R.I.P. George A. Romero (1940-2017)

Legendary director George A. Romero, who changed the face of modern horror with the iconic “Night Of The Living Dead,” has passed away at the age of 77.

Responsible for the creation of the modern movie zombie, a genre staple that has lasted decades and continues to be a beloved horror conceit, Romero may have been copied but few ever beat the original. While he was best known for his franchise focusing on the undead, Romero made his mark with other scary flicks including “The Crazies,” “Martin,” “Creepshow” (which became its own series) and “Monkey Shines.” However, few of his efforts stood out from under the shadow of his zombie flicks.

A series that saw Romero direct five films, ‘Dead’ is a remarkable horror achievement that remains wildly influential to this day. From “The Walking Dead” to “28 Days Later” and much more, all owe a significant debt to the director’s work. Through it all, the filmmaker remained protective of his independent spirit, which always allowed him to tell scary stories the way he intended: without compromise.

“… That’s what I’ve always tried to do and that’s the only way that I care about anything. I would rather just be me, it’s just so unfortunate that you need money to do things,” Romero candidly told us in 2015.

An entire generation arguably owes their careers to the groundbreaking vision of Romero, and he will be greatly missed.