Dawn of the Dead poster & wallpaper

David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger

Following the events of Night of the Living Dead (1968), we follow the exploits of four survivors of the expanding zombie apocalypse as they take refuge in an abandoned shopping mall following a horri...( read more  read more... )fic SWAT evacuation of an apartment complex. Taking stock of their surroundings, they arm themselves, lock down the mall, and destroy the zombies inside so they can eke out a living--at least for a while. Tensions begin to build as months go on, however, when they come to realize that they've fallen prey to consumerism. Soon afterward, they have even heavier problems to worry about, as a large gang of bikers discovers the mall and invades it, ruining the survivors' best-laid plans and forcing them to fight off both lethal bandits and flesh-eating zombies.

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84% liked it

79,501 ratings

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37 critics

R, 2 hrs. 6 min.

Directed by: George A. Romero

Release Date: May 24, 1979

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DVD Release Date: September 7, 2004

Stats: 8,834 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (8,834)

  • DragonEyeMorrison
    October 12, 2009
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Still to this day, this is "THE" zombie movie. A bit dated, but still very effective.
  • SirPant
    September 7, 2009
    SirPant
    Ten years after making the groundbreaking Night of the living Dead, Romero follows it up with, not so much a sequel, more of a continuation of a theme, with Dawn of the Dead. It is hands down the best Zombie movie ever and is also in the top 10 best horror films ever made. Hell, ...( read more)it's one of the best films ever made full stop!!
  • stopitgoaway
    August 25, 2009
    stopitgoaway
    Dawn of the Dead is concrete proof that extreme gore and violence doesn't always equal a dumb movie and that the two can make very nice bedfellows indeed. This film is a rare thing in that it will please both gorehounds and fans of art cinema, and there isn't a vast amount of fil...( read more)ms that do that. Aside from doing what I've just mentioned, this follow up to Night of the Living Dead established George Romero as a household name in many a gore fan's home and his trilogy of zombie films will ensure for ever more that the name 'Romero' and the zombie film will always go hand in hand. The plot of this film follows four survivors of the zombie apocalypse that has ensued after the events of Night of the Living Dead as they hold up in a shopping mall to try and hide from the events going on in the outside world. However, this poses another problem, as once their home has been built up in the midst of the atrocities; will our hero's be able to give up all that they have built?

    The commentary on society and the trappings of consumerism that Romero appears to be keen to implement in his film come off as being somewhat muddled, due to the fact that it's lost under the reality that what we see our hero's doing makes absolute perfect sense. This, however, is where the genius behind the commentary comes into play; it's a depiction of what people within a consumerist society would do in this situation, which makes the commentary all the more potent. Despite it being a film about zombies, Romero implements a sense of realism into the proceedings, which works due to the fact that he never overindulges in anything. Sure, the gore towards the end is over the top; but even that is realistic as it is what you would expect a zombie massacre to be. Because of his sense of realism, we are able to care for the characters that Romero has presented us with, even though we really know little about them. The audience is able to put themselves into their situation and we are constantly given the feeling that we are actually involved in the events on screen. This makes the ending of the movie more potent by way of the sense of security that Romero has lulled you into throughout the movie, and at the end; we really feel for what is happening to our characters and even though we want to see the massacre happen (as that's why we're watching the film at the end of the day), we sort of don't want to see it at the same time. This kind of mind-game isn't carried off successfully very often, but Romero has it down to an art form here.

    The movie benefits massively from a great score by Dario Argento's house band, Goblin. In fact, with the obvious exception of Suspiria; I would even go as far as to say that this is their best work ever. The score blends so well with the happenings on screen that it's impossible to have one without the other. Some films have a superfluous score, or one that doesn't add anything to the film; but it's undeniable that the score of Dawn of the Dead not only adds to what we're seeing, but 'makes' it. As many people will be tuning in to see gore, I am pleased to tell you that this film doesn't disappoint in that respect. It's one of the goriest films ever made, with many sequences reaching a level of disgustingness that is rarely seen in cinema (intestine dinner, anyone?). As you are probably aware, Tom Savini did the make-up effects for Dawn of the Dead and it is the film that made his career and established him as the gore guru that he is often seen as today. The film is also notable for a certain line that has been quoted more times than any other line uttered in any other horror movie. I am of course talking about the fabulous; "When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth".

    Dawn of the Dead is undoubtedly one of the most important films ever made. It inspired a barrage of rip-off's that are still being made today and it stands tall on many a horror fan's list of favourite horror films. Dawn of the Dead is one of the most recent films to inspire a remake and, unfortunately, it turned out to be terrible. Not that it matters, as the original is where it's at; and this film is an undeniable masterpiece.
  • middleeasternfilms
    November 4, 2008
    middleeasternfilms
    Nothing like a good zombie movie and here, romero delivers his follow-up to the classic Night of the Living Dead about a group of people holed up in a mall surrounded by them. It's fun to see the mindless walking dead window shopping, playing hockey, riding escalators and just ge...( read more)nerally running each other over as they head from one end of the mall to the other, going store-to-store without any real destination. And that there lies the central premise of the film: consumerism. It targets the basic consumer, wandering around from store to store with disregard to each other or even themselves. The film is a bit overlong, but it's fun to watch so you don't really mind that much.
  • sononothing
    October 28, 2008
    sononothing
    Eleven years after Night of the Living Dead stormed onto drive in theater screens George Romero gave us the incredible Dawn of the Dead, which is the first epic horror film. The zombie epidemic is sweeping the nation as society slowly descends into chaos. Two SWAT team members an...( read more)d two employees of a television devise a plan where they'll steal a traffic helicopter and fly to "safety". Where they end up is a shopping mall that on the surface seems like a paradise: everything you could ever want. But it soon turns into a hell as they continually have to deal with the living and the living dead throughout their ordeal.

    Romero's main comment with DotD is about commercialism. I've often walked through stores, usually at Christmas time and had the hokey tune from the end credits pop into my head. Even as zombies we wnat to go to the mall. It also examines what happens when you get what you want. Are material goods enought to make you happy? Romeros answer is a big, dead no.

    DotD features some of the goriest effects of its time, delivered by effects guru Tom Savini. This film is not rated, so if you're easily gagged tread with caution as Romero goes balls out '70's style. It's a potent film. If David Lean had directed a horror movie this would have been it.

    Dawn of the Dead is a legendary film that sealed Romero's legacy even more so than Night of the Living Dead. The tag line says it all: When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.
  • horrormoviefan
    November 1, 2009
    horrormoviefan
    A true classic you would expect nothing less from the man who pioneered all the great zombie films.
  • HateYouIgnorant
    October 31, 2009
    HateYouIgnorant
    !Comercial or Stupid! :|
  • edwardtjbrown
    October 29, 2009
    edwardtjbrown
    A zombie classic with a smart political-social commentary about American consumerism and social class.
  • dukeakasmudge
    October 29, 2009
    dukeakasmudge
    The remake SUCKS compared to this movie
  • ahhh1989
    October 27, 2009
    ahhh1989
    The ultimate blending of horror, comedy, action, bad taste, and satire.

View All Dawn of the Dead Reviews

Critic Reviews

October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Dawn of the Dead is one of the best horror films ever made -- and, as an inescapable result, one of the most horrifying. It is gruesome, sickening, disgusting, violent, brutal and appalling. full review

View more Dawn of the Dead reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • yojimbo1961
    March 29, 2008
    yojimbo1961
    If only the world was really like this.
  • dc011a7882
    September 6, 2007
    dc011a7882
    I love the line "When there is no more room in hell. The dead ..." I tend to think thon consumerism trait over hyped. I rate the movie as one of the finest within the genre. Rumours abound that Romero is now working upon the 5th installment.
  • LunarGordan
    August 27, 2007
    LunarGordan
    Doesn't David Emge bear a striking resemblance to Hugh Laurie? I don't know, I always thought so... =)
  • twanUM
    April 17, 2007
    twanUM
    I'm with you dude, absolutely the best.
  • whoisthisguy
    November 13, 2006
    whoisthisguy
    Greatest horror of all time.
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