There have been very few remakes that can truly capture the magic of the original and even fewer that can surpass it. I think John Carpenter's remake of Thing from Another World (aka "The Thing") was better than the original. The remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring Donald Sutherland was better than the original. Other than that, remakes usually stink. Especially when trying to remake a classic (aka  Wolf). One remake that IMHO eclipsed the original (only in "entertainment value" and not in importance to the genre)   was the remake of Night of the Living Dead (NOTLD 90). Some will cry blasphemy, but let me state my case before you crucify me.

First of all, the zombies, or as Savini refers to them, the "living dead". Oh well, zombies to me. I know on the limited budget of the original Night of the Living Dead (NOTLD 68) that was probably the best that they could do and some say that it actually adds to the grittiness of the film. I agree 110%, but that shouldn't be held against NOTLD 90. The zombie effects were outstanding in NOTLD 90. Optic Nerve Production did an excellent job designing the look of the zombies. Visually, these zombies might be the best since those from Fulci's Zombie. For the look, the effects team went to morgues and took photos of the recently decreased. They sat in on a couple of autopsies and even  watched film footage from concentration camps. Savini really wanted to capture the look of the recent dead. No need for maggots or decaying flesh here, because these zombies were only supposed to be dead for no more than 3 or 4 days. I would considered these zombies a step or two above Savini's work in  Dawn of the Dead or Day of the Dead.

Second, the characters. Romero really focused on developing the characters. They were not as one- dimensional as in NOTLD 68. The change of Barbara's character from a timid catatonic to a kick-ass take charge kind of girl was exactly what was needed to pump next life into the storyline. Tony Todd did an excellent job in the role of Ben. All the characters had more depth which helped us (i.e. the audience) root for them and against them.

Third, the ending. I really thought the ending of NOTLD 68 was perfect. It wasn't the candy-coated Hollywood ending where our hero, Ben is saved. No, Ben is just another victim in the game of life or in this case death. I didn't think this ending could ever be topped. This was one area that I thought they wouldn't or shouldn't change. Boy, was I wrong. Not only did they change it, but they made it even better. It is the perfect ending. I only wish Savini could have taken it to the extent he wanted to, but still it was right on the money.

Fourth and finally....Tom Savini. After spending years studying the techniques of Romero, Argento, and King, Savini finally got his chance. His accomplishment is as well-crafted as any of his mentors. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see Savini's true cinematic vision for the film.

So these are the reasons why I prefer NOTLD 90 to NOTLD 68. Both were and always will be classics in my mind. I would really have loved to see the true extent of Savini's vision for this film and maybe one day we will be lucky enough to see that happen. As always please e-mail me if you have anything you can add to this page, or if you have any comments, criticisms or suggestion.