“Dawn of the Dead”
Movie #16 of the 2025 31-Days of Horror
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As the zombie epidemic escalates, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter and his TV executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.
For this, I chose the 139 minute, Extended Cannes Cut, the first version completed by Romero for the 1978 Cannes film market. I will mention that Romero released a shorter, theatrical version (the one we’re all familiar with) which included more of the humor and was more accepted by countries around the world than Argento’s even shorter version, which removed most of the humor and highlighted the darker, grim and gory elements.
If any zombie film could justifiably called “Epic” this is it. As with Night of the Living Dead, I really appreciate that Romero focuses on the individual and relationship evolution of the characters before throwing in the curveball of the real protagonists. The primary cast: Gaylen Ross (Fran), Scott Reiniger (Roger/Flyboy), David Emge (Stephen), and Ken Foree (Peter) were amazing. Tom Savini is a brilliant with the special effects, his small roll as one of the protagonists at the end, and his stunt work. They all knew that horror films weren’t (and still aren’t) taken seriously and still created this incredible piece of cinema.
I’m not going to rehash the social commentary inherent in this amazing classic film, or its legacy. We’re all familiar with the iconic themes of consumerism, as well as social, racial, and police violence throughout the story. If you’re not, there are tons of reviews and articles, and they’re easy to find.
Obviously, this is a must see for horror fans, zombie fans, and honestly, for anyone who can stomach the more gruesome aspects of this film.
