A bit of a non-news but...
George A. Romero‘s seminal film, Night of the Living Dead, is getting a US Blu-ray release for the first time ever* on October 3rd from Mill Creek in celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary. This release doesn’t come as a huge surprise given the film is in the public domain but what is interesting is the new 2K transfer that is being advertised. I’m a big fan of Mill Creek and really enjoy what they offer as a bargain bin label, but they typically don’t do new transfers. That’s why they release so many different DVD box sets of PD movies — the picture quality doesn’t really matter for those releases. When it comes to Mill Creek Blu-rays those have all looked pretty good but that’s because they get transfers directly from the larger studios they’re working with. So yeah, Mill Creek doing a new transfer on a PD film is an interesting move but one I welcome greatly.
Now, there are rumors that a Criterion release of Night of the Living Dead re-mastered in 4K is in the works. And if that’s the case it’s entirely possible that Mill Creek is looking to get this out while they can still get in on the NOTLD market. Whatever the case may be, this is a release working picking up I think. At the Mill Creek price point, currently $11.43 on Amazon, it’s hard not to justify checking it out. I’m very eager to see what Mill Creek is able to end up doing with this because even if Criterion ultimately surpasses them on this particular movie, this could still bode well for future releases. If Mill Creek starts offering up new transfers on other films and does a good job, then the collectors win. Plus now we can all watch Night of the Living Dead on Blu-ray this Halloween!
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD – Blu-ray + Digital
George A. Romero’s cult classic returns for it’s 50th Anniversary.
The indie horror masterpiece changed movies and the genre forever with its gleaming gore and terrifying twists. Restored now in HIGH-DEFINITION, prepare for the frightening tale of five strangers struggling for survival against the walking undead.
•A New 2K Transfer
•Original 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio
*Ok, technically there was a version released about 9 years ago by a company called Forgotten Films but I never heard of that release or that company so I’m not going to count.
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Obviously the rumours of the Criterion 4k have been doing the rounds and I can definitely see that happening to be honest.
George A. Romero's Original Classic 'Night of the Living Dead' is Coming to Blu-ray! - Bloody Disgusting