31 Days of
Drafts and Darkness: VOL 2!
"Birth of the Living Dead" (2013)
Tonight's feature sounds like it belongs right alongside
"Night of the Living Dead", "Dawn of the Dead", and
"Day of the Dead". And it does. Sort of.
"Birth of the Living Dead" isn't really a zombie
movie. It's a movie about the making of the most influential
zombie film of all time. And the man behind it all. At the age of 27, George
Romero set out to film a low-budget horror film with a group of friends and
zero studio support. No one on set was ever sure if the film would be finished,
much less screened to an audience.
Even when "Night of the Living Dead" made it to
theaters, it still had a way to go before being considered a horror classic.
Today, we see the film as the groundbreaker that it was, defying all previous horror movie standards and challenging social issues.
But in the 60's and 70's, "Night" had to fight for
recognition. This is that story, how one of the most famous horror films of all
time started out as an underdog.
The Plot:
Fun little piece of starting trivia: before directing
"Night", George Romero and his small film company worked on short
films for "Mister Roger's Neighborhood". Quite the leap from the
grisly tales he'd come to be famous for. Seeking to branch out, Romero's first
attempt at Hollywood fame ventured far off of zombie territory. Rejected
by studios, his screenplay prior to "Night" was an arthouse film.
The idea to try again with a horror movie was an attempt to take a more
mainstream second chance.
Ironic, seeing as nothing about "Night of the Living
Dead" was mainstream at the time of its release. But we'll get to that in
a bit.
Renting out a small farmhouse in Pittsburgh, Romero and his
crew pooled every resource they could and began filming. Much of the cast and
crew lived in the farmhouse during shooting. Actually, much of the cast was the crew, with some of the principle
actors also doing the makeup work and producing. Many of the film's zombies
were investors, friends, and local townsfolk. Pretty much everything was
improvised, but Pittsburgh residents were proud to have a movie shooting in
their backyard, so they came out in droves to help.
Romero was no big-wig studio guy. This was a young director
with nothing but heart. "Night" was an independent film shot not for
profit, but out of passion.
While the movie's being made, we're taken through a
tour of history. With the Vietnam War and Civil Rights
Movement in full-swing, much of the commentary laced throughout
"Night" directly addressed the time. The film had a bleak attitude,
one of confusion, where there were no simple answers or explanations, and the
government was largely ineffectual. It's central hero, the only one to survive
the zombie horde, is African American. His death comes not at the hands of the
undead, but rather trigger-happy vigilantes. Though chocked full of
zombies, the film wasn't about zombies.
Once the film is released, we're taken through the extensive
story of how it gained recognition. Forced to play alongside exploitation
features for years, "Night of the Living Dead" only began to gain
acclaim once younger generations and European audiences started watching.
The Flavor:
It's astounding when you think about it. "Night of the
Living Dead" is a horror staple, a film that changed the nature of scary movies. But it took years for anyone to praise the film. Prior
to "Night", horror films were more traditional, more
straight-forward. Insert monster, add explanation behind monster, have heroes
figure out strategy to save the day. "Night of the Living Dead" had
none of that structure. We're never given a good reason for the zombies to have
arrived. One day, they're just there, attacking us, and we've no choice but to
drop everything and respond.
The sense of helplessness and confusion that permeates
"Night" is what makes it so scary. One or two zombies isn't much of a
threat. But the idea of a world overrun, devoid of hope? That's pretty damn
frightening.
The film's shock value likely landed it alongside exploitation
films when it got to theaters. Though violent, "Night" isn't so much
about parading gore in your face as it is making a statement. Most of the bloodshed is presented in a straightforward, quiet way. The almost
casual approach to how the zombies consume flesh is disturbing not because its
dramatic, but because it feels real. That was the
tone "Night" hit.
Most interesting to me was the reception of the film. So
quickly dismissed by American critics, those most intrigued were younger
viewers and critics in Europe. For young Americans, "Night" was an
angry voice decrying the fractured state of American society. All the unrest
was represented on screen, with no simple solution to the conflict. The film's African American hero is shown to be far more capable
and wise than the rest of the white cast. Everyone else perishes from the
undead, but his demise comes only at the hands of human ignorance. The armed forces that come to 'save the day' mistake him for a zombie and shoot. They blindly go about their work, ignorant to the survivors around them
The messages were blunt, cold, and hit heavy. European
critics caught these messages. American critics saw only blood and guts. Naturally, once Europe began claiming the film as
brilliant, our flock of critics took note.
George Romero influenced countless films and filmmakers
through his masterpiece. In the years that followed, his "Dawn of the
Dead" would continue to skewer social flaws. All through the rotting hands
of the zombies we love so much.
Best Paired with:
Anyone with even a passing interest in scary movies and/or
filmmaking needs to check out "Birth of the Living Dead". It's a true
underdog story. A tale of how one small group of passionate filmmakers started
out with nothing and changed the world of horror. Topical even to this day,
"Night" delves deeply into social, political, racial, and class
tensions. "Birth of the Living Dead" explores each of those topics in
sharp detail.
Accompanying Brew:
Taking tonight's film into account, let's go with a brew that's refined. And like "Night", it only gets better with age.
Brewery: Compilation brew between Sierra Nevada and Boulevard Brewing
Where Brewed: Kansas City,
Missouri
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Barrel-aged Ale
Color: A very dark,
almost molasses-like shade of brown. It has the similar deep ruby shade as a
porter.
Aroma: Two main scent profiles are at play here. First,
there's a tangy, slightly sour smell. This almost comes off exactly like a sour
ale and has some zest to it. There's a sharpness to the tang that gives it
dimension. Later, the whiskey character arrives on the nose.
It's woody and sharply-boozy quality joins up with the tart scent to create
something complex and unique.
Taste: Wow, there are
three very distinct flavor profiles that arrive in succession during
each sip. Initially, the ale gives off a nice malty
flavor. This taste is amplified by some of the sharp sweetness from the
alcohol. Next, as the beer hits the center of your tongue, the tart qualities
of the yeast appear. This new flavor overtakes the malt sweetness and claims the beer all for itself. Finally, later into each taste, the
presence of whiskey makes itself known. No denying that this ale was barrel
aged, as the final two flavors to arrive are 1.) An incredibly pleasant oak
taste, very much a whiskey characteristic, and 2.) A bit of alcohol bite at the
very end. That's a lot going on, but it's all very delicious.
Aftertaste: The later two flavors - that of the tart yeast and whiskey - remain into the aftertaste. The tartness fades first,
though gradually. Over time, you become more and more aware of the whiskey
notes and the sour flavors fade into the background.
Body: Velvety and smooth, Terra Incognita has a
mouth-coating sort of quality to it. Perhaps that's from the 3-month aging
process? In any case, this is a brew to be sipped slowly and savored.
Pair: If you've a warm fireplace to sit in front of, that's
all you need to go along with this delicate brew. It's complex enough that I
want to recommend a taste all by itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment