I don't know the specifics (But I guess I could if I did some research), but when Night of the Living Dead was released in 1968, something was botched with the copyright and the filmmakers involved with this classic film weren't able to retain rights to the movie and therefore didn't make any money from it. However, Director George Romero still went on to have a fruitful career and has subsequently made some popular movies (most notably Dawn of the Dead). But, while watching George A. Romero Presents Deadtime Stories Volume 1, all that could think is "This man must be desperate for money".

Deadtime Stories is an anthology and Romero acts as the host and was involved as a producer. Romero certainly knows anthologies, as director of 1982's Creepshow, Romero (along with Stephen King) was responsible for helping to bring anthology movies into the modern era. He also produced the television show Tales from the Darkside and the subsequent feature film based on that show. Therefore, Romero should have known better than to get involved with junk like this.

Deadtime Stories Volume 1 consists of three stories.

In "Valley of the Shadow", written and directed by Jeff Monahan, Angela (Amy Marsalis) convinces an investor to fund an expedition to the jungle (?) to search for her husband, who has been missing for several months. She states that the search may yield something profitable. Once in the jungle, Angela and her group are pursued by native headhunters.

And that's it. This segment redefines pointless. They talk about going to the jungle. They go to the jungle. They die in the jungle. I can only assume that this was supposed to be a throwback to movies like Make Them Die Slowly and Cannibal Holocaust, but it simply doesn't have enough story to be good for anything. There are vague mentions of a special fruit which has been discovered in the area, but other than that we simply watch people walk through the jungle. This piece features some mild gore, but the action falls flat. "Valley of the Shadow" feels like something which was thrown together by a group of friends over a weekend.

In "Wet", directed by Michael Fischa and written by Monahan, loner Jack (Jeff Monahan) lives in a house on the beach and goes into town to sell things. He exchanges odd glances (?!) with antiques dealer Swan (Nick Mancuso). Jack finds an odd piece on the beach and takes it to Swan, who is horrified by the object. Swan eventually tells Jack that the object contains the remains of a mermaid, an evil creature which can only be killed by dismemberment. Jack doubts this story at first, but he can't leave well enough alone and soon learns that some legends are true.

Of the three stories offered here, "Wet" offers the most potential -- when was the last time you saw an evil mermaid story? However, the segment fails due to the pacing. Fischa clearly wants to build atmosphere, but long scenes of people doing nothing doesn't build tension, only boredom. The opening shots where Jack and Swan glare at one another are just weird. We expect that this implies some strained history between the two men, but they appear to be strangers. The acting is stiff and the conversations between the two are painful. The look of the mermaid is interesting, but it's too little too late. If "Wet" had been much shorter, it could have been entertaining.

The final entry is "Housecall", directed by Tom Savini and written by Monahan. One stormy night, panicked mother Mrs. Norman (Maryann Nagel) calls Dr. Marsten (Bingo O'Malley) and begs him to come see her son, Jimmy (Jason Norman), whom she has tied to his bed. The doctor arrives and Mrs. Norman explains that Jimmy has been acting very strange and that he claims to be a vampire. Dr. Marsten draws blood from Jimmy. When he waits to see how the blood will react, Mrs. Norman describes the horrible things that Jimmy has claimed to have done.

Of the pieces in Deadtime Stories, "Housecall" bears the most resemblance to a traditional horror anthology story. It has a classic supernatural plot and offers a Twilight Zone ending. But, like the other entries here, it's a letdown. Giving his experience in the field, and the fact that he has directed feature films, one would expect more from Savini. To his credit, Savini has chosen to give the movie a unique look -- it's framed at 1.33:1 and the edges are undefined, giving it a dream-like quality. Likewise, the piece is slightly sepia-toned, and the colors are very subdued. Still, these artistic touches don't make up for the weak story. What we essentially have is Dr. Marsten and Mrs. Norman talking about Jimmy -- and this footage is littered with nudity which doesn't match the old-timey setting.

I think that there's still a market out there for horror anthologies, especially good ones, so therefore, Deadtime Stories doesn't count. Even at 76-minutes, the thing drags, never becoming exciting, scary, or suspenseful. Deadtime Stories Volume 2 has already been announced, but I think I'll skip it and go straight to bed.

George A. Romero Presents Deadtime Stories Volume 1 offers three times the boring on DVD courtesy of Millennium Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 1.78:1, with the exception of "Housecall", which is 1.33:1, and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is sharp and clear, showing no overt grain and no defects from the source material, save for those created for "Housecall". The colors look good and the image is never overly dark or bright. However, the picture is very flat and is somewhat soft at times. The DVD offers a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track which provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The stereo effects are pretty good, as they illustrate some sounds coming from off-screen. The surround sound effects check in from time-to-time during "Valley of the Shadow" and "Wet".

The Deadtime Stories Volume 1 DVD contains no special features.