Product Description

Packed with more blood, more gore, and more bone-chilling, jaw-dropping thrills, Dawn of the Dead Unrated Director's Cut is the version too terrifying to be shown in theaters! Starring Mekhi Phifer, Ving Rhames and Sarah Polley in an edgy, electrifying thrill-ride.

When a mysterious virus turns people into mindless, flesh-eating zombies, a handful of survivors wage a desperate, last-stand battle to stay alive…and human.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6879 in DVD
• Brand: Universal Studios
• Released on: 2004-10-26
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color, Digital Sound, Director's Cut, Dolby, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 101 minutes

Amazon.com
Are you ready to get down with the sickness? Movie logic dictates that you shouldn't remake a classic, but Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead defies that logic and comes up a winner. You could argue that George A. Romero's 1978 original was sacred ground for horror buffs, but it was a low-budget classic, and Snyder's action-packed upgrade benefits from the same manic pacing that energized Romero's continuing zombie saga. Romero's indictment of mega-mall commercialism is lost (it's arguably outmoded anyway), so Snyder and screenwriter James Gunn compensate with the same setting--in this case, a Milwaukee shopping mall under siege by cannibalistic zombies in the wake of a devastating viral outbreak--a well-chosen cast (led by Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, and Mekhi Phifer), some outrageously morbid humor, and a no-frills plot that keeps tension high and blood splattering by the bucketful. Horror buffs will catch plenty of tributes to Romero's film (including cameos by three of its cast members, including gore-makeup wizard Tom Savini), and shocking images are abundant enough to qualify this Dawn as an excellent zombie-flick double-feature with 28 Days Later, its de facto British counterpart. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
Many had their doubts, but in all honesty the Dawn of the Dead unrated director's cut DVD is everything a horror/zombie fan could ever hope for. Yes, the film is not Romero's and fans of the original were set to dismiss the film as a cheap way to cash in on a classic. However, Zack Snyder's Dawn is not simply a remake, but a retelling of George's brilliant vision. The DVD begins with Zack Snyder giving a cool and laidback introduction to this unrated version. He openly admits it is more gory, has more character development, and is a little longer, but it is his preferred version, the one the MPAA wouldn't allow to be released with an R rating. The commentary on this DVD is so much fun. It features a sharp, cool dialogue between the first-time movie director and producer Eric Newman; interestingly, it was recorded before the theatrical version of the film opened. There is nothing like listening to ambitious, funny, excited filmmakers enthusiastically discuss every facet of the filmmaking experience.

Though it has no full-on "making of" documentaries, the DVD includes a nice suite of extras geared towards giving the viewer more background information on the zombie apocalypse. There is 15 minutes of home video footage documenting "Andy's"' final days fighting off the zombies from his gun shop. Special Report: Zombie Invasion is a very cool 20-minute collage of news coverage giving governmental and scientific updates of the zombie crisis from across the country. The three unrated documentaries all showcase the special effects team and their fearless leader, David LeRoy Anderson. They focus on how to explode heads, the most memorable zombie kills, and the zombie makeup process. It's definitely not for the squeamish, but will be fascinating for those who dare to take a look. The strangest thing about this DVD is the almost non-mention of George Romero and his Dead films. In fact, if you missed the credit "Based on a screenplay by George Romero," you may never know it was his vision that laid the foundation. Is this a legal issue? Who knows, but it is definitely a little odd. However, this should not hold genre fans back from seeing this film. You will not be disappointed because this DVD and the film rock. --Rob Bracco

From The New Yorker
Some may have forgotten, and others may never have experienced, the hilarious shocks that George Romero, Sam Raimi, and their fellow horror-meisters offered audiences a decade or two ago. The audacity of films like "Evil Dead 2" and the original "Dawn of the Dead" surprised audiences with surreal images of graphic, unnatural violence. In this remake of Romero's zombiefest, the director Zack Snyder brings back the cringe-inducing gore of yore as his flesh-eating zombies attack a Wisconsin mall in search of fresh meat (Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames among a cast of tasty others). The story hacks away most of the original film's satirical subtext of a consumer society gone wild, but it has retained much of the suspenseful action sequences and the fabulously disgusting makeup effects. The movie may be as mindless as a swarm of the undead, but it's fun in its splatter-filled way. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

You've woken up the demon in me
Imagine. A clam peaceful morning. A promise of a new day. A promise of love, of hope, of joy and prosperity. A promise shattered. A new dream takes over . . .

Welcome to this brave new world, teaming with the hungering legions of the damned and demented. An inexplicable virus has taken over the barren husks of those who have died and has risen them as new beings - - - beings who must sate themselves on the gory, writhing remains of the living. And, in the soulless eyes of these macabre creatures, a new world takes form - - - a world filled with the wails of the tormented dying, a world drenched in the blood of innocents, a world where corruption and decay rule all, a world where hope has died and been buried. In this Stygian realm, the few survivors must make a new way of life, must lock themselves in a fortress of solitude for their physical safety. They must, regardless of the consequences, band together against the gruesome hordes that await their warm flesh. However, will the slow onset of mental imbalances, unrequited loneliness, and barren heartedness eat them alive before their loved ones do? Only time will tell. The clock is ticking. The dead are waiting. Step up to the gallows. . .

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A Film to Die for:

While the horror genre has long been home to the musings of the demented, Dawn of the Dead takes depression and loneliness to a whole new level creating a film that, simply put, is to die for. The aura is suitably, almost entrancingly, morbid as the film delves into not only the gory rampages of the newly turned, but on the all too real emotions experienced by the few survivors as they struggle to remain alive and, even harder, sane. While Dawn of the Dead is by no means a deep film, it does have that certain something, that inexplicable magic, that makes the viewer care. Yes, indeed, this is one those films that you will spend yelling at the screen, warning the unwitting characters to turn around, or not go down that creepy corridor, or even better, not to hover near those that have just died, indulging in long moments of anguish without remembering just what happens to the corpses of the infected victims. Yes, the characters lack that certain brain power, but, unlike most zombie flicks, it's believable. They reside in a world that rotates around death, not life. A world that overnight turned into a carnal house stacked with the bodies of those they once loved so it is acceptable, even believable, that the characters would have trouble grasping the ramifications of some of their actions, including their "daring" plan in the conclusion.

Of course, the best story in the world is only as good as its telling. How many times have we, the exalted viewers of America, been presented with an interesting movie concept that despite the ingenuity has failed on every level (Aeon Flux comes to mind). And, conversely, how many times have we been presented with a simple, unadorned story that for some reason spellbinds the entire audience (think of Paper Moon.) Dawn of the Dead most certainly falls into the later category. Like most George Romero films (with the exception of that travesty Land of the Dead) the acting is brilliant and emotional, the special effects are surprisingly (and sometimes upsettingly) realistic, and the entire aura of the movie from beginning to end is dismal yet somehow, strangely appealing. Dawn of the Dead creates a horrible world, yet the viewer will want to visit it again and again.

As the movie gains force, the conclusion rushes forward and although, as briefly mentioned above, the characters' daring scheme does present the viewer with major qualms, it is believable and even suitable. Unlike those "cliff hanger" movies that misconstrue intrigue with irritation and decide to end with no revelation or meaning Dawn of the Dead ends dramatically, poignantly, and memorably satisfying the viewer and rounding out the entire movie nicely, leaving no room for complaints or questions. Also, one word of advice, be sure and watch the ending credits because an important event is actually portrayed as the credits role. This is part of the conclusion and is highly important.

Extra Information and a Note to Potential Viewers:

The version of Dawn of the Dead that I viewed was the unrated director's cut (which I highly recommend). The film was originally rated R in theaters. Since this movie contains extreme gore, violence, bad language, and brief scenes of nudity, viewer discretion is advised (and yes, I got that from TV). For those who are interested in the actors/actresses these are some of the names of the outstanding cast: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, and Mekhi Phifer. Also, Dawn of the Dead boasts an excellent soundtrack especially the concluding song, so don't miss it!

- Ravenova

Great Modern Horror Flick!
Let me begin by saying that I am a huge fan of the Romero trilogy, and believe that those movies are irreplaceable. Every fan of the horror genre should own those films. However, this does not mean that I was not able see this remake without an open mind. In fact, I loved this movie. Rather than try to completely re-do the Romero film, and in so doing step on Romero's toes, the filmmakers went for a different spin on Romero's basic concept.

For those of you who are familiar with the original Romero version of Dawn of the Dead, you know that Romero was not going for the full-fledged horror movie effect. Sure, the movie had some jumps and some gore, but for the most part Romero's film was a satire. Romero did a great job of combining social commentary with some horror elements, which is, in itself, a statement. This remake, however, merely goes for the thrills and chills.

The 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead throws you immediately into the horror/gore, and right from the onset of the opening credits you know that this film is no satirical statement. Sarah Polley plays a nurse who wakes up one morning to find herself in the middle of a nightmare...only, it's not merely a nightmare but a waking reality. Her neighbors and husband have been turned into walking (running) corpses (more similar to those in 28 Days Later than Romero's slow-moving, rigor mortis ridden zombies) and she must seek escape before thinking twice. She meets up with a few other lucky survivors, and they all find shelter in a shopping mall (aptly named "Crossroads Mall"). This safe haven seems almost too good to be true with all the supplies they need to last until more help arrives, and it is. When the "safe haven" in which the survivors are staying is compromised, they must devise a plan and again escape the horrors of the bloodthirsty walking dead.

Overall, I think this was a great film that all fans of horror should be able to enjoy. The acting was good, the effects were great, and the plot was cohesive. Though the movie maintained some of the elements from the original Dawn of the Dead (the shopping mall setting, some cheesy mall music playing in the background, some lines of script that served to epitomize the blase routines many people continue to follow throughout their blase consumer-driven lives), for the most part this was an entirely different film. I really liked the fact that the filmmakers chose not to cut and paste Romero's script, but rather make a new film based on his great idea. I think that anyone who enjoys jumping in their seats at the theater, and intense horror films in general, will love this movie. I, for one, will anxiously await the DVD release!

Just when...
Just when I thought no film on the planet could ever scare the &^%$ out of me, the remake of "Dawn of the Dead" comes along and proves me horribly wrong (no pun intended). I have seen just about every horror flick that was deemed so-called "Scary" in recent years, but this one tops them all. I may honestly have nightmares, something I've only had over my failed marriages in those same recent years - LOL. This blood bath is so frightening I held my own hand throughout the film. It didn't help. I jumped out of my skin so often I felt like a 50-year-old iguana.

Loosely based on the original film by George Romero back in 1978 (26 years ago), this is a must for every horror fan. I don't think a film has taken me on this type of ride since "Silence of the Lambs" and "The Exorcist". Even then, "Lambs" could be considered a "slow" movie when compared to the "Dead". I had never heard this quote before today's feature. It explains so well the true nature of zombies: "When there's no more room in Hell. The dead will walk the earth." And they do...

Many of my colleagues have seen this film. Two of them told me they walked out of the theatre...1) for the non-stop gore 2) for the scene with the pregnant girl. Trust me my buds, if you like flesh-crawling terror, this one is for you. I will be first in line to buy this DVD when it hits the market. It is so well done (considering the source), I was actually looking over my shoulder during the screening. This was a lunchtime treat at my local theatre and there were only three people in the audience (it's been out for four weeks).

Furthermore, if you are a Quentin Tarantino fan (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and Reservoir Dogs), then you must know what he said in a recent issue of "Entertainment Weekly". When asked, "So what recent movies have you enjoyed?", Tarantino responded, "I can't believe it, but I really liked the remake of "Dawn of the Dead". It was terrific. I don't really expect to see much better film-making in any set piece this year than that. I was almost offended when (they announced) a remake - I mean, the idea of remaking a George Romero film without George Romero!. And there are things about the new "Dead" that don't compare favorably at all. In the original, Romero used mostly amateur actors from Pittsburgh and they're giving their all, and you just completely buy into these characters in this world gone wrong. They become your friends. It wasn't like a character in a movie just got killed, it was like, Oh, this is horrible. It had the most intense character study of almost any pure genre movie. Even the zombies had personalities."

Right on, Quentin. I couldn't agree with you more. A horror fan??? Ya' gotta see it! 10 is written all over it. And, like I said, trust me. I've seen them all and this one honestly scared (...)me.