Birth of the Living Dead
First Run Features | Release Date: October 18, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Time OutJoshua RothkopfNov 6, 2013
Kuhns makes time for political insights, provocative montages of race riots cut with the movie’s hick militia, and the comments of owlish Romero himself, who recounts the shoot like the enthusiastic 27-year-old he was. Read full review
80
Village VoiceErnest HardyOct 29, 2013
What distinguishes this doc from much of the tedious critical prose Romero has inspired is the fan-boy and fan-girl ardor that fuels its smarts--both behind and in front of the camera. Read full review
70
The New York TimesAndy WebsterNov 6, 2013
Mr. Romero, manifesting a self-effacing demeanor and sensible humanity, is a most agreeable raconteur. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesStaff [Not Credited]Oct 17, 2013
Enjoyably recounts how, in 1967, Romero and an assortment of Pittsburgh locals shot a micro-budget chiller that would unexpectedly change the face of horror films. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineChuck BowenNov 6, 2013
The film is unavoidably slight, but there's a certain pleasure in watching talented people wax passionate about a common source of inspiration. Read full review
63
Boston GlobePeter KeoughOct 31, 2013
In the war between zombies and vampires for the domination of American popular culture, the zombies currently seem to have the edge. So suggests a montage in Rob Kuhns’s amusing but perfunctory documentary about the origins of the 1968 ur-text of zombiedom, George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJordan HoffmanNov 7, 2013
This documentary is basically a glamorized DVD extra, but it entertains as it details the anecdote-rich production history of “Night of the Living Dead” and, most crucially, its enormous impact. Read full review
60
The DissolveNoel MurrayNov 7, 2013
Birth Of The Living Dead excels in Kuhns’ gathering of critics, academics, and filmmakers to analyze how and why the film works so well. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd Nov 6, 2013
Birth briefly staggers to life when the topic of race comes up — not because that angle on Night hasn’t been covered ad nauseam, too, but simply because it seems to inspire the most provocative discussion. Read full review
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