Dawn Of The Dead (1978)

So glad this is finally available via streaming purchase: George Romero’s absolutely perfect and brilliant zombie movie DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978). In my opinion, this movie is the absolute pinnacle of zombie movies. It’s intelligent, brutal, suspenseful, realistic (I know zombies don’t exist, but work with me)... and it’s all about survival. It’s way better than the show that copied it: THE WALKING DEAD. In two hours and 36 minutes... it achieves what THE WALKING DEAD has not yet achieved in eight seasons. Honestly... I think it’s brilliant. Tonight’s repeat viewing ( it had been over ten years)... only seals my opinion.The zombie outbreak is in its infancy...and the media is in a frenzy. Local police / swat outfits are unleashed to deal with a situation they still don’t fully understand. There is confusion and upheaval. We are witnessing panic, violence, and body counts are rising. We see a national guard team going through a tenement building and some of the officers are psychologically losing their bearings and going off half cocked with killing the creatures (and innocents). Two of the officers hook up with two tv staff employees and make their escape from the dangerous location in a news helicopter. They fly for hours, and witness how widespread the outbreak is. They also see how homegrown militias have come out of the woodwork to kill zombies everywhere for sport. The main characters are dealing with an unprecedented event (much like we are with Covid) and you see them slowly becoming emotionally and physically scarred with the experience. The four eventually come upon a large mall and they decide to temporarily land there to look for food and supplies. The majority of the film is about how they survive in the mall... they set up a base, lock up the facility (including blocking the exits with large shipping trucks), clean the place out of zombies, and settle into their new home. There are several action set pieces... it never gets boring... and we live vacariously through the perfectly cast characters. Romero shot this almost guerrilla style... perfectly composed shots that are clear but in a way that makes it seem like you’re there with them. It’s not like reality tv is... it’s like you’re there next to them. It gets claustrophobic at times but there are many wide shots to give a sense of the enormity of the mall. The characters find food, clothing, weapons, appliances, money, wine... everything they need. They create a home. They become complacent. And then they lose it all when a motorcycle gang finds out they are in there. Their panacea is utterly destroyed.There are several themes... consumerism is the big one. The zombies mindlessly seek places they used to frequent when alive. Shots of zombies are interspersed with store dummies... and you wonder who is who. The shipping spree is fun at first, but eventually even being able to satisfy your every want gets tiring. What point is there if the world has gone to shit?The characters are likeable, different from each other, and three dimensional. The pilot is an idiot who learns from the two male national guardsmen. The fourth member is the pilot’s girlfriend, who we soon learn is pregnant. I could write a book about how these characters are representative of everyday people, and what’s interesting is how they each deal with the outbreak in their own way. The female changes throughout the movie... at first she’s helpless... but she grows and becomes more assertive. She’s also intelligent... she fights for a say in what the guys are doing.. she insists on being taught how to fly the ‘copter... and she learns how to use weapons. All while dealing with a pregnancy.There are many poignant scenes... many haunting scenes... and as the characters slowly tame their environment, the menace of zombies subsides. At least until the motorcycle gang shows up. Then anarchy erupts... the barriers are brought down, and we are reminded in a big way that these zombies are brutal uncaring destroyers that will eat you alive.The mall is a character. And the characters explore every nook and cranny... the main areas, the employee areas, the facility areas, the rooftops, storerooms... and long lonely corridors. It’s especially interesting because malls are basically going the way of the dinosaur. So this movie captures a snapshot of a certain time and a certain place... the mid to late 70s... period music, period locales... it’s just utterly perfect. I lived this time period as a kid... the mall was important to us growing up. Toy stores, Waldenbooks and B. Daltons... the big retailers like JC Penney and Sears... there may soon be a day where these companies disappear. I miss it, and this movie makes me want to hit a mall and just wander like the zombies do.I could go on but I think (hope) you get the picture. This movie is perfect. I remember being scared of the poster as a kid and thinking I’d never ever go see that movie. I had no idea what it was about... it just seemed like a dangerous movie from the poster. Eventually... in my mid to late 20s... I finally saw it. And I was hooked.Lastly... sure the zombies are not as realistic as those on the WALKING DEAD... but in my mind... ever since I saw this movie... I’ve become convinced that the only true zombies are the ones that are BLUE like they were on the original DAWN OF THE DEAD. Period.

This in reference to the 4K edition released by Second Sight Films. The 4K edition looks beautiful on all 3 versions of the film and is the closest to the correct color spectrum the film was intended to be viewed. This is a Region B release but since it is 4K, can be viewed on any 4K player. HOWEVER, the Special Features disc is Blu-Ray and will only play on Region B (or All-Region) players. I knew that going into my purchase and wasn't a deal breaker for me. My seller, megahitrecords, packaged this very well and delivered ahead of the anticipated delivery date. I'm glad to FINALLY have this film the way it was intended to be seen!

First off the box set (while not the the one that was first released) is really top notch quality and worth the price alone. Secondly every cut of the film looks phenomenal! The original blu ray looked artificial with its colors at times while this 4k transfer retains a more natural color pallet with film grain perfectly in tact. This film will probably never look better than it does here and it’s a must own for fans of the film and horror fans and physical media collectors everywhere. Do yourself a favor and get this box set!

I love Dawn of the Dead. It's the quintessential zombie flick of all time. I didn't even know it was available for purchase until I saw it on Amazon. I thought there were issues with the rights that were holding up the release of this movie. But there it was, and only $9.99. And this version seems longer than any version I've seen in the past. This had some scenes in it that I don't remember ever seeing before. Younger audiences might not appreciate this movie, as the pacing is a bit slow for today's standards, and the zombie makeup and gore are fairly tame compared to what you can see today in shows like The Walking Dead. But for this Gen X'er, this is a classic.

Beautifully restored in 4k…with 3 different versions. The only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is the 4th blueray DVD of special features is region B…and wont play on North American dvd players. But as this is the only way to get the movie(s) in 4k…I overlooked this issue

Una gran colección que incluye mil extras y ediciones de la peli. Lastima que no incluye ni subs ni sufio en español de ningún tipo

Meravigliosa edizione BD inglese del più classico dei film sugli zombi. Pellicola presentata in tre versioni diverse col solo audio originale. Da collezione.

Un chef d œuvre surtout qu il y a les 3 films avec différentes versions avec du hdr les 4k sont magnifiques il surclasse la version française sortie en 2019 uniquement en vost anglais pour les fans

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because Amazon lumps all reviews for the title in together, despite which version you buy, this is a review for the Dawn of the Dead: Limited Edition [Blu-ray] byStudio : Second Sight FilmsASIN : B0892HW4F3Number of discs : 7Ok, so the people buying this most likely know the film like the back of their hand anyway so I won't bore you with yet another synopsis of the movie at hand. This review is about what the product has in it, compared to previous releases.So, the first 3 blu ray discs are the film, in 3 versions:The Original Theatrical Cut (127 mins)• 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• Presented in HDR10+• 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 impairedThe Cannes Cut ( basically I think this is the director's cut at 137 mins long )• Produced using 4K scan of the Theatrical Cut Original Camera Negative and 4K scan of the Extended Cut Colour Reversal Internegative• Presented in HDR10+• DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono• Commentary by Richard P. Rubinstein• NEW optional English subtitles for the hearing impairedThe Argento Cut (120mins)• 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 impairedNOTE, sadly this collection does NOT contain a blu ray ( or otherwise ) transfer of the "MALL HOURS CUT" ( 157mins. <-- this version edits in every last second of footage from various releases around the world and is the one to own if you want to see EVERYthing ) which is kind of a shame, but I understand why it isn't here, because it's really a fan - edit and not an official release of the film.If you DO want a blu ray version of Dawn of the Dead ( Mall Hours Cut ) you can actually buy it on blu ray ( it's actually bluray quality too, not a crummy, thrown together VHS print, just slapped on a bluray disc ) you'll need to hunt down a ( pretty expensive ) 4 Disc blu ray collection from XTVideo in Germany/Austria(?) and that will have it on there. The packaging on that set is all in German, but don't worry, all the versions of the film and extras have English Audio on them too.Back to this Amazon item review: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 MonroevilleA tour of the mall with Michael Gornick, Tom Savini, Tom Dubensky and Taso Stavrakis (34 mins)• NEW Raising the Dead: The Production Logistics (25 mins) 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 (66 mins)• Document of the Dead: The Definitive Cut with optional commentary by Roy Frumkes (100 mins)• The Dead Will Walk 2014 Documentary (80 mins)• Trailers, TV and Radio Spots (TBC)LIMITED EDITION CONTENTSThis is actually some pretty exciting news for mega fans of DotD, because Second Sight Films have really gone to town with finding the music cues that have never been commercially available before, outside of things like the incredibly hard to find and expensive De Wolfe Library. They haven't just slapped the old Trunk Record's Unreleased Incidental Music into the packaging, they've actually gone and found a whole tonne of previously unavailable cues. Not ALL of them, but A LOT of them.These have probably been around on the net, in various places, for a few years now, but it's fantastic that this company has provided us with CD quality versions without the need to go hunting on forums etc.AUDIO CD DISC 1• The Goblin Soundtrack – The usual official Goblin Album of 17 tracks including Alternate and Bonus Tracks01 - L'alba Dei Morti Viventi02 - Zombi03 - Safari04 - Torte In Faccia05 - Ai Margini Della Follia06 - Zaratozom07 - La Caccia08 - Tirassegno09 - Oblio10 - Risveglio11 - L'alba Dei Morti Viventi (Alternate Take) [CD Bonus Track]12 - Ai Margini Della Follia (Alternate Take) [CD Bonus Track]13 - Zombi (Sexy) [CD Bonus Track]14 - Ai Margini Della Follia (Alternate Take) [CD Bonus Track]15 - Zombi (Supermarket) [CD Bonus Track]16 - L'alba Dei Morti Viventi (Intro — Alternate Take) [CD Bonus Track]17 - Zombi (The Living Dead's Voices!) [CD Bonus Track]AUDIO CD DISC 2• Dawn of the Dead: De Wolfe and Hudson Music Cues (Part 1)01 - Cosmogony Part 102 - Dramatic Moments No.103 - Sinestre04 - Dramatic Moments No.205 - Violence06 - Cosmogony Part 307 - Eclipse08 - Dark Forest09 - Cause I'm a Man10 - Figments11 - Dynamise 6512 - Cosmogony Part 413 - The Mask of Death14 - Cosmogony Part 215 - Victorian Vintage16 - Queka17 - Scarey I18 - Scarey II19 - Zap20 - Spinechiller21 - Violent Payoff Version 222 - Waiting For the Man23 - Flossie24 - Neurotic Bird25 - Desert De Glace26 - Dank Earth (Part 1)27 - Red Sequence28 - Barrage29 - Face At the WindowAUDIO CD DISC 3• Dawn of the Dead: De Wolfe and Hudson Music Cues (Part 2)01 - We Are the Champions02 - Ragtime Razzamatazz03 - Tango Tango04 - Fugarock05 - Sonata06 - El Chaco07 - Dramaturgy Part 108 - Night Life09 - Sun High10 - Cantando11 - On His Own12 - Mechanical High Jinks13 - Dramaturgy Part 214 - So Fantastico15 - Violence Sting 116 - Caverne De Glace17 - Dramatic Moments No.318 - Deserted Vaults19 - Action Pack20 - Kadath21 - Proud Action22 - Dramatic Moments No.423 - The Gonk ( Sadly doesn't end like the film's credits with the clock tower chimes and zombie moans etc, but i'm nitpicking )NOTE: These cues are sometimes edited down from the full original pieces of music, to the cues in the film itself, to give context to what you're hearing, rather playing the entire piece of music that has only 30 seconds of a DotD cue in the middle of it, that was used in the film.So that's 69 pieces of music and edited cues from the various film releases. So not complete by any means but all the important stuff is in there, like Victorian Vintage ( turning on the mall power ) and Cantando ( melancholy classical guitar piece ) and the superb Fugarock ( part of the shopping music scene ) etc...Plus you also get• Rigid box with lid featuring the original iconic artwork• Two inner digipaks• Dissecting the Dead – 160 page hardback book featuring 17 new essays, archive article and George A. Romero interview plus original marketing, artwork and merchandise images and behind-the-scenes stills.• Dawn of the Dead: The novelisation book by George A. Romero and Susanna Sparrow with exclusive artworkOverall kinda expensive maybe, but not too bad at all, considering what they've put into the package. The music cues alone, make this release a really cool edition for your DotD collection. The DotD novelisation is a HQ paperback and the Dissecting the Dead book is hardback and includes colour images through the middle section of it. Photos of various behind the scenes and paraphernalia, relevant to the film and it's original release.

This is amazing, and I'm so glad they released the original US 4-disc Anchor Bay version on 4K! All versions of the film are spread out over three UHD discs, and there is a fourth special features disc with new and never-before-seen material! Dawn of the Dead looks and sounds better than ever before!!