The 1990 remake of the seminal zombie classic Night of the Living Dead stays largely faithful to the original story aside from a crucial change. The 1968 film, directed and co-written by George Romero, redefined zombies in pop culture and created a horror subgenre which Romero himself would continue to explore in sequels. That didn’t stop him from making a key improvement on the original, when given the opportunity over 20 years later.
The 1990 version of Night of the Living Dead holds the distinction of being one of the few remakes to have the involvement of the original filmmakers. Romero was an executive producer and served as sole screenwriter on the new film, while his old collaborators functioned as producers. The move to remake Night was due in part to the public domain status of the original movie, which lost the filmmakers millions of dollars. But producing a remake also allowed Romero to present a more polished version of what he originally intended, with higher production values and modern updates. Bringing in makeup wizard Tom Savini to direct also helped ensure that the remake would have an extra edge in improving on the gruesome, if primitive special effects of the original.
That said, with a number of visual improvements in production aside, the 1990 story plays out with the same beats and pacing as that of the 1968 film. However, the remake makes a very big change with one character in particular that alters the course and feel of the entire story.
How Night Of The Living Dead's Remake Changed The Original Movie
Screenwriter Romero made a huge change in the Night of the Living Dead remake from the original, and that involved transforming the character of Barbara from passive to active. In the 1968 film, Barbara (Judith O’Dea) is distraught after the death of her brother and is basically in shock the whole movie. While she starts as the protagonist, she quickly takes a back seat role as the conflict between Ben (Duane Jones) and Harry Cooper (Karl Hardman) takes the spotlight. She ends up being dispatched rather cruelly after finally breaking out of her shock enough to fight back against the ghouls.
In the remake, Barbara (Patricia Tallman) is given much more agency after her brother’s death. While Ben (Tony Todd) argues to fortify the upstairs, and Harry (Tom Towles) argues to barricade in the basement of the farmhouse they’re trapped in, which is the same as in the original film. Barbara argues they could outrun their slow assailants on foot and find help. She sticks to her position, and sure enough, it saves her life. Unlike the original film, Barbara survives. While Ben and Harry still die, their fates play out differently in light of Barbara’s assertive nature.
In the 1990 version of Night of the Living Dead, Barbara takes center stage and truly is the protagonist of the film. George Romero saw this remake as a chance to make a fundamental change to a character that caught flak in the original film. In response, he made Barbara a strong female character with a distinct point-of-view. While critical reception was mixed on release, the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead has earned reappraisal over the years. Regardless of personal opinion, it certainly adds depths as part of zombie legacy that Romero created.