Festival to honor Romero zombie film

Friday, May 20, 2005

By Barbara Vancheri, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Zombies, man. They creep me out," Dennis Hopper says in the preview for "George A. Romero's Land of the Dead."                 

But the 2005 CineVegas Film Festival is gambling on the Pittsburgh director and his fourth zombie picture.

The movie will close the June 10-18 event, and Romero will receive the Vanguard Director Award. Mark Canton, chairman and CEO of Atmosphere Entertainment MM and a producer of the film, will present the honor.  

"George Romero's groundbreaking films fused undead terror with social commentary to create an entirely new genre -- 'the zombie movie.' They have inspired some of the greatest horror directors of all time and have garnered him a rabidly devout fan base," Trevor Groth, the festival's director of programming, said in announcing the selection.

The festival will be held at the Palms Casino Resort and Brenden Theatres in Las Vegas. Other honorees: Christopher Walken, Ann-Margret, Nicolas Cage, Samantha Morton, Rhonda Fleming and Wim Wenders. Go to www.cinevegas.com for more information, including a full list of films.

"Land of the Dead," starring Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper and Asia Argento, will open nationwide June 24.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05140/507505.stm