Dawn of the Dead (1978) - OUT OF PRINT

[TylerDurden389]

Originally Posted by rocknblues81

Not me.

Day is the weakest of the three... Outside of some good gore I can't think of many main highlights... The location isn't great, the characters are overbearing and annoying. It just isn't very entertaining outside of a few scenes... Which mainly revolve around the gore.

[SeanJoyce]

I dig the nastiness of Day, from the bleak, cynical tone to the ferocity of the zombies and, yes, the gore. I agree that the military leader can be too much, but everything else + that magnificent opening more than make up for it.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

I dig the nastiness of Day, from the bleak, cynical tone to the ferocity of the zombies and, yes, the gore. I agree that the military lead can be too much, but everything else + that magnificent opening more than make up for it.

I have no problem with bleak and unforgiving in a horror film if said film is more entertaining. I mean, at the end of the day... When I watch the film I just think that if these are the remaining humans... Maybe it is time for humanity to die.😄

[TylerDurden389]

Originally Posted by SeanJoyce

I dig the nastiness of Day, from the bleak, cynical tone to the ferocity of the zombies and, yes, the gore. I agree that the military leader can be too much, but everything else + that magnificent opening more than make up for it.

That's CAPTAIN Rhodes to you, private!!

[Gargus]

Originally Posted by rocknblues81

Not me.

Day is the weakest of the three... Outside of some good gore I can't think of many main highlights... The location isn't great, the characters are overbearing and annoying. It just isn't very entertaining outside of a few scenes... Which mainly revolve around the gore.

I feel it's the weakest as well but I still like it a lot as it's changes things up from dawn.

Instead of a big mall and some outdoor scenes it goes to more claustrophobic settings in the bunker, even when they go up top it's still closed off from the fences and zombies around them.

Some characters are overbearing but it's the opposite of the more melancholy tones of the people in dawn.

The main characters went from being trapped in the mall by access to consumer goods inside it to being trapped in the bunker by other humans. The zombies weren't what kept the woman, the black dude and the Mexican in the bunker, it was the military guys practicality holding them against their will. They had as much to fear from the people with them as they did the zombies, if not more.


I just like how it was the same but different. Still my least favorite of the three though.

[Mister_Kidd]

Dawn > Day > Night for me.

[fred25_Ca]

Originally Posted by Mister_Kidd

Dawn > Day > Night for me.

Same for me. While Dawn is a masterpiece, Day has been growing on me for years. It's the kind of movie that gets better the more you watch it. From the super moody score to the downright morbid atmosphere to some of the best zombie makeups of all time, it's just such a great movie.

Night is easily the one I revisit the less (mind you, it doesn't help I prefer the remake), the first half just doesn't do much for me (but the second half is much better).
Now I feel like rewatching Day again!

[MifuneFan]

In some ways, NotLD is similar to Gojira. Both first films of the franchise felt more serious, and grounded, and touched on societal themes and commentary that expanded beyond zombies, and a giant monster respectively. You don't watch either film to have fun, and laugh as you do with Dawn, and many (if not most) of the Godzilla sequels.

[DukeTogo84]

I don't know about Day. The effects are good, and the story gives us a doom and gloom feeling, but man the overacting in that one is really bad. I'm talking Sci-Fi original movie bad. I've tried giving this one many chances, but I always feel irritated with the acting. Still, the gore effects are some of the best although all the zombies in costumes seems a bit ridiculous.

[Mister_Kidd]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

In some ways, NotLD is similar to Gojira. Both first films of the franchise felt more serious, and grounded, and touched on societal themes and commentary that expanded beyond zombies, and a giant monster respectively. You don't watch either film to have fun, and laugh as you do with Dawn, and many (if not most) of the Godzilla sequels.

For my money Dawn touches on societal themes and commentary beyond zombies more than Night does. Agree with you about Godzilla though, the first one is an actual reaction to the bomb from post-war Japan, the rest are just monster movies.

I don't think you can make any argument that Godzilla isn't the best Godzilla movie, whereas you can make an argument in favor of Night, Dawn, or Day for being the best.

[Mister_Kidd]

Also, and I can't emphasize this enough: Say hello to your aunt Alicia.

[JimDiGriz]

Day > Dawn > Night

But I love all three. Day wins because its the most entertaining of the three and never fails to make me laugh something silly . If Day isn't making you laugh then there's something wrong there - maybe it isn't a film for you!

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by JimDiGriz

Day > Dawn > Night

But I love all three. Day wins because its the most entertaining of the three and never fails to make me laugh something silly . If Day isn't making you laugh then there's something wrong there - maybe it isn't a film for you!

Eh...There is a reason it wasn't that well received when it released.

I mean, I'm glad I own it, but it isn't even the best zombie made in 1985.

[Mister_Kidd]

Originally Posted by rocknblues81

Eh...There is a reason it wasn't that well received when it released.

I mean, I'm glad I own it, but it isn't even the best zombie made in 1985.

That's a weak argument, lots of great movies aren't that well received upon they're initial release. And Return of the Living Dead is another top 5 all time Zombie flick. It's debatable whether or not its better, but there is no shame at all in either one of them being considered second place to the other.

[DaveyJoe]

Day > Night > Dawn for me. The opening of Dawn is brilliant but its ideas are better than its execution for me.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by Mister_Kidd

Dawn > Day > Night for me.

Ditto.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by Mister_Kidd

That's a weak argument, lots of great movies aren't that well received upon they're initial release. And Return of the Living Dead is another top 5 all time Zombie flick. It's debatable whether or not its better, but there is no shame at all in either one of them being considered second place to the other.

Well, I've gave other reasons. Pretty much all the characters are either annoying or uninteresting.... Too much shouting and yelling. People say that it is a claustrophobic film, but these characters are armed and are capable of defending themselves better than in the original for instance. It just doesn't have the same impact. IMO.

But, if you can't invest in really any of the characters in a film like this, it's pretty hard for it to really connect other than the makeup and gore. I don't think anyone is going to deny that the movie comes alive abit toward the end,

I don't mind if a film is talky if there is something interesting... I think with this film the whole idea of George being this insightful social commentator started to go to his head and started putting "the message" ahead of the entertainment.

[SuperDevilDoctor]

Originally Posted by rocknblues81

Well, I've gave other reasons. Pretty much all the characters are either annoying or uninteresting.... Too much shouting and yelling.

Totally agree with you there... Imagine how much more effective the Captain Rhodes character would be if he wasn't a bellowing, histrionic loudmouth for virtually the entire film.

[DR Herbert West]

I wouldn't change anything about Rhodes.

[cakefactory]

I feel like the military characters run counter to the tone of the rest of the movie. They're so incredibly cartoonish and annoying that it makes almost every scene with Rhodes into a comedy, while the hero of the movie (Sarah) is DEATHLY serious and the entirety of the music score matches that. Then the other "good" characters are mostly given over-the-top accents, especially the bug-eyed old guy with the flask. They don't seem to exist in the same universe as Sarah or whatshisname her boyfriend who gets his arm amputated. And then the doctor is somewhere in the middle, acting completely ridiculous, but as if he was trying to portray someone who'd been driven nuts.

I find that Dawn leans more into the tonal whiplash and it seems more intentional, with the radical jumps between carnival library music as zombies get hit with pies, to really grim scenes with heroes contemplating suicide and the more eerie sections of the Goblins music. It shouldn't work, but it does.

Day just doesn't hold together for me. I still like it, but it's mainly just cause it has about the best gore effects in cinema history. I really don't like the characters.