Director, writer, cinematographer, and producer George Romero is a pivotal figure in the development of the contemporary horror film. His first feature, Night of the Living Dead (1968), redefined the genre, not only with its explicit violence, but with a satirical view of American society that reflected the turmoil of the times. Ethnically and sexually integrated, anti-macho, and always skeptical of conventional wisdom, Romero's work epitomizes the progressive wing of a sometimes reactionary genre.

Inspired by Michael Powell's Tales of Hoffman, Romero made short subjects, industrials, and commercials before co-writing, editing, filming, and directing Night of the Flesh Eaters. Produced for $114,000 and renamed Night of the Living Dead, the film became a landmark of independent cinema. A stark parable of the American family consuming itself, it retains the power to shock and surprise.

Romero made several more low-budget films in his beloved Pittsburgh before solidifying his reputation with two remarkable works. Martin (1978) is a lyrical, poignant, and deeply disturbing story of a lonely boy who is convinced he is a vampire. Dawn of the Dead (1979) is set in a typical suburban shopping mall, where a band of struggling survivors is beset by zombies and their own personal demons. A powerful, apocalyptic action film leavened with Romero's signature pitch-black wit, the movie became one of the most profitable independent productions in film history.

Romero continued to do interesting work through the 80s and 90s. Knightriders (1981) is a heartfelt film based on Arthurian legend. Ed Harris plays the leader of a troupe that stages medieval fairs with knights jousting on motorcycles instead of horses. Creepshow (1982), scripted by Stephen King, is a more mainstream work featuring higher production values and a cast of well-known actors. Smart and boldly stylized, the film was a critical and financial success. Day of the Dead (1985) is a progressive, eerily claustrophobic film, the ostensible finally to the zombie trilogy.

Romero's first studio-developed film, Monkey Shines (1988), an unusual and unusually gripping thriller, was hailed by Newsweek as "a white-knuckle triumph." Two Evil Eyes (1990), a collaboration with Dario Argento, consists of two vignettes inspired by Edgar Allan Poe short stories. The Dark Half (1993) stars Tim Hutton in a superb dual performance. Critics praised the film, but its completion and release suffered from the bankruptcy of its distributor, Orion Pictures. It nevertheless is among the most thoughtful of the many Stephen King adaptations.

Bruiser, Romero's most recent film, is a taut, frightening, and highly original tale of revenge whose hero is stripped of his identity and becomes - literally - faceless. Finished in the spring of 2000, Bruiser was produced by Romero's partner, Peter Grunwald, and Ben Barenholtz for Le Studio Canal+ and is among Romero's most exciting, stylish, and accomplished films.

Notable for his intelligence, innovation, and sensitivity as a filmmaker, in addition to his ability to scare, Romero remains one of the pre-eminent directors in the horror and thriller genre.