It was with a shriek of girly joy I first laid eyes upon this beauty. Is the title alone not enough to have you run, screaming, for the nearest DVD player? Of course. And, how about the concept: the entire classic, retold in artistic form by true lovers of the film, all having worked for love, not money.
Unfortunately, what’s high in concept is often low in execution, and NOTLD:R is no exception. The film sees a lengthy introduction by Count Gore, making for a thinly-veiled warning that what lies ahead is laborious. And, indeed it is. You see, while the film is an exercise in alternative art exhibition, it strays too far from its intended point, which is to pay tribute to a story. Somewhere along the way this vital was forgotten, a roster of artists as long as your arm crammed in willy-nilly, with what appears to have been minimal editing sense. A project boasting of collaboration should never lack cohesion, yet this is precisely the problem here; there is no seamless moving from scene to scene, no natural progression.
As you’d expect, the quality of art varies greatly; it’s incredibly frustrating to move from just a minute’s look at some genuine creativity and talent, to a whole five of vague pencil scratchings. However there are some visual treats here, some of which may surprise, with some fantastically inventive twists you’d never have thought to associate with this, or any other, fan-favourite. But, despite the odd flare of brilliance, what is an honourable and creative concept ultimately fails, due to a case of too many cooks. One for rabid collectors only.
Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated is available on DVD now
