Dawn of the Dead DVD

Dawn of the Dead DVD

Reviewed by SuperNova

DVD released by Anchor Bay Entertainment

Horror - 1978
127 minutes/Color
English
Not Rated

Directed By: George Romero

Original Story By: George Romero

Produced By: Richard P. Rubinstein

Staring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger and Gaylen Ross

Plot:

In 1968 director George A. Romero and friend John Russo made a low budget film entitled Night Of The Living Dead. Its divine and prolific guerilla style documentary filmmaking was portentous enough to earn praise alone, but likewise its context and theme was surreal in its anarchism and persistence on creating a world of degeneracy and the macabre. Relentless and unsympathetic for its victims, Night Of The Living Dead would soon go on to become one of the highest grossing independent films of its time. And unlike most horror movies that seem to wither and age as time carries on, Night Of The Living Dead is still acknowledged even by today’s standards as one of the greatest achievements in the horror genre. If anyone deserves accreditation for such praise it would have to be George Romero for handling the epitome of humanity and exhibiting it in a way where the characters in his films weren’t simply backdrops to reanimated corpses.

Nearly a decade later and still struggling to secure financing for his movies, George Romero was contacted by Italian movie director Dario Argento to see if he would be willing to write and direct a sequel to Night Of The Living Dead. With an idea in mind, George and his future wife Christine Forrest flew out to Italy where he spent several weeks conceiving Dawn Of The Dead. What transpired was a grueling motion picture experience of a society infected by consumerism and plagued by opposition. Dawn opens in a chaotic salute to the viewer expanding upon our own fears by presenting a world unaware of itself and uncertain of what to do or how to handle such a crisis. We are introduced to Francine Parker (Gaylen Ross) awaking from her slumber and immediately responsive to the situation she currently finds herself in. The collective screams of disorganized egotistical journalists begin to fill the ears as George Romero sets the pace for the movie precisely. Back and forth arguing ensues between two correspondents as they debate upon the corpses returning back to life. It’s very lucid, no one has a clue as to what they are supposed to be doing, papers are strewn into the air, monitors get caught off and this is all within the first five minutes of complete turmoil.

If all hope for humankind still had a shred of dignity left you can be assured it’s thrown away by the greediness and corruptive nature of the studio owner who demands the TelePrompTer flash rescue stations regardless of their availability and the insignificant risk to those trying to venture outside. In his words it’s about ratings and if no one is watching then his station won’t receive high marks. Francine is approached by Stephen Andrews (David Emge) her love interest and pilot. Stephen tells Francine that he has a helicopter waiting to take her, a friend and himself away, but Francine is reluctant at first to leave her position only to be told that in a matter of hours all TV networks will be switched over to emergency broadcast stations regardless of what they have to report. Beneath the tyrannical liner of the media lies the uniformly reprehensible precinct of the armed forces. George Romero shows us the basis for a civilization threatened to extinction by taking up arms and providing cynical humor through parties reminiscent of tailgate gatherings. It’s during a raid through project homes for low incoming housing that we meet Roger Demarco (Scott H. Reiniger) and Peter Washington (Ken Foree).

Contemplating on whether or not to stick around, Roger tells Peter he knows someone who has a helicopter and both agree that any place is better than where they are. The preconceptional barriers are laid on thick and even racism doesn’t fleet from Dawn Of The Dead. As Peter and Roger arrive to meet up with Francine and Stephen their apprehension towards Peter because he is a black man is evident. Roger assures Francine and Stephen that Peter is “okay” and the two accept him onto the aircraft and take off up into the night sky. Uncertain as to where they will go, suggestions of some place rural begin to arise, but when flying above an open field the crew realizes this nightmare is inescapable, as it exists everywhere you turn. It’s not until they come upon a deserted shopping mall that Stephen sets the helicopter down and they decide to check things out. Even though there are still some re-animated bodies wandering endlessly about, Peter and Roger believe the mall would be a great place to seek shelter.

Living out their utmost fantasies and in many ways ignoring the problem that awaits right outside their door the four live together, eat together and do as they please just as you and I would. The unpleasantness of what has become of the world or even themselves doesn’t seem to bother them anymore. They are mildly fulfilled and almost content with their situation under control. George Romero takes the time to acknowledge and accentuate upon the environment of humanity when isolated and reserved. Instead of luring his own characters with materialism and desire George Romero intercepts their own dubious behavior by establishing sadism and vehemence through a band of rebels intent on breaking into the mall and stealing everything. Embezzling to their deepest desire while creating a foundation for their very own monarchy, Francine, Peter, Stephen and Roger have no choice, but to fight back. Inducing pragmatism and subjecting it to the viewer in a flagrant and straight forward manner this is Dawn Of The Dead.

Reviewer’s Thoughts:

Very seldom will you not find me interjecting my own knowledge and wisdom about a film. There are some movies that compel to strike a single nerve in my body and begin to lay dormant close to my heart, as my appreciation seems indefinable for these particular films. Such is the case for Dawn Of The Dead, insensitively scrutinized as a cult classic, but even the term seems unjustifiably improper and leaves more to be desired. George Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead exists on an echelon immeasurable by time and budget proficiency, while concentrating on the subdivision of the neurosis we have towards death itself. In George Romero’s Dead Trilogy, which started of with Night Of The Living Dead, then Dawn Of the Dead, till finally climaxing with Day Of The Dead we are introduced to an immense spectrum of human behavior all defined by the characters own distinguishing actions throughout the progression of the film. Instead of focusing on the crisis itself where the deceased are returning to life, George Romero took that element and implicated it into the existence of everyday individuals. Deriving his characters to be anything less than consumable products by substituting the real problem with sincere emotions. In Dawn Of The Dead George Romero effectively and almost effortlessly creates a world exhausted by the expansion of remorseless devouring creatures depicting a saturated atmosphere of blood and amputees, only to be outdone by the measures of our own moldering society.

Instead of presenting a civilization that solely exists to question and proliferate, George Romero develops a method conducted to affront our own discontented morality and wisdom. By not illustrating awareness for the recently departed the society George Romero paints for us begins to display uncultured mannerisms and are almost forced to be analyzed as uncivilized because of the very predicament surrounding them and the proceedings they partake upon. It’s not a flattering assessment of our purposed future, but nor is it anticipated propaganda that’s suppose to detour our own inner self consciousness from expelling such acts. Once you accept the thesis that Peter, Roger, and Stephen’s vulnerability is a direct trigger of acquiring their own sought-after possessions it then becomes relevant to understand the rationality of their actions before retrieving such material goods. The success of George Romero’s films has always been by way of his ability to mold and construct plausible characters held up in a reality that underlined idealism with principles. If it seems confusing, try picturing a fantasy novel being adapted from a materialistic situation. The result is a bit improper, but is parallel to the context of Dawn Of The Dead. George Romero weaves emphasis on the greed we all have and find ourselves taking a firm grasp of when the world around us is in a rapid state of decline and we can easily reach our palms out and take what we most desire or never could have.

By ignoring the problem you begin to create a catastrophic rebound that aims to expose the prolific regression of the human psyche. No other film to my knowledge is fully aware of the commentary it intends to have and if so none have been handled this delicately. What sets George Romero’s Dead trilogy apart from other films, Dawn Of The Dead in particular, is its ability to depict civilization bounded by its own decisions without forcing too much decadence onto the observer and allowing the behavior of humans to control their own destiny. George Romero relies on his actors to translate the onscreen tension rather than portraying the mayhem and destruction caused by the living dead. After all it’s the conflict between humanity and survival that seems to rage endlessly even in the face of jeopardy. No one wants to die by the hands of a reanimated cadaver and the fear of you hopelessly returning back to life without knowing and understanding what it is you crave and how you’ve come to be can cause someone enough cerebral distress and trauma to contemplate ending their existence alone. I often wonder what happens to the mind just before your body becomes reanimated. It’s a fixation I have, something I don’t long to understand, but am curious enough to pose a question regarding it. George Romero never touched upon this sadly, but one can only imagine the mind is placed in a limbo between heaven and hell bound by its own body and trapped without a soul. In many ways it reminds me of The Serpent And the Rainbow and the Haitian myth about zombies and the serum used to control a person if such a thing ever existed.

I’m fascinated by the living dead, not death itself in particular but more so what happens to you after you pass. Maybe someday George Romero will make his fourth Dead film and touch upon this by creating a relationship that expands upon Dr. Frankenstein and his connection with Bub in Day of The Dead. Many will argue inconclusively about which is the finest movie in the series. I’m a fan of all three films each separated by their own distinguishing abilities and merits that powerfully transcended to the decade in which they were made. Dawn Of the Dead with its black satire humor and equally effective layering of barbarity amongst the context of consumerism fleets from the comedic novelty of its very own celluloid with such dexterity that to perceive it as anything less than tangible would be deceiving to a genre laced with legitimate fantasy and risqué imagery. The culmination is that what occurs in Dawn Of The Dead is based upon scenarios alleged to be handled authentically and even if your perception identifies differently with George Romero’s own instinctive prediction of our future you certainly cannot deny the bold incorporation of artistic drama he’s portrayed quite valiantly for us.

George Romero has a gift when it comes to writing dialogue that accentuates upon the gritty atmosphere his characters find themselves trapped by. He manages to openly discuss and often take jabs at symbolic significance such as bigotry and chauvinism and even figures ranking in high authority. It’s a statement towards his displeasure with the government and even his own work ethic. The environment, the quality it’s all plausible clause for retaliation. With consistency there will always be controversy and no greater controversy has come from the actors George Romero chooses to cast in his films. Its all relevant to the time frame the film was shot in, as with Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead has a strong black lead character through the charismatic and always polite Ken Foree. Ken Foree is probably the most identifiable face in this picture alongside of Tom Savini’s small cameo as a motorcycle gang member. Ken Foree is gallant, daring and above all else confident. I know I may sound a bit biased because arguably all the actors in this film did such a terrific job that for myself to say Ken Foree was a very sympathetic character I’d also have to recognize everyone else, which I will do. Gaylen Ross plays Francine Parker in a role that immeasurably holds the film together.

George Romero provides us this portrait of cinematic hell and destruction, but surprisingly the only character who seems content with not becoming too narcissistic is Francine. So many times have we seen movies and read books that portrayed women in distress. What George Romero does without exempting indifference is place his female leads in an environment where her species is alone and surrounded by men. Gaylen Ross plays a very strong woman who is equally courageous and intelligent as the rest of the cast. She is the medium that separates the film from wandering into sensationalism by providing connectivity to viewers from the child she is harboring inside her. It’s an ambitious statement that leaves the observer questioning the upbringing of the child and how or even if it should be raised in this kind of a world. I believe it comes down to beliefs and religious values. I don’t think this review should turn into a debate about such a stance, but given the context of the film I’m not sure a healthy upbringing for her child is even possible. There are certain elements and distinctive signs that Gaylen Ross’s character exhibits throughout the film that pose a threat to the unborn life she’s uncertain if she wants to keep concealed. It’s like teenage lust where your partner becomes unexpectedly pregnant and she’s afraid to tell anyone because of her own embarrassment and fear of humiliation and punishment she may receive.

Francine copes with her anxiety by smoking cigarettes and trying to devote her attention elsewhere by adding feminist touches to their humble place of slumber. Of all the cast members, Scott H Reiniger’s character Roger was the one I wanted to see die the least He possesses this quality that exudes his “down to earth” conduct. George Romero does a fantastic job of slowly corrupting the character of Roger by his own pleasures. When the mind becomes fixated on having all that it wants, costly mistakes ensue and that’s just what happens here. Roger Demarco goes from an intelligent and very calm and collected individual to a man on the edge of mental instability. The sad thing is after being infected Roger realizes his mistake was the result of his own gluttony. He can’t stop the infection from spreading inside of him; it grows like a cancer and all anyone can do is just wait.

Tom Savini faced his biggest project maybe even to date with Dawn Of The Dead. For those of you who are unaware of this, the special effects make-up in Dawn Of The Dead was so surreal and so cutting edge that nothing had been seen quite like it before. Though there were films that certainly danced around the gore, Dawn Of The Dead was one of the first to actually put emphasis on it. Though the blood resembled melted crayons and the greasepaint consisted of a thin layer of blue and gray it added a disturbing affect upon the overall finished product. And lastly I can’t go without mentioning David Emge’s character Stephen Andrews also known as “Flyboy.” This was a very interesting character and it goes to show the influence others have on someone. At the beginning of the movie Stephen seems a bit persuasive and almost annoyed. But by the middle of the film, once the four have safely made it to the shopping center he becomes tainted by the actions of Peter and Roger. It’s my inclination that there intentions weren’t obviously to harm anyone, but seeing as Stephen was a male I’d assume he felt a bit left out and just wanted to have fun even if it meant leaving Francine behind at times.

Audio:

Featuring a newly remastered 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital Surround Sound track Dawn Of The Dead sounds as prominent if not better than when released in theaters back in 1978. The audio is very clear and even to my surprise doesn’t get subdued during the opening sequence. It’s not earth shattering, but it’s definitely solid. Voices are vibrant and transmit well from the speakers without any intervention of low echoes or pops. The musical score is refined and profoundly stirs up all the right emotions. The bass is a bit hollow; depending on your taste you may find the soundtrack adequate at best or just on par with the original mono track, but for a film of this nature it surpasses expectations with great sufficiency. There are several versions of this movie that exist. The cut presented here is Director George Romero’s preferred version, which doesn’t have a lot of the soundtrack music scored by The Goblins, but contains music from the director’s own library. The Goblins score works by effectively layering atmospheric synths (courtesy of Claudio Simonetti on keyboard) across heavy percussion while stylishly weaving together haunting melodramatic beats. It doesn’t necessarily unite with what occurs in the movie and unlike John Harrison’s amazing score for Day Of The Dead, The Goblins music doesn’t give emphasis to the emotions of the characters, but rather exist to just create tension and add fuel to the already sweltering mood. George Romero‘s collection is more understated and almost seems too inane and patriotic at times. It fits predominantly well during scenes of triumph especially the end adding a sincere comic book feel to the movie, but as a whole it only achieves to make the film seem less serious than it should be.

Video:

Released with a new High Definition transfer courtesy of Anchor Bay’s Divimax series Dawn Of The Dead has never looked better. Presented here in its Theatrical Version with a Widescreen Presentation of 1.85:1 and enhanced for 16x9 TV’s Anchor Bay has provided fans with a definitive version of George Romero’s classic. The colors are so rich they offer vulnerability to unsuspected viewers who might walk in during the wrong time and believe what they are seeing is truly genuine. Flesh pigments are strikingly precise in overall quality and depth and detail is extremely thorough where in some scenes you can focus your attention on the background and notice clouds in the sky and even electrical wires, which on prior releases were ambiguous to the naked eye. Night time interior shots are opulently engrossing and day time exteriors are remarkably bright. Terrifying shadows can be seen with the vague of a glance and reflections are both colorful and stunning.

Special Features:

Back in 1999 Anchor Bay Entertainment released a Director’s Cut of Dawn Of The Dead on DVD along with a special Anniversary edition of the Theatrical Cut. Both releases didn’t offer much in the way of audio and video enhancements, but they at least provided fans a chance to see their beloved film on DVD format and presented in it’s original aspect ratio. Released in conjunction for the remake Anchor Bay’s newly remastered special edition of Dawn Of the Dead succeeds by improving upon all other releases. There may not be much in the way of special features, but what this DVD lacks in supplements it more than makes up for with its impressive audio and video superiority. The DVD opens with animated menus that are easy to navigate and also provide music courtesy of The Goblins. There are twenty five chapters running the length of the film, an audio section, an extra material section, and two hidden Easter eggs. First up in the selection of extras is a variety of advertising Theatrical trailers, various TV spots and several radio promotions. There’s only so much you can do nowadays regarding promoting a film that isn’t rated or hasn’t passed the MPAA’s rating approval. You are restricted to what you can say, and where you can advertise significantly ruining any type of publicity or marketing campaign you are trying to generate for the film. Back when filmmakers didn’t have to compress their visions laws weren’t quite as strict and thus the trouble of finding an audience didn’t seem to be a problem. With the European market contended with thanks to Dario Argento, it was up to George Romero to draw in US fans and with cleverly constructed trailers taking advantage of his past achievement with Night Of The Living Dead he did just that.

Next up is the posters and advertising gallery, which has some great stills from the movie, but sadly nothing fairly new. I would have hoped for a selection showing various DVD covers and VHS box covers showcasing the many releases the films had, here to hoping it’s on the next DVD. George Romero’s biography is something a lot of people should take advantage of and read. It’s quite lengthy, but the knowledge you’ll consume is definitely appreciative. I look at no director with more respect than George Romero himself. He has proven to me that regardless of financial difficulties, wavering friendships, and box office failures he absolutely loves making movies and the process shouldn’t be about money, but exploration and taking chances on pursuing your own personal goals. He’s an intelligent human being, someone who deserves so much credit for sticking to a genre where fans appreciate his talents and eagerly await his next movie. There are two Easter eggs hidden throughout the DVD. One is in the audio selections menu where you will see to the far right a faintly lit outlined figure of a reanimated corpse. If you press your right arrow the corpse will highlight black and by pressing enter you can access a small outtake from a Tom Savini interview presumably from the upcoming three disc release. If you do the same technique in the extras menu and press enter once the corpse is highlighted you will be treated to an interview with Christine Forrest, George Romero’s wife and assistant director on Dawn Of The Dead. Both interviews are fairly short and leave you craving for something more fulfilling, let’s just hope the future release satisfies this urge.

Up next is the brand new commentary with Director George Romero, Assistant Director Chris Romero, Special Effects Make-up Artist Tom Savini and moderator Perry Martin. The commentary was recorded back in 2003 and for the most part doesn’t detour away from the picture too much. George Romero seems like all he really wants to do is enjoy the movie, while Perry Martin seems keen on keeping the commentary very straight forward and informative. Maybe George Romero is just tired of answering all the same questions. I know at one point during the commentary Perry Martin presents the group with a comment regarding the film changing a lot of people’s lives. Everyone seems to laugh it off, but there’s truth to that statement. It could be said that maybe some filmmakers don’t understand the connection their film has with fans or if they do maybe they just aren’t aware of how strong the bond really is. I think in George Romero’s case he knows the admiration and appreciation for his films is relatively strong, but he’s often reluctant anymore to acknowledge it because of his unsuccessful attempt to try and expand upon his ability as a filmmaker and deliver more satisfying movies that aren’t decades old. As a commentary it’s just standard. I would have really liked to see Ken Foree added to the mix or possibly the four leads all together on one track. Maybe the upcoming release will work towards this.

Last up is a preview of a comic book that doesn’t really add insight other than what to expect from it and where you can obtain a copy. Overall this is a fantastic DVD that shines were it counts the most in the audio and video department. It’s by far the most impressive release of the film to date and should be enough to hold over fans dying to get their hands on the upcoming three disc set Anchor Bay has promised.

Commentary with Director George Romero, Assistant Director Chris Romero, Special Effects Make-up Artist Tom Savini and moderated by Perry Martin.

Posters and Advertising Gallery

Theatrical Trailers

TV Spots

Radio Spots

Comic Book Preview

George A. Romero Biography

Conclusion:

Some people just cannot understand the connection a viewer has with a specific film. And it’s through the trials of deliberation that you handle your perception with grace and style to dismiss any just cause standards that might be brought up. Many think it’s wrong to assume things or force you to defend your opinion about a particular film especially when standing firm and a bit biased against a remake. But if anyone ever questions you or claims you are too subjective just show them this review and then they should comprehend how a film really changes someone’s life. George Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead exists on a plateau all of its own. Incalculable by words and immeasurable by intelligence it truly is one of the most definitive horror movies ever made.

Movie ****½/*****
Audio ****/*****
Video ****½/*****
Supplements ***½/*****