Defending Dawn O4

[darth los]

My friends hate Dawn remake. If you say so. It's amazing how only people who hate the the flick know others who hate it as well.

[krisvds]

If you say so. It's amazing how only people who hate the the flick know others who hate it as well. Hey? I don't hate it. Now and then I can enjoy a no-brainer action flick. Just the other weekend me and some friends got really drunk and watched Rambo 4. Almost died laughing.

[Gryphon]

I have decided, officially, in my own head, that neither Dawn 08 or Land of the Dead were all bad... or all good! But I have loved reading all the posts in this extremely old and long thread... Heh, and I love bringing it into year 5....

[Doc]

I like the Dawn remake, but I'm not blind to what it is. It's just another fun film in a long line of zombie shoot em up movies. The original is far more than just a zombie or even horror flick. The comments it made defiantly elevate beyond the typical horror flick.

[blind2d]

Dawn '08? What's that? '04 has its moment, but yeah... No comparison, to me.

[clanglee]

Nope nope nope. . . .I won't allow this!! This thread cannot be allowed to continue!!

[Gryphon]

Nope nope nope. . . .I won't allow this!! This thread cannot be allowed to continue!! And so you bump it

[blind2d]

I know, right? Clang's funny.

[Ragnarr]

I'm amazed at the number of posts I see giving Dawn04 the thumbs down. I'm a fan of Romero's first three z-flicks AND I like what Snyder did with Dawn04. It's like the nay sayers are fans of the classic Star Trek series, but can't stand Star Trek Next Generation. I don't see one movie taking anything away from the other movies, but maybe I'm missing the point somehow. You would have to admit that everything Romero put out after Snyder's film was complete and absolute zombie crap. For me, zombies that run are much more of a threat than zombies who just sort of stumble along playing a tuba. Look how easily the characters in the original Dawn movie b-slapped zombies out of their way as they ran about the mall. Replace those zombies with Snyder's, and it would have been the zombie's lunchtime even before the characters were able to reach their first store. I understand that Romero liked to make some sort of (yawwn) social commentary with his z-flicks, but that's not what I look for in movies. I look to be entertained.

[blind2d]

But Ragnarok, there's a difference between being "entertained" by an action flick (because that's what '04 of the Dawn was) and being scared by a horror flick (the original Dawn, Land, etc.). Znyders aren't "us" anymore. They're monsters with a vaguely human shape. Like most werewolves. I'd gladly watch Return of the Living Dead over Dawn remake any day. At least THAT had some fucking humor! And yeah, zombie lunch? More like, movie over in ten minutes. I mean, Snydely had to pull some wonder strings to orchestrate the length he achieved with that film, consequently defying the laws of spacetime. I like fun, but I also like to think. Land is better than Dawn '04. Just watched both, so I think I can make that claim.

[Trin]

For me, zombies that run are much more of a threat than zombies who just sort of stumble along playing a tuba. Look how easily the characters in the original Dawn movie b-slapped zombies out of their way as they ran about the mall. Replace those zombies with Snyder's, and it would have been the zombie's lunchtime even before the characters were able to reach their first store. Would the Exorcist have been been better if the little girl had leapt from the bed with razor sharp claws, given a raptor howl, and ripped the throat out of the priests before going on on a city-wide killing rampage? It would clearly be much more of a threat, more intense, and add considerable action to an otherwise somber and slow movie. But would it be better? I think running zombies take away as much as they add. Yes, they are more intense and a greater threat. But you lose the emotional connection to them. The subtle horror of them. You also lose a ton of room to write plot centered around character actions. Running zombies don't give the characters time to think or plan. They don't open avenues for survival since they are so unstoppable in the open. Runners are a very diluted action movie monster... they are intractable to the common survivor. They no longer pose questions about whether they should be destroyed or whether they are really no longer your loved ones. Running zombies have their place, and Dawn '04 used them as well as any, but they don't replace the claustrophic horror of shamblers.

[krisvds]

Here we go again. In comparison to Dawn04 Land is Citizen Kane... WITH Asia Argento in net stockings, in a cage, fighting two zombies. Come on guys, how cool is that?

[Rancid Carcass]

zombies who just sort of stumble along playing a tuba. Though to be fair, the band-stand zombies in Land were trying to play The Gonk - that is some serious win! Say what you like about the rest of the film, but Dawn04 has no answer to that.

[Gryphon]

Though to be fair, the band-stand zombies in Land were trying to play The Gonk - that is some serious win! Say what you like about the rest of the film, but Dawn04 has no answer to that. Love the Gonk

[JDFP]

Running zombies aren't scary, they're just stupid. There's no tension or fear or set up for suspense with running zombies. Imagine the original NOTLD with running zombies: "They're coming to ge..." as Johnny's abruptly cut off when a zombie rips his throat out. Cue Barbara running towards the car with dramatic music when she's torn apart when the zombie catches her. The End. Yeah, I don't think the original film would have been a better film this way. Sure, there would be some "action" to it but action does not make good horror. Traditional zombies don't make for great horror necessarily either as "Land" and "Survival" proved. It's all about the story and the characters being believable and interesting. Give me a good story, not blaring post-punk rock and blowing stuff up and CGI galore. Just tell me a good story. I despise running zombies and think they're only good for a cheap thrill. I'll never accept them as being "real" zombies. With all this said, I'd still consider "Dawn '04" to be a better film than "Land" even though I wouldn't classify "Dawn '04" to be a horror film really. It has a better story. And for that matter, I'll take zombie baby over Big Daddy any day of the week. What Romero did to Big Daddy in "Land" as becoming "super-intelligent" zombies is no better than creating running zombies in destroying Traditional zombies in my opinion. I hate both. j.p.