Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition)
by George A. Romero
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: David Crawford, David Emge, Gaylen Ross, Ken Foree, Scott H. ReinigerDirector: George A. Romero
Brand: DAWN OF THE DEAD
Cinematographer: Michael Gornick
Writer: George A. Romero
Editor: Dario Argento
Producer: Alfredo Cuomo
Producer: Claudio Argento
Producer: Donna Siegel
Producer: Richard P. Rubinstein
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 126 minutes
Published: 2004-09-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-07
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Movie Reviews of Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition)
Movie Review: An Absolute "Must Own" For Fans of Romero's Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
Let's get right to the question everyone contemplating buying this pricey four disc set is no doubt asking themselves: "Should I spend the money to buy this movie again?!?!"
The answer: "Yes you should!!!!"
I say this because, the typical fan of the original "Dawn Of The Dead" probably already owns at least one copy of this movie and possibly more than that. If, like me, you're an older fan who was lucky enough to see it in theaters upon its release you may even have one of the ancient HBO Video VHS versions tucked away somewhere.
Since then the film has been released and re-released in various versions on VHS, Laser Disc, and DVD countless times. Many die-hard fans have probably bought multiple incarnations of "Dawn" over the years for new documentaries here or new commentaries there.
Get ready to open your wallet again because, cost consciousness aside, this "Ultimate Edition" falls squarely into the "must buy" column.
If you've never seen the original "Dawn", let's begin with a synopsis. In 1978, George Romero released the second film in what would later come to be called the "Dead Trilogy." "Dawn of the Dead" isn't a sequel to "Night of the Living Dead" as much as it is another view of world being overrun by flesh-eating, reanimated corpses.
While "Night of the Living Dead" ended bleakly it also suggested that humans were successfully repelling the zombie onslaught. "Dawn" opens with the zombies clearly gaining the upper hand.
Two Philadelphia Police SWAT Team members, a female television news producer, and the station's news chopper pilot steal a helicopter and flee the city. They seek a brief respite by landing atop a rural indoor shopping mall that, like everywhere else, is thick with zombies.
The SWAT officers quickly devise a "hit and run" plan to loot needed supplies while eluding the walking dead. When that plan succeeds with only minor hitches, the band decides to extend their stay. What follows is a series of brilliantly executed action sequences wherein the four use cleverness and weapons looted from the mall's gun shop to eliminate the zombies and take control of the mall.
As a straight horror film, "Dawn" doesn't quite work. Part of the problem lies in the film's setting. A brightly-lit shopping mall doesn't evoke the same sense of terror and dread as the night-time rural farm house setting of "Night of the Living Dead." Nevertheless, the film fires on all cylinders as action-adventure piece that never relents.
Key to its success is strong performances by the quartet of then-unknown actors in the leads. Especially notable are Gaylen Ross as Francine and Ken Foree as SWAT officer Peter. Foree's role is especially significant since it marks the second time in the "Dead" series that Romero cast an African-American in a strong lead role.
Foree's Peter quickly establishes himself, and is accepted, as the leader of the group. When one considers that this was more than 10 years before Will Smith proved audiences would line up to see a Black man save the world in "Independence Day", you realize that this was a pretty revolutionary move for Romero to take in 1978.
In terms of onscreen violence and gore the film set a new benchmark. One could argue that if "Night" pushed the envelope in this regard, "Dawn" shredded it and then set the pieces on fire.
At the time of its release it was left un-rated due to its excessive violence and gore. Starlog Magazine described it as "quite possibly the most violent film ever made." By today's standards, the violence actually seems relatively tame. One could argue that more recent mainstream films like "Braveheart" outdo "Dawn" on both violence and gore. Much of the action has a slap-stick quality that suggests a "Roadrunner" cartoon albeit with several gallons of blood.
This is not to say that the film is a comedy though. In fact, many critics interpreted it as a biting commentary on the rampant consumerism that would ultimately overtake the country in the 1980s. With its shopping mall setting, zombies mindlessly trying to enter stores, and the heroes' growing infatuation with their "kid in a candy store" environment, it's hard not to see a message here.
But as the heroes quickly abandon any thought of finding people elsewhere for a life of insulated comfort and free home appliances, they are oblivious to how their actions might ultimately doom them. At the same time, Romero's insertion of television news commentators describing a society that is quickly falling apart is chilling in its realism.
I won't reveal the ending but will say that "Dawn" more than earns its status a classic that is at least as good as "Night." And while the first film was clearly the scarier, "Dawn" has emerged as, by far, the more influential.
It spawned countless imitators, mainly directed by Italians like Lucio("Zombie") Fulci whose apparent appettite for zombie flicks can only be matched by the French's passion for Jerry Lewis movies. It's influence can also be seen in scores of comic books and video games like "Doom," "Resident Evil," and "House Of The Dead." Hell, even Michael Jackson's award-winning "Thriller" video probably never would've been made if Romero's film hadn't sparked Jacko's already-tweaked imagination.
What is notable about this collection is that it presents no less than three versions of the film: The Original U.S. Theatrical Release, The Extended Version, and the European Version.
Each version gets a separate commentary track but my favorite is the cast commentary on the European Version which reunites stars Foree, Ross, David Emge, and Scott Reininger. The actors clearly had a ball getting back together to record the commentary. Their observations and memories are insightful and often hilarious.
Of the three versions, the U.S. version however remains the superior cut. The extended version, while offering previously unseen footage(see everything that happened at the docks when Steven and Fran first met up with Peter and Roger), frankly drags in spots. The European version ups the ante with more gore but comes in with a shorter running time. Unfortunately, it accomplishes this by excising some classic scenes.
As for the extras, this set contains more than you can shake a severed limb at. Best among them are two documentaries, including the feature-length "Document of the Dead" which had previously been available only as a separate, stand-alone DVD.
There is no fluff here and devoted fans will literally want to comb through every poster gallery and TV spot. Easter egg alert! These discs also contain hidden bonus interviews.
As we know, Romero would ultimately go on to direct a third "Dead" film, the solid but less than great "Day of the Dead," and executive produce a superfluous remake of "Night" in 1990.
With Romero himself, having acknowledged that "Day" fell short, he's long talked about a fourth installment that would bring the series to a suitably fitting end.
During one of Disc Four's documentaries he talks about that movie, "Dead Reckoning," which recent media reports suggest is now in production albeit with a new and, unfortunately dopier title "Land of the Dead."
The timing certainly seems right given that Zombie and Zombie-esque film have undergone a bit of a Renaissance. Films like "28 Days Later," "Shaun of the Dead," and the "Resident Evil" films have all hit theaters and enjoyed considerable success. And of course there's this year's "Dawn" remake which some would say equals or maybe even surpasses Romero's original.
But there's no getting around the fact that the original "Dawn" is not only a classic but also a masterpiece. Those who remember seeing it in theaters knew that afterwards nothing would ever be the same.
Buy this collection and see why for yourself.
Summary of Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition)
In 1968, director George A. Romero brought us "Night of the Living Dead." It became the definitive horror film of its time. Eleven years later, he would unleash the most shocking motion picture experience for all times. As modern society is consumed by zombie carnage, four desperate survivors barricade themselves inside a shopping mall to battle the flesh-eating hordes of the undead. This is the ferocious horror classic, featuring landmark gore effects by Tom Savini, that remains one of the most important ? and most controversial ? horror films in history. When there?s no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the earth: The original "Dawn of the Dead" is back!George Romero's 1978 follow-up to his classic Night of the Living Dead is quite terrifying and gory (those zombies do like the taste of living flesh). But in its own way, it is just as comically satiric as the first film in its take on contemporary values. This time, we follow the fortunes of four people who lock themselves inside a shopping mall to get away from the marauding dead and who then immerse themselves in unabashed consumerism, taking what they want from an array of clothing and jewelry shops, making gourmet meals, etc. It is Romero's take on Louis XVI in the modern world: keep the starving masses at bay and crank up the insulated indulgence. Still, this is a horror film when all is said and done, and even some of Romero's best visual jokes (a Hare Krishna turned blue-skinned zombie) can make you sweat. --Tom Keogh
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