Remembering George A. Romero by Joe Pilato
Steve Barton
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G is for genre. G is for Godfather. G is for George. This originally appeared on my Facebook page, but I also wanted to share it here with the beautiful fans and readers of Dread Central… this is for all of you…
Well, to all of his dearest fans we have lost a great man, a great friend, a visionary storyteller, and a visionary filmmaker. The hole in our hearts and souls that I am sure we are all feeling at this time can only be filled with a smile and his work. I had the great fortune of working 3 pictures with him and for him I consider that being a great gift as a great gift of his fan base which I was a fortunate son to have received.
He will stand now as so many great artists do in their passing as a legend as a trailblazer of complete uniqueness. If you read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or the poems of Edgar Allan Poe let us not forget that he besides being a consement film maker was a great storyteller and tale teller which is what mythology is made of.
The L.A. Times reported that as he lay in his death bed he was listening to a film music score, he was a big fan of film music scores and a collector. The film score he was listening to at his passing was a film called The Quiet Man a John Wayne movie, surprisingly enough – George was a quiet man for all the wonderful noise his films made, isn’t that rich. I never heard a harsh word come from his mouth. I never saw him be disrespectful for anyone.
He had a great delight of life and he left us a treasure chest. It will be interesting to see the homages that come and how his legacy be kept. If you haven’t read a book called, The Making of George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead by the author Lee Karr – perhaps now would be a good time to read it.
I’m sure that your warmth and your love that I have experienced over the years will continue. I have noticed that so many of you pass on these films to your children which has always amazed and amused me.
Keep it alive! The best to all of you…
– Joe Pilato
Categorized:News
