Happy Birthday to George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero (born February 4, 1940) is an American-Canadian film director, film producer, screenwriter and editor, best known for his series of gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse, beginning with Night of the Living Dead (1968).
My collection of film adaptation novels. Mostly these were put out as a way to capitalize on the film and make some extra money off of it. But they have since become collector’s items, particularly for horror fans. Some of them were so sought after they actually got reissues like the “Dawn of the Dead” book or were made long after the initial release of the film like the “Toxic Avenger” book.
Sometimes the book has material that could not be in the film because of time or budget restraints or it is based on an earlier draft of the script.
“Escape From New York” is a good example because it has a lot more in the way of “world building”. It contains the deleted bank robbery scene as well as Snake Plissken’s war experiences that disillusioned him. As well as how he lost his eye in a failed mission in Leningrad.
The book goes on to say that the 400% rise in crime was due to the economy collapsing because the United States gets bogged down in a three-way war with the Soviet Union and China. All other countries, unless occupied by these powers, have declared their neutrality and try to stay the hell out of the way. Nuclear weapons have been banned by all sides to protect neutral nation and to avoid even worse devastation. So the conflict is entirely conventional and chemical in nature.
Of course it can be a double-edged sword because the “Jason X” novel is over 400 pages long. It is over padded for a book based on a film that is 1 hour and 33 minutes long (typically one page of script translates into one minute of screen time).
Many of these books turn up in used book stores and thrift shops. They can command a good price from collectors.
“Zombi 2”
as known as “Zombie” in the US and “Zombie Flesh Eaters” in the UK.
I saw this when I was five and that is my excuse when people ask what the hell is wrong with you?“
That poster bastard haunted my nightmares for years! I love him.
George A Romero. A man who almost single handedly started the zombie apocalypse genre. His rules are still the be all end all.
