Night of the Living Dead 3D (2006)   Starring: Brianna Brown, Joshua Desroches, Johanna Black, Greg Travis and Sid Haig Arias UK RRP: £12.99 STX2354 Certificate: 18 Available 27 March 2010

Barb and her brother Johnny drive to a remote cemetery for the funeral of a relative. However, when they arrive they find the coffin at the graveside but no sign of the vicar or other mourners. When Johnny wanders off to find somebody he is attacked by two lumbering figures. There is a knocking from inside the casket, and more half-decomposed figures lurch towards Barb. Running past the cemetery buildings, she witnesses more animated corpses attacking and devouring the flesh of unsuspecting victims. She is finally helped by a young man on a motorcycle who takes her to the Cooper farmhouse. The diverse family within initially ridicules her fantastic story, but they are soon obliged to pool their resources when dozens of zombies seek entry to the house. But just when matters couldn't possibly get any worse, they meet Gerald Tovar Junior, the mortician...

There are more than a handful of horror classics dating back to the golden years of monochrome cinema. The silent Nosferatu is certainly one, and Night of the Living Dead is another.

Like legendary rock bands, original film gems often reach their deserved status through sheer hard work and determination. George Romero carried his finished film around in the boot of his car, attempting to promote it at independent cinemas before its official release in 1968. This was innovative in every sense of the word. Audiences hadn't seen material like this before and, furthermore, Romero had a black protagonist at a time when movie companies frowned at such a thing.

Consequentially, when I selected this disc from my wonderful pile of review DVDs (are you listening, Mr Editor?) I fully expected to be met with the same film converted into 3D - particularly when I saw the dinky pair of cardboard and plastic glasses. I was all prepared to make defamatory comments about the sacrilege performed on a bonefide classic, only to discover it isn't an original at all.

What we are presented with here is a modern colour remake. Yes, it's a tribute of sorts, and even starts with the opening short from the original film, which then pans out to reveal we were really watching a portable television. The problem with this remake is, although it tells a simple story competently enough, that it suffers from diminishing returns. Romero's classic was enjoyable and eye-opening, but there have been so many zombie flicks over the years that the impact of each subsequent release is lessened considerably. Even Romero's own following zombie films, albeit making minor waves, have singularly failed to reach the lofty heights of his poor years.

So, somebody who has been locked away in a monastery and somehow avoided ever seeing a zombie picture might find this a revelation, otherwise Night of the Living Dead 3D is not different enough to make an impact on the genre. Even the 3D is a gimmick of guns pointing out of the screen, and adds nothing to the story, rendering the plot average at best.

4

Ty Power