An organization called the Lutheran Society hired George A. Romero to create a movie about elder abuse and the importance of showing respect to older people. When Romero presented the society with his surreal and frightening take on the subject, they were so shocked and horrified by what they saw that they hid the film and never showed it to anyone. It would be 45 years before the film would be seen again.
Shot in 1973, screened at several festivals and events through years but it went largely unseen otherwise. A print was re-discovered in 2017 and sent to Romero about three weeks before he passed away. It received a 4K restoration and the horror streaming service Shudder announced in February 2021 they'd acquired the rights to show the film, and would release it later that summer.
Despite representing a person near the end of life in 1973, the main actor didn't pass away until 2009, 36 years later, at the age of 106.
The film was shot on 16mm film stock at the now-defunct West View Park in West View, Pennsylvania.