Originally Posted by
koolmike
1967-68
Night of the Living Dead
There's probably no movie more responsible for the birth of the modern horror film than George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead". It established the foundation upon which modern horror is built and set the standards by which it is judged.
Night of the Living Dead helped to loosen the reigns of the "gothic era of horror" (which was sending it into a downward spiral) by modernizing the setting for fear to that of today's world. This familiarity help to produce fear that felt more real, even if outrageous. "Night" examined the human will to survive, with or without the help of his fellow men. I've decided (but may change my mind) to try and stay away from discussing the social commentary of this film (I could do a whole page on it), because George Romero has stated that nothing was done on purpose (i.e. casting a Black man in the lead, etc.), but will admit the film does reflect his feelings of the time.
Night of the Living Dead is the quintessential "zombie" movie. It helped to establish the modern-day mythology of the "flesh-eating zombie." Prior to "Night", nearly all zombie movies dealt with voodoo as the primary vessel for reviving the dead. In turn, these zombies served, as mindless slaves, their human masters. In contrast, Romero's zombies were "true monsters". Creatures of destruction. They lived (again) to feed on the living. They served no one, but the instinct that drove them.
source: Me/ House of horrors