Dawn of the Dead (1978) Limited Edition 4K UHD & Limited Edition Blu-Ray Review
Dawn of the Dead (1978) Limited Edition 4K UHD & Limited Edition Blu-Ray Review 10/10
DAWN OF THE DEAD originally arrived 10 years after the seminal NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and ushered in a new era of zombie films. It showed Romero once again ahead of the curve, mixing biting political satire with state-of-the-art-gore for a genre defining masterpiece that packs as much of a punch today as it did 40 years ago.
With a zombie epidemic escalating, a small band of survivors seek refuge in that shrine to capitalism, the shopping mall. But the undead, still possessed by an instinctive desire to consume, have had the same idea…What follows is a nail-biting thrill-ride and fight to survive. Oh, and watch out for those helicopter blades!
Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD is one of a select few genre movies that made an indelible impression on me at an early age. Back at the tail-end of the Seventies the film’s TV trailer and poster shaped my early impressions of the horror genre and when I came of age to view DAWN OF THE DEAD, with the advent of the video cassette home entertainment revolution, I was initially disappointed that it didn’t quite measure up to my over-vivid imagination and expectations of what a gory zombie flick should be. However, over the subsequent years, I have revisited this, one of the best reviewed zombie flicks of all-time, and my appreciation of this belated follow-up to Romero’s seminal NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD grew.
Whilst now admittedly dated the film still packs enough power to surprise and shock with Tom Savini’s gore effects still eliciting maximum awe value and as a whole the film just gets better and better, for me, with every subsequent viewing. Much like the bikers that invade the shopping mall in the film’s later stages DAWN OF THE DEAD is revved up to the max from the very start and never once lets go of the throttle. Second Sight’s extras-packed limited edition release is one of those rare releases that actually enhanced my appreciation of the film with production details that proves that it doesn’t cost a lot to make a bona fide classic as well as a sequel that improves substantially on the original.
There are three versions of DAWN OF THE DEAD are available within this bumper release, there’s Romero’s original theatrical cut, the extended ‘Cannes’ cut and on the third disc there’s producer Dario Argento’s Italian cut of the movie which is actually has the shortest running time. This is because Argento trimmed some of the film’s gorier moments to guarantee a release on home turf, rather paradoxical given the level of violence and gore his, then, recent hit SUSPIRIA splashed out in vibrant Technicolor. The Argento version is entitled simply ZOMBI and was such a big hit across Europe that another Italian filmmaker made good on the opportunity to tap into the film’s rich financial vein by entitling his film ZOMBI 2 even though it was totally independent of the Romero flick – that film was Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS (as it was known in the UK) which went on to become notorious as a ‘video nasty’ on British turf.
Filmed in Pennsylvania, Romero’s home turf and preferred location, DAWN OF THE DEAD went on to become the most profitable film in the DEAD series. Costing a rather meagre $450,000, according to the film’s extras interviewed for this release, it went on to gross $66million worldwide. As with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD it was not a film that was initially embraced by critics but years later it has won over almost every single one of them over weighing in with a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – critics are such fickle, reactionary beasts!
From watching this set’s abundant extras you’ll learn how the film’s renowned make-up artist Tom Savini was not happy with how the zombie’s skin colour appeared on screen, he had opted for a gray colouring that unfortunately ended up looking blue in the finished film. However Romero was more than happy with the results as he felt it enhanced the comic book feel he was aiming for. Savini was not only the make-up artist on DAWN OF THE DEAD; he was also assisted with the stunt work, along with his assistant and friend Taso N. Stavrakis, as the production couldn’t afford to employ professional stunt people. And those child zombies that attack Pete Washington (Ken Foree) during a pit stop? Well they are Savini’s niece and nephew, which goes to prove how Romero was adept at getting as many people he knew in front of the camera to help save on production costs.
Apparently Romero has THREE cameos in the film. The first one is obvious – early on in DAWN OF THE DEAD we see him as the director in the television studio – and later he features as the Santa Claus biker, but as for the third cameo, it’s something else for me to keep an eye out for next time of viewing. John Amplas, who previously headlined in Romero’s MARTIN, also pops up a couple of times in different guises (on top of his duties as this film’s casting director) as Rico, a Puerto Rican bandit, and elsewhere as a zombie in the parking lot and another who is thrown over the mall balcony. Also keep an eye out for Joe Pilato who went on to famously play Captain Rhodes in DAY OF THE DEAD who pops up briefly as a police officer.
Elsewhere we learn of the battle Romero had avoiding the dreaded ‘X’ rating for release in the States by the MPAA, how the band of bikers were actually played by REAL bikers and how there’s still a dispute over the film’s alternative ending, which Romero felt was too bleak a conclusion for a film he felt played as a comic book. Much of the detail I have referred to in this review might be common knowledge for DAWN OF THE DEAD diehards but for me it definitely enhanced my appreciation of a film that dared to pull out all the stops and deliver THE definitive modern zombie movie. Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD was followed up by DAY OF THE DEAD (1985), LAND OF THE DEAD (2005), DIARY OF THE DEAD (2007) and SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD (2009). The film was remade in 2004 by director Zack Snyder who upped the action quota but neglected the satirical dig at consumerism that helped elevated the original as something very special.
Special Features
BLU-RAY DISC 1: THE THEATRICAL CUT
New 4K scan and restoration of the Original Camera Negative by Second Sight at Final Frame New York and London supervised and approved by DoP Michael Gornick
Audio: New restoration of the original OCN Optical presented in Mono 1.0, Stereo 2.0 and 5.1
Commentary by George A Romero, Tom Savini, Christine Forrest
NEW commentary by Travis Crawford
New optional English subtitles for the hearing impaired
BLU-RAY DISC 2 – THE EXTENDED (‘CANNES’) CUT
Produced using 4K scan of the Theatrical Cut Original Camera Negative and 4K scan of the Extended Cut Colour Reversal Internegative
DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
Commentary by Richard P Rubinstein
New optional English subtitles for the hearing impaired
BLU-RAY DISC 3 – THE ARGENTO CUT
4K scan of the Interpositive by Michele De Angelis at Backlight Digital, Rome
Audio: DT-HD Master Audio Mono 1.0 / Surround 5.1 / Stereo 2.0
Commentary by Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, David Emge
New optional English subtitles for the hearing impaired
BLU-RAY DISC 4: SPECIAL FEATURES
NEW Zombies and Bikers: with John Amplas, Roy Frumkes, Tom Savini, Christine Forrest, Tom Dubensky, Tony Buba, Taso Stavrakis and a whole host of zombies and bikers! (59 mins)
NEW Memories of Monroeville: a tour of the mall with Michael Gornick, Tom Savini, Tom Dubensky and Taso Stavrakis (34 mins)
NEW Raising the Dead: The Production Logistics: with Michael Gornick, Christine Forrest, John Amplas, Tom Dubensky (23 mins)
NEW The FX of Dawn with Tom Savini (13 mins)
NEW Dummies! Dummies!: An interview with Richard France (12 mins)
NEW The Lost Romero Dawn Interview: previously unreleased archive interview (20 mins)
Super 8 Mall Footage by zombie extra Ralph Langer with option of archive commentary by Robert Langer and new commentary by Ralph Langer (13 mins)
Document of the Dead: The Original Cut with optional commentary by Roy Frumkes (66 mins)
Document of the Dead: The Definitive Cut (100 mins)
The Dead Will Walk 2014 Documentary (80 mins)
Trailers, TV and Radio Spots (TBC)
Limited Edition Contents
AUDIO CD DISC 1
The Goblin Soundtrack – 17 tracks including Alternate and Bonus Tracks
AUDIO CD DISC 2
Dawn of the Dead: A De Wolfe Library Compilation Part 1
AUDIO CD DISC 3
Dawn of the Dead: A De Wolfe Library Compilation Part 2
Rigid box with lid featuring the original iconic artwork
2 inner digipaks
160 page hardback book featuring 17 new essays, archive article, and George A Romero interview plus orginal marketing, artwork and merchandise images, plus behind-the-scenes stills
Dawn of the Dead: The novelisation book by George A Romero and Susanna Sparrow with exclusive artwork
