Night of the Living Dead(1990)

9/10

The movie began identically to the 1968 version, with siblings Barbara and Johnnie. The two are going to a cemetery to visit their mother, and Johnnie torments Barbara with jokes. While with the grave, the family sees a mysterious old man coming at them. This man, and another that suddenly appears are zombies. Johnnie is killed while trying to fight it off, but Barbara escapes. She finds an old abandoned house, and is attacked by multiple other zombies. To her luck, a man named Ben and her are able to fight them off. Personally, I loved how the intro was executed, because it had the same shock as the original, and was very well done.  

The rest of the movie showcases the battle that Ben, Barbara, Tom, Judy, and the Cooper family have with the zombies. In order to be successful, they have to learn to put their angers toward each other aside, and become a team. None of them know their fate, and this leaves the audience on the edge of their seats right up until the end. 

The first thing that I absolutely loved about this movie was the makeup by director Tom Savini. The zombies looked great, with realistic blood and prosthetics. I think that this was a huge improvement from the original, because rather than looking just like drunk guys, the zombies were pretty scary and neat. Savini had said before that he involved himself in this because he had never gotten to do the original, and he definitely did great justice in his dream.

The cast was all very awesome, and while some people were hard to like because of the original, some were also actually better. To start things off, Patricia Tallman was far better in the role of Barbara than Judith O'Dea. My reasoning for this is that rather than being the wimpy, annoying, stereotype of a woman, Tallman turned the character into a Sarah Connor of sorts, and she kicked so much butt. She was also much more likable than the other characters, because she helped other people; rather than just helping herself. Tony Todd was pretty great as Ben, and I have such a hard time of putting him and Ariane Jones up against each other that I will call them equal. I thought that the both of them were very tough guys in the role, but I loved how Todd gave a little bit more of a dark insanity in the end. Tom Towles was nowhere near Karl Hardman in the role of Harry Cooper. In the original, the character was definitely a jerk, but there was a subtlety to the character that made the character watchable. In the remake, Towles overplayed the character way too much, and turned him into a spazzy monster. While this worked out in the ending, he really annoyed me for the majority of the film.  I thought that McKee Anderson was a huge improvement in the remake for the character of Helen Cooper. My reason for believing this was that she added a lot more life to the character, instead of the bystander of the original. Even though the character of Karen Cooper really doesn't have any speaking lines, she was probably the most iconic character of the original. In the remake, her name was changed to Sarah, and she was not nearly as scary. Heather Mazur had better makeup effects in her favor, but she lacked the same demonic nature of Kyra Schon. I really liked William Butler as Tom in this film, because was much more likable, and a more prominent role too. Katie Finneran was also better as Judy in this one, because she had much depth to her acting. Finally, Bill Moseley as Johnnie was pretty awesome, because he was very satirical and creepy, even though he was only in the movie for about a minute. 

While this version lacks the graininess and black and white aspects, I felt that their was much more intensity and scary moments. This was because the zombies were much more threatening as the villains, and there was much more tension between the leads. I think that this was a good move, because even though the original was revolutionary with its content, this was a refreshing addition for the new times. 

The movie's ending was completely different than the original, and I thought this was a great move. The 1968 version probably has one my favorite conclusions ever, because of its shocking and merciless nature. This changed very much, because even though there was still a definite darkness and brutal nature, things weren't completely sad. One surprise character survived, and showed that they were strong enough to make it. Also in this sequence, a very sad message is portrayed when the viewer is shown zombies being lynched and tortured as the humans laugh and enjoy it. Even though the monsters definitely needed to be disposed of, they deserved some dignity because it wasn't their fault that they were this way. I was particularly disturbed by this, because it seemed like a social statement of not stooping to an equal or lower level as someone that has hurt you or your loved ones. The film then ended very respectfully, with the same grainy and psychedelic style of credits. I loved the nostalgia of this, because it showed that the filmmakers really had a love for the movie. 

Overall, I thought this was the best remake that has ever been made. Many critics and horror fans called it unnecessary, but I think it was a great shining moment of the genre. The original film has been in my top 5 for a very long time, so I was very skeptical on how much I would like this. In the end, it showed me how much this was needed. I love the original for what it was, but a modern remix was a great idea, because there were so many more resources to be used. In addition to that, I felt that many flaws of the original were even improved on. So definitely check out this movie before jumping on the bandwagon that it is dumb, because you will be very surprised, and not disappointed at all. 

Piranha(1978)

8.5/10

After "Jaws" blew the minds of audiences in 1975, the movie business jumped right on to the idea of knockoffs for extra cash. Whether it was "Orca" or one of the other titles, a lot of them got a lukewarm reception. The first one to truly be loved by critics and audiences alike was the 1978 classic "Piranha." Directed by Joe Dante, and produced by legend Roger Corman, the movie has become one of the all time cult classics. I personally liked the film a lot, because of its cool story, great gore, and awesome cast. 

The movie began with a couple named David and Barbara wandering while on vacation. They find a nice body if water, and decide to go for a swim. While doing this, they begin to feel bites. At first it is thought to be a prank, but they end up being killed by piranhas. I honestly laughed really hard at this scene, because it really showed the beginning of the "Jaws" spoofing. I thought it was a very fun intro, and it worked super well. 

The movie goes forward in time as Maggie and Paul look for the two of them. The two of them find the body of water, and decide to empty it to see if their friends are in it. While trying to do this, a man panic and attacks them. Regardless, they still get the job done, and find a skeleton. As this goes on, the crazy man from before hi-jacks their jeep, and crashes it. With the fact that this man was injured badly, the two try to find some medical help for him by journeying through the area. What they never expected was what lied in the water, and the fate that they had in the near future. 

One of the great things about this movie was its tone in direction by Joe Dante. There was a good balance between darkness, and lighthearted scenes, and it kept the viewer from boredom. Even in the most gruesome scenes, there was still a little feeling of spoofiness, so even though it is pretty gross, it doesn't make one feel horrible. I thought that Dante did this very well, as he has in other films like "The Howling," and "Gremlins."

The actual piranha attacks were surprisingly well done for the B-Movie budget. Almost a copy of the "Jaws" kills, there were multiple graphic scenes of mauling by the fish, and blood filled the water. I liked this a lot, because it was giving the horror lover their gore without being unrealistically over the top. The only complaint I could make is that after seeing a couple of the kills, then you've basically seen all of them in one form. In other words, I just wish their was some more original kills that could've shocked the audience more. 

In the aspect of acting, the movie was pretty good. There were likable members in the cast, and they gave great B-Movie cheesiness in their performances. Bradford Dillman and Heather Menzies both did very well as Paul and Maggie, because they had a great connection with each other, and they were also able to do well as individuals. It was nice to see Barbara Steele in the movie, because she is one of my favorite horror actresses ever. I thought that she gave a very cool performance, and while she wasn't as crazy as usual, she gave a different vibe that really worked. One of my favorite Joe Dante regulars was in the movie, and this was Dick Miller. Miller gave a very funny performance as usual, and served as one of the really likable people throughout the film.

The film's score was mediocre at best, because there were some awesome moments, but others that were terrible. I really liked the music before the attacks, because it was very high pressure, and kind of sounded like "Halloween." It set itself apart from "Jaws," because it didn't steal the subtlety of the latter film, and they made their own thing work. The moments I didn't like we're the mellow acoustic songs, because it gave the film a very cheesy TV-Movie type of feel.  While this aspect didn't "ruin" the film, it definitely did get mildly obnoxious at times. 

The cinematography of the movie was pretty awesome, because much like "Jaws," there were some innovative shots in the water, and they gave a whole different perspective on what was happening. There were sometimes where the camera would come up from under the person, almost like the piranhas were in reality. I thought this gave a cool first-person view from the fish.  One of the overall coolest frames was when a piranha attacked one of the scuba divers. In this scene, the camera looked straight at the person's face, and the camera got closer and closer to simulate the killer fish. It was a very effective moment in my opinion, and helped the film be more technically masterful. 

About 20 minutes until the end of the movie, things become insane! The piranhas go wild, and eat every person that they can get a hold of. This is a bloody, intense, and awesome scene, and it caught me by surprise. On the other side of the story, Paul and Maggie are trying to escape, and they find an abandoned building. Paul decides to go into the water, and sneak through the bottom entrance. The ending that came in the near future had me quite shocked, and I liked it a lot for its over the top nature.

"Piranha" was a very fun, shocking, and well made movie of the 1970's. It had all of the elements needed for a horror movie, and I definitely recommend it to fans of the genre. The film was definitely better than Dante's other classic "The Howling," and it is much easier to follow. Definitely give this film a watch, because you will not be disappointed.  

Introducing Horror to Family

Today I felt in the mood to show my brothers a good horror movie. I have shown one of them "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and "Alien" before, but the other is too young for any of those. I decided to find something tame to start him off, and I picked the 1958 classic "Horror of Dracula." I hope that on this day, he will start to get a growing appreciation for the genre, because it will be really fun. 

Silence of the Lambs

10/10

"If Catherine lives, will the lambs stop screaming?"- Hannibal Lecter...

In 1991, cinema history was changed forever with a film so disturbing, and so iconic that the horror genre got a whole different mold, and the name Hannibal Lecter became a household name. "Silence of the Lambs" is a movie based off the 1988 novel of the same name.  It has been lauded by both critics and audiences since right after its release, and is still known as one of the best movies ever. I personally love it too, for its unique portrayal of scares, it's realism, and the amazing cast. 

The movie begins at a training camp for the FBI, and we see Clarice Starling running in the woods. She is then brought aside by her leader, and is told that she has her first assignment; an interview with Hannibal Lecter. According to Crawford, Hannibal is a former psychiatrist that was out away in the asylum because of his cannibalism and insanity. The reason they need Clarice to try to talk to him is that he won't cooperate with anyone else. During the interview, Clarice begins to ask Hannibal about Buffalo Bill; a serial killer that takes the skin off of his female victims. He doesn't exactly take this well, and sends her off without letting her do the test she needed. The one thing that he does do to help is give her a lead to one of his old patients so she can talk to her. This beginning was quite brilliant, because the viewer really gets to know the characters somewhat, and it was very suspenseful. 

On the journey to find Moffatt, Clarice goes to an old storage facility that is allegedly hers. In this place, many strange objects are found, including mannequins, and an abandoned car. Much to her surprise, this person is fake, and the garage was rented by Hannibal. This was revealed when a head of a man in heavy makeup is seen. Hannibal tells her that this man was a patient of his, and a cross dresser. Benjamin had been murdered, but not by Hannibal. Lecter then offers a psychological examination of Buffalo Bill, on the condition that Clarice gets her moved. Times get desperate as more another murder took place, and they grant the offer to Hannibal. In the rest of the movie, the journey to catch Buffalo Bill heightens, as he strikes again with a woman. Will they be able to save her? Or will it be too late. 

"Silence of the Lambs" has a lot of amazing things about it, but the most striking quality in its favor was how gritty and realistic it was.  Every scene had this, and it made me feel like I was actually there. This worked very well, because it made me more engaged, and I cared for the characters more. One of the scenes(without giving away spoilers to a more important scene) that show this well is the autopsy. In it, you can almost smell the dead body because of how bad it reeked for the officers, and you can feel the pain and anguish that Clarice goes through as she analyzes what happened. The way that these scenes played with the sense was just brilliant, because it gave a whole dimension of viewing, and is why the movie is still considered one of the best ever. 

The next amazing part of the film(that won two Oscars) was the casting. To begin with, Jodie Foster gave a very strong and likable performance as Clarice. Watching her, you could tell that she had at least some connection to the character, because her emotions were on point, and she molded into a whole different person. She was a perfect person too, because she is tougher in real life, and that was the absolute essential for the character. Her Oscar was definitely deserved, because you could tell that she put every drop of sweat, blood, and tears into the portrayal. The other Academy Award winner was Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal. Hopkins did such a perfect job, because he really let himself become the psychopath, and he had the ability of going from a kind man to a complete monster. His delivery of lines was absolutely flawless too, as he gave a feeling of brilliance in every word. The last reason why he was awesome as the deathly look he could give with his eyes, because it was extremely terrifying, and has become a staple to the film's possibility since. One of the most underrated actors in the film for me was Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill. His performance as the killer was the scariest of the film, because he had such a mocking way about him to torture the souls of his victim. It was really neat how you could see Levine convey the pain that Bill had from his past abuse from others, especially in the scene where his dog "Precious" was injured. He really showed that this elevated the insanity even more, and it was heartbreaking to watch. Scott Glenn was pretty good in the role of Crawford, because he made sure that he gave a likable feel to the character, yet could also be stern too. I thought that Brooke Smith was pretty great as Catherine, because even though she was the victim, Smith made it hard to feel sympathy for her, because of her horrible personality. I thought this was a smart twist to the typical storyline, because even though we want her to live, no one truly loves the character. 

 Surprisingly, this film was barely violent at all(except two scenes with blood).  Regardless, this movie has different ways of being scary. The first is a true suspense of not knowing what is going to happen. Right up until the end, there is the potential of danger in every character's life, and it really does get freaky. The next thing is just simply the subject matter. Even though none of these things are shown on screen, the ideas of cannibalism, skinning, and insanity give a much tenser feel, and almost a smidgen of disgust. This wasn't my first viewing of the movie, and honestly it gets more intense every time. 

The climax was pretty amazing in my opinion, as time grew shorter for saving Catherine. Things become very high-octane, and the final result is not expectable at all. The best part of the last twenty minutes is the night-vision goggle scene, which like the closet part in "Halloween" has gone down in history as one of the best horror moments ever. The ending itself was shocking in its own way too, because it leaves the viewer with a very dark foreshadowing of the future. I thought that while it was simple, it was 100% appropriate for the storyline. 

Overall, "Silence of the Lambs" is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It is extremely intense, well acted, and masterfully made. It deserved every Oscar it got, and maybe even deserved more. Every fan of cinema needs to see this film, because it is one of the greatest installments in the psychological horror genre. 

The Last Dinner: A Short Film

8/10

This morning, I was contacted by a writer/director named Steve Lanthripp to watch his short film called "The Last Dinner." I had never heard about the clip before and had no pre-judgement about how it would be. In the end, I was completely shocked by it for its morbid sense of humor.

The video starts with a man named Johnathan breaking up with his girlfriend Tina. Tina immediately demands an explanation from him, and he gives the whole "you're not the same person you were when I met you, because you were full of life then" story. The girl becomes very mad and asks if there is someone else.  What is revealed in the next few minutes was a twist shocking enough to make one's head spin.

The short was all around great, with awesome acting, great writing, impressive editing, and an amazing sense of macabre humor. I honestly didn't know how to react the first time I watched the movie, but on the second viewing it sinked in, and I laughed very hard. It had the feel of "Creepshow" and "Tales of the Crypt," in the way that you get a whole bunch of meaning out of one small clip. I honestly would love to see it be put in a compilation of clips, because it would do very well. I can't wait to see more work by Lanthripp, because his skills are quite plentiful, and I see a bright future ahead for him. 

Link for Movie

The Howling

7/10 

In 1981, "The Howling" was released. The movie was from director Joe Dante, and starred a superb cast.  Ever since its release, this movie has been one of the most famous in the horror genre.  I thought the movie was fun for its climax and related scenes, but also saw multiple flaws too. 

The movie begins during a news show, where anchor Karen White. White is currently scared, because she is being stalked by a serial killer.  She decides to help the police out by going to see this man named Eddie in an adult theater. While there, Eddie tries to assault her, and he is killed by the police. After this event, Karen gets amnesia, and is also very scarred. As a form of treatment, her therapist sends her and her husband Bill off to an area called "The Colony."  This beginning was quite good, because it had a shady nature, and it develops the characters well; especially Karen.

After the arrival to their destination, the couple meet a lot of strange people at the resort. There is Erle, whom is a troubled old man that attempts to kill himself in the fire all the time. There is also a girl named Marsha, whom is a beautiful yet bizarre girl that tries to make advances on Bill. Being he is faithful man to his wife, Bill turns her down multiple times.  One time after leaving Marsha's house, Bill is attacked by a werewolf, and after this, a whole chain of terrors begin, until the climax of a lifetime....

The first thing that I loved about this movie was its cast. Dee Wallace was superb as Karen, because she was tough and lovable, and strikingly beautiful in all ways possible. She gave the character the edge that it needed, and in my opinion completed her best performance ever. Christopher Stone did a fair job as Karen's husband Bill, because he had a hard way about him, which eventually became an uncontrollable monstrosity in himself. Dennis Dugan really excelled as Chris, because he had the right amount of internal strength in his performance that the viewer could believe that he would complete the actions he did. Elisabeth Brooks was pretty awesome as Marsha, because she had such a bizarre and seductive way about her, and she ended up playing the evil role very convincingly. The last standout of the movie was Belinda Balaski as Terri, because her scenes where she was in danger were so realistically portrayed that I cringed from her screams. She honestly knew everything that was needed to be done to seem freaked out, and made some of the most memorable scenes of the movie. 

I thought that the special effects had their good and bad moments throughout the film. The scenes where puppetry and costumes were used were pretty awesome, because the wolves looked very inhumane and freaky. On the other hand, the brief scene of animation for the wolves was absolutely terrible, and one of the cheesiest things I have ever seen. The smoke used throughout the film was a nice touch, because it gave an eerie feeling to the whole movie, and was very well executed. The gore effects were also very nice, because the blood looked real, and wasn't too excessive. The one other bad special effect was a couple of the transformation scenes, because they went way too long. What was meant to be scary with this ended up being goofy and almost boring, because there was close to a minute of watching the human turn into a wolf. This didn't effect my opinion of the movie too much, but at the moment it was happening I was pretty annoyed. 

I thought that while certain moments of the film got slow, there was still a grittiness that kept it watchable. Seeing the realistic portrayal of these simple people of "The Colony" was nice, because instead of just hearing dialogue from them, the viewer also gets to see their customs in life, and their interactions with outsiders. 

The climax of the movie was so much different than I expected, and it really kicked butt. It was brutal, suspenseful, and at times completely terrifying. This last twenty-twenty five minutes amped the movie up way higher than before, and it may be one of the greatest scenes ever. The ending itself was also very crazy, because it was a sad idea, yet there is something humorous about it in a way. 

Overall, this movie was not the best I've ever seen, but it was still very good. There were some truly fun moments, and a great cast. I think that certain aspects like the special effects needed more effort, but looking past them opens to the doors to a werewolp film with lots of bite.  

Creepshow

10/10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When George Romero and Stephen King team up, one could expect something pretty cool. In 1982, this miracle actually took place, leading to the creation of "Creepshow."  The final product was something better than I could've ever imagined. It was a film of humor, and horrors that only a genius could imagine.  Being the "Heavy Metal" of live action, it is an anthology movie, and definitely the best of them all. 

The movie begins on a dark and stormy night. A young boy named Billy is seen being disciplined harshly by his father for having a horror comic book called "Creepshow." The boy is very upset by this, because the horror genre is very much his love. As he looks out the window, a ghoul looks right at him, and the opening credits begin. Personally, I thought this was great, because I can connect with Billy's passion for horror, and one feels a lot of sympathy for him. The intro credits were also awesome, because of the snazzy animation, and spooky music. 

The rest of the film is an anthology that includes five horror stories with black comedy. It is meant to go through the very comic book that Billy's father threw away, and the stories were all either written for the movie, or adaptations of Stephen King's short stories.  I thought this was very cool, because it saved us from being bored by one plot the whole time, and gave a 5 in 1 deal. 

1. Father's Day: I thought that "Father's Day" was a very good story, because it gave a lot of good horror moments, while also being hilarious because of its morbid elements. It basically tells the story of a man rising from the dead getting revenge on his family for not giving them his cake. This plot sounds absurd, but honestly that makes it all the better. I really thought that the cast was pretty great in this number, with Ed Harris giving a cool and sarcastic performance as Hank, and Elizabeth Regan being the other standout with her unmistakable sass as Hank's wife Cass.  The ending to this short was also absolutely crazy, and everything one would expect with King's disturbing supernatural narrative. 

2: The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill: Fast paced, bizarre, and much funnier than "Father's Day," "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill kicked the sophomore slump right in the butt. It tells the story of a simple man named Jordy Verrill, whom finds a meteor in his field.  Making a very bad decision, Jordy touches the space rock, and begins to get lumps on his fingers. These small marks turn into green patches of weeds, and they spread onto everything he touches.  This story was absolutely hilarious for a few great reasons. The first was Stephen King's performance of the lead.  I never really thought of his acting skills before, but this really showed the depth of his talents. He gave such a goofy and over the top performance, while still staying appropriate for the story.  I could almost call his portrayal a crossover between Jim Carrey and Jack Nicholson.  The faces he made were priceless, and he gave such a satirically perfect performance as a hillbilly. The next thing that made this story hilarious were the dream sequences. Even though they were dark in nature, there was such a light hearted and macabre way about them that I was laughing so hard.  The ending of the story was also potentially sad in a lot of ways, but it was handled well to the point that I could still laugh. Overall this story really gave me even more interest for the film, and I was thoroughly impressed. 

3. Something to Tide You Over: This third installment in the anthology was one of the darker(if not the darkest) of the bunch. Obviously being influenced by the works of Poe, "Something to Tide You Over" tells the story of a man named Richard, whom decides to get revenge on his wife and her lover Harry.  He forces them to bury themselves on the beach with sand, and they have to withstand the tortures of the tides.  While Richard thinks he will get away with this, there is an event to later take place that he would have never expected. I thought it was an interesting move to have the two funniest people in the whole movie(Ted Danson and Leslie Nielsen) be in the least comical story of the movie. Luckily, both of them have incredible depth in their acting, and they pulled it off to the max.  Nielsen's evil side was actually terrifying in my opinion, because instead of being his bumbling self, he took his wit to portray a character that was sadistic beyond all belief. The ending of this chapter was particularly insane, and it ended on a humongous laugh showing how bad Richard messed up. At this point of the movie, this story was second to the previous one. 

4. The Crate: The next story takes a turn even further into darkness with a tale of lying, sabotage, and death. Henry Northup is a man unhappy with his marriage. He is controlled, and not even loved by his wife, who seems to only want him for his money.  His friend Dexter is just about the only person who keeps him sane, yet he still fantasizes of killing Wilma(Billie) all the time.  Dexter has recently been informed by a janitor named Michael at the college that he teaches at that there is a mysterious crate from an expedition in the 1930's.  The two men go to check it out at night, and it ends up holding a murderous creature.  Completely shocked by this revelation, Dexter runs to Henry for help. Northup decides to go to the college to check things out, and when he sees what has happened he thinks of a plan that will affect the lives of many.  Honestly, this was my favorite story in the whole film. It was gorier than all of the others, and it was also the funniest in my opinion. It had such a macabre sense of humor, and I was honestly laughing most of the time. The cast in this one was also pretty awesome, with Hal Holbrook as the unhappy husband Henry, the notorious beauty of the era Adrienne Barbeau as Billie, and Fritz Weaver giving a paranoid and emotional performance as Dexter. The thing that really set this chapter apart from the others was the attack scenes with the monster; now credited as "Fluffy." The puppetry for this character was actually the main reason I watched this movie, because the details of the body and movements were so intricate, and it was some of the best work in the field I have seen since "The Muppets."  The last quarter of this one was pretty mindblowing, because the insanity really flows, and even though the ending was somewhat predictable, it still had an ounce of suspense left in it. 

5. They're Creeping Up On You:  The final story in this amazing anthology is a tale of karma. Upson Pratt is the scum of the earth.  He shows no kindness to people at all, and he is just plain unhappy. This man is also a huge germaphobic, and he freaks out when he starts to see roaches in his house. Calling for help immediately, he hopes this can be fixed. To his bad luck, people don't come quick enough, and the house begins to swarm. Will he be able to make it? Or is this his horrifying end?  I thought that this was the second best of all the parts in the movie, because it was so well done. E.G. Marshall gave a perfect performance as who may be the meanest man on the earth.  The sight of his insanity that he creates from the isolation is priceless, and I thought that this was one of the darkest chapters. The ending scene was absolute shocking in my opinion, and it stands to be one of the greatest clips of horror history. 

I thought it was very neat how the film followed comic book format of its inspiration. There were so many cool touches to add to this, including pauses with banners shooting to the screen in scenes of fear, funny sound effects, and the color schemes; especially during the attack scenes of "The Crate." I also loved how after each story, a page in the comic flipped to the next one.  The animations for the book were absolutely beautiful, and they were so intricate that there ended up being a graphic novel in the future.  All of these factors really reminded me of a classic cartoon movie called "Heavy Metal," because they followed the same formula in a different format. 

Another great thing about the film was the special effects.  Tom Savini did a beautiful job with the gore and makeup, because everything looked so natural, and it was nasty and detailed.  The puppetry work throughout the film was also pretty awesome, and it including movie skeletons, ghosts, and the iconic "Fluffy."  I think that while they all could be construed as cheesy now, it was such a great artistic achievement, and I love them dearly. 

The ending of the movie brings us back to Billy's house again. The garbage men find the comic book, and take it home in fascination.  Then to our surprise, Billy does something that blew my mind immensely. I thought that the ending was so morbid, and so unexpected that it completely lived up to every story from before. 

It is very rare that I feel the way I did after watching this movie. I was so full of awe, because this film was a true masterpiece. It was sharper than a knife, it made me laugh like crazy, and it had some truly amazing scenes of horror. The acting was superb, and the writing/special effects were just top notch. I definitely see this as my favorite Romero film, and probably my second favorite Stephen King movie(behind "The Shining").  I definitely recommend it to all fans of the genre, because it is probably one of the all time  best, and it will be the most fun horror experience of your entire life.