Just in time for Halloween, Jackpot Records has a double-scoop of zombie goodness lined up for Portland's horror enthusiasts. For two nights, they're taking over McMenamins Bagdad Theater to host screenings of George Romero's 1968 undead classic Night of the Living Dead and Dan O'Bannon's much sillier (but still totally awesome) 1985 flick The Return of the Living Dead.
Romero's singular masterpiece is the more unimpeachable of the two, but O'Bannon, best known for his work as a screenwriter on Dark Star and Alien, made a considerable dent in the shape of horror-comedy with Return, marrying punk rock culture with flesh-eating fun for a cult-ready concoction that felt really fresh at the time of its release.
And speaking of releases, here's what the good folks at Jackpot have to say about the event via their press release:
George Romero's Night Of The Living Dead brought Zombie culture to the forefront of horror, and Dan O'Bannon helped keep it alive (or undead) by continuing on with Return Of The Living Dead. While the two films are only loosely connected, you can't deny the importance of their impact on the horror movie and Zombie scene.
Night Of The Living Dead (starts at 8:00)
Filmed in 1968 NOTLD was ahead of it's time. Focusing on both Zombies and the horrors of the human mind, Romero added a whole new level of fear to the Undead with this, the first is a series of many classic Zombie films, that have delighted and horrified the world over.
Brief intermission with Q/A from Zombie expert and Zombease.com crew member.
Return Of The Living Dead (starts at 10:00)
A flop upon its original release, despite an amazing soundtrack, re-invention of the undead, and great one-liners; Return Of The Living Dead was bound to become a cult classic, and that's exactly what it did. Now a favorite among Zombie lovers world-wide, ROTLD has earned it's place among the greats.
Jackpot Records' double feature presentation of Night of the Living Dead & Return of the Living Dead happens at the Bagdad Theater on Thursday, October 25th & Friday, October 26th at 8pm. More info available here.
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