riffing on during the MST3000K original run on The Sci-Fi Channel. Here, it feels a bit like they are milking a bloodless concept.
Still there are several witty observations. Like when our hapless victims are holed up inside the house with an army of soulless zombies besieging the doors and windows: "I have to wonder how Macaulay Culkin would've handled this situation." Or when the newscaster on TV says law enforcement "have been organized to search out and destroy the marauding ghouls." And one of the hecklers retorts, "Marauding Ghouls? That was my high school football team!"
Missing are the silhouettes in the foreground — now, it's just like an audio-only commentary track. Overall, I think it's a good idea to continue on with the MST3000K-style riffing, but there are so many horrible new movies being made; maybe it would be better to change it up a little and target a really crappy horror flick made after man first walked on the moon. At any rate, other DVDs coming soon from Mike and catcall crew include the original House on Haunted Hill, Little Shop of Horrors, and Carnival of Souls.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson