This is a blow to the horror community, but to the world of filmmaking in general.
We just lost one of the greats.
First Wes Craven in 2015... Now George A. Romero has passed away at the age of 77.
I'm glad I got to meet him at a Flashback Drive-In Weekend in Chicago in 2004 (my first horror convention!).
I shook his hand, told him what a great artist he was (he smiled and seemed pleased at the compliment), gave him a script I'd written (a period piece werewolf movie called Hooded, which I'm sure he promptly threw in the trash) and asked for a photo. He seemed agreeable and willing (even happy to do it), but a promoter from the festival swooped in and said that Romero would be doing photos later for a cost. Romero looked a bit frustrated and apologetic and told me (regretfully),
"Sorry..."
Later that night I saw him (and the primary cast of Day of the Dead) introduce a screening of the film on an inflatable drive-in screen in the parking lot of the Crowne Plaza in Rosemont, IL.
It was my first time seeing the film.
I can't tell you how electric it all was.
I felt like I was in the center of the universe.
No A-list Hollywood party could have compared to that.
I then met him again in 2015 at the Wizard World convention here in St. Louis.
Initially, I was just going to go to meet and get my picture taken with Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark).
I did.
But then, at the last minute, they added a ton of other guests: Tara Reid, Jason Mewes... And George Romero.
I wanted to get my picture taken with him... but it was $75. I then looked on IMDB and saw that Romero was indeed 75 years old and I thought,
"Yikes... I better get this photo!"
Later that day (at Wizard World) they were having a Q&A with Romero. I got in line to ask him a question. My question was going to be,
"When you sit down to conceive a new zombie film, what comes first: the allegory or the zombie film? Essentially, do you conceive a cool new idea for a zombie film and then layer a sociopolitical allegory into it, or do you find a current issue that is really getting under your skin and then you construct an allegorical zombie movie around it?"
I thought this was a really good question.
And I was next in line (and was to be the last question of the Q&A) when the moderator bumped me because there was a little kid behind me. The moderator (he of eternal doucheness) said,
"Sorry, but I can't pass up the opportunity to let a little kid who's into horror ask Romero a question."
Something to that effect.
Anyhow, the kid gets up and asks,
"Why do zombies eat brains...?"
There was an awkward pause and Romero kindly stated,
"Ah, well... in my movies, zombie actually don't eat brains."
... Yeah, good going letting the kid who isn't even old enough to watch these movies ask a question!
I had a good question... A question Romero would have actually wanted to answer.
Yeeesh!
I'm all about supporting kids (I am a teacher after all) and supporting kids watching and understanding horror films... but come on!
And while it might seem indelicate telling this story and admitting that I paid (what I considered) to be an exorbitant amount to get a photo with a man I greatly admired because I feared he was soon pass away, it is not. Romero had a unique perspective on death, as I think any horror filmmaker should. Especially so considering the subject of most of his films (zombies).
But, sadly, like Craven, I wish Romero had gone out with a better swansong.
Craven's was the unnecessary and lackluster Scream 4; Romero's was Survival of the Dead (which I saw in theaters and didn't car for; perhaps it will be better after repeat viewings). I feel, if Romero had gone out with Diary of the Dead as his last film, it would have been better. But who am I to say?
And I guess what troubles me even more is that what this means (with the recent passing of Craven and Romero) is that more of the greats are next... Carpenter, Cronenberg, Barker and Tobe Hooper.
I honestly don't want to think about that.
Why?
Because I'm not sure the young turks coming up have the tenacity to be as good as those mentioned above. Hell, a great deal of the "new wave of horror filmmakers" have already seen their heyday and are now cranking out lackluster stuff. It took Carpenter, Barker, Hooper, etc. decades before they started going downhill.
And I feel honored that I've seen all of Romero's latest films (in his new undead trilogy) in theaters. Land, Diary and Survival of the Dead.
I loved seeing Romero's left-wing sociopolitical take on the Bush administration, social media and man's inhumanity in the face of encroaching and overpowering technological advances.
Romero and I shared a sociopolitical viewpoint (very hard left) and I loved him for statement, his allegories, his art.
The world is a better place because of George A. Romero was in it... and now it's a little darker because he's gone.
Tonight I write... in honor of and inspired by one of my greatest teachers: the incomparable, the legendary, the immortal George A. Romero...
Thank you... For everything.
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