(Blogger has cropped this, double-click to view in YT)
This film was made by my brother in 2001/2002. Though I played the lead part, and played the drums featured towards the films climax. As you can probably tell this film was direcly influenced in George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead - this being one of my favourite films, I feel it would be interesting to make comparisons to my brothers work. Here goes...
Even the opening shot of Rise resembles Night. Not only does the shot show the open road with our protagonists advancing towards the graveyard - but the titles are extremely alike, with the emphasis on the first word. Rise in favour of Night.
This shot depicting the protagonists approach to the graveyards is much more forboding than Night. The lighting contrasts and silouhettes of the super-imposed gravestones make the shot very dramatic.
In regards to narrative, the protagonists motives to visiting the graveyard are the same. He too visits the graveyard to pay floral tribute.
Much like Night, the first zombie appears from a far, with an awe of uncertainty about its appearance or intentions. I personally prefer the Rise shot in terms of drama, as the zombie appears on the horizon of this simple yet effectively framed shot.
Although the first attack is from different zombie, it is still unexpected and catches the viewer by suprise. Much like the struggle in Night the protagonist and the zombie are both thrown to the ground in the fight, with the protagonist being overpowered by the zombie.
Notice the intentional similarities between this protagonist and Barbara's brother, Johnny from NOTLD.
Similar to the zombie chasing Barbara in NOTLD, our protagonist spots a building from afar and runs there to seek refuge. This is my favourite shot in the entire film, I love the angle in which the dry stone wall intersects the entire composition, with the tower protruding from the end.
The zombies in Rise are also intentionally similar in tribute to the iconic "Graveyard Zombie" played by Bill Hinzman. Notice the suit torn at the seems, general unkempt appearance and the trademark swagger.
I really like this sideways shot of the zombie entering the tower. I like creative camerawork, especially as unconventional shots as this one.
Although inside of the tower was lit with natural sunlight, it bears resemblence to the lighting used within the farmhouse towards NOTLD's climax. I am a big fan of the classic horror lighting in which the focus is on the subjects face, and the background is almost completely black.
Much like Johnny from NOTLD - the protagonist becomes a zombie himself in the film climax, and reappears with the trademark swagger. Coincidentially, the protagonist loses his glasses in the struggle and reappears without them in the next shot.
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