Photo gallery: Night of the Living Dead 40th Anniversary Gala

by John P. Meyer

Thursday evening (Feb. 21) turned out to be pretty dang cold across North Texas, but at least the chilly drizzle abated before celebrities started traipsing across the red carpet in front of the Inwood Theatre.

They were all there - sponsored by AFI Dallas and the folks behind Texas Frightmare Weekend - to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Night of the Living Dead, a low-budget horror film about flesh-eating zombies that first appeared in 1968. Its director and co-writer, George Romero, had no idea at the time that he was kicking off a film franchise that would linger into the 21st century.

Those attending the screening were treated to a question and answer session following the movie moderated by none other than Malcolm McDowell, who besides being a big-time movie star in his own right counts himself a good friend of the evening's honoree, George A. Romero - whose signature spectacles stand out in any crowd.

Well, enough blather. Enjoy the pictures.