"It has been established that persons who have recently died have been returning to life and committing acts of murder."

The horrific news echoed by the radio announcer sums up the plot of one of the landmark independent films in motion picture history. George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" is one of the most influential films of the past 50 years, yet it cost only $114,000 to produce. The budget of the classic horror film was so miniscule that investors, friends and even a butcher were cast as zombies due to the lack of actors. That same butcher also provided animal intestines and blood to use as effects. Even with minimal financing to back his project, Romero was able to induce fright and terror in the unsuspecting audience. The legendary horror director's first feature is only surpassed by his sequel, 1978's "Dawn of the Dead."

Elite Entertainment has released their feature-laden "Millennium Edition" of "Night of the Living Dead," marking the umpteenth release of the zombie flick on DVD. Until recently, the rights to the film were public, meaning any company could produce a DVD of "Night of the Living Dead," which saturated the market with near identical releases. Elite Entertainment, a purveyor in the restoration and release of horror classics, purchased the rights to "Night of the Living Dead" this year and have released the definite version of the flesh-eating-fright-fest, for now.

Never before has "Night of the Living Dead" looked this good. The THX remastering from the original 35 mm negatives is astounding considering the film's initial budget. Romero's black and white cinematography has been gloriously restored, highlighting the superb lighting of the film. A nice 5.1 surround sound audio mix is available, but purists will delight in the clean original mono track. The crystal clear music score is a perfect complement to the on-screen terror, although at times can be a bit melodramatic. Then again this is a zombie movie, not a Victorian drama.

The "Millennium Edition" disc includes a wealth of extras, many of which are taken from the original Elite 1993 laserdisc. Two commentary tracks are available, one an informative track with director Romero and a more nostalgic commentary track with cast members Bill Hinzmen, Judith O'Dea, Keith Wayne and Kyra Schon, among others.

A rare 16-minute-long interview with star Duane Jones is included; the "Night of the Living Dead" actor was a celebrity recluse who died at age 52 in 1988. He was rarely seen in the public eye and the interview is a wonderful segment revealing his thoughts on the film and his character.

Other extras include a short film parody "Night of the Living Bread," a still photo gallery, scenes from the lost Romero film "There's Always Vanilla," an 11-minute interview with actress Judy Ridley, various posters, a collection of props, a text version of the shooting script, a scrapbook, several TV spots and a host of theatrical trailers.

For horror fans, "Night of the Living Dead" is the genesis of the genre that should be savored for its pure thrill and creative brilliance. At 34-years-old, the film looks better than ever thanks to the THX approved tranfer, reason alone to own Elite's new "Millenium Edition" of the zombie masterpiece.