The End Is Not Always The End: Dawn of The Dead (1978)

UK DVD Front Cover

This is it... the movie we all waited so long for.... and like WOW, just how cool was this movie when it came out?   It's still pretty cool even by todays standards..
Fans had been waiting since 1968 to see an official sequel to Night of The Living Dead and then bang!! 10 Years later .. George A. Romero returns and blows us all away with this Epic & Now Timeless Classic follow up movie.

A star of this movie even created a Colour re-make of the 1968 film in 1990, The All New Night Of The Living Dead   Just so fans could watch these back to back in Colour... along with Day of The Dead, Which looked further into just what happens to us after time starts to pass with no solutions to the disaster.
Romero also followed these up with Land of The Dead, Diary of The Dead & Survival of The Dead

There is no doubt that Romero truly is king of the Zombie Movie Business and his work has inspired many people to create their own Zombie Apocalyptic Movie's. Yet not many get close to the genre like Romero does. Nor do many avoid the "we know what zombies are".    To quote Shawn & Edd "Where not using the Z word"   it is a quote often overlooked in the British zombie movie Shaun of The Dead, that horror comedy which takes a stab and being as good as the originals from Romero, Yet also set's its self in history on its own fantastic merits. It's almost a bridge between the "Night Of - Dawn Of - Day of" and the "The Return Of" genres.... It's a send up & a homage to Georges fine work & the work of The Return of The Living Dead creators. Shaun & Edd remind us that George tends to avoid the term Zombie in his movies.

Sleep While You Can...

The film starts off in a Television News Studio, while a few people debate just what should be done about this disaster and the victims of this apparent viral outbreak.. Some call for Quarantine, yet others say.... "THEY MUST BE DESTROYED ON SIGHT"

Are They Infected?

Are They Dead?

Why Are They Still Walking?

I truly love how you can watch the 1968 Night of the living dead and then watch this movie as though its happened again years later. It even gives the opportunity to slip Return of the living dead in-between the two, so that Dawn of then follows Return of, but then that said... you Could watch the 1990 Night of, then follow that up with Dawn of.... directly skipping the 1968 and the Return of... One could probably make an amazing 8 to 13 part series using the 1990, this 1978 and the day of (and 28 days later and the 2004 dawn of) and i guess a number of other zombie productions, into a mini series, giving it a Global Crisis Aspect and also who ever did it could shoot footage of their own to slip in-between, using the likes of radio broadcast and composting footage from one production to another via TV screens & Radio. Masses of Imagination is key to many aspects of Apocalyptic film making.

The Doctor Says "Exterminate Them All Immediately"

The Tv Presenter Is Our "Its Safe To Go Into The Water"

Two of our Surviving Hero's

With martial law now in effect, the occupancy of private homes is not allowed and anyone who has been bitten or has turned should be handed over to the authorities. the same as in Last Man On Earth. But you can bet most people wont just hand over family members to be essentially killed for a second time....
But while police & soldiers waste time try to sweep areas of infected... The safe zones and resource centers are being overrun... by the dead....

Two more of our Surviving Hero's

The news reporter & her boyfriend, who just happens to be a helicopter pilot flying for the same studio decides the city is falling fast and it's probably time to leave the city while they still can, or before its basically napalmed.. or nuked as the case today would probably be today.

They hook up with Roger and Peter two of the police who were clearing the building... And Take to the sky's in the G.O.1 News Chopper

Zombie Killers

Zombies Dying

Stopping off for gas

Each encounter comes with it's own set of unique dangers... and in unknown environments.. it's a time where one needs to keep ones wits about them and probably work together in pairs, you know.. that essentially don't go anywhere alone and the dreaded cliche I'll Be Right Back... That moment in a movie, where you no somethings going to happen to someone, but you don't no who, you and don't no when, but one of them... is possibly going to get it in a moment....

Filling The Tank

It's Behind You

Revelation

Decapitation

Thankful

The following scene has always been a controversial one,

First.. because it showed Zombie Children...

Second... they also ran / run when the door was opened..

He hears a noise behind the door, so he shoots (at average head height)

then opens the door to be confronted by TWO zombie children

This is NOT the first time though that we have seen Romero zombies running

The first zombie in Night of The Living Dead clearly fights with Johnny

And he also clearly runs after Barbara and chases the car

Yet for a long time (even still today) many fans dismiss the running zombies

In favor of the slow melodic trance type zombies.

But fans should remember it makes more sense that fresh undead are faster...

It also Clearly explains how such a Disaster & Epidemic

Could essentially brutalize a whole planet in such a short space of time right?

The Danger Never Goes Away.... It Just Slows Down Over Time

Knowing How To Put A Zombie Down For Good Helps Though

Flyboy Tired and Fed Up

Back in the air, nothing useful on the air traffic frequencies and they don't have a normal radio, So they have no idea whats now going on. Lack of sleep is never good when your a few hundred feet in the air at the controls of a helicopter, So it's time to find somewhere safe to land and maybe grab some food, supplies and much needed rest.

A big Mall / Shopping Center, could be just what they need for a full belly and a nights sleep...

This is where the movie starts to pick up its pace, as our heroes touch down and realize what a gold mine this shopping complex is, ber in mind that... Not only does this place have everything you needed in a normal world, this is America, its got gun stores and ammo... Did i also mention the powers still on in the area.. must be nuclear... Warm water, food, bed stores... Paradise has been found..

If they can just secure it....

On Top Of The Mall

Looking Inside The Mall

This Doesn't Go Down Into The Mall

Looks Like A Free Lunch

Don't Knock Spam - It Comes With Its Own Key

Only One Way Up To The Store Room

It's not long before the taste of spam gets boring and a choice has to be made... Explore the lower levels of the Mall and take a chance with the zombies, or climb back up onto the roof and fly away

(risking running out of fuel while looking for a safer more populated place)

What would you do?

He needs lighter fuel, so i guess its time to explore the mall. I have seen two variations of this scene, One they just go out and smash & grab, the other.. they go out and look, and then they go back and look at the plans, and then go back out to smash and grab. This may of been extended originally to cover the missing scene with the zombie kids.

Both scenes were included within the Directors Cut Release.

There is an odd editing continuity on this scene which was overlooked during post editing. The M16 Machine Gun that is laying on the floor is grabbed and thrown backwards into the store, Yet in a couple of following camera views its leaning back against the wall.. Oooops.

It's just something you notice when your paying attention to the details...

But we wont judge the movie by a few editing issues right?

With zombies still outside & inside, and more obviously coming (whether that's due to the smell of their brains or just the rotting meat in stores is irrelevant) It's clear that this place is a one off opportunity for a little comfort and normality.

This mall will become home to our four surviving humans until external forces arrive to ruin everything they have worked for...

So the plan is simple & its been decided.... Use one of the cars inside the mall to drive around and lock all the exits. Use the helicopter to ferry peter & roger to the haulage yard opposite, hot wire some trucks and park them across the mall entrances.. so they zombies can't swing anything against the glass doors (that are now locked) Grab some ammo and guns from the gun store then go around and kill all the zombies that are now trapped inside the mall....

Then lets clean up and go shopping.....

Some light target practice with the shop window manikins, a little ice skating, a visit to the barbers for a hair cut & a slap up meal, sadly one of our four is bitten while locking down the mall and its not long before they need a bullet in the head :'(

Things soon start to get boring with everything you want at your finger tips, although the boredom is soon shattered with a CB Radio Transmission that makes it clear their is an army of bikers that want access to the mall....

And they will smash their way in, bringing zombies in with them as they cause chaos and destruction just to rob and plunder like pirates...

One tends to hate this guy with a passion, until you learn he's the guy who is responsible for the 1990 Colour remake of Night of the living dead, then i guess all is kinda forgiven...

I am not going to give any more away because if you haven't seen this movie, then its a MUST SEE

The 2004 Dawn of The Dead Re-Make of this isn't bad neither....

There are also Two "main" Separate Soundtracks available for this movie

Dawn of the Dead (Zombi Edition)

01 - L'alba dei morti viventi
02 - Zombi
03 - Safari
04 - Torte in faccia
05 - Ai margini della follia
06 - Zaratozom
07 - La caccia
08 - Tirassegno
09 - Oblio
10 - Risveglio
11 - L'alba dei morti viventi (Alternate Take)
12 - Ai margini della follia (Alternate Take)
13 - Zombi (Sexy)
14 - Ai margini della follia (Alternate Take)
15 - Zombi (Supermarket)
16 - L'alba dei morti viventi (Intro-Alternate Take)
17 - Zombi (The Living Dead's Voices!) (Bonus Track)

Dawn of the Dead (OST)

01 - The Gonk
02 - Cosmogony Part 1
03 - Sinestre
04 - Cause I'm A Man
05 - Figment's Park
06 - Mask Of Death
07 - Scarey 1
08 - Scarey 2
09 - Dark Earth
10 - Mall Montage Sceneí
11 - Barrage.mp3
12 - Desert De Glace
13 - Sun High
14 - Dramaturgy

NOTE: 1
When looking to buy this movie, try and get the, 4 Disk Ultimate set,
or at least the single dvd Directors Cut
Their is a Region 2, two Disk release but it doesn't contain all the same extras as the region 1 set
IE, to get it all, you would need to buy both the UK 2 disk and USA 4 disk set's
and what ever you do... DON'T slip up and buy "Dawn of the Living Dead" by mistake
it's NOT the same movie, and its also not much of a movie tbh.

NOTE: 2
The original Movie Trailer is Here

NOTE: 3
The original Theatrical Movie Trailer is Here

NOTE: 4
Someone has this movie uploaded on YouTube and its the Directors Cut Edition Here
It is NOT our upload, so if the link dies, DON'T bug us about it.....
If you want the link removing... Speak to the YouTube Video Up-loader

NOTE: 5
Dawn of the Dead - Cast Reunion Q&A - Flashback Weekend - 08/10/13

NOTE: 6
Dawn of the Dead 1978 Filming Locations & Secrets