Stephen Kinghas shared what he thinks is the scariest movie, and this classic horror movie boosted a specific genre, but not its biggest and most defining trend. In addition to writing some of the most terrifying stories in the horror genre, Stephen King has now also become known for sharing his thoughts on horror movies on social media. The seal of approval of the King of Horror is now awaited by horror fans, and King has now shared what, to him, is the scariest horror movie of all time.
In an essay forVariety, King shared his thoughts and feelings on some classic horror movies and the ones that have scared him the most.King explains that he thinks the “scariest” moviewill vary according to the viewer’s age, as when he was 16, it wasThe Haunting, but as an adult,The Blair Witch Projecttook the spot. However, King concludes thatthe scariest horror movie is George A. Romero’s “low-budget masterpiece”Night of the Living Dead, which was key to the development of the zombie genre – except for its biggest trend.
Night Of The Living Deadwas directed by George A. Romero and co-written by him and John Russo, and it takes viewers to Pennsylvania, wherereanimated, flesh-eating corpses begin to attack the livingand turn them into creatures like themselves.Night Of The Living Deadfollows Barbra (Judith O’Dea) and Ben (Duane Jones), who take refuge in a farmhouse where they come across Harry (Karl Hardman) and his wife Helen Cooper (Marilyn Eastman), along with their daughter Karen (Kyra Schon), Tom (Keith Wayne), and his girlfriend Judy (Judith Riley), with whom they do their best to stay safe.
Night Of The Living Deadis one of the most influential movies ever, andit’s credited with popularizing the modern portrayal of zombiesand boosting this subgenre. Many elements seen in Romero’s “ghouls” are still used in modern movies and TV shows about zombies, but it didn’t boost the biggest trend: calling them “zombies”. The word “zombie” is never mentioned inNight Of The Living Dead, and, instead,the creatures are referred to as “ghouls.”
The term “zombie” was later used by fans and critics to refer to these flesh-eating creatures.
Romero opted to name his creatures “ghouls” as he saw these flesh-eating characters as something new and different from “zombies” (viaMonsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie). The term “zombie” was later used by fans and critics to refer to these flesh-eating creatures, and it was retroactively applied to the movie after Romero’s “ghouls” became the basis for modern zombies.
Zombies Were Different Before Night Of The Living Dead
The movie considered the first feature-length zombie movie is 1932’sWhite Zombie, starring Bela Lugosi.White Zombieis based on the 1929 novelThe Magic Island, by William Seabrook, who was inspired by a voodoo priestess he met. Back then,the concept of “zombie” came from Haitian folklore, where a bokor (Vodou priest or priestess) could reanimate a corpse into an insensate slave.White Zombiemixed this with racial and postcolonial anxieties, butRomero’s ghouls broke the concept of “voodoo zombies.”
This 56-Year-Old Horror Movie Created The Zombie Rule Everyone Still Follows
Nearly every zombie-centric movie, TV show, and video game religiously follows one rule, which was first introduced by a 56-year-old horror movie.
The ghouls aren’t controlled by a human nor are they brought back through the works of a human, and instead,the ghouls are reanimated as a result of radiationfrom a space explosion. Of course, zombies have gone through changes and additions sinceNight of the Living Deadcame out, but the genre wouldn’t be the same without Romero’s ghouls, their origin, and their many characteristics.
Source:Monsters and Mad Scientists: A Cultural History of the Horror Movie.
Night of the Living Dead
George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead did more than just invent the modern zombie, it revolutionized the horror genre. Following a small group of humans who hide in a secluded farmhouse when the dead begin to rise and crave human flesh, Night of the Living Dead examines the relationship between humanity and paranoia in times of crisis.
