Dawn of the Dead (1978) - OUT OF PRINT

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by rocknblues81

Not me.

It almost feels like a made for TV remake. It really doesn't have any atmosphere, and the isolatiolation factor is not as big. In fact, Savini sort of kills any drama when Barbara points out that they could get away so easily.

What can I say? I like Action Barbara™ FAR better than Catatonic Barbara™, and while I heartily agree that the daughter killing the mother is easily one of the chilling moments in Romero's entire zombie oeuvre (equalled only by Roger's reanimation in Dawn and Bub's "hello Aunt Elisha" in Day IMO) it's not enough to keep me there for the whole film. Duane is indeed awesome but the "gee whiz!" acting that comes from the young fella is hilariously bad, it's a film of ups and downs and for me, on my last viewing, the downs outweighed the ups.

The lack of gore in the remake doesn't bother me either (not that the original is some eye-popping gorefest) because I prize atmosphere over outright schlock and always have. Ironic then that I mention that as a plus for the remake when you've said it doesn't have any atmosphere, right? But I found that the original's sense of dread kept getting punctured by the bad bits, and although the remake has a different kind of feeling I think it's more consistent with it. More irony: I also find it amusing that the remake is derided for feeling too cheap when the original is just as guilty of this, they're just cheap from different eras but I love the synthy score on the remake - then I would do, as I'm an '80s kid.

Originally Posted by Thomas Veil

I know it's wrong but I prefer both the Night and Dawn remakes to Romero's originals...by quite a bit actually. Power to him for being the father of it all...did what he did with small budgets so not a knock but I enjoy the remakes more. Actually like Land a lot...has a nice feel. Day has held up better over time I think than the others.

I like the Dawn redo a LOT. Not enough to displace the original (which I've already gushed about upthread) but I think it's a cracking film.

[GasmaskAvenger]

I'm sure Savini's NOTLD remake would play better if the gore was properly restored.

Heavy censorship really does take a toll on a movie. Like take the original My Bloody Valentine for example.

Good atmospheric slasher, but the restored bloodshed really works in the movie's favor.


However, I do prefer NOTLD '90 over Snyderr's grossly overrated Dawn of the Dead remake.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

The thing for me is, flicks like Dawn and Day and Evil Dead and Halloween are so stupendously awesome that I can't see how they can be topped, so I don't bother chasing everything that moves in a genre that I don't much like. Same with Westerns, say, as I own a few classics (love dat Wild Bunch) but the wider genre as a whole doesn't do much for me.

I think for everyone there are genres they love and even a mediocre movie in that genre is a good time, then there are genres they don't really love on spec and they only appreciate really great movies from that genre. For me horror is definitely the later, but when I love a horror movie I do really love it. It's just hard to figure out which those are before seeing them, and rentals are stupidly overpriced now-a-days.

Originally Posted by Geoff D

What can I say? I like Action Barbara™ FAR better than Catatonic Barbara™, and while I heartily agree that the daughter killing the mother is easily one of the chilling moments in Romero's entire zombie oeuvre (equalled only by Roger's reanimation in Dawn and Bub's "hello Aunt Elisha" in Day IMO) it's not enough to keep me there for the whole film. Duane is indeed awesome but the "gee whiz!" acting that comes from the young fella is hilariously bad, it's a film of ups and downs and for me, on my last viewing, the downs outweighed the ups.

The lack of gore in the remake doesn't bother me either (not that the original is some eye-popping gorefest) because I prize atmosphere over outright schlock and always have. Ironic then that I mention that as a plus for the remake when you've said it doesn't have any atmosphere, right? But I found that the original's sense of dread kept getting punctured by the bad bits, and although the remake has a different kind of feeling I think it's more consistent with it. More irony: I also find it amusing that the remake is derided for feeling too cheap when the original is just as guilty of this, they're just cheap from different eras but I love the synthy score on the remake - then I would do, as I'm an '80s kid.

Agree with all this a lot. People rage when I say this but most people are a product of their generation and their tastes reflect that. I definitely like a good number of pre-70's movies, but in general I prefer the style of 70's and up because I am an 80's kid and that's just more in my wheelhouse. The original NOTLD was a seminal movie and has a lot to admire, but watching it for the first time in the 90's, as a teen who had seen many other zombie movies before that, it was far from amazing. The amateur acting and sort of pre-"New Hollywood" style is just not my thing, same for a ton of other pre-70's films.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

I think for everyone there are genres they love and even a mediocre movie in that genre is a good time, then there are genres they don't really love on spec and they only appreciate really great movies from that genre. For me horror is definitely the later, but when I love a horror movie I do really love it. It's just hard to figure out which those are before seeing them, and rentals are stupidly overpriced now-a-days.

absolutely dead on... I feel that way about horror sci-fi flicks as well as many action movies...

[happydood]

I'm also a child of the 80's but didn't get to see all the contemporary horrors at the time. Had to live on Universal Monsters, Hammers and whatever other earlier monster moves showed up on Son Of Svenghoulie in Chicago and that I could sneak on a little 19" black and white set away from some HIGHLY conservative Catholics. So I didn't get into stuff from my generation until a little later. I'm kinda grateful because I can see the direct line from the stuff that influenced Carpenter to Carpenter's movies and love it all equally.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

I think for everyone there are genres they love and even a mediocre movie in that genre is a good time, then there are genres they don't really love on spec and they only appreciate really great movies from that genre. For me horror is definitely the later, but when I love a horror movie I do really love it. It's just hard to figure out which those are before seeing them, and rentals are stupidly overpriced now-a-days.



Agree with all this a lot. People rage when I say this but most people are a product of their generation and their tastes reflect that. I definitely like a good number of pre-70's movies, but in general I prefer the style of 70's and up because I am an 80's kid and that's just more in my wheelhouse. The original NOTLD was a seminal movie and has a lot to admire, but watching it for the first time in the 90's, as a teen who had seen many other zombie movies before that, it was far from amazing. The amateur acting and sort of pre-"New Hollywood" style is just not my thing, same for a ton of other pre-70's films.

Then what about me, a 90s "kid?" Do I prefer the 60s ones because the 80s/early 90s stuff feels equally dated, and thus I'm more objective about it in comparison? :P

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

Then what about me, a 90s "kid?" Do I prefer the 60s ones because the 80s/early 90s stuff feels equally dated, and thus I'm more objective about it in comparison? :P

I said "most people," I am fully aware there are exceptions. I just don't think it's weird at all for people to prefer stuff from when they were growing up and later. Very few are even exposed to older stuff, let alone prefer it. Like I said, I like a lot of older stuff, but I can't help feeling like it usually doesn't match my sensibilities. My film enthusiasm is so deeply rooted in the writing, cinematography, scores and acting of the 70's and 80's that I'm always going to prefer that stuff when everything else is equal.

North by Northwest is one of my top ten films of all time though, so again, it's about preference and leaning, not about exclusion.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

What can I say? I like Action Barbara™ FAR better than Catatonic Barbara™, and while I heartily agree that the daughter killing the mother is easily one of the chilling moments in Romero's entire zombie oeuvre (equalled only by Roger's reanimation in Dawn and Bub's "hello Aunt Elisha" in Day IMO) it's not enough to keep me there for the whole film. Duane is indeed awesome but the "gee whiz!" acting that comes from the young fella is hilariously bad, it's a film of ups and downs and for me, on my last viewing, the downs outweighed the ups.

The lack of gore in the remake doesn't bother me either (not that the original is some eye-popping gorefest) because I prize atmosphere over outright schlock and always have. Ironic then that I mention that as a plus for the remake when you've said it doesn't have any atmosphere, right? But I found that the original's sense of dread kept getting punctured by the bad bits, and although the remake has a different kind of feeling I think it's more consistent with it. More irony: I also find it amusing that the remake is derided for feeling too cheap when the original is just as guilty of this, they're just cheap from different eras but I love the synthy score on the remake - then I would do, as I'm an '80s kid.


I like the Dawn redo a LOT. Not enough to displace the original (which I've already gushed about upthread) but I think it's a cracking film.

It's not just the lack of gore that leaves the remake feeling TVish. It's the music and everything. But, like I said... if feels like they could leave the house and make it fairly easy.

Sure, the original film has dated... But not in a bad way. It feels like one of those really old monster movies. Dawn seems more dated in some ways.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Agree with all this a lot. People rage when I say this but most people are a product of their generation and their tastes reflect that. I definitely like a good number of pre-70's movies, but in general I prefer the style of 70's and up because I am an 80's kid and that's just more in my wheelhouse. The original NOTLD was a seminal movie and has a lot to admire, but watching it for the first time in the 90's, as a teen who had seen many other zombie movies before that, it was far from amazing. The amateur acting and sort of pre-"New Hollywood" style is just not my thing, same for a ton of other pre-70's films.

I'm 35 and I was pissed when I first saw the original Night of the Living Dead.

I guess it was 1991ish. I told my sister that I wanted Dawn for my birthday that year, but she bought me Night. I had never seen it before, but I was highly pissed after watching it for only 10 minutes.

It's strange... Even though I was a teen in the 90's, I feel as if I'm as much of an 80's kid because I grew up on 80's music and movies. Now, I would say the start of New Hollywood on up makes up the most of my favorite films. Stuff like Cool Hand Luke and Bonnie and Clyde.

I do like pre late 60's stuff, but not as much. I can't watch something like Gone with the Wind.

[kidglov3s]

I watched NOTLD 68 for the first time in the late 90s as a 12yo and was mesmerized by it, and watch it every few years. The next summer I saw NOTLD 90 and thought it was a complete joke. No desire to ever revisit it.

[Markgway]

I like the NIGHT remake and don't think any extra gore would improve it. I like that the film works on suspense and tension rather than splatter. The best horror films usually do. I happen to think DAWN (original) is too gory for its own good.

[GasmaskAvenger]

Originally Posted by Markgway

I like the NIGHT remake and don't think any extra gore would improve it. I like that the film works on suspense and tension rather than splatter.

Meh. Why can't we have both?

I'm all for both plenty of suspense and tension as well as buckets of gore.

[prkchopexpress]

night of living dead is a perfect movie.

dated? why, because they're not on cell phones? when did this pretentious nonsense start? did people on the 60s and 70s complain that frankenstein and dracula and creature from the black lagoon were dated because they didn't have tvs in them?

it's a character based drama with zombies. it's a landmark in the genre. it started a couple new subgenres. it took risks. there a ton more reasons why we still talk about it today.

as for dawn... I haven't seen it in forever. I had that bad set forever ago and just bought it again because I haven't had a chance to watch it in forever. I do remember watching all three different cuts and commentaries in a week thought when I first got it.

it also boggles the mind with the cuts... cant remember the differences between the us theatrical and extended cut. I do remember thinking the european cut is kinda bad.

it does make me bummed that ken foree and gaylen ross never became huge names. foree has had work in other movies, most notably from beyond. but gaylen ross does creepshow and that's it.

[trans8010]

Originally Posted by prkchopexpress

night of living dead is a perfect movie.

dated? why, because they're not on cell phones? when did this pretentious nonsense start? did people on the 60s and 70s complain that frankenstein and dracula and creature from the black lagoon were dated because they didn't have tvs in them?

it's a character based drama with zombies. it's a landmark in the genre. it started a couple new subgenres. it took risks. there a ton more reasons why we still talk about it today.

as for dawn... I haven't seen it in forever. I had that bad set forever ago and just bought it again because I haven't had a chance to watch it in forever. I do remember watching all three different cuts and commentaries in a week thought when I first got it.

it also boggles the mind with the cuts... cant remember the differences between the us theatrical and extended cut. I do remember thinking the european cut is kinda bad.

it does make me bummed that ken foree and gaylen ross never became huge names. foree has had work in other movies, most notably from beyond. but gaylen ross does creepshow and that's it.

Gaylen did Madman in 1981.

[Blu2u]

Originally Posted by prkchopexpress

night of living dead is a perfect movie.

dated? why, because they're not on cell phones? when did this pretentious nonsense start? did people on the 60s and 70s complain that frankenstein and dracula and creature from the black lagoon were dated because they didn't have tvs in them?

it's a character based drama with zombies. it's a landmark in the genre. it started a couple new subgenres. it took risks. there a ton more reasons why we still talk about it today.

as for dawn... I haven't seen it in forever. I had that bad set forever ago and just bought it again because I haven't had a chance to watch it in forever. I do remember watching all three different cuts and commentaries in a week thought when I first got it.

it also boggles the mind with the cuts... cant remember the differences between the us theatrical and extended cut. I do remember thinking the european cut is kinda bad.

it does make me bummed that ken foree and gaylen ross never became huge names. foree has had work in other movies, most notably from beyond. but gaylen ross does creepshow and that's it.

Ken Foree was the father in Keenan and Kel.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by rocknblues81

I'm 35 and I was pissed when I first saw the original Night of the Living Dead.

I guess it was 1991ish. I told my sister that I wanted Dawn for my birthday that year, but she bought me Night. I had never seen it before, but I was highly pissed after watching it for only 10 minutes.

It's strange... Even though I was a teen in the 90's, I feel as if I'm as much of an 80's kid because I grew up on 80's music and movies. Now, I would say the start of New Hollywood on up makes up the most of my favorite films. Stuff like Cool Hand Luke and Bonnie and Clyde.

I do like pre late 60's stuff, but not as much. I can't watch something like Gone with the Wind.

I'm only a year older, you're every bit an '80s kid! If you wanna start differentiating that between '90s teen then go right ahead, but you'll always be one of us...one of us...one of us...

Oh, BTW I love GWTW. Don't watch it all year round or anything but "Fiddle-dee-dee, Ashley!" is a quote that I never get tired of uttering. I adore Singin' in the Rain too. And I do like me some old-school '50s sci-fi, Forbidden Planet is just plain AWESOME and the original Body Snatchers is great. But when it comes to the original NOTLD I just didn't get on with it the last time I watched it.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by prkchopexpress

night of living dead is a perfect movie.

dated? why, because they're not on cell phones? when did this pretentious nonsense start? did people on the 60s and 70s complain that frankenstein and dracula and creature from the black lagoon were dated because they didn't have tvs in them?

it's a character based drama with zombies. it's a landmark in the genre. it started a couple new subgenres. it took risks. there a ton more reasons why we still talk about it today.

as for dawn... I haven't seen it in forever. I had that bad set forever ago and just bought it again because I haven't had a chance to watch it in forever. I do remember watching all three different cuts and commentaries in a week thought when I first got it.

it also boggles the mind with the cuts... cant remember the differences between the us theatrical and extended cut. I do remember thinking the european cut is kinda bad.

it does make me bummed that ken foree and gaylen ross never became huge names. foree has had work in other movies, most notably from beyond. but gaylen ross does creepshow and that's it.

I think sometimes the horror remakes make the older movies look dated. Such as The Blob. Now, I like the Steve McQueen film, but the remake is just way more entertaining and it makes the original look dated. I don't feel that the NOTLD remake does the same to the original. It just makes me want to go back and watch the original.

[The Great Owl]

George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead has flaws aplenty. There are a few night scenes that were apparently filmed in daylight. The actors are not the greatest. The movie also has what is perhaps the most obtrusive music in the entire history of cinema.

It's still one of the most effective horror movies ever made, though.

The cool things about the movie more than make up for its technical imperfections. I love that Barbara in the original movie is reduced to a state of shock by what has happened to her brother and by the subsequent attack on her in the car. I love the surprisingly grisly corpse scene in the house at the beginning. I love that the movie starts off like some innocuous old-school Universal Monsters film, and then it goes visceral and bleak in a big hurry. I love the crazy eerie black-and-white shots of the zombies walking toward the house. I love...well...I love nearly everything about it.

I don't dislike the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead, and, in fact, I actually saw it before I saw the original film many years ago. It's a good horror film. Its effectiveness diminished for me, though, when I did see the original film soon after.

I guess that I just prefer the more claustrophobic vibe of the 1968 film, and that I prefer the original ending by a wide margin.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I'm only a year older, you're every bit an '80s kid! If you wanna start differentiating that between '90s teen then go right ahead, but you'll always be one of us...one of us...one of us...

Oh, BTW I love GWTW. Don't watch it all year round or anything but "Fiddle-dee-dee, Ashley!" is a quote that I never get tired of uttering. I adore Singin' in the Rain too. And I do like me some old-school '50s sci-fi, Forbidden Planet is just plain AWESOME and the original Body Snatchers is great. But when it comes to the original NOTLD I just didn't get on with it the last time I watched it.

My favorite pre New Hollywood movies are largely Hitchcock, Western and Noir films. I don't like musicals a whole lot. But I do need to see a lot of older horror films from those years.

[KillaCam]

I really enjoy Dawn of the Dead. It's a great film and I usually watch it a couple of times a year. Day of the Dead is more enjoyable to me overall but Dawn is still up there.

I would love for arrow to release Night of the Living Dead on BD. It's in the public domain correct? I wonder why none of the specialty labels have decided to release it. I know there is a good Japanese release but I've yet to order it.