Although George A. Romero has been retired from directing since his latest title to date Survival of the Dead (2009), the discrete sequel of Diary of the Dead (2007), that doesn’t mean the father of modern zombie movies is out of the panorama. It’s been announced that his latest production, George A. Romero Presents: Road of the Dead, will be the main dish at the Fantasia International Film Festival. The movie, also co-written by Romero together with the director Matt Birman, is set on an island where zombie prisoners race cars in an arena for the sole purpose of entertaining the rich.
In the words of director Matt Birman, the idea for Road of the Dead is “The Road Warrior (1882) meets Rollerball (1975) at a Nascar race, with significant inspiration from Ben-Hur (1959)”. And it all dressed up with zombies! What a cool madness to witness, my friends.
As explained by the filmmakers, this story has been in their heads for around 10 years, since Matt Birman was second unit director and stunts coordinator for the three last George A. Romero movies. The working chemistry between the 2 has led now to this new project which marks the return to Romero in the position of producer since Deadtime Stories 2 (2011).
Film history itself will probably remember George A. Romero as the father of the new era of zombie flicks. Since his debut film, the unmissable classic Night of the Living Dead (1968), his work has been related to the world of horror. Some minor releases like Hungry Wives (1972), Knightriders (1981) or Bruiser (2000) can’t compete with the unbeatable legacy left by his most celebrated titles like The Crazies (1973), Dawn of the Dead (1978) or Day of the Dead (1985). A great sense of entertainment, love for lots of blood and mutilations, and a little dose of criticism against the world we live has been influencing all sorts of discipline for decades, from fashion to music and, obviously, movies. Without a shadow of a doubt, we can assert George A. Romero has been one of most influential filmmakers of the last half-century.
And to finish, check out this promo ad from the horror punk band Misfits playing the song “Day of the Dead” with samples of the film itself Day of the Dead (1985). Enjoy! As surely I am enjoying it right now.
