I have decided to do a blog post on Georgey boy as I am planning on one of my first few slides to be a little bit of back ground knowledge into this legendary film maker.
So I thought id do a post her first so that I can get even more familiar with him and allow me to be more confident with my verbal-ness part of the presentation.
Born in New York on the 4th of February 1940 and attended a university in Pittsburgh and after graduating in 1960 he started a small time job shotting short films and commercials. After a while and numerous commercials later George and several friends got together and founded Image Ten Productions in the late 60s in which they all chipped in around 10 thousand dollars in order to create what would go onto become one of the horror genres classical films whilst simultaneously kick start the zombie horror sub-genre. But unfortunately due to a copyright problem Image Ten lost the rights to the film and subsequently lost out on much of films earnings as it turned public domain.
After Night in the 70s Romero left Image Ten and made a string of more horror films draped in his signature subtle social commentary. although none of them were as popular as Night. But in 1978 Romero returned to the zombie genre with Dawn. Dawn went on to be a massive success commercially and in the cult film circuit and earned 55 million dollars worldwide. Not bad for a zombie film huh? It also marked the start of a relationship between George and Tom Savini, one of the businesses finest make up artists.
Sadly the dawn of the 80s led to the down fall of Romero's career. His next Dead film, Day was set to be a zombie epic but didnt quite hit the mark due to budget reasons and it did not take in as much at the box-office either. After about 15 years of no film making he returned to the zombie horror genre with Land, which was frankly terrible. His most recent Dead film Diary wasn't exactly ground breaking either. But hey-ho thats how things go.
The majority of Romero's films are all filmed where he grew up in Pittsburgh with many other familiar trade marks to his films such as his widely regarded social commentary and often features radio or television news broadcasts playing in the background of his films, usually to signify the role the media has during his films. Other trademarks also include Romero's casting of African-Americans in hero role, subverting race stereotypes in film of the black characters dying off early. Also like many other great directors (ala Hitchcock) Romero is also prone to cameos in his films and can be easily distinguished via his outfit containing some form of plaid. Dudes got style.
I will be making a proper start to my slide show this week now as I feel I have ample knowledge of my auteur and the slide show is slowly panning out in my mind as I type. Also I now have a decent usb :D
As I knew I would be going away for a week I wanted to get ahead of everyone else before I left so when I came back I would not be inundated with work.
Something im kind of regretting. As before I left I posted a huge post on all the social commentary in the films that I knew of. So now ive not got much to write about. So I am going to describe how I intend for my presentation to go.
First off I will introduce the director briefly with some notes on the screen and verbally fill in some gaps. I will then introduce the three focus films Night, Dawn and Day. I will use brief on screen notes to introduce them and verbally tell of others. These slides will be followed by descriptions of the social commentary with in the films which I will build upon verbally.
After I have finished the three focus films I intend to do some criticism of Romero's wok in the form of Landof the Dead and how it, well, sucked. I also might touch upon Diary of the Dead and tell of how Romero has tried new things to reinvigorate his sub-genre and whether it worked or not?
I will then go on to the films that the Dead series has influenced such as Zombi 2 and pretty much any other horror film where the cast are stuck in one place and being attacked by something evil really. Don't worry it won't be that vague during the presentation.
I will also through out be using pictures.
I will introduce the films with their posters, ala;
Also I am currently in the process of downloading youtube videos in order to implement them into my presentation. Its a case of finding the videos though,
Wikipedia (I honestly don't know what I would do with out it) defines 'social commentary' as 'the act of rebelling against a government by means of rhetorical propaganda.'
This can be done in various forms such as through literature, music, television and of course, film. It puts across a series of implicit meaning and values often of the film maker trying to show them to the public with out, well offending any one normally.
But whats that I hear you e-cry! Social commentary in zombie films, huh, yeah right next there will be hippos in my coco-pops!
Well calm your nonsense wordings as I am here to enlighten you. Films are a very interesting medium of getting across information and this is evident in many films even those that just seem like mindless gore and violence such as Ruggero Deodato's frankly horrifically gory/disturbing film Cannibal Holocaust. A film which caused much controversy on its release and mass banning and censoring for its graphic scenes. But it wasn't just a excuse to murder animals it uses graphic violence, shocking imagery, and underlying topics in anthropology to express the directors distaste for modern society and more importantly what it has become.
Romero's work is no different. A prominent feature with in my presentation is to be how and what messages Georgey displays in his films. From Night to Diary. Romero's use of social commentary in his films are part of the reason he the genre has risen from his work... almost like a zombie... huh huh see what I did there?
....
Any way. When Night was released in 1968 it received major controversy as it was the first time ever in which graphic scenes such as people eating each other was really seen by the public. This was due to there being no censorship panel back then and also partly due to Romero's confusion of the unwritten horror rule in which "you weren't allowed to see knives going in etc etc". To the ignorant that is one of the reasons in which this film is so popular. But there are many messages and values in not only the narrative but also the visual style that reflect Romero's thoughts. For instance the film is shot in a grainy black and white style, this is quoted by Romero as to "reflect the tension of the times" as a way to express the anger of the era. Romero has also stated that the zombies them self reflect the changing of cultures at the time, a new society over taking the old and how the older generation is finding it impossible to cope (evident in the two middle class characters Henry and Helen Cooper) as they are stuck in their dogmatic ways and how the fight against it can often lead to deaths, such as Harry's conflicts with Ben through out the film.
Also the media plays a part in the narrative as constantly the characters are gathered around a television in the house in which they are shacked up in and how the media has such a grip on people. It also highlights the distrust of our fellow man, do you trust the strangers you meet along the way or kill them in fear of them killing you first. This is linked to the capitalism theme within the film as the zombies represent the capitalists out to get everything they can and doing what ever they have to as the victims represent the oppressed 'others'. These cannibalistic qualities show signs of extreme possession. The faults of the people there to protect us, such as the police and the medical services. None of which come to our characters aide. The, albeit unintentional, casting of a black man in the lead role at a time of severe racial tensions just serves to increase the unsettled nature of the film and the ending which is as shocking as the dead trying to eat your liver. Black men in films usually represented the bumbling incompetent fool who would only screw things up until some white dude strolled in and shook things up. His death was not only unusual just cos he was a black character but also cos no one at the end of the film survives. The epitome of pessimism is no surviving characters in most films, suggesting that there is nothing any one can do to stop the changes in society.
10 years later and Romero released his newest zombie film Dawn of the Dead, hailed as being "Bigger, bolder and bloodier" it was more of an action thriller than a horror like Night. marked the start of a beautiful yet bloody partnership between Romero and special effects make up artist Tom Savini, what made this film stand out with Night is that all the ickyness was in colour! The film takes place in the Monroeville mall, a place formerly known for its massive social interaction and the like. Using the mall as a setting enables Romero to mock the modern consumerist way of life and a portrayal of man-kinds persistent inability to cooperate or make decisions based on logic rather than emotion in the face of danger even when theres an outside chance there face is going to be bitten off this is a consistent theme throughout the entire Dead series and highlighted in Dawn with mans longing for material items which are rendered redundant in a world over run with zombies, most notably when a large sum of money is stolen in a world where monetary value is gone. Not only does human kinds desire for material goods almost get them killed on several occasions during the film (such as when Rogers stolen jacket is grabbed by a zombie and almost results in his ass being handed to him... almost literally) it also creates an abundance of waste. The start of the film also reflects how the police force is oppressive in a raid on a apartment house of minorities which results in a futile resistance, death and eventually the 'victory' for the over whelming police force.
Although Romero has flat out stated that there is no purposeful social commentary with in Dawn it is hard to not see it to be honest. On purpose or not its there as Romero highlights how people can becomes slaves to consumerism and how the mall provides the characters with a "fools paradise". Racism is also a point here combined with consumerism as the character played by Tom Savini calls Peter 'Chocolate man' a casual insult at the time but in context it creates parallels with Peter and one of societies most thrown away goods and how the creation of chocolate focuses on the exploitation of black labour and how the consumerist goods provide some psychological protection against the situation as Peter makes the chillingly simple observation "they're us." which leads to the only female character Fran to shiver and pull up the collar of her expensive fur coat.
In 1985 Romero wanted to finish off the Dead trilogy with a zombie epic in the form of Day of the Dead which was to include a war between 'wild' zombies and conditioned 'docile' zombies. Never the less, this was not to be as studio executives cut the budget of the film and we get what we see today. As with the previous 2 films there is also a number of social commentary in this film as well in the subtley obvious Romero style. In this film Romero delivers a critique of the American military in that no matter how big or bad ass their army is it will not be able to save them from the impending bitter end. It also touches upon capitalism as Rhodes tries his damned hardest to be a dictator in the group and control everyone when all hes really looking after is himself which results in one of THE best death scenes i have ever scene [warning: BAD PUN!"!!] Romero used Day as an allegory for the America's different societies and how it is tearing apart America such as how the war between the scientists and the military eventually end in the death of them all. Day also takes not of how war changes people, in particular the military, the zombies and the scientists, and obviously changes them for the worse. In this film how ever the zombies are not to blame for the majority of the break downs, it is in fact the humans who take the role as antagonists in this film and we are even invited to sympathise with the zombies, especially with the most famous zombie in cinema, Bub.
Nom, nom nom.
As the mad scientist Dr. Logan suggests the zombies characteristics are merely imperfections in ourself as Day delves into humanities ability to seemingly want to destroy it self.
As I am focusing on the first 3 films in the Dead trilogy, the ones cited and recognised as ze best. I am using Land and Diary as they are not as good simply put. But they both have social issues such as the hieracy and class struggles with in Land even in the face of a zombie apocalypse and how the media has changed and affected news in Diary.
Wow, I really didnt intend for this post to be this long, but ah well, no such thing as too little information!
And that death scene I was talking about;
Oh yeah, its pretty graphic... graphically awesome!!
Also, who would teach a zombie to use a gun?!!?!!!
Ah well. Any way its obvious that there is social commentary in the films I am studying but regardless they are still awesome zombie films.
This blog is dedicated to my auteur project but ill most probably add in bonuses from time to time like the odd film review here or there. If i can be bothered. Which I probably wont be.
Any way new year and all and much like in media studies we have been thrown into a new area of study straight away. I have known that we would be doing an auteur project for a while and in my head I have always been adamant that it would be on Quintin Tarantino as I am an avid fan of his and know his trademarks like the back of my hand from things to extended long shots with out any cuts to his patented 'trunk shot'. First lesson in and Madam instantly nulifies my hopes and dreams and informs us we cannot do Quintin as he is 'a thief'. Obviously this ruffled a few feathers, especially mine but there is a method to her obvious madness as why do a director who people are going to be doing up and down the land. I had a back up director any way.
Introducing George A. Romero, the Zombie king. An influential auteur most known for his infamous 'Dead' series. I have chosen Georgey boy as I am heavily interested in his field of work, most notably the zombie genre. I also love his films due to their sheer ridiculousness. But more on that in further posts :)
For this area of work I would like to study how George comes across as an auteur due to his many director trademarks and films themes. I will focus on his films visual style and content, the production context and how he highlights particular social issues and the messages and values with in them and his critical acclaim and influence on other film makers, most notably of the horror genre.
So for a hypothesis I am looking to ask;
'Did Romero define the zombie sub-genre through his style of film making?'
And i shall implement all the things in that paragraph up there ^^
For primary research I shall watch his films, most notably those of his famous 'Dead' series from 'Night' to 'Diary' and textually analyse them to pick out aspects of Romero's auteris....m.
I will also watch other films that branch off into the zombie genre and how they are alike his 'Dead' films, films such as 'The Evil Dead'. I will also watch interviews with him to find out what he is like as a person. For secondary research I will read reviews of the films in question.
So far so good, I have been watching more and more zombie related films and reading zombie related literacy. I also have found many articles related to him.
I will further update this blog as more information and research comes to light.
