by I was about 12 the first time I saw “Night of the Living Dead.”
Back in the days before the web and instant viewing, certain movies known as “cult” or “underground” films were surrounded by a mystique and mythological aura, and classics such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Pink Flamingos,” and “Faces of Death” were often talked about much more than actually seen.
For me and my friends, the George A. Romero “zombie” series of movies (“Night of the Living Dead,” “Dawn of the Dead,” and “Day of the Dead”) were among that group. When VHS movies started appearing for sale in magazines, my best friend and I were thrilled to order “Dawn of the Dead” and waited anxiously to see the graphic, cannibal-infested movie we had heard so much whispering about. We really felt like we were part of some underground, forbidden society…watching something that most in modern civilization did not even know existed.
Check out the original trailer here!!
Hence the birth of a healthy (choice of terminology is questionable) admiration for the zombie/grindhouse/exploitation film that survives to this day. Checking out the Romero series now, I am still impressed with how much the films devote to character development, analytical discussion, and symbolism, making them bodies of work you can really sink your teeth into (sorry).
My busy schedule prevented me from watching “The Walking Dead” series when it premiered on the AMC network last October. After hearing the rave reviews (not from the mindless “shiny people” media, mind you, but the 
hardcore comic aficionados and convention goers), I knew it would be my thing and pre-ordered the series on DVD.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved “The Return of the Living Dead” and “28 Days Later” (and I was surprisingly impressed with 2004’s “Dawn of the Dead” remake, as well), but “The Walking Dead” truly has restored my faith in the zombie genre. It takes the time to build believable characters you can relate to and care about before surrounding them by flesh-eating ghouls who rip out their entrails.
Frank Darabont truly captured the feel of the comic with his series and I am looking forward to season two (set to premiere this October!).
I CANNOT wait for season two. I loved the first season and wish they’d show it all year round.