Would a proper Dawn of the Dead reboot be a welcome addition to the Romero franchise?

[MagicMoonMonkey]

I was thinking about GAR's last couple of efforts and this led to muse on what could the great man do to finish on a high. No harm intended to the man's vision, but Diary and Survival were not very good efforts considering his story telling in the original trilogy. So how would you all as fans feel if GAR was to produce a reboot of Dawn as farewell to the genre?
I personally would love Dawn to get the Night'90 treatment.
Would such a movie cost a lot of money? Do we, along with other fans groups have the finances to back Romero in such a production if he and his friends were up for it.

[rongravy]

I don't think it'd be a good idea. I wouldn't want it, and it would just reinforce people's idea that he can only do zombies, and the originals were the only good ones, and he's a lucky hack, and look at him go back to the old tried and true, how dare he, etc...
I'd like to see something new, but I/he needs to have a nice, fat budget. I can understand the hate for the last two, but I dug the heck out of shiny, sparkly Land.
I ain't paying for anything other than a few tickets to see it, though. If it's good, I'll see it a couple times. If it's awesome, I'll see it until it's gone.
A new Dawn? No thanks. Been there...

[MagicMoonMonkey]

I was thinking if Dawn was given the Night90 treatment then maybe it would bring it to the fore within the genre as the story is sound, the material on screen is quite dated now to be honest. I am by no means hating on Dawn, I just struggle now with the fact it is not aging well at all.
How much do you think a modernisation of Dawn, shot scene for scene for the most part would cost using to high end TV actor as the main cast? Anyone in the indie game know? DJfunkmaster?

[facestabber]

A Newcastle beer commercial just aired with the musical score from Dawn of the Dead. That got my attention right away. Romero's magic is dead and buried. Starting with the turd fest that is Land. That movie is laughable and I'm usually easy going. I understand where you're coming from but don't believe it should be made. I would love to see Fran and Peters fate but 78 is far too removed and I don't want to see other actors playing their roles.

[Neil]

Not sure if a reshoot could capture the right flavour?

70s/80s films like these had a real apocalyptic vibe to them. It's like something from the Cold War & being 5 minutes away from nuclear annihilation somehow sank into these films...

I just think a Dawn remake now would most likely end up feeling too safe?


That said, I'd still like to see someone try :)

[krakenslayer]

I don't think it matters that it's dated. We're hard on it because we are fans and have over-watched it with an obsessive eye. However, a casual viewer with half a brain will accept the movie as a product of its time, accept the 70s fashions and disco-red blood as coming with the territory, and very quickly get past it. Personally, I am coming around to thinking that the "dated" syle is part of its charm, and I would probably never have been so captivated by it in the first place had it been some slick and glossy 90s/2000s production. Even in the mainstream - I have yet to meet anyone who has come to these movies through the Dawn remake and has NOT considered the original to be at least as good or better.

I just want Romero to keep churning out movies. That's right I do. His last few have been far from great, but whether or not he has "lost it", by the law of averages even a blind monkey will turn out something decent eventually, if he keeps bashing away at that typewriter for long enough.

[Christopher Jon]

Romero is 73 and his better days as a director were a long time ago.

[Buzzbomb]

The original Dawn is perfect, so please leave it alone... Personally It'd be wonderful to see GAR do any new film - For me he's only produced two duds (There's Always Vanilla & Survival).... Monkey Shines, Bruiser, Martin, Creepshow, The Crazies are all brilliant. Survival was just a mis-fire - the 'loony-tunes' style just didn't work, but his other films are the 'bees knees'. It'd just be nice too see him get some mainstream recognition - he's my favourite film maker next to the Coen Bros'. I still have faith he can pull out another awesome film... and maybe get the kind of pension he deserves.

[krisvds]

Not sure if a reshoot could capture the right flavour?

70s/80s films like these had a real apocalyptic vibe to them. It's like something from the Cold War & being 5 minutes away from nuclear annihilation somehow sank into these films...

I just think a Dawn remake now would most likely end up feeling too safe?



I agree: most modern horror films feel too safe. The last time I remember an 'apocalypse' being depicted on a large scale and feeling 'right' was in 'The Road.' As far as zombie horror goes The Dead was the last one I know of trying to put some dread into the genre. I've had my fill of the 'funpocalypse.'

I would loathe another remake of a classic film. Even one done by the same director producing it or whatever. I would love to see Romero work with a big budget and no studio interference. It's just not going to happen. Hollywood is too busy making boring action films like WWZ or Man of Steel. Things go kaboom. It seems most people need to see the world being torn to bits in huge CGI scenes for them to feel anything. It's profitable.

Zombies have invaded the mainstream. They are everywhere. And apart from the odd exception here and there I just don't care anymore to be honest.

[Danny]

I have no desire to see another romero zombie flick, hes only got so many year in him and id rather see him make new movies about new stuff than rehash ideas he had 50 years ago.

[wayzim]

I was thinking about GAR's last couple of efforts and this led to muse on what could the great man do to finish on a high. No harm intended to the man's vision, but Diary and Survival were not very good efforts considering his story telling in the original trilogy. So how would you all as fans feel if GAR was to produce a reboot of Dawn as farewell to the genre?
I personally would love Dawn to get the Night'90 treatment.
Would such a movie cost a lot of money? Do we, along with other fans groups have the finances to back Romero in such a production if he and his friends were up for it.

As much as Night'90 was a decent film ( I did like it a lot ), it was made primarily to recoup the substantial financial losses incurred when the original lost its copyright due to an error by the Reade Organization. The departures from the first movie ( read, twists ) were mildly interesting though forced. I also tend to agree with most here that the unique point of view of the times in which it was made, was what turned Dawn78 into the iconic film it is.

I believe that part of the reason I'd left zombies for awhile, is that apart from rare films like Cemetary Man, I had this sense of been there and done that - which no amount of money thrown at the screen could compensate for. WWZ is a major example of this - for me at least. Let's please move on, create something other than endless remakes.

Oh, and being a certain age does not automatically mean obsolescence - it's more likely a difference in perspective rather than cluelessness. At least there was deeper thought behind Land and Diary than with Zack Snyder's Dawn ( which I enjoyed on its own merit - superficial though they were. )

Wayne Z

[krisvds]

I believe that part of the reason I'd left zombies for awhile, is that apart from rare films like Cemetary Man, I had this sense of been there and done that - which no amount of money thrown at the screen could compensate for. WWZ is a major example of this - for me at least. Let's please move on, create something other than endless remakes.

Oh, and being a certain age does not automatically mean obsolescence - it's more likely a difference in perspective rather than cluelessness. At least there was deeper thought behind Land and Diary than with Zack Snyder's Dawn ( which I enjoyed on its own merit - superficial though they were. )

Wayne Z

Dellamorte Dellamore is (one of ?) the last truly great Itallian horror film. It is brilliant. Ever read the Dylan Dog comics? Cemetery man was written by the same writer and both characters have a lot in common.