George A. Romero Between Night & Dawn on Blu-ray and DVD
Rareties from the archive
When George A. Romero passed away in July, the film world didn’t just lose its beloved 'King of Zombies', but also a groundbreaking and fearless innovator who inspired not only generations of genre directors, but also experimental and guerilla filmmakers for whom he laid down the template.
The three films collected in this box set - two early Seventies 'lost films' and a classic plague panic thriller - show there's more to the legendary director than simply gut-munching ghouls. The comedy romance There's Always Vanilla, psychological thriller Season of the Witch, and infection horror The Crazies - all filmed in and around Pittsburgh - serve to display the broader thematic concerns and auteurist leanings of a skilled craftsman too often pigeonholed within the genre; that said, The Crazies is one of his strongest horror offerings, with memorable performances from Lynn Lowry and Richard Liberty.
Romero managed to inject his films with subtle social allegories, nuanced examinations of the human condition, and just the right amount of black humour, so that they were immediately recognisable as his and his alone. The box set showcases the director feeling his way towards the mainstream and showing a formidable assurance in three very distinct genres.
