GEORGE ROMERO, R.I.P.

George Romero, largely considered to be the inventor of the modern zombie film, passed away in his sleep yesterday. Romero, born in The Bronx to Cuban and Lithuanian parents had a long and distinguished film making career. He will be mourned by a legion of loyal fans. As well he should; Mr. Romero was a huge influence on the modern horror film.

"Fans mourned the death Sunday of legendary filmmaker George A. Romero, father of the modern movie zombie and creator of the groundbreaking “Night of the Living Dead” franchise.

Romero died Sunday in his sleep at age 77 following a “brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer,” according to a statement to The Los Angeles Times provided by his longtime producing partner, Peter Grunwald. Romero died while listening to the score of one his favorite films, 1952’s “The Quiet Man,” with his wife, Suzanne Desrocher Romero, and daughter, Tina Romero, at his side, the family said.

Romero jump-started the zombie genre as the co-writer (with John A. Russo) and director of the 1968 movie “Night of the Living Dead,” which went to show future generations of filmmakers such as Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter that generating big scares didn’t require big budgets. “Living Dead” spawned an entire school of zombie knockoffs, and Romero’s sequels included 1978’s “Dawn of the Dead,” 1985’s “Day of the Dead,” 1990’s “Land of the Dead,” 2007’s “Diary of the Dead” and 2009’s “George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead.” -- The Sacramento Bee"