Rating: 
Summary: Arguably the best zombie movie ever made
Review: Few filmmakers now how to do a zombie movie and get it right; I hate to think what the zombie movie genre would be without George Romero. 1968's Night of the Living Dead is still the archetype of zombie films, in my opinion, featuring a virtually perfect ending. 1979's follow-up, Dawn of the Dead, is another true classic, featuring scenes so shocking that absolutely no one under 17 could be admitted to theaters to see it. By today's standards, the film is hardly shocking at all, but Romero's up close and personal look at a nihilistic world simply crawling with the undead is the kind of movie that makes horror lovers stand up and cheer. The level of violence in this film is delightfully high; sure, it all looks pretty fake now, but in its day Dawn of the Dead helped lay the groundwork for later gorefests full of blood and guts.I don't, as a general rule, care for zombies or zombie movies. Zombies are ugly and stupid - they basically just wander around in a clumsy manner, only reacting to the nearness of human life fresh for the taking (and eating). That's about all they do here, as well, but at least they turn out in huge numbers for this George Romero classic. We don't know what started the trouble; as the movie opens, the world is already in a heap of a mess. There are cops and soldiers killing zombies by the dozens, but it's obviously just a few bloods drops in the proverbial bucket. TV news coverage features experts saying how bad everything is and how we should have taken action sooner, demanding people leave their self-barricaded homes and come together in a dwindling number of central locations. Roger DeMarco (Scott H. Reiniger) flies his girlfriend Francine (Gaylen Ross) and friend Stephen Andrews (David Emge) out of town in a helicopter - Stephen's sharp-shooting buddy Peter Washington (Ken Foree) also comes along for the ride. Low on gas and unsure of what they should do, the gang lands on the roof of a large shopping mall and eventually decides to hole up there for a while. Isolating themselves upstairs, our would-be survivors then begin making forays inside the mall for necessary supplies. The place is crawling with pasty-faced zombies, so they put together a plan that will, or so they hope, keep additional zombies from gaining access to the site; once that is done, it's just a matter of killing all of the zombies already stumbling around inside. Of course, as we all know, people are stupid, so this prolonged stay inside the mall faces its share of challenges and dangers. Along the way, countless numbers of zombies are shot, bludgeoned, and taken out with whatever deadly instruments one happens to find handy. Never fear, there is some zombie feeding as well, although once again I have to express my disappointment that no brains were ever eaten (zombies are supposed to eat brains - that's my personal zombie philosophy). One question hovers near the front of your mind throughout this film: how will it end? The world has basically come to an end, making for some long odds for our heroes' survival. While the ending is not completely satisfying, I do believe it makes for a right and fitting conclusion to this most extraordinary of horror classics. Let me speak to the violence portrayed here. However shocking it was upon the movie's release, it really isn't shocking at all in this day and age; the quantity of violence, though still impresses. Plenty of zombies fall over the course of these two hours plus, but few of the "deaths" are what I would call gory. In many cases, a zombie takes a shot between the eyes and falls down; in some cases there is blood, especially when zombies get a chance to do a little feeding, but you certainly won't see anybody lying in a pool of blood. In many cases, a zombie gets taken out with no blood at all - certainly, the amount of gore you would expect from shotgun blasts to the head just doesn't exist here. The blood, I might also mention, doesn't even look like blood - unless red corpuscles changed to orange corpuscles without anyone telling me. In the end, it comes down to this: Dawn of the Dead is one of the best zombie films ever made - more than that, it's one of the best horror films ever made. It cemented George Romero's name in the hallowed shrines of horror; it crossed the Rubicon (or perhaps I should say the river Styx) and dared to give viewers the quantity of senseless violence so many of us crave. There is also a sociological slant to the movie that many feel compelled to comment on (I personally think it's something of a stretch to classify four desperate, would-be survivors as some type of bourgeoisie enjoying the luxury the shopping mall affords them while the nameless hordes of plebeian zombies mill around aimlessly). However you want to interpret it, Dawn of the Dead is horror at its very best, up close and in your face.
Rating:
Summary: The original and the best !
Review: Forget the remake with Sara Polley,it sucks.This is the real deal! Long live George Romero!
Rating:
Summary: Dawn is one of the great horrors of all time
Review: Dawn of the Dead is truly a great film. Granted, it was low budget. Granted, the techniques for gore and make-up were not as advanced as they are now. None of that matters--in fact, it almost adds to the feel of the film. This is one of the most important horror films of all time, and is THE quintessential zombie film. Though not as widely known as Night of the Living Dead...Dawn delivered what people have come to expect from zombie movies--gore, human survival, creepy atmosphere, and that little blend of comedy. The chance to own it on DVD again is not something to be missed. If you don't already own a copy, I'd say get this one...but EVERYONE who is a fan of this movie should get the 2 or 3 disc set that is being planned for September. The Day of the Dead 2-disc was not something to be missed, and I'm sure this one will not disappoint!
Rating:
Summary: Simply a must-see and a must-buy!
Review: I've seen Dawn more than any other living dead film aside from Fulci's Zombie. This is definitely my favorite American made zombie classic. Hell, might as well say it's among the best of 'em all. Zombie, Gates of Hell, and Burial Ground are all cool because of that cool Italian style, but I feel like Dawn wins won for the home team today. Dawns' modern (well, it was modern) day setting makes it cool and works in a different way than it's Italian buddies. It's horrid, graphic, but also has lots of humor and irony. The social satire is still cool and gives you something to wonder about. Who of us fans hasn't wondered what it would be like to rumble around that mall and what we'd make of a life there? Savini made is mark with this film and has some of the most memorable zombies and gore FX in film ever. The chopper scene, the blood pressure machine, the machete, and tons more all lurk in our brain. If ya got lucky enough to be in Cleveland for the 1st Cinema Wasteland show, then you saw the awesome cast reunion talks. This film is still probably the most widely scene gore film around. Know anyone who hasn't seen this? If so ask them why and what are you waiting for. The soundtrack is awesome as well. There are so many prints of this film, I can't keep up. I've seen the Italian one Argento made into Zombi (cool), a longer, uncut German copy (hate saying longer and uncut in the same sentence, yuck!), the new Anchor Bay re-master (awesome), and a few more. You can't have enough in my opinion. When I was growing up, this was the most popular midnight movie in my area for years after its release. The radio spots and newspaper ads for the theatres were all so awesome. Ahh, the good old days, when it was fun to actually go to a late movie. Romero did his 1st film proud with a sequel that went well beyond the Night. Night is a classic, but Dawns' FX lift it for me above that movie.
Rating:
Summary: The ultimate horror film
Review: George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" is legendary, a shocking, thrilling masterpiece of horror that continues to wow us over twenty years later. The second in Romero's Zombie Trilogy (the first was "Night of the Living Dead"), the film is set immediately after NOTLD, and involves a group of four strangers who find themselves trapped in a shopping mall full of the living dead. Romero knows how to make a horror film; his trilogy is arguably the greatest horror series ever made. "Dawn of the Dead" isn't horridly scary - in fact, it's not very scary at all; it is, however, suspenseful, thrilling, exciting, absorbing, immensely entertaining, and - more than once - gross. It has a very creepy feeling to it, and Romero makes us believe more than anyone else that this could really be happening. There is also a classic score by Goblin (a.k.a. The Goblins) that helps add to the film's already horrific mood. All in all, "Dawn of the Dead" is quite possibly the greatest horror film ever made, raising the bar to a level still not reached twenty-five years later. DVD: There has been much complaint about this DVD. While it is possible that it was rushed, it has excellent picture quality and some very nice special features. I would highly recommend buying it.
Rating:
Summary: On a planet with countless zombie movies...
Review: The Dawn of the Dead stands above the rest. This is a classic masterpiece that has stood the test of time. Yes it's very 70's as you can tell by the arcade games and hairstyles, but the message is clear. Fight for survuval at all costs. Like most zombie movies there is no real beginning and no real ending. The movie starts off with normal people fighting zombies, and ends with an escape on a helicopter to no where. But the bulk of this film is inside a shopping mall. A motley crew has barricaded themselves in a mall and after killing all the zombies inside, fight against the ones outside. The tractor trailer driving sequence is awesome and a thumbs up to the directing of this difficult set of shots. The zombies are frightening, and can be a source of black humor that I'm sure was intentional. An good example is the lifeless zombies piling up on the esculator. For a good time and to get the appreciation for good horror without modern day hocus-pocus effects, Dawn of the Dead cannot be beat. I have not seen the remake yet, but I know I'll walk away from it liking the original better (I usually do).
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful transfer on a scary classic!!!
Review: The latest edition of George Romero's classic film Dawn of the Dead is a visual treat to the newly intiated, or the long time fan. The transfer onto dvd for this nearly 30 year horror film is nothing short but incredible. The resolution is crystal clear, and the sound is excellent. The creepy soundtrack alone is enough to raise the hair on your arms let alone the grim visage on the screen as the story unfolds before you.
The story is pretty simple, and Romeros camera work lets it unfold like a long lunch. From the long pans of the gased up hunter picking off zombies as if they were empty beer cans to the panaramic shots of the deserted suburban shopping mall where the film takes place. Our four survivors hold up in a pittsbugh shopping mall and slowly make the place their own in stylish late 70's chic.
The characters while never really going overboard with background quickly become endearing to the viewer, and to this day still represent classic "Movie Heroes". Make-up artist Tom Savini makes a memorable cameo as a biker leading an army of malcontents intent on taking the mall away from our heroes. Well one thing leads to another and before too long zombies are ripping bodies apart in graphic all to familiar form. The special effects of the New Dawn don't seem to be as "In Your Face Like A Hammer" as the original, and even i was getting a little sqeamish during one particularly horrific scene involving a prone biker, and a pack of very hungry zombies. The scene still dusturbs me even after all these years.
The extras are nice but do seem a little sparse for such a cult classic, but its been nearly 30 years. any "lost" footage or Bonus scenes are most likely nearly disintegrated with age. The price is very nice for such classic, well put together Horror classic.
I can solidly reccommend this for the not so faint at heart. After watching this you'll never look at shopping malls the same again.
Rating:
Summary: Great Original, Flimsy Remake
Review: The 1978 "Dawn of the Dead" should have been left alone. If they wanted new audiences to see it, they should have re-released it in theaters instead of re-make it. The 2004 "Dawn of the Dead" just doesn't cut it. It starts really promising and goes downhill after about thirty minutes into the movie. First, whether the film wants to be or not, it is a continuation after "Night", but doesn't really acknowledge that. In the opening scenes characters are talking about getting the weekend off from work as if they are completely oblivious to the massive epidemic effecting the entire world. Basically, it should have started like the original -- right in your face. But nonetheless its opening scenes are still solid, but not realistic at all in the sense of the situation. I don't think I'd give a crap if I get the weekend off from work because the harsh reality of the situation is if such an epidemic was actually occuring the enitire world would be aware in a few short hours. Second, you only get one brief glimpse of a zombie eating a victim during the early scenes when they are in the mall. That's all you get. All the other zombie attack scenes are them biting their victims to death. You might be led to believe that is all the zombies do -- bite you until you die and join them, not eat you. You have to survive the bite to be one of them and die later from the infection. Zombies don't care if you join them or not, but they do want to eat you. Third, in "Night of the Living Dead" it was established that the zombies will eat animals. The scene where the dog carries food across the parking lot unmolested contradicts that. Fourth, the main character's (I forget her name) husband dies at the beginning of the movie and attacks her immediately. Later on we see her tending to the wound of a bite victim who dies. She gets way too close as if she completely forgot what happened to her husband. The movie tries to cover this flaw by covering it with a scene later on where the charcter is asked if she's sure bite wounds are incurable and if the victim will join the undead. It's a good try, but still the character just looks stupid getting that close because she should already have that information. Fifth, the zombies run damn fast. Zombies don't run -- this isn't one of those stupid "Return of the Living Dead" movies, but that one flaw alone cuts it too close. I realize in a remake they have to change things otherwise there is no point of remaking it. But what this movie ultimately turns out to be is a re-make of the recent "28 Days Later". That's really all it is. This movie shouldn't have even been billed as a "Dawn" remake. All they'd have to do is lose the shopping mall, don't barricade themselves in a farm house, and don't hide underground and volia! there you have it, a much better "28 Days Later" and that is all I can give this movie credit for -- a better "28 Days Later". So the remake gets ** while the recent "Dawn of the Dead" DVD re-release gets ****. An extra * would have been given if there was a behind the scenes featurette, but sadly there isn't.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Special Edition of a classic!
Review: This movie is a classic horror action drama that set the new standard for zombie movies back in the late 70's. It's set after the events of " Night of the Living Dead" ( 1968), zombies have taken over the country and a group of human survivors hide out in a shopping mall for shelter and combats against the hordes of the undead. A brilliant, entertaining and violent horror action movie with human drama, satire, black comedy, gore by Tom Savini ( of " Friday The 13th" fame) and a message that we ourselves created monsters that make literally death in society. George Romero has done a wonderful job on this movie including with his partner Dario Argento and a great music score by The Goblins. The DVD is quite excellent in picture and sound quality, the extras are out of this world such as Commentary, Trailers, TV Spots, Radio Spots, Bio of George Romero, Comic Book Preview and a couple of Easter Eggs. This is a must own movie if you love the genre, but in September there is going to be a super 3-disc edition featuring the director's cut, Theatrical Cut and Italian Argento Zombi cut. See this movie now before you see the remake. Similar movies recommended: " The Evil Dead", " Zombie", " Day of the Dead", " Night of the Living Dead" ( 1968), " Scanners", " Nightmare City ( a.k.a. City of the Walking Dead)", " Burial Ground", " City of the Living Dead ( a.k.a. The Gates of Hell)", " House By The Cemetery", " Mallrats", " Night of the Living Dead ( 1990 remake)", " From Dusk Till Dawn", " Resident Evil", " 28 Days Later", " The Omega Man", " Let Sleeping Corpses Lie", " Freddy Vs Jason", " Evil Dead II", " The Road Warrior", " Akira", " Hell of the Living Dead ( a.k.a. Night of the Zombies)", " Demons", " Cannibal Ferox", " Cannibal Holocaust", " Zombi 3", " Undead", " House of the Dead", " Cannibal Apocalypse", " Cemetery Man", and " The Beyond ( a.k.a. The Seven Doors of Death)".
Rating:
Summary: Not the best
Review: This film is my least favorite of the "dead" series, why? well first the good....the acting is pretty good, the characters have heart and you feel for them, the gore is well done and the storyline is pretty awesome the bottom line is Romero's humor comes out well in this film but now on to the bad. The zombies.....ugh...they look TOTALLY cheesy! just people walking around with blue paint on their faces?????? wow that was low budget and showed however don't let it sway your decision to buy this film as the story and characters are VERY memorable!
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