Dawn of the Dead
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Movie Reviews of Dawn of the Dead
Movie Review: New Dawn Delivers on DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
If, like me, you saw the new "Dawn of the Dead" in the theaters in March and were blown away by it, you've probably been waiting anxiously for it's release on DVD.
And the wait has been a long one. In an era, when more and more DVDs are hitting stores only three months after their theatrical release the new Dawn has taken a relatively long time, roughly six months. I'm here to tell you the wait was worth it.
Not only does the film sustain its impact on the small screen but the bevy of extras here are so good they'd be worth buying as a separate standalone DVD.
As to the film, if you're one of those naysayers who skipped the new "Dawn" in theaters because you thought remaking George Romero's brilliant 1979 original was disrespectful, get over it.
First, remaking any movie can be a potentially dicey proposition. But when you remake a movie hardly anyone saw, you've got free reign to do whatever you want since most people won't know the original source material anyway.
When you remake a well-loved classic like "Dawn of the Dead," you've got to contend with people's memories of the original and how those memories will shape and form their expectations of the remake.
While Romero's first zombie film, "Night of the Living Dead," still stands up as the scariest of the original "Dead" trilogy, it was "Dawn" that became a global box office sensation. That film also drew the blueprint for just about every zombie film that has been made since.
The original film's influence is so pervasive that even a movie like "28 Days Later," which wasn't really a zombie film got marketed as a redefinition of "zombie horror." That film's director Danny Boyle also acknowledged that his movie's supermarket scene was homage to "Dawn."
When you consider this, you realize that the new "Dawn of the Dead" is not only competing with the original but also with its legacy. Therefore, key to enjoying it is viewing it with an open mind.
Having done so, I can say that the new "Dawn of the Dead" is brilliant. Scary, fast-paced, and gripping (the first 30 minutes are the most harrowing of any movie I've seen since "Saving Private Ryan").
Much credit has to go to director Zack Snyder and scriptwriter James Gunn. Perhaps in recognition of the original movie's greatness, the pair have reimagined and reinterpreted the premise of the original for a new generation. In other words, much like Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's 11", this isn't a remake as much as it is a new story with the same basic premise. Only the mall setting and the presence of zombies remain the same.
The idea of zombies who move like Olympic sprinters on crack may take some getting used to but it adds to the intensity of the film.
One change that's likely to prompt controversy with purist fans of the original lies with the origin of the zombie plague. Romero's movies never fully explained what caused the dead to walk but fans of "Night" will recall that that film implied that weird radiation brought to Earth by a malfunctioning space probe was responsible. This suggested that anyone who died, even if it was by natural causes, would become a zombie.
By contrast, the new "Dawn" characterizes this as a disease spread by the bite of a zombie. This is an interesting premise but it raises a question the movie doesn't bother to answer: Namely who is patient zero i.e. the first zombie?
One other change is that this film focuses on a much larger cast of characters as opposed to the first movie's core group of four. While this allows for more subplots and personality dynamics, the larger cast results in some characters being given the short shrift.
But ultimately it is those standout performances that make "Dawn of the Dead" a first rate action-horror film. Sarah Polley and Jake Webber give star-making performances and the always dependable Ving Rhames and Mekhi Phifer are also noteworthy.
Though the DVD would be worth buying for the film alone it also boasts a plentiful set of extras that lift this DVD to the status of one of the best DVD releases ever. Especially notable is the video diary of Andy, the gun storeowner. Though a minor but ultimately pivotal character in the film, the movie never really allowed us to get to know him.
The video diary is "recovered" camcorder footage Andy shot to record the onset of the zombie plague, the succeeding days, and his ultimate demise. This footage is chilling, riveting, and leaves the viewer with an even deeper sense of sympathy for this character.
Also noteworthy is "We Interrupt This Program," a compilation of "news" footage detailing the zombie onslaught through the eyes of an anchorman who goes from uber-professional to emotionally shattered as the hours pass.
Buyers take note, if all of the above weren't reason alone to buy this, be advised that some locations are selling the DVD with a special bonus disk with even more undead goodness to take a bite out of. Also, this DVD is available in two versions, the theatrical release and an unrated, extended Directors Cut. Both versions are great and worth buying.
All in all, this is a spectacular DVD presentation for that rarest of movie animals: a remake that equals and arguably surpasses the original.
This is movie that grabs you by the throat and never lets go. If you saw it in theaters you'll want to buy it immediately. If you didn't, buy it anyway. You won't be disappointed.
Movie Review: JUST SAW IT!!! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
To start, I am a huge fan of the original DOTD and I can not stomache today's lack or originality and quality in movies, television and films. At the same time, I'm not a snobbish film geek or crazed horror purist either. I was looking forward to this movie and not only was I NOT disappointed, but I LOVED every moment of it. It was from start to finish INCREDIBLE! I can't remember the last time I saw a well-written movie with even remotely decent acting (House of The Dead, for example,) and with what happened with the total piece of s#@t they dared called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I was, like all of you, very worried with what would happen here. Apparently, if a movie today isn't written and directed for the SOLE PURPOSE of winning the entire cast and crew a meaningless little trophey at a God-awful awards ceremony, it cannot take a second to allow an actor a subtle momentary pause to reflect on what is happening around them. Some people think that being that passionate about a movie, especially a zombie movie (Snicker! Snicker!) is weird, and yeah, it is a little. But we have seen the results of what happens when creative people are pushed aside for "Career-Entertainers" who came into any aspect of this industry because they couldn't keep a job at Burger King and their high school counselor put in their head that "You can be anything you want to be." Sorry, but at some point in history, talent WAS a factor. The fact that "Survivor" is and ever was a hit TV series, Avril Lavene has a record contract and Hilary Duff has a film career is what makes this new "Dawn" a breathe of fresh air. MAYBE..... and that's a big maybe, there is hope left.
And the new "Dawn" definately follows in the footsteps of the original in the fact that it recognizes and voices many of today's social commentaries. Gun-weilding mall cops? Brilliant. Whether the messages are obvious or not, this movie is as honest and real a look at what we've become and where we could be headed as anything I've ever seen. I really hope George likes it. What I also like is the subtle differences between the youngest characters, the 20-30ish characters, and the older characters. Their innocence, self-righteousness and wisdom, respectively, and the tension between them, are what drives this movie. And again, it's what gives you a glint of hope that MAYBE the next generation coming up will have more to offer than mine (I'm 27) ever had. However, there was a trailer for something called "The Mean Girls" starring one of those Hillary Duff people before the movie began. So that, too, is a big maybe.
As far as the "Old Coke" vs. "New Coke" argument? There isn't one. This story stands on it's own and in no way takes away from the original's impact. Alot of fan's shuddered at the thought of James Gunn penning this movie; apparently no one liked Scooby Doo (and you can burn in hell on that count). But I thought he did an excellent job and wrote a damn fine story. As a matter of fact, I would really be surprised if George Romero isn't delighted with this movie in the fact that some of the ideas we've heard him mention for his ORIGINAL vision of the Dead series come to life here. I don't see a competition, and neither should you. The new "Dawn", to me, can stand proudley next to the original without stepping on it's toes. The stories, as well, could have easily have taken place in the same time frame. (Well, aside from some of the OBVIOUS differences- the clothes, hair styles and "What is it?" "One of those new indoor malls.") The cameo appearances by Tom Savini, Ken Foree, and Scott Reiniger put a smile on my face and showed the RESPECT the producer's obviously have for the original. OH yeah!!!!, the soundtrack was PERFECT. You'll seen what I mean.
I think what put the biggest smile on my face wasn't a scene in the actual movie, however. At the end of the film you are tricked a little and there is some fun stuff during the credits. By that time most of the audience had crambled for the doors, eerily reminiscent of the scenes we had just witnessed, when they all just stopped dead to see what was happening. I was still in my seat. Well, there were a few pretty cool "money shots" shown, and these two 16 year old Barbie-twin twits standing in the aisle go, "This movie was like, terrible. It was so.... ewww, just...yucky. Who wrote this? (air-headed laughter). They must have been, like, snorting crack or something."
Those two girls will have never paid a higher compliment.
Movie Review: (2004)Dawn of The Dead - not a remake, but something new....
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start this review off by saying that I am a fan of the original Dawn of The Dead (1979). No other zombie movie could top this (except maybe Night of The Living Dead, which was the directed by the same director of the original Dawn of The Dead, George A. Romero), espically what it carried with it, which was character development... I cared a lot for the characters in the original Dawn of The Dead, making you feel like you've known them, and hoping they will escape the horror that they had to deal with: ZOMBIES! BUT, this review isnt about the original Dawn of The Dead... Its about the "remake". "Remake" is a pretty harsh word to use when describing the 2004 version of Dawn of The Dead, and I gotta tell you all.... This is not a "remake". The only thing that the new Dawn of The Dead uses from the original is: 1)The mall idea (get this, the mall in the 2004 version isnt even the same as the original), and of course, 2)ZOMBIES! Everything else has changed. The story now doesnt focus on just 4 people like the original did. There's now, at the least, 8 characters (there may be more) who are all carried out great by well known actors/actresses such as Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction, Con Air), Sarah Polley (Go, Love Come Down), Jake Weber (Pushing Tin, U-571) and Mekhi Phifer (8 Mile, Honey), and then not-so-well-known actors/actresses like (well..... you probabily wouldnt know them). The character development isnt as good as the original, mainly because of the larger number of characters in the movie (the original had 4 characters total, making it a lot easier to get to know all the characters), and possibly because of the writer (even though I would say that he has done a pretty good job), but it holds well and by the middle of the movie, you should start to care about certain characters, or all of them. The director has changed from George A. Romero to Zack Snyder who, I think, has done a fantastic job in bringing back some of the good ol' horror from the Dead series (Night of The Living Dead, Dawn of The Dead, and Day of The Dead)
The original Dawn of The Dead stood out and was well known for its comedy and dark humor, the dialogue was pretty funny and not cheesy at all. Does the new Dawn of The Dead have this spark that the original has? Yes, in a way. It may not have had AS MUCH comedy and dark humor as the original, but it stands up pretty well to it. The funniest dark humor from the new Dawn of The Dead had to be the "sniping selected zombies" scene (which I will not give away, for that will ruin it totally cause you GOTTA see this scene), and a couple parts in the dialogue had a couple laughs.
Anyway, in Dawn of The Dead, the survivors of a worldwide plague have taken refuge in a large mall, while on the outside, flesh eating zombies roam the land, infecting others who havent turned, creating the zombie population to multiply greatly. When the zombies outside draw their attention to the mall occupied by the survivors, chaos starts and the survivors have to find a way to get out without becoming one of the zombies..... or a human sandwich.
For some reason, I feel that the zombies in this version of Dawn of The Dead were a lot faster and more aggressive than the ones in the original. Because of this, it creates more of a "tense" feel to it, as the characters are always on the move, running as fast as they can from these running zombies. Also, this movie doesnt use CGI much at all. Like the original, this one uses the classic make-up and costume stuff, which I think is a lot better than the fake CGI crap that fills in the screen in other movies. Now days, its kind of rare and unique to see a movie use the good ol' make-up and costume effects, and it makes the ride even creepier and scarier, giving a slight disturbing feel to it.
The gore is pretty high, though not as much as the original Dawn of The Dead. It basically holds well, though, insuring that gore lovers will have a feast with this... So, is it worth the bucks to see it on the big screen? I would say so! Remake? No. A great movie? YES.
Rated R for pervasive strong horror violence and gore, language and sexuality.
Movie Review: "Reimagining" of Dawn a stunning achievement
Summary: 5 Stars
I was one of the skeptics. I didn't want Dawn of the Dead "Hollywoodized". The original Dawn is my favourite zombie film ever and this remake could only taint the memories I had of the original. There was no way I told myself that the remake would ever be able to capture the wild, reckless and rebellious 70's feel of the original. The sublime gore effects of Tom Savini, the bright fake blood, the gunsmoke, the loud sound of motorcycles in a shopping mall. If anything, the remake of NOTLD taught us that classic zombie films should not be remade right?Well, the important point to remember here is that screenwriter James Gunn never intended this as a remake but instead as a reimagining. Gunn after all was quoted in interviews as saying he was a humongous fan of Dawn growing up so he certainly didn't want to trash the spirit of the original either. Instead of copying Romero, Gunn made a bunch of wild changes that seemed foolhardy to me at first but really work out well. First off, no more shuffling zombies. These zombies run, and run fast at that, as fast as T-1000's. They don't moan, they screech. Loudly. Working-class Pittsburgh is replaced by working-class Milwaukee. And then there's the explosions and cool special effects thanks to the higher budget. Despite all the changes, it doesn't forget its roots, like the ol' gunshot to the head formula and even a newscaster uttering the quote "When there's no more room in hell..."
In the original Dwan, Romero created a semi-satire that spoofed the increasing materialism of our society. It played for a lot of laughs and the zombies were not to be taken very seriously. In the remake however, the tone is extremely bleak. This new Dawn is filled with nihilism and pessimism, the picture dark, the mood one of despair. There seems to be no hope whatsoever, and the survivors of the plague take no pleasure in the freedom or sudden possession of materialistic goods that are now in their possession. Thankfully and surprisingly, there is no self-referential elements to this movie. As a matter of fact, there is no mention of the specific time or era this is supposed to take place in. There are no advertising or product plugs, not even in the mall. No cellphones or rap music. The only problem with this of course is that all the characters seem to act as though zombie movies were never in existence(they take half the movie to figure out that zombies must be shot in the head) but I prefer this minor annoyance to an entire movie of wink-wink nudge-nudge self-referential doodoo anyday.
The action is unrelenting the whole way through, the actors extremely good, especially Canadian indy queen Sarah Polly. She looks just as comfortable tending to the injured (she's a nurse) then she does blasting zombies with her shotgun. Her supporting cast is also strong. In my opinion, this new dawn is the best zombie movie I've seen in at least ten years, miles ahead of 28 days later and even better IMO than the Spierig Brothers' amazing "Undead", an Australian splatterfest that premiered at the Toronto Intenational film festival last year. My only complaints are that I wasn't satified at the end, I wanted more. Oh, and the absence of a biker gang. I really would have loved bikers to break into the mall again this time around but this isn't the 70's anymore so I guess that wasn't meant to happen.
If anything, my viewing of the new Dawn taught me a valuable lesson: do not judge a book by its cover. This film has exceeded all my expectations and I'm sure will be looked upon as a classic ten years from now. Apologies are in order for James Gunn, Zack Snyder and everyone else involved with this film who had to listen to blind skeptics such as myself pour their rage all over the internet without having seen the movie first. Coming from a previous skeptic whose favourite zombie film was the original Dawn I will say this; I was wrong, and if the next logical step is a remake of Day of the Dead, I will now welcome it with open arms, especially if the same crew are involved.
Movie Review: Romero's 1978 shocker gets an impressive 2004 make over.
Summary: 5 Stars
Zack Snyder's fast paced remake of George Romero's 1978 low budget cult film may not win the hearts and minds of all Romero's legion of fans......however that's their bad luck. On it's own merits, the 2004 version of "Dawn of the Dead" is a genuinely scary, roller coaster ride into the genre of the living dead. What it may lack from the original in making comments about consumer greed, dysfunctional society and other social issues, it more than makes up for in being a successful meshing of blood thirsty zombies meets the action movie genre.The new film steers away from the initial reason highligted in Romero's 1967 "Night Of The Living Dead" , that radiation from an aborted Venus probe are reanimating the recently dead. This time around, an unknown virus, transmitted by bites from infected / undead humans is the cause of the deadly plague. Snyder's film starts off innocently enough in an "everyday" atmosphere surrounding a suburban hospital and an average suburban neighbourhood, however all hell suddenly breaks loose, and the landscape of Everett, Wisconsin is plunged into anarchy as neighbours attack each other and those still mobile, flee to find supposed sanctuary. The other key change is that in the original Dawn, Romero's zombies, whilst hungry for human flesh, just shuffled around the place as if they were heading home after a heavy evening at their local bar, and were only of threat to the films heroes when in weight of numbers. Snyder's zombies however, bear more resemblance to the "infected" in Danny Boyle's recent ( and much over rated ) "28 Days Later".....the zombies in "Dawn 2004" are fast on their feet, hyper aggresive and screech like ravenous hyenas when they are in pursuit of their human prey.
Creative cinematography by Matthew Leonetti, razor sharp editing by Niven Howie and an excellent soundtrack including Johnny Cash singing "The Man Comes Around " over the opening credits all contribute to keep the audience entertained and on the edge of their seats. Sarah Polley & Ving Rhames are the two key leads, one a nurse, the other a police officer, and both meeting up with a rag tag bunch of survivors and taking shelter in an enormous shopping mall. In joke : One of the stores in the centre is named "Gaylen Ross".....lead actress from the first Dawn. In addition, fellow cast members from the original Dawn, Ken Foree ( Peter, the SWAT Trooper ) has a cameo as a TV evangelist, where he repeats his famous quote about "When there's no more room in hell...", and Scott H. Reiniger ( the other SWAT Trooper ) is an Army general on TV telling the populace not to panic. Plus SFX make up maestro Tom Savini, is a local sheriff out leading a posse shooting and burning corpses.
Being a very keen fan of the Romero series of living dead films, I must admit I viewed the approaching remake with some apprehension, however I was more than pleased after seeing the final result. Especially given the most recent key theatrical releases surrounding the living dead ( Resident Evil & 28 Days Later ) were both rather toothless and lack lustre. So, leave your "don't mess with the classics" prejudices at home, and enjoy the latest "Dawn of the Dead" for what it is.....an intelligent, fuel injected horror / action film with just the right dose of humour and sarcasm. Highly Recommended.