MovieChat Forums > Night of the Living Dead (1990) Discussion > Barbara, Ben and Guns.. (spoilers)

Barbara, Ben and Guns.. (spoilers)

posted 13 years ago by scorch888
6 replies | jump to latest

Just watched this for first time in ages, great, creepy film, etc.

Just wondering what people thought Ben's backstory was? Appears to be an office worker, yet fights like he's had some sort of training? (e.g kicks and quick-thinking uses of tools as weapons) I know he comes from the city, but just wondering what others thought of his character. Also he drives a battered pickup truck that doesn't suit the way he's dressed at all, you'd expect him to come out in greasy overalls driving that thing.

Also his death, and the death of the original Ben (duane something?) in the old version has to be one of the most disappointing deaths of a horror movie protagonist, the whole way through I was rooting for him - except from the end where he just had to go and try and gun Harry down.

Perhaps if Barbara had immediately alerted the red necks she meets that there was someone at the house etc, they might have got back in time to give him some sort of basic treatment for his gun wounds?! I disliked her character immensely, although watching it again found her a lot more attractive that I had when younger.

Also the thing with guns, she picks that rifle up and is able to shoot that naked zombie with pinpoint accuracy (without facing a kick) before taking him out from the head!? No way, pushing the boundaries of realism there, also pistols. I don't know if anyone has ever fired a pistol or even an air pistol, but to hit a target from a distance like they were doing (especially with a .38 revolver) is very, very hard - which again bring me back to Ben's character, perhaps he had grown up on the street or something with pistols? Fair enough I can understand an untrained person being able to master a rifle, but picking things off with a pistol that way...well, Harry Calahan would be proud.

[–] SasquatchJim 13 years ago

How far away was Ben from the zombies? I was under the assumption that all the ones he shot with the Model 10 were inside side the house. I.E. less than 20 feet away. I don't find it too hard to believe even an untrained person can hit one at 4-5 yards.

Also, there's no evidence that Ben hasn't shot a handgun before. He could've easily had a handgun at home that he'd shot before.

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[–] ghostdog2041 13 years ago

Op, you missed one of the points. Having ben get out of an old beat up truck in a suit, that was showing you that it wasn't his vehicle, he is a survivor. I think he even says his car caught fire at the diner.

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[–] OsborneDFormed 13 years ago

"Grown up on the street with pistols?" Why, because he's Black? Maybe he grew up on a farm with pistols. What pistol training do you think these mythical "street people" receive? Go down to your local ghetto, set up a target and start doing some target practice...see how long before SWAT gets there.

Did you grow up in Narnia, or Munchkinland or some other make-believe place?

I mock you with my monkey pants!

[–] ringneck 12 years ago

Very few blacks grow up on farms, outside of the South it's pretty much unheard of---it is more likely to assume he grew up in an urban environment from a statistical stand point. Not alot of black people shoot recreationally, and the gun ownership rate in black communities is about half of that in a white neighborhood. So more than likely, as a black male in America Ben came from the inner city and was less likely to own a firearm than the white men in the movie.

Also, while the actor himself is borderline for having been of age for the draft, the character might have been in the military. Hell, he might have enlisted, used the GI Bill to go to college, and thus get the office job. Alot of black people use the military to earn a college education and especially in the 70's and ealrier they were given more breaks and oportunities than in the civillian job market.

Or maybe Ben came from a middle class suburban neighborhood and just liked guns. Who knows. I like NOT knowing all the background details better than having them spoon fed to me like a TV series does.

[–] Mandingo609 12 years ago

Wow!!! White folks theorizing about black folks? What's next? The Menthol cigarettes theory?

”Deh Deh Deh, DA Dabacco”-Puert Rican dude from the ”I aint your Papi” episode of COPS.

[–] OsborneDFormed 12 years ago

Very few blacks grow up on farms, outside of the South it's pretty much unheard of---

I only knew about twenty personally, when I lived in Ohio. Northern Ohio.

it is more likely to assume he grew up in an urban environment from a statistical stand point.

True, but not preclusive.

Not alot of black people shoot recreationally, and the gun ownership rate in black communities is about half of that in a white neighborhood.

I've only seen about a dozen Black people at the local pistol matches I shoot.

So more than likely, as a black male in America Ben came from the inner city and was less likely to own a firearm than the white men in the movie.

Unless of course he was one of the exceptions.

Also, while the actor himself is borderline for having been of age for the draft, the character might have been in the military. Hell, he might have enlisted, used the GI Bill to go to college, and thus get the office job. Alot of black people use the military to earn a college education and especially in the 70's and ealrier they were given more breaks and oportunities than in the civillian job market.

I could say that's statistically unlikely, but it might be true so why bother?

Or maybe Ben came from a middle class suburban neighborhood and just liked guns. Who knows. I like NOT knowing all the background details better than having them spoon fed to me like a TV series does.

Which is exactly the point I was making. Being Black and knowing how to shoot doesn't mean someone "grew up on the streets with pistols" because not all Blacks grow up "on the streets" (whatever the hell that means; there's cars in the street) and these mythical "streets" don't automatically confer handgun marksmanship skills. I think we agree that stereotypes in movies are tiresome, and that writing characters according to statistical probabilities is limiting and tiresome as well.

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