I’m probably going to stand alone here, but I’m a bit disappointed with the idea of taking existing movies and converting them or updating/upgrading them just to appeal to a new audience. Take Star Wars for example. The first three movies (by which I mean the original trio which were produced first, not the prequels which chronologically take place first) were excellent films. There was no need to alter them to bring them in line with some all-powerful vision. Lucas has also talked about transforming the movies into 3-D, and I’m uninterested in that as well. I loved the movies as they were originally produced, flaws and all.
The same holds true for the original Night of the Living Dead, a movie that has already been altered and adjusted more times than necessary (not to mention being remade as well). The original black and white version is terrifying just based on the concept - the stark reality of the zombies, the plain presentation, and the shocking ending that doesn’t gain anything through altering the film into a colored format. Regardless of the manipulation that has already come, colorizing the classic, it’s getting ready for another transformation into 3-D.
3-D Movies blog, Marketsaw, got the chance to talk with Greg Passmore of Passmore Lab, who is handling Night of the Living Dead’s conversion. Passmore talks a little bit about what challenges his company is facing in altering the movie, and what the current distribution plans are (limited theatrical run with the primary focus being home video). It’s a really good interview, but nowhere in there does it sell me on this being a good idea. In fact, I have to worry that putting Night of the Living Dead through another transformation will wind up diluting what made the movie so good in the first place.
Check out the interview over at Marketsaw 3-D and let us know what you think. Is a 3-D edition of this horror classic a good idea, or something for fans to get upset about?
