DVD Review: Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated

So let us start with a confession first. I have not seen the original film. Even after going through the DVD yesterday I'd only taken fleeting glances at the original afterwards more so for reference to understand some of the more abstract interpretations or for clarification. I've seen all sorts of Romero films but not his first. So my response simply cannot be from a fan's perspective but I guess from an artistic one. But as the saying goes, I may now know art but I know what I like. 

The range of styles is impressive to say the least. Some of the execution and styles will be more challenging than others. The sooner you can accept the breakneck speed in which the transitions from one style to the next, 100 artists for a 101 minute film, then it is possible to enjoy the collective vision of it. If you're going to get hung up on styles that you don't like, well, there is nothing to be done about it now. But as the official site states, 'The result of this project is an experimental take on the cult classic. What it forfeits in visual continuity, it gains in variety'. The mediums range from puppets, claymation, stop animation, illustration, rotoscoping, conventional and computer animation, and we are merely scratching the surface.

There are some artists and contributors that I would like to see more of their work and thankfully Wild Eye has gone through the trouble of listing all 100 artists and related web outputs so you and I can pick the best of the bunch, as deemed worthy by ourselves, and see more [the complete list is also available on the official site]. They have also profiled three of the artists and they each created short videos explaining their contributions and methods. 

It is difficult to find fault in a passion project, especially when a response to artistic expression is subjective. Most of input from the 100 artists is somewhere between downright impressive to adequate to the task. Then there are contributions that are head scratchers and almost offensive considering the high level and quality of other artistic contributions. I don't care who you are or what you can do but taking segments of the film and simply applying a filter to it doesn't smack of creativity. 

What certainly does happen is that drop in continuity and consistency because you like what you are seeing then your response to the next segment may distract you enough to affect your enjoyment of the original film or this collective accomplishment. It does make for challenging viewing but is essential for completists and intriguing enough for the curious. It probably is not the horror film that you want to break out on a night when the gang has come around for a night of thrills and chills. But as an installation piece any gallery, bar or club could do no wrong having this playing on multiple screens around your venue.

But it yearns to be appreciated and enjoyed for what it is, a great big bloody valentine, signed by 100 of Romero's biggest fans. 

AFTERTHOUGHT: I would like to know what fans of the original film think about this collective interpretation. As one of the artists interviewed for the DVD extra said, he wanted to create his own energy in the scenes he was given to... reinvent shall we say. What is your response to watching NOTLD:R?