Customer Reviews

Dawn Of The Dead (The Directors Cut) [DVD] [2004]

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Purchased this Blu-ray as it seems there is no U.K release for it so far.

Picture quality was ok nothing fantastic interesting for this release there was slight censorship that surprised me you can have as much blood and gore as you like but a women's breasts cannot be shown.

Also unlike the U.K dvd release of this film all the extras have been taken out such as documentary and a fictionalized breaking news report show which featured on the original release.

There is a sort of video commentary that appears as a small square at the bottom of the screen and that's about it.

I would say get this disc just to update your blu-ray collection but don't chuck your DVD out yet till a decent release comes out.

This is one of those films you could watch again and again. It's that good. In fact the reason I bought it, is that after seeing the film on TV, I couldn't stop re-watching it (in sections) via You tube. As somebody has already said, it's not really a remake, it's far more shocking and gruesome than Romero's 1980 classic, and this one has a great deal of humour in it as well. The story begins at night in a hospital where people are being admitted with bites. The next morning most of the population has died and come back to life as flesh eating zombies. A group of uninfected people head for a shopping mall to seek refuge and the story centres on their existence there. It has an excellent beginning and ending and some very interesting character exposition too. You'd be hard pressed to find a character you didn't like by the end of the film. It's all-round five stars entertainment. Great sound track too. And the DVD also includes amended scenes as well.

I am somewhat of a Zombie fan and rate this as probably one of my favorite films, and certainly my favorite Zombie film.

Comparing it to the original, I find the original more of an experience rather than an immersive experience that a good film should be.

The beginning is a great 'so this is how it begins' sequence, how society goes from ordered to chaos in such a short time. I like the structure of the film moving between 'the fall' 'recovery' and 'escape.'

Strong performances from Sarah Polley in particular.

It's not perfect, some characters are hard to like - but this is a zombie movie so I'm sure it will solve that problem :)

The extras show that the makers are fans of the mythos and are a added joy to watch.

I would watch some other Zombie movies first and then watch this. I think it is a real treat.

DAWN OF THE DEAD 2004 Blu-ray Review.

Distributor: Universal (US)

How do you remake the best zombie movie ever made?

It was never going to be an easy task, the original Dawn of the Dead is not only widely considered as the best zombie movie ever put to celluloid, it is also widely regarded as one of the best horror movies period. In 2003 Zack Snyder took on the task and one year later released a remake which actually remains faithful to the original source but also enhances the experience to give us something new. Now, admittedly the remake was never going to better the original, that would be like expecting Starcrash to beat Star Wars to title of best sci-fi movie of all time, but this remake does actually have a lot going for it. We get an updated story, fast running zombies, original cast from the 1978 version of Dawn in cameo roles, tense action/horror sequences, a fair amount of blood and guts and a quick paced enjoyable interpretation of an all time classic.

Dawn of the Dead comes to Blu-ray from Universal Pictures on a region free disc. Although this release contains the unrated extended directors cut of the movie, it is worth noting that as with the previous US DVD release, it is also very slightly optically censored in a scene which involves a topless female zombie. As the zombie is approaching a victim in a car, a smear of digital blood has been added to the windscreen to protect the zombies modesty. Original US cinema prints and foreign DVD releases had the scene unaltered, however for some strange reason the US DVD and now the Blu-ray contain the digitally censored version. Considering the rest of the movie comprises of scenes which include gory death by chainsaw, biting and devouring of people, numerous bloody shootings and a truly horrific scene involving a baby, it would appear that the moral majority among us decided that a pair of naked zombie breasts was just one step too far. However, the shot lasts all of about 2 seconds in total, so unless you are desperate to see the breasts of an undead, it shouldn't spoil your viewing pleasure too much. As for the transfer itself, the 1080p wide-screen print is presented in a 2.35:1 ratio which displays strong colours and a good level of detail. There was however, some print damage or noise visible in a few indoor scenes, which for a relatively new movie came as rather unexpected.

Audio options for this Blu-ray release include an English 5.1 DTS HD track which is strong and bassy during the action scenes and generally lends a powerful atmosphere to the music throughout. On the downside, the actual dialogue seemed a little low at times compared to the rest of the soundtrack.

Extra features include a fun commentary track with the films director Zack Snyder who shares his respect for the original film with the listener, along with recounting various experiences on making his own version. Also included, is a picture in picture track which once selected allows you to watch various behind the scenes footage at various relevant points in the film. A real shame and in fact a huge flaw in this release, is that some of the extras from the previous DVD release including the full news reports, and the "Andy's last days" feature are unforgivably missing from this Blu-ray. To omit such quality extra features appears to be absolutely senseless and shows a real contempt for the movies many followers.

All things considered, this Blu-ray release is certainly flawed, however that being said, it may still be worth the upgrade for the improved audio and picture quality, that is, if you can live without the missing extras. Ultimately, the actual film itself is a lot better than it's Blu-ray release, which really could have been so much better with just a little more care and attention to detail.

One of the best modern day remakes of our time, for one of the best original horror classics of all time, really should have deserved to see a far better Blu-ray release from Universal.

One consolation is that the Blu-ray is overall still the best way to experience the film itself and it should be found at a fairly reasonable price on-line.

"When the undead rise, civilisation will fall"

BLU REVIEW OBSCURA - find us on Facebook

dawn of the dead is one of the best remakes made, up with the fly & the thing. ving rhames is good in his role. *****

It's branded a re-make, but it tells a story that differs in several ways from the 1978 original. The odd thing is, if you go through the tick-boxes of what goes into a film - such as the script, the acting, the musical score, the pacing, the editing and more, you might easily conclude that in each individual area this film is better, or at least more professionally executed. Yet the finished product isn't as good as the cult classic of the seventies. For one thing, the horror isn't as horrifying, and it's much less shocking. It fails to disturb in any way, and is really rather forgettable. In a way, by calling it what it is, it's a curse on it for it will inevitably be compared to the first, when in truth it's a decent film that could have been better with a different title and just a different location - not in a shopping mall. One of the most obvious differences it does offer, however, is that the zombies don't walk around at 'normal' speed, and if anything this removes one of the key characteristics that makes zombies what they uniquely are.

Other story differences from its famous predecessor include a change of location from Pittsburgh to Milwaukee, a substantial increase in the number of living humans taking refuge within the shopping mall, and a very different portrayal of the pregnancy plot thread! Also, there was less of a socio-political message this time around with regard to consumerism, probably because it would no longer mean anything of substance thirty years on.

Three of the leading cast members from '78 have cameos in this re-make: Tom Savini, Ken Foree and Scott H. Reiniger. The musical score is better in my opinion, and perhaps most importantly the blood at least looks authentic, whereas in the original the blood looked as if it had been supplied by Dulux.

I was left wondering how much better this might have been had George Romero directed it. As it is, it's not bad, no landmark horror flick for sure, and just about scrapes into the pantheon of worthwhile undead films.

This doesn't compare to the original dawn of the dead. It is an entirely different movie, sharing only the title and the mall location. Whereas the original Romero masterpiece concentrate on peoples' reactions this is more action packed and concentrates on shock-factor.
This should not be seen as a "remake" but as a great zombie film in its own right.

This remake is excellent. Whilst it does not, strictly speaking, completely adhere to the original, I feel it is much better. For example, in the original, the zombies were slow and weak; they could easily be defeated or outrun. In this remake, however, the zombies are incredibly strong and fast and pose far more of a threat to the heroes. The unusual sense of humour works well with the tone of the film; surprisingly well.

The film is scary, graphic, intense, mysterious and chilling (the cause of the outbreak is never really addressed or explained). There is a bleak feel to the film; you somehow know that not everyone will survive. The visuals are bolstered by some excellent, high-production values. Watch it to the very end to see what becomes of our survivors.

On a slight downside note, the special features have some good ideas, but are somewhat poorly executed. For instance, the news report looks a little cheap and ameteurish (esp when watched after the film itself), and the acting skills of the news reader are questionable. This isn't enough to completely ruin the enjoyment of the film, though. And by the time you watch said feature,you will probably feel yourself in the self-contained world of the film.

Watch it at night

I really knew nothing of Dawn of the Dead 2004 until I saw the preview. No trailers, no TV spots, no hype. So I was quite surprised at how breathtaking it is, moving at a neck-breaking pace and not letting up on the gut-wrenching tension for the entire running time. The critics and majority of the audience agreed, something damn rare for a remake.

While many remakes are easy, pointless cash-ins on previous success and a quick way to mooch a few dollars off fans, DOTD 2004 is something quite different. Both Dawn of the Dead movies are great for their own reasons. And while most will judge this a remake only and do nothing but compare it with its 1978 counterpart, it's really best to watch them a two separate stories happening at the same time.

Young Nurse Ana (Sarah Polley) is living the suburban dream: perfect house, loving husband, well-manicured cul-de-sac. All that is about to change. As she drives home after a long shift dozens of clues surrounding the brewing trouble literally fall on deaf ears as Ana is too tired to notice. Overnight, her life is changed forever (as anyone's life can) when a lethal virus, that causes the dead to come back to life, spreads with alarming speed all over the world. Utterly, completely, hopelessly outnumbered, Ana flees her perfect life and hooks up with a bunch of other survivors who take refuge in a huge shopping mall.

I will not pretend that the satire of the original is something of my own discovery (as so many, many other reviewers have) and complain that it's pretty much absent in the remake because DOTD 2004 has so many other levels to it.

First of all, the zombies (the word is never mentioned in the film) can be seen as the perfect society. There is no conflict between them, no hate, no prejudice, and no grudges. They exist only to create more, as humans invariably do. The survivors barricaded in the shopping mall are rebels. They are refusing to conform and fight for their life, for their right to be different. And with this right to be different comes conflict and turmoil. The barricade between inside the mall and outside the mall is the line between the western world and the third world. Indulgent, ignorant and wasteful on one side and starving masses grabbing for whatever food they can on the other.

DOTD 2004 offers a wider range of characters (more zombie nosh!) boarded up in the mall: cop, nurse, hoodlum, survivalist old lady, pregnant woman, security guards, gay guy, arrogant playboy millionaire, pretty girl and average Joe. It could be argued that they're a far more PC assortment of characters than the original (DOTD 1978 had 2 SWAT cops and 2 reporters-the very people we rely on to protect and inform us in times of crises-chickening out of their utterly futile duties to fend for themselves) but it ends up with character arcs and a sense of sticking together to survive, despite differences, that the original didn't have.

The cast is well chosen and all act their parts brilliantly. Horror films have severely declined in recent years with most being turned into 20-something teen soap-opera trash. In DOTD 2004 you'll see a realistic group of people dealing enormous pressure with sense and reason. However, there is one particular moment in which a complete idiot character jeopardizes the security for everyone else for the dumbest and stupidest of reasons. It really bugs me that this device is in the film and it damages DOTD 2004 and prevents it from having any everlasting integrity.

There are a few references to the original (I'd hate to call them 'in-jokes' as that term would be kind of inappropriate for a film of this nature) that fans will have fun picking up on. But mostly the characters and situations featured in DOTD 2004 are completely new. The most interesting of which is the gun store owner across the street from the mall who communicates with Ving Rhames with his whiteboard and marker pen.

Writer James Gunn (Scooby Doo, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed) unleashes an entirely new monster this time. Many people have strongly complained at the 'fast zombie' type seen in this movie and (the absolutely awful) 28 Days Later. But they are far, far, FAR more terrifying than the slow, sluggish, rigger-mortis stricken corpses in the original. They'd be on you, ripping you're throat out before you can say 'crikey!' Yes, the 'turning times' vary wildly in the movie, but it all depends on the bite and how bad it is.

I had never heard of Zack Snyder before seeing this movie, but for a debut feature he sure has impressed me. Every scene in this film is shot and lit from an identifiable point of view. This could be YOUR shopping mall in YOUR town. Not some fantasy happening far away. It's these kind of qualities that make DOTD 2004 stay with you longer than Darkness Falls or Scream 86. I'm glad that Hollywood can still make horror films as bloody and relentless as this, though there were several cuts made to the theatrical version.

Tge Directors Cut runs 110 minutes and features more gore, bridging scenes, more character development, more violence and the odd restored shot here and there. It really is the definitive cut of the film to have and I urge you to buy this version, however, the Blu Ray censors the breasts of the naked woman during the opening carnage.

Filmed in Super-35 the Blu Ray presents the film in 2.35:1 1080P widescreen with Dolby THD sound. The picture is flawless and Zack Snyder's high contrast, blown-out cinematography looks utterly perfect. A truckload of extras include Commentary by director Zack Snyder and Producer Eric Newman, The Lost Tape: Andy's Terrifying Last Days Revealed, Special Bulletin: We Interrupt This Program!-complete news coverage of the attacks, deleted scenes, Raising the Dead and Attack of the Living Dead featurettes and Splitting Headaches: Anatomy of Exploding Heads.

Big budget Hollywood remakes of horror classics are always considered sacrilege by movie buffs, especially when they are rubbish. Luckily Dawn of the Dead is actually quite good and captures the apocalyptic horror of the original nicely whilst at the same time, adding some very morbid humour and shocking gore.

The plot is simplistic but effective, as in the original. An unknown virus, spread by bites turns most of the population of Milwaukee into cannabalistic zombies. A few remaining survivors barricade themselves inside a suburban shopping mall as they wait for rescue that is never going to come. Instead of the typical brain dead, shuffling zombies that we see in most films, these are crazed, animalistic, running zombies similar to the infected in 28 Days Later. The attacks are swift and brutal (the opening scene with the little girl is a particular shocker) and the only way to kill these zombies is a shot in the head. Dawn of the Dead is considerably more gory than the original but this doesn't distract the viewer from the real horror and hopelessness of the situation. There are also moments of comedy relief to ease the tension, such as when the gang are on the roof of the mall indulging in a bit of zombie target practice with another survivor on the roof of his gun shop over the street.

Dawn of the Dead is a very entertaining 95 minutes providing you can stomach watching zombies give birth to zombie babies and exploding heads.

Like this? Try: 28 Days Later