George Romero's Influence on Zombie Movies and Culture Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Close

George Romero s Legacy The Zombie With a Purpose

Director-producer wrote the rules about the undead

“Night of the Living Dead” was George Romero’s first major project, and it turned out to be his best — earning him the title of father of the modern-day zombie. Everett Collection . Romero used the monsters of The Night of the Living Dead and its sequels and remakes to tell a story far beyond a simple us-versus-them plotline. And in doing so, he created the rules for modern zombies that live on in dozens of films and TV shows. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. "Looking at the films of George Romero reminds me of an eighth-grade geology map of the layers of the Earth's surface, because he just keeps drilling down into more and more cultural and historical awareness,” Max Brooks, who wrote the book World War Z, told Rolling Stone. "Dawn of the Dead is the single most searing indictment of his generation ever." How big is Romero’s influence on all things zombie? Consider this: How many zombie movies and TV shows now have deeper, underlying themes? How many zombies across multiple look and act exactly like the zombies in Romero’s movies? How did zombie clichés become zombie clichés at all? In fact, there is a whole zombie canon that can be traced back to Romero, including these common points: Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > So the next time you or on TV, remember: Their actions may seem random, but they probably are dictated by a set of rules. And Romero almost certainly influenced them. AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe More on entertainment AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS