: It was a low-budget independent production ($114,000) filmed in rural Pennsylvania. Due to an error regarding the copyright notice on the original prints, the film entered the public domain almost immediately, allowing it to be widely distributed and cementing its cult status.
: The film revolutionized the horror genre by introducing the modern "zombie"—reanimated, flesh-eating corpses. Before this, zombies were typically associated with voodoo and mind control. A Noite dos Mortos-Vivos Terror 1968 1h 36m 7.8
: It spawned a massive franchise (including Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead ) and established the survival-horror tropes still used in media like The Walking Dead and Resident Evil . : It was a low-budget independent production ($114,000)
: Released during the Civil Rights movement, the film is noted for casting Duane Jones, a Black actor, as the lead protagonist. The bleak ending is often interpreted as a commentary on the social and political tensions of late-1960s America. Before this, zombies were typically associated with voodoo