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TVs, clothes, gourmet food, wheelbarrows, guns, lighter fluid, and sweet, sweet brains. Everything right here at this important place in our lives that we call the shopping mall. That is the setup of this sequel to George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, released in 1978.
Dawn of the Dead follows four survivors that take refuge from the zombie hordes in a shopping mall. After fending off the scattered zombie groups, they settle in a storage room on the upper floors. But as time passes, they start to fall victim to the comforts of their situation and take them for granted.
This is definitely not the first time I've seen this, but it's another one I hadn't seen in several years. It's really interesting to see the direction that Romero takes this sequel; now more satirical, and with the social commentary angle elevated quite a bit; but it works quite well. The jabs it takes against consumerism and how we are absorbed by routines is pretty on point, especially for the 1970s.
In addition, the performances of the four main cast members are solid, and the way their bond develops feels real. I wish there would've been a bit more depth to them, especially Stephen, but I understand Romero's motives. As for the special effects, the bluish makeup can be a bit distracting at first, but the rest of the effects and the gore in general are both pretty good.
Following up one of the most iconic horror/zombie films ever, Dawn of the Dead manages to deliver a worthy follow-up that manages to be both gory and fun, full of good performances, strong social commentary, and splattery special effects. Everything you need in a horror film, right at your fingertips.
Grade:
DAWN OF THE DEAD
(1978, Romero)
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #10 (#310)
(1978, Romero)
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #10 (#310)
"One-stop shopping: everything you need, right at your fingertips."
TVs, clothes, gourmet food, wheelbarrows, guns, lighter fluid, and sweet, sweet brains. Everything right here at this important place in our lives that we call the shopping mall. That is the setup of this sequel to George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, released in 1978.
Dawn of the Dead follows four survivors that take refuge from the zombie hordes in a shopping mall. After fending off the scattered zombie groups, they settle in a storage room on the upper floors. But as time passes, they start to fall victim to the comforts of their situation and take them for granted.
This is definitely not the first time I've seen this, but it's another one I hadn't seen in several years. It's really interesting to see the direction that Romero takes this sequel; now more satirical, and with the social commentary angle elevated quite a bit; but it works quite well. The jabs it takes against consumerism and how we are absorbed by routines is pretty on point, especially for the 1970s.
In addition, the performances of the four main cast members are solid, and the way their bond develops feels real. I wish there would've been a bit more depth to them, especially Stephen, but I understand Romero's motives. As for the special effects, the bluish makeup can be a bit distracting at first, but the rest of the effects and the gore in general are both pretty good.
Following up one of the most iconic horror/zombie films ever, Dawn of the Dead manages to deliver a worthy follow-up that manages to be both gory and fun, full of good performances, strong social commentary, and splattery special effects. Everything you need in a horror film, right at your fingertips.
Grade: