George A. Romero Between Night & Dawn

George Romero's name may be synonymous with the living dead subgenre, but his filmography is far richer and more varied than his reputation as ''the zombie guy'' would suggest. Following the breakout success of his debut feature Night of the Living Dead, the director would embark upon a series of projects which, whilst firmly rooted in the horror genre for the most part, demonstrate a master filmmaker with more than mere gut-munching on his mind.

In There's Always Vanilla, Romero's sophomore 1971 directorial effort, young drifter Chris and beautiful model Lynn embark upon a tumultuous relationship which seems doomed from the outset. 1972's Season of the Witch (originally filmed as Jack's Wife but released to theaters under the title of Hungry Wives) follows the exploits of Joan Mitchell a housewife whose dissatisfaction with her humdrum life leads to an unhealthy interest in the occult. Lastly, 1973's The Crazies, which sees Romero returning to more ''straight'' horror territory, has a small rural town finding itself in the grip of an infection which send its hosts into a violent, homicidal frenzy.

Taken together, these three early works, made in the period between Romero s celebrated living dead outings Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, serve to display the broader thematic concerns and auteurist leanings of a skilled craftsman too often pigeonholed within the genre.