Dawn of the Dead (1978) reviews/discussion - 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day 20

[Trevor]

IMDB link for Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Selection made by takingchase.

These "2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day #" threads are for the discussion of the films in the 31 Films in 31 Days subset.

General discussion on the 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge goes here, your list for the Challenge goes here.

The plan is for everyone to watch this film on the October day in the thread title, and to start discussing it the morning of the following day. You may start discussion early if you want, but the preferred plan is for this to be as much of a group exercise as possible, with all of us viewing it "together" and discussing after.

Of course, you are totally encouraged to participate in these threads even if you haven't watched the movie on the designated day. Even if you haven't watched it in years, or are not participating in the Horror Challenge, please feel free to chime in.

Spoiler tags will not be needed, as it will be expected that anyone here has seen the film.

Do not read this thread if you have not seen the film, unless you don't mind the ending being spoiled for you.

[Trevor]

Somehow never saw this until last night.

Awesome film! More later, off to the start of a horror film festival.

[cardsfan111]

I noticed in the discussion thread that you hadn't seen this before, Trevor. Same here for me.

I really enjoyed it. Loved much of the action taking place in/around a shopping mall. Thought every actor (including the zombies) did a fantasic job. Also appreciated the elements of comedy present throughout.

If I was forced to be critical of anything, the music from the film definitely cause it to feel "dated". However, that doesn't detract from one being able to enjoy it.

[riotinmyskull]

Originally Posted by cardsfan111

I noticed in the discussion thread that you hadn't seen this before, Trevor. Same here for me.

I really enjoyed it. Loved much of the action taking place in/around a shopping mall. Thought every actor (including the zombies) did a fantasic job. Also appreciated the elements of comedy present throughout.

If I was forced to be critical of anything, the music from the film definitely cause it to feel "dated". However, that doesn't detract from one being able to enjoy it.

you mean the stock music or goblin's soundtrack? because the latter is one of the best parts.

[Numes]

Last year I watched the Theatrical version (Romero's preferred version) and the Argento cut, so this year I watched the "Extended" version. The scenes they added in the extended version (that I noticed) really didn't add anything to the story, it just made it longer. The theatrical version is definitely the version I will be watching from now on.

I like this movie more and more every time I see it. I love the Goblin music, that is one of the best things in the movie. I really wish they did soundtracks more like they did in the 70s. I love that style of music and just give you something extra special in the viewing.

I laugh outloud everytime I see the biker go to the blood pressure machine. I'm not sure how they cut it in the theatrical version, but in the extended version, he's being chased by zombies, but runs up to that machine because he REALLY wants to get his blood pressure taken. There is a scene earlier where his biker fellows tell him to quit goofing off and start stealing stuff.

I thought fly boy's Zombie acting was awesome. They talk about in one of the commentaries. All of the "hero" Zombies had really great make-up and did an excellent job.

Also worth mentioning is a comment about when the guy slides down the middle of the escalator. I can't remember if it was because of this movie, but shortly after, they started putting a number of metal "bumps" in those middle areas to prevent people from doing that (check it out next time you go on an escalator.) That is just another note from one of the commentaries.

What else? Oh, I love the eye patch guy. Great costume. Why does he have an eye patch? Who knows, but it seems to be perfect for him.

[cardsfan111]

Originally Posted by riotinmyskull

you mean the stock music or goblin's soundtrack? because the latter is one of the best parts.

I'll have to confess my ignorance...I don't know the difference.

[riotinmyskull]

figured i'd point out that you can get the entire goblin soundtrack from amazon in mp3 format for only $6 here: http://www.amazon.com/Zombi-Complete...dp/B000QQZJB8/

[scott1598]

finally i did one of these challenges close to when the challenge was posted (saw Sunday into Tuesday).

this is from the first time i saw this movie:

wow! what a great 2nd movie.

of course i read and heard from the peeps here of how good this movie was and after seeing "Night" i was really eager and with the Divimax release in my hand i just couldn't wait and for me to watch a DVD after only having it for a week or more is like unbelievable as i have like over 100 in the queue of ones that still need to be seen.

well, i popped it in and had to get the full effect fbi warnings and all and boy was it a treat. picked the dts option and off i went.

it was just so good. such a grand sequel..i love serious gore and though this was very much comic gore it still worked marvelously. i loved the scene when the cop was on a rampage in the apt. bldg and blew the guy's head off. i slo-moed and saw the paper machete head explode in all its comical glory. so much fun.
i jumped at the right scenes. i had fun when they ran around the mall having fun. the acting was better than average and seeing this as in "Night" i realize again Romero is ahead of his time...

...he used the black and white buddy cop routine way before it was made wildly popular when Lethal Weapon exploded it on the scene and launched its many dozen incarnations. This should be the one to have started them all..at least in this modern era. I know there were earlier ones..The Defiant Ones to name one, but this had the comedic touch, the fun and certainly the warmth and strong bond of a male buddy friendship.

Anyway, truly a fun movie that should be savored and shared with the whole family, well maybe not the whole family. But with whoever, keep the sound boomin, the subwoofer on (though i don't think the bass was that great) and enjoy the ride of a truly exceptional sequel!

and to the naysayers that don't think this is a sequel i have to say pfft. this is definitely the next logical progression in a series of movies set to tell a story in a sequential pattern, especially with the description of "Day of the Dead" which is now eagerly anticipated by this viewer as is the "Dawn" sequel and the announced? box set later this year.

So glad I listen to the people here..they really do know what they are talking about. Thanks again for including me in the zombie army.

So..thanks!

still love it to this day. seminal classic and milestone in the zombie-horror-comedy-moral film.

[caligulathegod]

I, too, prefer the theatrical cut. It rolls like gangbusters. But what I notice about the Cannes cut (director's cut/Extended cut) is not so much that it is merely longer, but that it is the only version that really gives the impression of how long they are actually in the mall. You really feel the months pass and it feels almost epic. It's the most exhausting version, so I rarely watch it. It is the only version I've seen in a theater, though. I've seen it twice.

[J. Farley]

While Day of the Dead is my favorite of Romero's "Dead" films, this is right behind it. It was the first zombie film I saw. My father told me about it when I was a kid, particularly the helicopter zombie losing his dome, and my imagination ran wild. It's stuff like this that made me a horror fan from a very young age.

[Giles]

Originally Posted by riotinmyskull

you mean the stock music or goblin's soundtrack? because the latter is one of the best parts.

I like the music cue when they're getting the firearms in the mall (!!)

I find it interesting that Joe Pilato is in the extended cut of the film, but not in the theatrical or Euro cut of the film.

[Solid Snake PAC]

I love me some Dawn of The Dead. Really great flick. Neat effects, love the chopper cutting the zombies head effect. So simple..yet still amazing.

[Larry C.]

This is one of my favorite movies ever. Not just horror but of all types. There is just something so exciting and mysterious about being stuck in a shopping mall and having everything in it at your disposal.

Oh did I mention it has freaking ZOMBIES

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by cardsfan111

I noticed in the discussion thread that you hadn't seen this before, Trevor. Same here for me.

Glad to see I wasn't the only one!

Originally Posted by riotinmyskull

you mean the stock music or goblin's soundtrack? because the latter is one of the best parts.

I didn't care for either.


Now that I've seen the first two of his films, I think I'll finish out the rest of the Romero zombie films this month. Day will be a first time viewing for me as well.

I also loved the 'living in the mall' aspect. It's a thought that has often crept into my brain since I was a kid, day dreaming about what it would be like to have to live in a mall or other large complex.

[Giles]

Originally Posted by ZOMBIEDAVE

When I talked to Romero at a convention about 8 years ago he said "Day" is his fav. He made a great film without the budget he needed. Great director.

My Fav ''Dead" films-

1.DAWN

2.DAY

3.NIGHT

4.LAND

5.DIARY

Oops this is a DAWN thread..........

for me 4 and 5 would be flipped.

[jmsmath]

I saw this when it was first released in the theater and loved it. I think it was the first R rated movie I ever saw. I vividly remembered the scene early in the movie where the zombie takes a bite out of the womans shoulder and the scene with the motorcycle gang and the blood pressure machine.

When I saw this was coming up for the challenge, I went to Best Buy on Sunday and bought the Blu-ray, so it's my first time seeing it since the theater. I think it was even better than I remember. I had actually forgotten how much comedy was in there. It brought back so many memories. This was THE movie to see when I was in high school.

[nezumi]

I just finished marathon-ing through the first three of the "Dead" films, and I have to say that this film is my favorite of the three. The makeup effects are better in Day, Romero creates a spookier atmosphere in Night, but Dawn has the best social commentary. I own the Ultimate Edition with the extended and European cuts, but I haven't gotten around to watching them yet. From what I gather, they're no great shakes. Maybe next year.

[indiephantom]

It's one of the best movies ever made. I watch it every couple of years since seeing it for the first time rather late in life (I think I was around 21 when I first saw it, and I would have been 8 when it first hit theatres). I have the ultimate edition and I like all the versions. The Cannes cut is inching toward a favorite just because it's longer and you really get seduced by it. I will hold out for a better Blu-ray release and hopefully make it part of my experience next Halloween season.

[Numes]

Originally Posted by indiephantom

It's one of the best movies ever made. I watch it every couple of years since seeing it for the first time rather late in life (I think I was around 21 when I first saw it, and I would have been 8 when it first hit theatres). I have the ultimate edition and I like all the versions. The Cannes cut is inching toward a favorite just because it's longer and you really get seduced by it. I will hold out for a better Blu-ray release and hopefully make it part of my experience next Halloween season.

Really? I thought it ruined the pacing of the movie. It was hurriedly put together and I think was included in the 3-disc set as more of a novelty (since Rubinstein kept the print) rather than a version to be embraced. I don't see myself watching that version (watched it for the first time this year) for a long time.

[Dr Mabuse]

I remember going to see this at the midnight movies back in the early 80's.

'Banned in 36 countries!' was the ad campaign stuff.

The first time getting buzzed and seeing it on the big screen at the midnight show was wild stuff.

[sb5]

Originally Posted by Numes

Really? I thought it ruined the pacing of the movie. It was hurriedly put together and I think was included in the 3-disc set as more of a novelty (since Rubinstein kept the print) rather than a version to be embraced. I don't see myself watching that version (watched it for the first time this year) for a long time.

Yeah, I agree. Those 13 minutes that Romero cut make a huge difference to how the film is paced. It's cool to see additional footage, but this definitely isn't a "bigger is better" case.

Still like it more than the European cut, though.

[smashthesymbols]

I watched this for the first time the other day too. I can't believe it took this long.

I have the Blu-Ray, is it worth getting the DVD version with all the extra cuts or upgrading the Blu-Ray when the inevitable double dip hits? Are any of the that good or is the theatrical the way to go? Would they even be that interesting if you haven't been watching the movie for 20 years?

[sb5]

How interested are you in learning more about the movie? While the theatrical cut is (imo) the best version, the other two cuts are interesting to watch just to see how much editing can effect a movie and how differently another director (Dario Argento) can interpret the same material.

Beyond that, there's the extras. The Blu-Ray has two of the best of the Ultimate Edition (Romero's commentary, the 75-minute "The Dead Will Walk" documentary), but it's missing the other two commentaries (producer and cast), both of which are worth hearing. There's quite a few other smaller features (like the "Document of the Dead" featurette) that are missing as well.

It's a great set; it really just comes down to how much you like extras and learning more about the movie. If your interest is more in just watching the movie itself, you'd probably be fine with just the Blu-Ray of the Theatrical cut.

[Drop]

The extended cut will always hold a strong place in my heart because it was the version I watched the most growing up. I saw the theatrical cut first, but when my bro brought the VHS it was the extended version (although billed as the original director's cut). We watched it so so many times, it was the only I could imagine the movie. Then we got the the Anchor Bay Anniversary Edition US theatrical cut (although in fact was a weird hybrid version with some extended moments) on DVD. And of course we watched that so so many times. The Ultimate Edition was the ultimate special edition (only the Blade Runner set coming close) for me.

So Dawn of the Dead is probably my favorite film, and it's the first film to knock Star Wars off it's pedestal for me. It's so interesting and such an obvious "loss of innocence" in my life. Thankfully it's held up for me all these years. I think that's largely because of the imagination the film holds. Every kid would love to have a mall all to themselves, especially one as decked out as the Monroeville one. Plus the absolute insanity, which starts from the first scene and never really lets ups, adds the layer that shocks people, even today. You really felt like anything can happen. It's the perfect first R-rated film.

[caligulathegod]

We've had two people in here say that this was rated R. This film was famously unrated. At one point, they did release a butchered R-rated version to go on a double bill with Creepshow, but it was pulled quickly after many complaints.