NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) Film Screening & Book Event

General Admission Tickets: $10
TUE, OCT 27, 2026
Join us for a special film screening and book event sponsored by Illinois Public Media, the University of Illinois Alumni Association, and Champaign Park District.
Join us for a special film screening and book event sponsored by Illinois Public Media, the University of Illinois Alumni Association, and Champaign Park District.
Featuring:
Daniel Kraus, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and author of Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World
Not Rated
96 Min
George A. Romero’s 1968 horror masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead, follows a group of panicked survivors trapped in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse as flesh-eating ghouls lay siege to the house. The movie is celebrated for revolutionizing the modern zombie genre.
Doors open at 6:00pm
*** DANIEL KRAUS BOOK EVENT ***


In 1968, Night of the Living Dead opened in theatres and revolutionized the horror genre, becoming an enduring classic and inspiring thousands of zombie films in its wake. U. of I. alum Daniel Kraus, MS ’06 IS, winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Angel Down, first saw Night of the Living Dead when he was five years old, and in the half-century since has watched it more than 300 times—which makes him the perfect person to write a book about it! Kraus’ new book, Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World, is one-part cultural history, one-part memoir that explores the movie’s major impact on film history, American culture, and Kraus himself.
Please join us for a screening of Night of the Living Dead, followed by an on-stage conversation between Daniel Kraus and Illinois Alumni magazine editor-in-chief Ryan Ross about the film and the book, and a book signing.
Buy your copy of Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World from the Illini Union Bookstore!
The Illini Union Bookstore will also be selling copies of Partially Devoured at the event.



PLEASE NOTE: The Virginia Theatre is pleased to bring diverse programming to the stage and screen. The Theatre cannot always provide advisories about subject matter for events, as sensitivities vary. Not all events may appeal to, or be appropriate for, every person. Patrons are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the shows offered in order to make informed decisions prior to purchasing tickets.
Daniel Kraus, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and author of Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World
Not Rated
96 Min
George A. Romero’s 1968 horror masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead, follows a group of panicked survivors trapped in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse as flesh-eating ghouls lay siege to the house. The movie is celebrated for revolutionizing the modern zombie genre.
Doors open at 6:00pm
*** DANIEL KRAUS BOOK EVENT ***


In 1968, Night of the Living Dead opened in theatres and revolutionized the horror genre, becoming an enduring classic and inspiring thousands of zombie films in its wake. U. of I. alum Daniel Kraus, MS ’06 IS, winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Angel Down, first saw Night of the Living Dead when he was five years old, and in the half-century since has watched it more than 300 times—which makes him the perfect person to write a book about it! Kraus’ new book, Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World, is one-part cultural history, one-part memoir that explores the movie’s major impact on film history, American culture, and Kraus himself.
Please join us for a screening of Night of the Living Dead, followed by an on-stage conversation between Daniel Kraus and Illinois Alumni magazine editor-in-chief Ryan Ross about the film and the book, and a book signing.
Buy your copy of Partially Devoured: How Night of the Living Dead Saved My Life and Changed the World from the Illini Union Bookstore!
The Illini Union Bookstore will also be selling copies of Partially Devoured at the event.



PLEASE NOTE: The Virginia Theatre is pleased to bring diverse programming to the stage and screen. The Theatre cannot always provide advisories about subject matter for events, as sensitivities vary. Not all events may appeal to, or be appropriate for, every person. Patrons are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the shows offered in order to make informed decisions prior to purchasing tickets.



