We need a CHH brand tee shirt with “I’ll never forget…” written on it!

Yeah, John Russo really shit the bed when he decided to go back and screw with NOTLD. That was a huge freaking stinker and makes the Star Wars Special Editions look amazing by comparison. Luckily for us, unlike Star Wars fans, we can still see the original NOTLD without having to go through outdated media or “other” means.

I still have my copy and thank you, I'll listen to the commentary track for this version. The truth is John Russo was not receiving royalties for the original film and he decided he wanted to receive those so he filmed new footage so he could get that. Romero had nothing to do with this release but was involved in the Millenium Edition which is considered the best release for DVD era.

I got a copy of this version of the film. Mine came in a box set released by Anchor Bay in the UK called Trilogy of the Dead. It:s a 4 disc release features Night, Dawn, Day and on the fourth disc featuring the documentaries The Night of the Living Dead documentary and Document of the Dead.

"Vintage Horror DVDs" not a phrase I thought I'd ever hear - LOL. I remember buying the Anchor Bay VHS in 1999 and it was the first version of the film I owned. I was like WTF- those scenes aren't from the 1960s. The scenes take you right out of the film and its painfully obvious the scenes are not vintage, especially that priest.

You can watch the whole movie on KZfaq or just the isolated additional clips of this version

I find it hilarious that in this version the graveyard zombie was a murder whereas in Flesheater, also having Bill Hinzman and being a ripoff of NOTLD, there were ties to some kind of black magic or curse that if something were moved or something like that that something bad would happen when he’d awake and that’s why he’s a zombie in that movie

This release was like painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa. There was some hype when it happened. I remember Russo saying that they shot the new footage on the same cameras they used in 1968 to make the original, and that we wouldn't be able to tell that the new footage was contemporary. Ha.

Imo probably the most annoying release I’ve seen, was the scream tv series getting an out of print dvd and no blu ray and no further releases for other seasons

I actually love the score for this version of the movie. It's very creepy and melancholy. I also enjoy this version as an alt version. The original version is still the best of course.

We need a CHH brand tee shirt with “Quite Frankly…” written on it!

The big problem with adding the new opening it it tales the shock away when Barbara and Johnny are attacked

This was actually release where I saw the film for the first time. I actually liked it at the time, and in recent years I have become nostalgic for it.

The 30th anniversary NotLD got a pretty wide release on DVD in Australia, a 1-disc edition (a port of disc 2 from the Anchor Bay set, I think). It was released by "Force Video" and for a while it was was the most common edition of NotLD you could find on DVD down here.

I bought a dvd of this film for $1 at Wal-Mart in 2007. It was in a very skinny case barely bigger than the dvd the whole movie was black and white but was tinted a bright green like watching it with green glasses or something.

Glad you finally got to see this abomination. I picked this up on its original release. I knew it was going to be bad, but the Romero completionist in me had to have it. George A. Romero had nothing to do with this mess. In fact, when Russo screened it for him, Romero let him know how much he disliked it. The composer of the new score is the guy playing the priest in the new footage. There was a new documentary released last month on John Russo called, “My Life With The Living Dead”. Amazon has it for $20. It’s a Blu-Ray-R release though. I didn’t know that until I opened it on arrival. It was interesting. I have always liked John Russo and forgive him for this misstep. Thanks for the video and keep up the great work Christian!

I have my Criterion blu ray and the first restored and remastered dvd copy (still plenty of copies of this version available). Don’t know why they shot new scenes in ‘98 to extend NOTLD. Much of Romero’s film reels were damaged from the storm flood.

You need to complete the trilogy of NOTLD cash-ins with FleshEater (1988), where Bill Heinzman again plays the cemetery zombie (and also writes and directs). It’s a ton of fun though unlike COTLD and this mess. And the Vinegar Syndrome 4K of it is awesome.

I made the mistake of buying this when it was new, I think at Target. It was prominently displayed up front in its own 4-sided stand. Now, I knew this was an updated version with new footage because I'd read about it in Fangoria, but any regular shopper would just think this was a release of the original film. I feel sorry for anyone who picked this up just because it was there only to get home and find out this wasn't what they thought. I do love the ridiculousness of this version having its own sequel! (Children of the Living Dead) Especially considering the original already had two official lines of sequels, not to mention countless one-off imposters in the 70s that that tried to pretend they were NOTLD sequels, like the "other" Return of the Living Dead! (Messiah of Evil). Add in the official remake from Savini, Hinzman's own kinda sequel/remake FleshEater, and all those post-2000 remakes and...it is quite the mess. Very nice, very nice...though it's bastard grandchild Zombie still has the ultimate gnarled family tree. btw, am I the only one baffled that there has never been a film titled "Night of the Living Dead 2"? At the very least you'd think Italy would have since their copyright laws allow that kind of the thing. But with NOTLD being in public domain, I don't think there's anything to stop anyone from slapping that title on a movie, but afaik it hasn't happened.

Imagine buying all these movies on VHS, then Anchor Bay DVDs, then blu rays, now 4k discs, yes I am buying Zombie for the 5th time myself. You got me thinking back to the mid-late 90s, before and during Anchor Bay bringing the Evil Dead back to video for the first time since it's first VHS release in 83 maybe, the only other game in town of was Blackest Heart Media. A company that would sell movies that you couldn't get anywhere, form Fulci, Cannibal Holocaust, Peter Jackson's gore trilogy, Guinea Pig, think of it they had it, you could order three movies on a blank tape for $20 I think. If you were ever wandering why the death metal band Necrophagia has music videos on some of these movie discs like The Beyond, it's because the only people hip to or caring to see these movies were people into underground death metal with many bands writing songs about and using samples from these movies. Now you can see anything streaming and there's massive cults of merchandise for all these films but just a short time ago it was genuinely cult and had to be sought out. There's a definite connection between death metal and cult horror where for a good two decades those two fanbases were one and the same. That's just my experience, there's of course people from the 80s and 70s with far more interesting stories I'm sure.

I have NOTLD on every format and multiple editions. I felt obligated to get this and bought it from Best Buy the day it came out. In the sleeve they’re really patting themselves on the back for a job well done, but when I finally popped it in and watched it…..yeeeesh. They said they used the same cameras they used in the original film but I highly doubt that.

I still have the "remake" of this with Sid Haig on dvd with the included 3d glasses...its a trip watching it

All these old school dvd videos are awesome!

I had forgotten all about this release until your video about DVD horror. I didn't even know it was on DVD. I had a VHS copy! It was the same cover with the thick Anchor Bay plastic case. I don't remember if I still have it packed away somewhere or if I got rid of years ago. lol

The Priest character is played by the same guy who did the new score

Great video man. And I agree I love owning weird parts of horror, physical media history, good or bad.

That priest is like Tony Stark going back in time on the Army base with his Mungo Jerry beard.

I saw this for the first time on cable around the late 90s or early 2000s. I honestly did enjoy the additional zombie and gore scenes and the more ominous score. But I couldn't say that without fans of the original, getting their nuts in a twist, especially in a Romero Facebook group.

With the way the distribution rights worked for this film, which, basically was that anyone and their mother could release a version, I wouldn't be surprised if Anchor Bay wanted to do a version that was both unique and have the potential of gaining them (and Russo) additional royalties. I own the Elite Entertainment DVD version, but I also the Anchor Bay deluxe Dawn of the Dead DVD set, which is a fantastic release.

My dad had this on vhs but he sold it. He found the new scenes interesting. He bought it just because it was a different version of the 1968 classic.

I saw this release on vhs back in the late 90s. I never knew it had a dvd release. I kinda want to track it down now.

Oh man, I remember paying $30 for this at HMV back when it released, knowing absolutely NOTHING about it going in. I didn’t HATE it, but wow was I disappointed. I think I watched it only once. I’m pretty sure I still have my copy somewhere, for some reason. 🤣

Interesting sure wish wish I could find this version on streaming

I remember this mess. The comic shop I went to. A customer ordered a copy and came in with it. I've never seen a group of people collectively go are you blanking kidding me. About 20 minutes after that. The guy who brought it in was just ashamed took it out of the player. And just left. Not saying anything.

Absolutely fantastic video, Christian. Best one yet, IMO. Please make more Anchor Bay related videos in the future, if you can find the time. AB started me off collecting physical media with regards to DVD and Blu-ray. Night of the Living Dead is perfect as it is. There was absolutely no need for John Russo to screw around with it. Creatively he achieved zero. Romero's version was fine the way it is. Next time I check out that version, I'll definitely be paying more attention to the new score. Again, brilliant video. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Regards, David, Ireland.

Context matters but sometimes less is more. The actual start of NTLD is the start of our interactions with one of the main characters and her brother and the journey is from that point on with those characters. In real life in those circumstances with whomever we met we would be unlikely to get back story context. We would only have the here and now and the actions those characters took in the moment to know them..

No it is up on KZfaq I've watched it to see it for myself..and boy was I disappointed

It's funny, I bought this version years ago... in the early 2000's, it was used and I got it at a second hand record and book store. Had no idea about the added content, just saw it was the "30th Anniversary Edition" and since I didn't own the movie on DVD yet, I thought it was the better choice to pick up. Got home and watched it... and thought the added scene at the beginning was some sort of weird intro... fast forwarded through it to the point of the actual start of the film and continued from there. I had noticed the music was different also, but paid it no mind. The added priest character confused me, but I thought maybe I had just forgotten about the character as the last time I had seen the movie I was a kid and it was my dads VHS copy. The next time I pulled out this DVD to watch it, It was Halloween and I found the other version on it that did not have the added scene at the beginning or the scenes throughout, but had the different music. I had not read the booklet about new scenes and had not watched any of the special features yet. So after that Halloween night viewing, I decided to go through all the special features and read the booklet. That's also when I kind of started nerding out on random cinematic knowledge and lore and learned that due to a copyright mistake when Romero originally made the movie, he never received any royalties from VHS sales or TV airings and the movie had basically gone into public domain and it stayed that way for years, so that is why there were so many different VHS and later DVD releases of it. Not too mention all the late night tv airings of it throughout the 80's and 90's. I still own the 30th Anniversary Edition DVD... Though I tried selling back to a couple second hand music and movie stores quite a few years ago when I did a big DVD purge because I needed some extra cash and at the time you could get a decent amount of cash back selling used DVD's, but no place would take it, which in retrospect is kind of funny now. I have a second DVD copy of Night of the Living Dead as well that is the just OG movie itself and I bought the glorious Criterion Collection edition on Blu-ray when that was released a few years ago. Night of the Living Dead has one the most interesting histories of any horror film I think... especially when you get into the sequel dispute that lead to the Return of the Living Dead series as well.

Is it crazy that my preferred method of watching NOTLD is the rough quality dollar tree transfer from like 2005? It just seems to work even better as a viewing experience in worse quality

I did see it,i do recall the beginning...the scene of the man running away from the casket when the body walked.

I’m skeptical but this goes for $10 on eBay! Crazy.

The first dvd I ever purchased. I actually bought it bc of the added footage. I was young and really dumb.

Borrowed this from my local library frequently when I was 10. Thought the extra footage was cool then. Not so much now. I do remember there being a fake trailer for another zombie movie.

I’ll be honest, I do love the new score. It reminds me of Midnight Syndicate.

Dude great video and stellar review! I actually want to find this version of NOTLD now just to see it. Also what is the music playing the background of your video? I love it.

What made NOTLD perfect was that it comes out of nowhere. It's a slice of a moment and how people dealt with it.

I really like the 98 release it feels like those late night horror films you watched by yourself at midnight. The acting is sooo bad its good. I luv the corniness of it.

Before this dvd came out I had read about it. Not sure what magazine it was, but they were trying to hype it up. I kind of forgot about it and then one day I decided to stop at Best Buy and I found it there. It wasn't the one with the bonus CD, didn't even know that one existed. But I bought it and watched it and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I only watched it twice and never again. I eventually sold it and for some reason I regret selling it. Also some of the score of the original movie can be heard in an old movie called Teenagers from Outer Space. I wonder what other movies used the same music?

I remember picking up that release not too long after I got a DVD player. It is on KZfaq. I was excited at first about, not knowing anything at all about this release. I read the booklet on the way home from buying it, and the booklet made it sound better than it was. When I popped it in, I started with the original version, as it said that they improved the look and sound. First thing I noticed was that hideous new music, but the picture did look nicer. Decided to just switch to the new version, and noticed that it did start with a new scene with that music which I felt was fine for the new scenes. Then it got to Johnny and Barbara, and that music kept playing, I was disappointed and disgusted by it. Eventually, I did get back around to watching it, as I only had like 5 DVDs at the time. I did understand what they were aiming for afterwards, but still can't really stand the movie. The pastor, was also the composer, and was the worst part of the film, his acting did not help with the movie in the least, just too thick with the pastor shtick and not really acting like a real person. I catch it on KZfaq every once in a while to remind myself that sometimes things are best as they were to begin with. To this day, I watch a cheap DVD version with not so great picture quality, but it is untouched as far as sound goes.

I bought it, watched it once - and I mostly felt the same way you did. I sold my copy, though.

I still have the collector's edition with the soundtrack CD. That was a waste of good money. They mentioned that the guy who played the priest was the composer of the new soundtrack. He wasn't an actor, he was the composer, but, they stuck him in the new footage playing the priest.

True story: I was and am a knowledgeable film fan. When this came out, I bought it sight unseen (not knowing anything about this version) as a gift for my cousin's husband. He was excited and said let's watch it right away. As the film going on...and I saw the added footage...I was aghast and then looked at the back cover of the set. I was EMBARRASSED that I actually didn't know in advance about it. I was just a big Anchor Bay fan and thought a "3oth Anniversary edition" would have been a cool gift. Live and learn, it is the worst.

It would be interesting to see for the backstory and give it a once over to see the additions.

I also have a version of night of the living dead.Where they colorized the movie

Haven't read the comment section yet, so I don't know if anyone else has mentioned it, but years ago a KZfaqr by the name of "Phelous" reviewed the 30th anniversary edition. It's hilarious and I highly recommend people check it out if they're interested in this particular release.

Well I went on eBay and got a copy of this…… Gonna have to watch it

You get this version on the Trilogy of the living dead Anchor Bay U.K. release too. It still blows!!!! - TM

In the 4k Criterion edition is the “new” footage or soundtrack there in special features?

Had few titles from anchor bay long time ago, remember James Rolfe talk about the 30th anniversary how bad it is. Watch on KZfaq and I understand what he said.

I'm getting into your channel here and I'm really enjoying what I'm seeing. Have you done any kind of history of anchor Bay entertainment and taken a look at the old VHS clamshells or anything like that?

I’d forgotten all about that crap but after crawling around on the lower shelves I found my copy, all dusty and a bit sticky for some reason. Don’t think I’m brave enough to watch it again though, from memory it was pretty horrible.

I STILL have mine!

Fine comments. Yes, l will give Russo credit for trying, but the truth is, none of the actors in the new footage seem authentic. They feel too contemporary and behave in a way that feels very detached from the original. Also, the addition of the cemetary zombie back story undermines the idea that the Venus Probe was somehow responsible. Thanks for having an open mind and checking it out. Maybe a new fan who has never seen the original would get something out of it, but it was a nice physical package, ror what that is worth. Keep up the good work! And hey, if you are a hardcore NOTLD fan, check out the recent - and very rare - interview with Mary Jane Ricci on the production of the original NOTLD in a recent issue of Darkside magazine. lt's a fine look back on the making of the classic!

Somewhere in my Collection I have this Version... & NO I don't especially care for it. Sidenote: Favorite Fun-Fact... if you listen REAL close, there is a blurb from the Radio Announcer mentioning UFO Sightings preceding incidents of the dead reanimating! A reference to the earlier story which had an Alien Invasion Premise!

I know I have this release but I HAVE TO say this is worth getting for the CD alone, I love all the soundbites/dialog from the actual movie so I can sample it on mixes but anyway: I've always wanted to get through this newer cut but I have a hard time bringing myself to do that. Any clips with the priest were a bit jarring to watch on their own. A shame because they put in the time and effort to make this. Might ask Russo about it at a convention. But for more Hinzman action, FleshEater is probably the better route to go. Lastly I really do appreciate this release, it's a real oddball collector's item. Anchor Bay was king in the DVD era. We may be a bit spoiled in the Blu Ray/4K&UHD era but DVD had some of the most creative box sets that I haven't seen since.

Have you seen Night Of The Animated Dead ? If you have what did you think of it ?

This version was included in the trilogy of the dead boxset in the UK which was released by Anchor Bay. I've never actually watched that disc because I'd seen this version before on a R1 copy of the movie I had. Yes it's dreadful but I've still got the boxset mainly for the bonus 4th disc that's got some documentaries I've not got anywhere else.

I don't have it on physical media but after this video. It explains why when one time I went to watch Night Of The Living Dead on TV. It had a backstory for that first zombie or ghoul as they are called in the movie an the random priest. I was like what is this stuff I never seen this in the movie before. So it was in fact Aired on TV at least once because that's where I seen it. But now I know why it was like that.

It is such an entertaining release. I had it back in the day when it first came out. It has scarred me and so memorable that for ages it’s haunted me. Not in the way the filmmakers would hope. More or less it’s so bad it’s good. When I see that cover it cracks me up. Its a definitely “what were they thinking” recut. Probably to recoup something for Night being public domain all these years. But still legendary weird recut of Night of the Living Dead. I love the original version and the criterion is my go to. For many years it was the Elite Dvd. Criterion nowadays is the definitive version.

I recently came across this addition of Night of the living and was intrigued by it, so purchased it used at my local 2nd and Charles. So when I brought it home, took a closer look at it and put it on to watch it and I was like what the hell am I watching, what version is this and where is the original score... turned it off and haven't watched it since..... absolute travesty...

To be fair, at the time of its release, it was the best the movie had look at the time. At least until the 4K came out.

The 30th Anniversary version was actually the version I watched when I saw this movie for the first time. I didn't think it was terrible and made me a big fan of the franchise. It made me track down the original version (which I obviously love more!) And the colourised version so I'm a fan of anything related to this movie. Even the animated version from a couple of years ago was awesome. I do agree that the extra footage was obvious, even as a first time viewer, and that priest was terrible...

Never heard of this version. Christian, you sound a lot like the Alien Theory YT channel host. Same guy? Cool channel. Thanks

I actually bought this dvd twice lol. Sold my original and kinda regretted it later. Found it randomly at a used record store fairly cheap a couple of years ago and snapped it up. Its not good, but its uniqueness makes it worth having for me.

I have this release too & i agree with you its of course just another reason to make some money $$$ glad i got to meet John Russo & Bill Hinzman i have a picture taken with Hinzman dressed as his Zombie Character 👍🏻👍👍👍😀

I totally forgot Children of the Living Dead existed lol. I do remember rushing out to Suncoast to grab this and being confused…for one thing the actor who played the zombie had gotten plastic surgery a few years before and looks almost unrecognizable, for another, the actor who played the zombie already made a sidequel about this zombie called Flesheater in the 80s, thusly rendering this intro pointless as its a revision on top of a revision. And Romero of the 2000s is not the same guy who made the original trilogy, would be like Dario Argento fresh off of Dracula 3D adding scenes to Deep Red or Suspiria to give the killers further backstory.

The priest looks like a cross between Anton LeVey and Brad Jones (aka the Cinema Snob). Yep, he was dreadful.

The fans let John Russo know: That he wasn’t Cookin with that DVD.

Yes, but have you seen Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien, Flesh Eating, Hellbound, Zombified Living Dead Part 2... in shocking 2-D? Trust me, it's a thing. And yes, it's on youtube.

Happy Fryay everyone good morning ☀️ ☕️☕️🧟‍♀️🧟

At least they knew better never to release this version of NOTLD again, the same can't be said for Star Wars unfortunately. Do they not know how much money they could make if they re-released the original theatrical versions remastered? Considering so many people, myself included, grew up watching those versions. I just don't get it.

This was my first DVD I ever bought. It was the first time I had seen the film. I remember thinking how great it looked. DVD's were so much better than VHS.

Was that preacher the guy from Biohazard? 🤣

Proudly owned this one since it's release. It get nothing but hate and I get it but.... I enjoy it as an alternate take on an all-time classic film. Do I like it better, of course not but give me a fresh perspective to see a film I love and I'll take it anyday. I even get a kick out watching the ridiculous sequel to this version CHILDREN OF THE LIVING DEAD. Love the many many versions and spin-offs NOTLD has given us. It's always mentioned how this film ruins the original and disgraced it's history but it was done for honorable reasons and the last time I checked, I can still watch the original anytime I like.

John Russo did this because NOLD is in the Public Domain, so this was an attempt to make money on a copyrighted version of the film. The only way they were able to do this in 1998 was to tack on new scenes and music.

Best change George Lucas did was getting rid of vaders brows cause in the og cut he had brows lol😂😂well he was back to being Anakin at that point

I don't know what you are talking about? I personally LOVE the 30th Anniversary Version as I feel it improves the movie with the back story, and MORE NOTLD is always good in my eyes. I highly recommend that, for those who haven't seen it, it's a great idea to spend as much as it takes to get a dvd copy of Children Of The Living Dead to go with it - it's a GREAT double feature. One of my very favourite movie nights was watching those 2 badboys back to back, followed by Day Of The Dead 2 Contagium - which I consider superior to Romero's original borefest. Fantastic horror viewing for all. Now, I have to go, nursie is here to administer my meds.........

Was the priest supposed to look like Anton LaVey?

The new footage couldn't have been more obvious had it been in color. The best way to watch it is Mystery Science Theater style with some friends and some beer. It's still only the second worst version. The colorized release takes the cake. I think Johnny and Barbara wouldn't have been caught of guard by the approaching figure in the distance seeing that Bill Hinzman was green.

Russo actually has some decent ideas when it comes to The Living Dead IP. He just never really puts it out on celluloid all that well. His books and comics are pretty good... especially "Return of the Living Dead" that eventually became the hit film franchise.

I picked this up back when it released and I was flabbergasted. That priest is beyond horrible and sticks out like a sore thumb. I actually enjoyed the soundtrack as well. Good review old pal.

My copy is signed by Debbie Rochon

They don't call this version "Night of the Living Dud" for nothing! Seriously, I think if they just added a few scenes of more zombie attacks and a few extra scenes of context it would have made a great "alternate" edition. More footage is great, especially if you already have seen the original hundreds of times. However, they COMPLETELY changed the score and rearranged scenes, even omitting some of the original footage! Fortunately, my favorite DEAD film is the EPIC Dawn of the Dead in its various versions.

Back in dvd days, Anchor Bay was considered a budget distributor. While I collected I avoided their releases. Their products were never the best quality. I mean, filmwise. The payoff was that they had the corner market on harder to find titles.

Wasn’t the whole point of the new footage was to be able to copyright the movie?

The 30th anniversary recut is pointless but it like you said, it's not standard which makes this cut kinda rare. It's because of this rarity that I'm glad I own a copy. It's unnecessary but still kinda cool just because there is new material in THE zombie movie and it'll never see the light of day again.

I have that version of notld on VHS 📼. Those extra scenes were Garbage 🗑.

I had this DVD and was so pissed after buying this. When I got it I just thought it was a remaster.

Dude...the version I have DOES NOT HAVE THE SOUNDTRACK! I agree totally,love owning it,would I watch again...no.Like my box dvd set of GUINEA PIG.

Fantastic video as usual homie