Document Of The Dead

The lion's share of this dual documentary is given over to an in-depth study of horror director George Romero's earlier films: Night of the Living Dead, Martin, and, in particular, Dawn of the Dead. A short, 15 minute epilogue, shot earlier this year, finds Romero a little grayer, but still mining the horror vein, as he works on the film Two Evil Eyes. The brainchild of Roy Frumkes, one of the Dawn of the Dead zombies, the film opens with some clips of Romero's work, followed by interviews with Romero, and other members of the Dead team, about the difficulties of shooting an independent film in a Pittsburgh mall. In sequence, viewers are given an inside look at the pre-production, filming, post-production, and distribution of an independently made feature while also gaining insight into the way Romero's films work on audiences through generous clips with voiceover narration. One facet that's likely to appeal to horror fans is an interview with makeup artist Tom Savini, who is shown (in a high-speed photography sequence) applying the complicated makeup for a zombie. Though not for the queasy, Document of the Dead will certainly be appreciated by film buffs and fans of the horror genre, in general. Recommended. (Available from most distributors.)