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As the tagline suggests, "When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." Dawn of the Dead is a zombie horror film, the second in George A. Romero's Living Dead series of films (following Night of the Living Dead (1968)). This shocking movie, in addition to launching the so-called "splatter craze" in horror films, received much critical acclaim for, among other things, the subtext involving American consumerism and materialism.
The film, shot during a period of approximately four months in late 1977 and early 1978, was made on a relatively low budget of around $1.5 million. Filming of scenes in the Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Pennsylvania was done only when the shopping center was closed for business, roughly between 10:00 PM and 8:00 AM; as Director Romero put it, "Filming in the mall was hell." Zombie make-up effects, created by Tom Savini, varied widely from the austere to the impressive. Most undead extras received little more than gray make-up slathered on their exposed skin.
However, despite limitations imposed by 1970's film-making technology, late-night filming and budgetary constraints, the film is one of the most fiscally successful horror films ever (based on production cost versus profit). The film's great success is due, in large part, to the fact that the film made great use of the international market. It was edited and presented in a variety of ways, based on popular expectations for cinema in each market for which it was intended. For example, Italian producer Dario Argento edited the movie to achieve a story with considerably less character development and a much faster pace, in comparison to Romero's definitive cut, which was peppered with humor and driven by cultural satire.
A remake of the movie premiered in the United States on March 10, 2004. The new version varies considerably from the original; many of the major themes, including the primary setting in a shopping mall, remain essentially the same; but the film is a complete rewrite.
The Plot
Following the scenario set up in the previous movie, Night of the Living Dead, the film depicts a United States of America struck by a plague, the symptom of which is the reanimation of dead human beings whose primary goal is to feast on the flesh of the living. The cause of this plague, as in the first film, remains defiantly unexplained. Despite desperate efforts by the U.S. Government and local civil authorities to control the situation, society has effectively collapsed and the remaining survivors seek any refuge they can find.
The plot centers on four Philadephians: a local televison personality named Francine; her traffic pilot boyfriend, Stephen; one of his close friends, Roger, a SWAT Team member; and the ever-resourceful Peter, also of the Philadelphia SWAT team. As in the first film, the black character, Peter, is the primary hero. Roger is quite reckless, while Stephen is incompetent and petty; in true horror film style they both suffer for their character flaws.
The film opens in the WGON Television Studio, where confusion reigns. Following some exposition, the plot turns to another of the films protagonists, Roger, as he and the rest of his SWAT Team raid an apartment building (presumably because the residents, mostly hispanic, are ignoring aspects of Martial Law). It is during this time that Roger makes acquaintance with Peter, suggesting they leave the SWAT Team, as well as Philadelphia.
Late that night, the four leave Philadelphia in a helicopter stolen from the television station, with the intention of reaching the safety of the Canadian wilderness. Following some close calls while stopping for fuel, the group happens upon a shopping mall, they decide to make the mall their own private sanctuary, blocking the large glass doors with trucks, to keep the undead from freely entering. It is during this operation that the impulsive Roger is bitten, doomed to die painfully (and to rise again). After clearing the mall of its zombie inhabitants, the four settle in, each indulging his every material desire. Eventually, Roger passes, and is later put out of his misery by Peter. Time passes, as the undead paw at the mall entrances and society beyond those doors continues its collapse. As the novelty of their materialist Utopia wears thin, they begin to realize their refuge has become their prison.
Their liberation comes in the form of a large gang of bikers breaking into the mall, and in the process, allowing thousands of the undead creatures in. During their plunder, the foolish Stephen initiates a battle with the bikers. In the end, the only true winners are the ravenous zombies, who feast upon many of the bikers, as well as, eventually, Stephen himself. Upon Stephen's reanimation, he leads a large group of the creatures to Francine and Peter, who are awaiting Stephen's return (either dead or alive). After destroying Stephen, Peter and Francine escape to the roof, and to an uncertain future, as they fly away in the helicopter, ending the movie.
Trivia
- In the first two movies of the Living Dead, both the main characters wield a lever action rifle. This is touched upon in the latest zombie flick, Shaun of the Dead.
- Tom Savini, the make-up specialist for the movie, is seen in several bit roles, notably among them one of the leaders of the biker gang who is addressed as "Blades" for his use of sharp implements.
- The vaguely uplifting finale on the final cut of the film was not what Romero had originally planned. According to the screenplay, Peter was to shoot himself in the head instead of making a heroic escape. Fran would commit suicide by thrusting her head into the rotating blades of the helicopter's propeller. While no footage of this ending has made it to any of the special edition DVD releases, actor Ken Foree said in an interview that he remembers filming the alternate ending.
- The specially-created head model which was to be used to film Fran's decapitation by the helicopter was instead used to film the infamous exploding head scene, early on in the film.
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