NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED Review

Fair warning to those out there who expect this to be a straight up animated version of Romero's undead zeitgeist of a flick. For better or worse, it isn't. Instead what we have here is a massive multimedia art project, a mobile gallery show, collected and presented on one platform for consumption, IE a TV or theater screen. Though some fans may be disappointed by these prospects, the producers of the project are clear in their intentions as a title card states this is an "animated/illustrated response" to the original film. "Curator" Mike Schneider oversees the contributions. International in response, wildly eclectic in form, they range from flash animation to storyboards, comic panels, 3D computer work, to claymation and puppets... and that's just in the first five minutes.

Sometimes artist's personal styles or sensibilities don't readily reflect the mood, atmosphere or pacing of the original film, which can distract if one looks at this as just watching Night Of The Living Dead. So consider this: Reanimated is not a standard movie viewing experience, and may not work for those who haven't seen Romero's film - do I really have to write a plot synopsis for that one? - and even then it may be somewhat alienating.

What is impressive is the task of editing all these pieces to be timed with the original audio. This is a considerable feat, yet doesn't always benefit as some contributions seem like filler, barely lasting a second. If this was one cohesive art style, it'd work great for emotional affect, just like in the original, but when we have big eyed anime one moment and gothic oil pastels the next, it can well, again, be distracting, lending to a rather cacophonous and cluttered viewing.

In reviewing I'm more of the mind of "fair and understanding," yet as I shape this review, I realize how much of it may sound like whining and complaining. While I loved the idea behind it, I found myself hung up on the presentation, and the varying quality of the art at hand. 
So I guess, like most art shows, there are a few standout pieces surrounded by sub par works. And like most art shows, opinions will run the gauntlet on what is considered good or amateurish. But in this presentation format, with hundreds upon hundreds of non-animated still entries, most of them up for just a matter of seconds, the interesting pieces flash by all too quickly, feeling far more fleeting in impact than say if one was able to view them in a proper gallery setting on their own time. That's not to say you can't use your pause button...
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I encourage animation and Romero aficionados to check this out as a grand love letter and appreciation of a seminal horror work. Others might find it not all too interesting, or like me, be unable to fully wrap their heads around the presentation and execution of the project.

NOTLD: Reanimated is set to be released on DVD in April and is currently being shown around North America at various art and theater venues. For further details check out the film's official website and/or their Facebook page.