Dawn of the Dead

Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of the landmark 1978 George Romero zombie film "Dawn of the Dead" is an example of how to do a remake correctly. Essentially it takes the basic concept of survivors during a zombie apocalypse taking refuge in a shopping mall but outside of that does its own thing. While the Dawn of the Dead remake is not as great of a film as the original, it is still well done and a lot of fun for zombie/horror fans.Universal originally released the Dawn of the Dead remake on blu-ray back in 2008 in what was dubbed as the "unrated director's cut" adding about 10 additional minutes which turned out to be a slight misnomer due to one instance of additional nudity being blocked out strangely enough by CGI blood on a windshield. (I have also read reports that there were also some blurring effects used in some other additional scenes too supposedly.) The disc was single layer featuring the film in a VC-1 encoded transfer with a somewhat low bit rate staying in the low 20's/upper teens for the most part. Image quality was quite good at the time due to Universal did not slather the film with digital noise reduction (DNR) like they were very prone to do around that time. The only extra brought over from the DVD edition was the commentary track which made it frustratingly impossible for fans to get rid of their DVD version.Scream Factory decided to give the film some collector's edition attention in 2017 as a 2 disc blu-ray release. Technical specs are as follows:DISC ONE: Theatrical VersionNEW HD Master Derived From The 2K Digital IntermediateNEW Take A Chance On Me – An Interview With Actor Ty BurrellNEW Gunn For Hire – An Interview With Writer James GunnNEW Punk, Rock, & Zombie – An Interview With Actor Jake WeberNEW Killing Time At The Mall: The Special Effects Of Dawn Of The Dead – An Interview With Special Makeup Effects Artists David Anderson And Heather Langenkamp AndersonDeleted Scenes With Optional Commentary By Director Zach Snyder And Producer Eric NewmanTheatrical TrailerStill GalleryDISC TWO: Unrated VersionNEW HD Master From The 2K Digital Intermediate With HD InsertsAudio Commentary With Director Zach Snyder And Producer Eric NewmanSplitting Headaches: Anatomy Of Exploding HeadsAttack Of The Living DeadRaising The DeadAndy’s Lost TapeSpecial Report: Zombie InvasionUndead And Loving It: A MockumentaryDrawing The Dead FeaturetteStoryboard ComparisonsHidden Easter EggWith fresh new AVC encoded 2K scans, image quality on the Scream Factory release does show some improvements in all areas though it is not at all a night and day difference. Due to the extremely stylized nature that the filmmakers used throughout, it is kind of tougher to gauge what has been improved if you do not have both the Universal and Scream Factory editions on hand such as I do to compare. One important thing is that the strange bit of nudity censorship that I mentioned above has been done away with so this is truly the uncensored director's cut on disc 2. Due to each disc now being dual layered, the bit rate has been increased around 35 mbps which gives the image more room to breathe. Detail is better, colors are more natural and better saturated, contrast and black levels improved and overall the movie looks a bit more film like overall. The HD inserts used in the unrated version blend in seamlessly.All extras from DVD releases have been included this time out with the addition of several exclusive new extras. Fans will be thrilled at the hours of extra content to wade through with Scream Factory's edition in addition to both cuts of the film being included as well from a completionist angle.You can also flip around the sleeve to have the original cover art as I felt the newly commission art was pretty bad and bland.Scream Factory does exemplary work with their collector's edition of the Dawn of the Dead remake. Highly recommended and well worth upgrading from the Universal disc without question.

For the genre it gets 5 stars. I've heard fans of the low-budget original say that it lacked the "artistic metaphor" for a commercial society, that Romero's work portrayed. ....who cares. This was a better movie. It was a lot more polished than Romero's original in every way, it had a better script, better acting, better effects, better cinematography, better characters. It was more entertaining in every way possible.I don't think there has been a better zombie movie made before or since Dawn of the Dead (2004). If you are a fan of the genre you'll love this one.

This review is for the Blu-Ray version of the Collector's Edition of 'Dawn of the Dead' released by Shout! Factory in 2017.*****IMPORTANT***** For anybody looking at this for the first time, this is a remake of the original movie made by George Romero in the 70's.If you are a fan of the original, I'd suspect that you would at least like parts of this movie if not the whole thing. Like any movie that is being remade, there will be a lot of things fans of the original do not like. That is pretty much the case for any remake or adaption of a book from a much loved story.BLU-RAY: For the theatrical version, the print is made from a new HD master derived from the digital intermediate archival negative. For the Unrated version,there is a new HD master derived from the digital intermediate archival negative with HD inserts.I watched the unrated version. I'm not sure how the original looked but this version looks excellent. The colors are very bright. It looks as if the contrast has been turned up and some of the darker area's are hard to see. But overall I like the look.EXTRA'S: This collector's edition is loaded with extra's and gets 5 stars for them. They are:DISC ONE – Theatrical Version: I admit it, I didn't watch the interviews on Disc One but I watched all of the extra's on Disc Two... for a review, just look below...• NEW Take A Chance on Me – an interview with actor Ty Burrell• NEW Gunn for Hire – an interview with writer James Gunn• NEW Punk, Rock & Zombie – an interview with actor Jake Weber• NEW Killing Time at the Mall: The Special Effects of Dawn of the Dead – an interview with special makeup effects artists David Anderson and Heather Langenkamp Anderson• Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by director Zach Snyder and producer Eric Newman• Theatrical Trailer• Still GalleryDISC TWO – Unrated Version:• Audio Commentary with director Zach Snyder and producer Eric Newman• Splitting Headaches: Anatomy of Exploding Heads - This is exactly what it says it is. It is about a 5 minute documentary on how the special effects team made the exploding heads.• Attack of the Living Dead - This featurette highlight's 6 of the most important zombies in the movie and how and why they were hired for their parts.• Raising the Dead - A short featurette on the make up artists and the many extra's who worked in the movie. It talks about the different types of zombies as well as how many people were needed for the job.• Andy’s Lost Tape - This is a fictional video recording made by Andy. He's the guy who was in the building across the street from the mall. He makes the tape with the premise that he's recording his thoughts for a book. This is very well done. It incorporates all the scenes involving him in the movie. He is taping over a previous tape of his wife and daughter from the year before. It lasts about 16 minutes.• Special Report: Zombie Invasion - This was very well done. It's almost like a mini 21 minute movie. This is shot from the point of view of the viewer watching a newscast. You have a reporter who updates you and some video clips from out in the field by investigative reporters just like you would see if the zombie apocalypse was actually happening.While watching this, I was thinking to myself that this sort of reminded me of World War Z by Max Brooks and sure enough you see some interview clips with Brooks in these extra's.• Undead and Loving It: A Mockumentary - This is an entertaining fictional 'Making of' documentary of this movie. In it, the zombies are assumed to be real and are being hired to act in this movie. The production team complains about the needs of the zombies and the zombies complain about wanting to get better parts in movies.• Drawing the Dead featurette• Storyboard Comparisons• Hidden Easter EggPLOT/SUMMARY: If you are purchasing this collector's edition then you have likely seen the movie. If not and you are new to this movie, I will give a very brief summary.The zombie apocalypse hits a small city and a group of people end up taking refuge a shopping mall. Unfortunately when they get there, there are 3 mall security people who don't trust them and take their weapons and lock them up. Eventually they get loose and turn the tables on the security guards with the help of one of the security guards who takes their side. Their only communication is with a person across the street from the mall. They communicate by holding up signs. After a few days another group of people show up at the mall and join them. One of the newcomers has a boat and a plan is hatched to escape the mall and head to a hopefully deserted island.COMMENTS: First off, I know I am nitpicking with some of my complaints. I get it....if things were logical we wouldn't have a movie. But I don't agree with that statement. I can think of lots of ways to make a zombie movie that would be logical.-Why did they have to go and ruin the end with the scenes during the post movie credits? They should have just left well enough alone or at least let the movie have a somewhat happy ending.-I can't believe the survivors wanted to leave the mall. I can't think of a better place to be all things considered. They have everything they need to live. In addition, there was a gun shop across the street. They had plenty of food. Granted they would run out eventually but why rush? They could have slowly picked off the zombies until they were all gone.-I thought that the pregnant girl disappearing for all that time would have raised some suspicions..-I didn't like how the security cop turned from being a bad guy into a good guy. His change was just too radical.-I think the guy in the store could have basically eliminated all the zombies if he tried.CONCLUSIONS: I think if you are a fan of the genre then you should watch this movie. I get it... if you like the George Romero's original then you might not think this one is so great. But if you look at it objectively, say... as if the original never was made, then I think that most people would say that this version is pretty good. Ultimately I was entertained, that's what this is all about, isn't it?RATINGS:PLOT: 7/10 or 3 1/2 stars. I wasn't thrilled with the changes.EXTRA'S: 10/10 or 5 stars - Everything you could want is here... and then some...SFX: 8/10 or 4 stars. For the most part, I thought this was pretty good.THE NEW ENDING: 2/10 or 1 star - I hated it, the credit sequence made it worseOVERALL: 9/10 or 4 1/2 stars which I'm raising to 5 stars - Ending be damned, I was entertained.

Hate people tweaking around with cult or classic films but this, in my view, is an enhancement of Romero's iconic zombie action adventure. The opening sequence is pure subtlety that bursts into violent horror as one of the main protagonists, played by Sarah Polley (not beautiful but extremely pretty and sexy, the typical girl next door), experiences the beginnings of the plague first as a nurse in a hospital and then when attacked in her home and during her escape. We, the viewer, see the awful consequences of the violence of the 'ghouls', or 'undead'. This cut includes the naked woman, bemused and stunned amidst the chaos, that some copies do not include --- a frightening image of only a few seconds that lingers long.This is not for purists ---- these zombies run fast and are hugely empowered, quite different from the traditional creatures of older films and the recent high-octane tv series 'The Walking Dead'. I for one can take my zombies running or shuffling, much like a Campari with either still or mineral water --- I enjoy the fantasy of being subjected to total helplessness in a world overrun by the despicable and having to survive with your own basic skills only. Something like living in the rural countryside while Covid rampages surrounded by unbelievers.Zack Snyder's first film, 104 minutes long with English subtitles and comprehensive bonus features. I like the homage and respect given to the original film by cleverly inserting cameos of Ken Foree, Scott Reineger and Tom Savini who starred in and worked on that 1978 masterpiece.

I recently bought the version of this film available on Amazon. It's a fine film in English, with great image quality and it is the extended edition. Unfortunately, the reviews that Amazon claims to be of "verified purchases" are not reviews of the blu ray I bought. The blu ray here has no special features and no director's commentary. I realise Amazon is a major company and it is difficult for them to keep track of every new and updated release, but to include the review of a different release of a film and claim that this is a "verified purchase" is quite clearly false advertising. To the vast majority of people, it might not matter. They might not want to listen to a director's commentary or see the special features but some might be buying the film on the understanding that this is exactly the version of the product they are buying.Having said that, this is a very nice version of the film, and if it's just the film you want, I would recommend it. But it is always disappointing to be misled by a website even if it is only by accident.

What a fantastic zombie movie - full of action, blood and gore. It has the same story as the original, only there is more people and the zombies run rather than walk. I found that the scene around 10 minutes in where the apocalypse starts is superb and it really gets you ready for the rest of the film. To be honest, I was on the edge of my seat for most of the film (especially the end few scenes) as there is so much action and so many great scenarios. There are so many characters that you like and hate.Is it worth the money?With so much action and over 2 hours of special features I'd say that it is worth the money. If you haven't already you should try out the original so that you can compare the two. See if you can spot the cameo by Ken Foree Who played the policeman in the original film!

Dawn of the Dead (remake) R1 DVD.Unrated Director's cut. 2004.What's the biggest question facing humanitytoday,? that's easy, running zombies orwalking zombies, which is best?. The picturequality is great, widescreen 2.35:1 (top & bottomblack bars.) Fantastic sense of speed to theattack sequences. Ferocious, beautiful &exciting, of course, Romero's done all the groundwork.Respectful cameos are included. One niggle, itmay say 'unrated' but there's a bit at the start, whenthe girls driving through the chaos. She see's a nakedwoman but her chest is obscured by blood on thewindscreen. I'm pretty sure in the U.K releasewe actually see her naked. All the gores included though.The guy from Modern Family is a real s#!t head in it.Run time: 1hr 49min 7secs. CAROUSELExtras: commentary, & a lot of other stuff, another releasewhere you get your moneys worth.

Hats of to Romero's inspiration.Best Modern Zom Horror movie in my opinion. Hard to beatI rate this up there as one of Snyder's best.Cheap scares yet this movie revoltionised Zom TV series and zom horrorEdge of your seat for most of it with extremely well cast characters.Rooting for the better ones to survive.Not one to watch with an easily scared girlfriend