NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (NR)(1968) Drive-In 9:00 pm (Oct. 28 to 31)

14948 Crenshaw Boulevard,Gardena CA 90249

28 October, 2021

Description

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (NR)(1968) Running time of 1 hour and 36 mins. Not Rated. Intense zombie violence and terror. Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent horror film written, directed, photographed and edited by George A. Romero, co-written by John Russo, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven people who are trapped in a rural farmhouse in western Pennsylvania, which is under assault by an enlarging group of cannibalistic, undead ghouls. Having gained experience through directing television commercials and industrial films for their Pittsburgh-based production company, The Latent Image, Romero and his friends Russo and Russell Streiner decided to fulfill their ambitions to make a feature film. Electing to make a horror film that would capitalize on contemporary commercial interest in the genre, they formed a partnership with Karl Hardman and Marilyn Eastman of Hardman Associates called Image Ten. After evolving through multiple drafts, Russo and Romero's final script primarily drew influence from Richard Matheson's 1954 novel I Am Legend. Principal photography took place between June and December 1967, primarily on location in Evans City; aside from the Image Ten team themselves, the cast and crew consisted of their friends and relatives, local stage and amateur actors, and residents from the area. Although the film was his directorial debut, Romero utilized many of the guerrilla filmmaking techniques he had honed in his commercial and industrial work to complete the film on a budget of US$114,000. Following its theatrical premiere in Pittsburgh on October 1, 1968, Night of the Living Dead eventually grossed US$12 million domestically and US$18 million internationally, earning more than 250 times its budget and making it one of the most profitable film productions ever made at the time. Released shortly prior to the adoption of the Motion Picture Association of America rating system, the film attracted widespread controversy and negative reviews upon its initial release for its explicit violence and gore, but it soon garnered a cult following and acclaim among critics, and has appeared on lists of the greatest films ever made by such outlets as Empire, The New York Times and Total Film. Frequently identified as the first modern zombie film and a touchstone in the development of the horror genre, retrospective scholarly analysis has focused on its reflection of the social and cultural changes in the United States during the 1960s, with particular attention being directed towards the casting of Jones, an African-American, in the leading role. In 1999, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Night of the Living Dead spawned a franchise that includes five official sequels released between 1978 and 2009, also directed by Romero. The film has also inspired several remakes as a result of its public domain status. An official remake, written by Romero and directed by Tom Savini, was released in 1990 and has similarly gained a small cult following. PLEASE PURCHASE ONE (1) TICKET PER VEHICLE. ONE (1) vehicle admission ticket COVERS EVERYONE IN YOUR VEHICLE! FAQ's WHAT TIME DOES THE MOVIE START? Movie starts at 9:00 PM. WHAT TIME CAN I ARRIVE? Gates will open at 8:30 PM. HOW DO THE NEW LA COUNTY COVID RESTRICTIONS AFFECT OUTDOOR CINEMA? Gardena Cinema hopes to provide a safe and fun environment for all of our patrons. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a safe night out, with us. Please wear a mask when not inside your vehicle and try to stay 6 feet apart from others. WHERE DO I PARK? Cars will be placed on a first-come, first-served basis, one car at a time, and in sections based on size of car and desired style of viewing. We have mapped out the back-lot to allow for sedans in front rows and tall cars/SUV's/Trucks in the middle to back rows. An attendant will be available to direct you on where to park. We have accommodated so that every guest has a great viewing experience. WHERE IS GARDENA CINEMA? Gardena Cinema is located at 14948 Crenshaw Blvd, Gardena, CA 90249. HOW DO I REDEEM MY TICKET? Upon purchase, ticket will be emailed to you as a PDF attachment from Eventbrite. When you arrive to the event, please show the entrance attendant the bar code on your ticket through your car window, either by holding up your printed version, or by displaying it on your phone or smart device. Attendant will scan it to check you in, and you'll be good to go! DO I NEED FM RADIO IN MY CAR? YES! This is a outdoor Drive-In event, with no outdoor speakers. In fact, our drive-in cinema city permit expressly disallows outdoor speakers, so if you bring your own speakers, please have them at a low level so as not to disturb our neighbors. There are homes next to our parking lot and we would like to keep our drive-in cinema permit going by being good neighbors. The film’s soundtrack will be accessible exclusively through your car’s FM Radio, for maximum social-distance safety. We will provide you with the FM station upon arrival. Make sure your car has an FM radio so you can hear the film! If you do not have a radio, we lend portable radios for the duration of the movie for $5 and your ID Card. PRO-TIP: Some personal speakers also have FM radio built in, and are allowable as long as volume remains reasonable. Such a cool experience! CAN I BRING FOOD / SNACKS? YES! Your car is your screening room -- so bring all your favorite screening room snacks and munchies! Gardena Cinema's lobby will also be open, with FRESHLY popped popcorn, drinks, nachos, hot dogs, candies, and more! Please be sure to pay the lobby a visit and remember to wear your protective face mask. We don't imagine any of you would, but we have to ask that you don't discard your trash out the window. (It's happened...) We want to keep these fun events going, so please help us keep the grounds tidy! There will be trash and recycle stations if needed. WILL YOU HAVE RESTROOMS? YES! Gardena Cinema's lobby and restrooms will be open. As our approval of this event is based on our assurance of safety, we ask that folks wear protective masks when leaving your cars for any reason, including to use the restroom. Attendants will be on hand to keep those restrooms sanitized. Social Distancing is a must, at all times. MAY I BRING MY PET WITH ME? Bringing your best friend only enhances the experience for you and we aim to keep you as comfy as possible. We ask that you keep your pet inside your vehicle during the movie. As long as you ensure your pet is properly trained and does not disturb neighboring guests while in the Drive-In. Please remember to keep the pets away from other guests. PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE ACTUAL CINEMA BUILDING, (where restrooms and snack bar are located). CAN WE BRING LAWN CHAIRS AND SIT OUTSIDE IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE? Yes, but please remain in front of your vehicle close to the boundary of your vehicle. Please wear a protective mask when outside of your vehicle. CAN I SIT IN MY TRUCK BED?- OR -CAN I THROW THE HATCH OF MY HATCHBACK UP AND SIT IN THE BACK TO WATCH THE SHOW? - Guests are allowed to sit in their truck beds, so long as they keep their protective masks on. - Raised hatches proved quite obstructive to rows of cars behind them in viewing the screen. You will be asked to park either to the sides of our car staging area, or along the back rows. And -- like truck-beds and convertibles -- if your hatch is open, we ask that you keep your masks on. WILL YOU BE HOSTING MORE OF THESE? YES! We intend to continue curating and programming some of the BEST cinema in Los Angeles County! We provide an intimate Drive-In style setting. Please support by following us on Instagram and Facebook -- we'll keep you posted on our screenings and events! @GardenaCinema Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @GARDENACINEMA. Gardena Cinema is the only old-fashioned single-screen stand-alone independent movie theater in South Los Angeles. The theater was built in 1946 and has been operated by the Kim family since 1976. Gardena Cinema operated in the 1970s and 1980s as a Spanish-language cinema called Teatro Variedades and hosted many famous artists from Mexico. The Gardena Cinema has shown first-run movies since 1996. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cinema to close in March 2020. Gardena Cinema began operating outdoor cinema in the parking lot in August 2020 and will continue to do so until indoor cinema is declared to be safe by the Los Angeles County Health Officer.