Night of the Living Dead 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

After growing up on shoddy public domain prints, Criterion's Night of the Living Dead is a revelation. Yes, other Blu-ray editions looked fantastic, but the precise texture on display via this UHD betters anything from before. Opening scenes in the cemetery reveal individual leaves and pine needles on the trees. There's texture everywhere, whether wood in the fortified cabin, clothes, or facial definition.

Stellar grain replication doesn't miss, easily handling the fine-grained film stock, and compression doesn't betray the clarity naturally held by the film stock. Restoration efforts preserve every frame. Not a speck of dust appears.

Criterion chooses to forego any HDR for this release. Thankfully resolution makes the difference, since contrast lacks the usual zest for this format (although brightness still satisfies). Gray scale resolves perfectly, adding depth where lacking black levels don't. Night of the Living Dead doesn't utilize pure black, remaining in a perpetually deep gray.

Audio

PCM mono exemplifies how great vintage, low-budget audio can sound when handled with such care. While natural limitations remove any chance Night of the Living Dead will carry much sonic range, what's here shows great stability, general smoothness in the upper registers (with straining at the top peaks), and crisp dialog. Considering the cheap conditions Romero filmed Night of the Living Dead in, this track sounds infinitely better than expected.