Remembering George A. Romero by Matthew Blazi
Like everyone I have a story about how I met George at a convention and expressed my gratitude for the work he’s done and how it affected me. It was always his smile and the attention he paid to me and each fan that made every interaction with him special. Over the course of 17 years I’d seen him dozens of times, mostly at conventions, sometimes speaking engagements or even more relaxed environments. Each time he was the same person, he never had a public or a private face, he was always the same old George and that’s what made him special.
What stood out for me wasn’t the gratitude he showed me for being a fan but for 2 brief encounters with him away from a convention table. In 2004 I was on set for one night on Land of the Dead. In between takes George happened to walk by me and a few other zombie extras and we quickly said to George, “thank you for allowing us to be here.” Without missing a beat he replied, “no, thank you for wanting to be here.” Just as quickly he was gone off to his next task but that was enough to show us that he was sincere.
On the last day of my time as a zombie on Survival of the Dead I was chosen to be shot in one of the final scenes shot that night. After being made up and multiple takes, George had the shots he wanted. I was getting up and awaiting instructions on where to go as George is walking by me, he stops and pats me on the shoulder and says, “good job.”
Those two moments were important to me not because I was looking for anything but that I was able to give back to the man that had given me so much in my life. But it was the last time that I’d see George in person that will resonate with me my entire life.
Night of the Living Dead was having its 4k premiere at MOMA in New York in November 2016 and I decided to go with my wife and son. Before the event started I was standing in the back of the theater talking with Lori Cardille and a few other friends when George and his wife Suz walked in. They stopped and talked with us, shared hugs, hellos and chatted for a few moments. Suz always asked about my son and when I told her he was there she was happy to know he was there. As they left I began talking again and happened to turn my head when I see George leave the aisle and walk in between the seats and lean down and give my son a big hug. George had taken the time out of what was a busy night to spend a touching moment with my son. That was the moment that cemented for me that being a fan of George wasn’t about me anymore, it was about showing my son the type of person George was and what made him so special.
I’ll always feel like I got more time with George than I deserved. I’m just a fan who got lucky enough to get close to the man who kicked open the door to the world of cinema for me. Without George and namely Dawn of the Dead, I wouldn’t have the memories, experiences and most importantly the friendships I do. George, once again, thank you for everything. You touched so many people by just being you.
I will forever and always, stay scared.
– Matthew Blazi
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