Directed by George A. Romero. Written in collaboration with Dario Argento. Special effects Tom Savini. Starring David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross.
When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.
I felt the need to balance out the vampires with some zombies. One of my favorite films ever is Night of the Living Dead, and so I often pass over Romero’s other films to watch it. Dawn of the Dead was brought to life by the wicked trifecta of Romero, Argento, and Savini. Like Night, it is a tale of zombies but Dawn is made with a slightly bigger budget, in garish color, and more shocking bedlam.
Roger Ebert, who labeled Dawn of the Dead as one of the greatest horror movies ever made, went on to say “nobody ever said art had to be in good taste.” Amen! Savini’s effects are over the top grotesque fantasy which, to me, mirrors Romero’s none too subtle commentary on our grotesque consumerist obsession with living the fantasy life that we saw in an advertisement and purchased down the mall. There are so many levels of thought and cultural reference in this film and it is fun as hell to watch. I might even love it more this time around.
Read Ebert’s 1979 review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dawn-of-the-dead-1979