Dawn of the Dead (1978, Second Sight)

[drush9999]

Wow that's sad news. RIP

[KevinStriker]

Sad to hear about David Emge. He had what I would say is contender for the best zombie performance, his body movement in Dawn is brilliant.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by GlacierTuba

Ah no! Sad to hear that. Who's still with us? Galen Ross? Ken Foree? Is that all of the cast still with us?

Tom Savini and Taso Stavrakis who played prominent members of the biker gang are still around

[The Mole]

Scott Reiniger is also still well and kicking.

[raptors661]

Originally Posted by GlacierTuba

Ah no! Sad to hear that. Who's still with us? Galen Ross? Ken Foree? Is that all of the cast still with us?

Yep, he's the first of the main 4 we lost. He's the only one I never got to meet either. I got the other 3 on my Dawn script I picked up from Romero's table years ago. He was sick when I went to Living Dead Weekend in Monroeville. If you have a chance to meet them, do it. They're delightful. Ken Foree called me a "cool mother f*cker" for driving so far to meet him.

[Retro81]

with the sad passing of David Emge I finally bit the bullet and picked up the 4k set, can't wait to check it out next week

[asmodeux21]

Originally Posted by Ben_C

Rip Flyboy. Dawn is one of the all time great horror movies, and is definitely one of my favourite films, irrespective of genre, a true classic. David Emge definitely played his part, and I’m always a bit sad when he gets bitten so near the end of the film

IMHO, his zombie walk is the greatest in cinema history!

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by asmodeux21

IMHO, his zombie walk is the greatest in cinema history!

Totally. Till that moment, he was for me an okay actor, decent enough for his part, but that scene was physical acting at its best.

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by BladeRunner2007

Huh? Imo the OG mono never sounded better than on the second sight release.

The Midnight Factory release sounded better than this release, at least where the theatrical cut is concerned. However, between the three cuts on this release specifically, the theatrical cut does sound significantly better than the other two cuts which sound awful

[BladeRunner2007]

Originally Posted by SpacemanDoug

The Midnight Factory release sounded better than this release, at least where the theatrical cut is concerned. However, between the three cuts on this release specifically, the theatrical cut does sound significantly better than the other two cuts which sound awful

I've actually never watched the Theatrical Cut from the Midnight Factory release. Just bought the set for the European Cut. But I am sure the Theatrical Cut on it sounds just fine. I think all 3 cuts sound good on the Second Sight release, but only the mono mixes.

[The Mole]

That the Argento Cut sounds worse than the US Theatrical Cut is mainly caused by the materials Argento and his team had to work with. While Romero did a lot of ADR for his version, giving the audio a much cleaner sound because it was reproduced in a professional studio environment, the Argento Cut mostly uses the original on-set audio recorded on location with boom mics which by nature is harsher and not as clean as the US ADR sound.

[drush9999]

I have the Midnight Factory release and the Theatrical & Cannes Cuts are atrocious quality. Not sure why that dead beast has been resurrected recently

[Telemachus]

I can put up with a lot for an original audio track, maybe non-stop sibilance is a deal breaker in some cases. But I'll take a mono track sourced from a VHS tape over a remix. The 192kbps mono I use on Anchor Bay's Day of the Dead disc never makes me feel like I'm listening to **** audio because it's the full unedited track but for most people it's probably awful. Though the lossless option sounds no better Lol

[jstxanothrxstory]

Wait, is there a difference between the Italian European Cut disc and Second Sight's?

[BladeRunner2007]

Originally Posted by jstxanothrxstory

Wait, is there a difference between the Italian European Cut disc and Second Sight's?

For the Argento Cut, Second Sight uses the French 4K(?) restoration. Framing and color correction done and approved by DOP Michael Gornick. The Midnight Factory release uses a different 4K scan and restoration. I don't know about their respective audio sources.

[ko8ebryant24]

Imported this and watched the Theatrical Cut last night. It looks fantastic. As if I got an original film print and screened it. HDR is very natural and not in your face. Video encoding is spotless (as is usual by FIM). Mono track is great. Highly highly recommended.

[BladeRunner2007]

Originally Posted by ko8ebryant24

Imported this and watched the Theatrical Cut last night. It looks fantastic. As if I got an original film print and screened it. HDR is very natural and not in your face. Video encoding is spotless (as is usual by FIM). Mono track is great. Highly highly recommended.

Yep. Every time I watch it my jaw drops to the floor. That's how good this restoration looks and sounds.

[Telemachus]

Best set for a single film ever made!

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by BladeRunner2007

Yep. Every time I watch it my jaw drops to the floor. That's how good this restoration looks and sounds.

I watched the discs a few years ago when I bought
the Second Sight box. This weekend I did another
deep dive.

Dawn of the Dead is brilliant in all three versions but
the maestro knew what he was doing when he cut
the film in 1978. The original theatrical release is the
lean mean fighting machine at 127 minutes. I enjoy
the 140-minute Cannes version for all the additional
material it offers and Argento's variation with Goblin,
but the 127 minute version remains definitive.

I could not ask for a better transfer and audio. The
film has never looked or sounded better.

[BladeRunner2007]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

I watched the discs a few years ago when I bought
the Second Sight box. This weekend I did another
deep dive.

Dawn of the Dead is brilliant in all three versions but
the maestro knew what he was doing when he cut
the film in 1978. The original theatrical release is the
lean mean fighting machine at 127 minutes. I enjoy
the 140-minute Cannes version for all the additional
material it offers and Argento's variation with Goblin,
but the 127 minute version remains definitive.

I could not ask for a better transfer and audio. The
film has never looked or sounded better.

Romero's editing is brilliant in Dawn. It's incredibly kinetic. I wonder how much different Day would feel had Romero edited that one himself too.