The Rules of Romero

    Since films are often praised here for adhering to the rules of zombism set down in George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, it was time to list these ‘Rules of Romero’ formally. 

    Bear in mind that prior to 1968, ‘Zombies’ were the products of voodoo, individuals brought back to life to perform a task by a necromancer. They were simple tools with no drive of their own.        

    Night of the Living Dead re-invented zombies, and in doing so created the entire sub-genre. 

    These were the rules of that movie.

1. ZOMBIES ARE DEAD. Not simply infected individuals. And  

       not just dead, ‘recently deceased.’ 

2. IF YOU GET BITTEN BY A ZOMBIE, YOU BECOME A ZOMBIE.  Zombism is transferred through bites. Once bitten, a

        person dies. Once dead, they rise up as undead.

3. ZOMBIES EAT HUMAN FLESH. Not just brains, not just 

        virgins, not just the healthy. Any flesh. 

4. ZOMBIES ARE SLOW AND SHAMBOLIC. Not running, not 

        talking, not sad, or angry, or growling! 

As Sherriff McClelland said: “They’re dead. They’re all messed 

        up.”

5. THE ONLY WAY TO ‘KILL’ A ZOMBIE IS TO DESTROY 

        THE BRAIN.

“Kill the brain, kill the ghoul.”

This ‘Newscast’ scene from Night Of The Living Dead sums up most of these rules quite nicely. 

    Although deviations from these rules does not necessarily make a movie bad, it doesn’t make it better, either. But being able to create a new movie within the confines of these parameters earns a special distinction here.

See my Zombie Classification Chart for further information regarding Zombie types.