Horror is a genre that always stays popular. From the classic Universal Monsters to Alfred Hitchcock’s famous films and the successful Conjuring Universe, there are always movies that scare people. Among many great horror films, one stands out for a unique reason.
Night of the Living Dead may be a smaller film, but it is certainly a classic. This film has influenced many other zombie movies and carries a strong social message. Thanks to an unusual mistake, it has also shown up in more films than any other movie in history.
Night of the Living Dead: A Major Influence in Horror
Released in 1968, Night of the Living Dead was very successful, even with its small size. According to Forbes, the film made $30 million from a budget of only $114,000. The film received praise from critics and became relevant as an allegory for race.
This happened because the main character, Ben, was played by African-American actor Duane Jones. At that time, Ben was different. The film avoided the stereotypes often seen in films and presented Ben as smart and resourceful.
Director George Romero is credited with creating the idea of modern zombies, and his influence can still be seen today in shows like The Walking Dead and other popular series. But influence is not the only way the entertainment industry honors this film.
Night of the Living Dead Breaks Records with Film Appearances
Night of the Living Dead remains a key film not just for its success or its franchise but also for its many appearances in other movies. According to Guinness World Records, parts of Night of the Living Dead have been shown in 129 movies as of January 2024.
Some notable films include Halloween II, Christiane F., Fade to Black, Proof, and Stir of Echoes. However, these appearances did not happen just because filmmakers loved the movie.
As explained by York University, the film’s original distributor, the Walter Reade Organization, did not register the movie’s copyright correctly.
The film was originally going to be called Night of the Flesh Eaters, but the Reade Organization changed the title to avoid confusion with the 1964 movie The Flesh Eaters.
During the name change, the distributor forgot to add the copyright notice to the new title. This was required by the US Copyright Act of 1909. Because of this mistake, the film entered the Public Domain.
This allowed other filmmakers to use clips from Night of the Living Dead without paying the creators.
While this mistake may not make money, it keeps the classic horror movie alive. It still appears in various films and documentaries, and years after its release, Night of the Living Dead remains one of the most important horror films ever made.
Night of the Living Dead Inspires Many Generations of Horror Filmmakers
Night of the Living Dead has done more than just show up in several films over the years. It has inspired many filmmakers and is credited with starting a few horror trends.
The film had a well-known remake in 1990 and follow-up films like Dawn of the Dead in 2004 and Day of the Dead.
Beyond its own franchise and spin-offs, many famous horror movies owe their creation to this classic.
According to BuzzFeed News, the 1981 film The Evil Dead was strongly influenced by Romero’s classic. The Kandarian Demon and the Deadites look a lot like the ghouls in Night of the Living Dead.
The article also mentions that both movies mix horror and comedy. Sam Raimi, the director of The Evil Dead, made this style popular in many of his films, inspired by Romero’s approach.
Peter Jackson, known for The Lord of the Rings and King Kong, was also inspired by Romero’s important film. Early in his career, Jackson directed Dead Alive. This film is one of the bloodiest in the zombie genre and is also very funny.
It shares many similarities with Night of the Living Dead, including zombie design and horror elements.
Perhaps the most famous example is the 2002 film Cabin Fever. Eli Roth directly credited Romero’s film for inspiring Cabin Fever and took some story ideas from it.
Even though Cabin Fever had a low budget, it was very successful and changed the zombie genre, with effects still seen today.
Besides its social importance, the film’s Guinness World Record status might be due to a mistake, but it has helped keep the movie in the minds of horror fans everywhere.
