Reevaluating Dawn of the Dead

[Neil]

I grew up on Dawn and it was always my favorite but Day has over taken it. Think I'm in the same boat now!

[Moon Knight]

Dawn will forever be my favorite Zombie flick. I love those characters to death. Funny thing is I believe I've seen Day more times than Dawn, the replay value with that one is untouched.

[JDP]

Dawn is a more complex movie than Day at every level, with the only exception of make-up and special effects, in which department Day blows every other zombie movie out of the water. Just the amount of different locations in both movies already says a lot. Dawn is like the Gone with the Wind of zombie movies. It's an epic.

[Wyldwraith]

I will never, NEVER understand people's fixated adoration for Day. It's an excellent movie, sure...but the way people talk it's light-years beyond either Night or Dawn, and I simply don't agree. (Hell, to tell the truth I even blasphemously prefer the Night remake for the more interesting, not-a-caricature-of-feminine-hysteria Barbara character. Her competence and cool are so beautifully offset by the woebegone sense of horror as she easily nudges a zombie away from her repeatedly with a gun barrel and grieves that such limited, pitiable things brought down ruin on so many living people. It's genius, and something Romero's Barbara suffers by in any comparison of the two. So maybe my taste is weird, but I've always enjoyed Dawn the most. I really like Night and Day, and give them the credit they're due as foundation works in the genre...but they don't blow my mind the way Dawn did the first time I saw it. (Though yes, the pie fight always makes me cringe.)...I dunno, Day just feels like a stock Seige-plot, enlivened somewhat by the instabilities amongst the survivors. Elements of its story always hit poor notes with me...Like portraying military men that gleefully put an exhausted comrade in mortal danger just because he's getting laid and they aren't. Yet are so loyal to the rest of their group as to be driven to murderous rages by anyone increasing the danger to their comrades....Even Rhodes's meltdown was SO pronounced I asked myself from the cafeteria meeting where Rhodes was going to have the female lead shot for not kissing up to him how the other soldiers could feel safe this constantly armed nutjob wouldn't decide to plug one or more of them for some perceived slight to his position. I had one brief moment of hope the first time I saw it when Steele thought it was a joke and tried to play it off that way, but then Rhodes threatens him, Steele moves to comply...and the others just...sit there placidly. Sorry, this post ended up less coherent and more stream of consciousness than intended...but I hope it at least conveys my thinking on the subject of Night/Night-Remake/Dawn/Day.

[shootemindehead]

Well, not trying to sound like and Apple fan or anything, but put simply 'Day of the Dead' is just a better film over all. It had better acting, better pacing, better editing, better effects, better zombies, better atmosphere, it's more "realistic" and it's dated better...much better. In comparison, 'Dawn of the Dead' looks quaint and literally like it's from another century, which is just an unfortunate consequence of being made in one of the most hideous fashion periods in mankind's history. It should come as no surprise to anyone here that I consider 'Day of the Dead' a triumph of the genre. Not only do I think it's the best zombie film ever made, I think it's the greatest horror film of all time and easily Romero's best film to date and will probably be his best of all, full stop. It's grim atmosphere, alone, took balls to put on screen as it's tone is utterly relentless. It's story opens up the world of the dead, with Logan's insights into what he believes is making them tick, despite the confines of the 14 mile tombstone that the survivors find themselves in. His observations were genuinely interesting to kid me and his enlightenment made the zombies all the more horrifying, to be honest, because their existence augmented the brutal existence of the human characters. The blue faced cartoons of 'Dawn of the Dead' gave way to the pathetically terrifying creatures we see in the third installment and they are a stellar leap in their horrific nature, who stay with you, long after the film has ended. Also, the silly orange blood getting binned in favour of a dark crimson lent Savini's gore effects a shocking power that hasn't been bettered yet in the genre. Plus the horrific death that the dead promise has never been so gruesomely put on film. Rickles' madness induced laughter turning to blood curdling screams as his snapped mind realises his awful end still sends shivers up my spine. There's nothing in 'Dawn of the Dead' that comes even remotely close to the level of actual horror that's in 'Day of the Dead'. To me, I have never understood why (mostly Americans) like 'Dawn of the Dead' better than 'Day of the Dead'. It's reception upon release has always been one of those WTF things that beggars belief, much like how 'The Thing' was received, when it was first shown too. That's not to say that 'Dawn of the Dead' isn't loved by me, but it's shortcomings detract from it these days in a very large way. It's still a great film and one that I throw on at least once a year, but its sequel has always been the better film on every level. 'Dawn of the Dead' may be Romero's first masterpiece, but 'Day of the Dead' is his absolute magnum opus.

[MinionZombie]

A well written, passionate post there, Shoot. I'd say that objectively Day of the Dead is a better film for many of the reasons you listed ... subjectively Dawn of the Dead holds a higher position in my heart ... but Day of the Dead has gained a hell of a lot of ground on Dawn over the years while Dawn has remained where it has always been in my affections. And this isn't to say I didn't love Day of the Dead when I first saw it - because I did - but when I first saw Dawn of the Dead it blew my mind. Essentially I'm at a point now where I love them both equally. I think I said this earlier in the thread, but as I've got older Day has grown even more in my estimations. I think Dawn appeals to our youthful sides - especially if you saw it as a youngster - while Day of the Dead's completely different tone riggles its way into you as an adult.

[JDP]

So maybe my taste is weird, but I've always enjoyed Dawn the most. I really like Night and Day, and give them the credit they're due as foundation works in the genre...but they don't blow my mind the way Dawn did the first time I saw it. (Though yes, the pie fight always makes me cringe.)...I dunno, Day just feels like a stock Seige-plot, enlivened somewhat by the instabilities amongst the survivors. Elements of its story always hit poor notes with me... Dawn also has the "siege plot" element in it (after the survivors manage to close & "clean up" the mall and turn it into their home), but unlike Day it is not confined to it. One of the things that makes Dawn more complex than Day, plot-wise. Like portraying military men that gleefully put an exhausted comrade in mortal danger just because he's getting laid and they aren't. Yet are so loyal to the rest of their group as to be driven to murderous rages by anyone increasing the danger to their comrades....Even Rhodes's meltdown was SO pronounced I asked myself from the cafeteria meeting where Rhodes was going to have the female lead shot for not kissing up to him how the other soldiers could feel safe this constantly armed nutjob wouldn't decide to plug one or more of them for some perceived slight to his position. I had one brief moment of hope the first time I saw it when Steele thought it was a joke and tried to play it off that way, but then Rhodes threatens him, Steele moves to comply...and the others just...sit there placidly. Not quite. At first Steel and the other soldiers are not taking Rhodes' rants totally seriously, but when he starts to point guns and threatens to shoot Steel to let everyone know that he means business, the other soldiers stand up and put their hands on their guns, getting ready just in case the situation escalates into a shoot-out between them. After Steel complies with Rhodes' orders and Sarah is given no choice but to sit down or die, the tension between the soldiers goes away and they all sit down again. But now it is totally clear to everyone who is in command. Rhodes is not kidding and he is willing to do what the others are not quite ready to do: kill people who don't obey orders. Also, Miguel was picked on by the other soldiers not so much because he was Sarah's boyfriend, but because they saw him as a coward (which he basically was, until he loses one arm to a zombie bite and then gains the courage to sacrifice his own life to make the other soldiers pay for their cruel behavior towards the civilian team.)

[shootemindehead]

A well written, passionate post there, Shoot. I'd say that objectively Day of the Dead is a better film for many of the reasons you listed ... subjectively Dawn of the Dead holds a higher position in my heart ... but Day of the Dead has gained a hell of a lot of ground on Dawn over the years while Dawn has remained where it has always been in my affections. And this isn't to say I didn't love Day of the Dead when I first saw it - because I did - but when I first saw Dawn of the Dead it blew my mind. Essentially I'm at a point now where I love them both equally. I think I said this earlier in the thread, but as I've got older Day has grown even more in my estimations. I think Dawn appeals to our youthful sides - especially if you saw it as a youngster - while Day of the Dead's completely different tone riggles its way into you as an adult. Cheers Mini. Thankfully, it looks somewhat coherent, even though it was written in the middle of the morning with a bout of insomnia! Work is tough today, even if it is working from home. I saw both when I was a kid and while I really liked 'Dawn of the Dead', it was 'Day of the Dead' that actually scared me...really scared me and that left a lasting impression. I already liked horror films and my parents never censored what I could watch, so I'd seen a lot of things, but nothing impacted on me like Romero's film. I still get tense looking at the opening scene and the moaning and wailing of the dead still creeps me out. It's just an expertly put together film, in a way that 'Dawn of the Dead' could never be and the level of despair (even for the zombies) creates an atmosphere that is sorely lacking in far too many "horror" films, which I believe play things way too safe. In terms of actual horror, 'Day of the Dead' is light years ahead of every film in the (sub) genre, including its predecessor. - - - Updated - - - Dawn also has the "siege plot" element in it (after the survivors manage to close & "clean up" the mall and turn it into their home), but unlike Day it is not confined to it. One of the things that makes Dawn more complex than Day, plot-wise. Every film in Romero's quad is a "siege" film and just because there is a "complexity" of location in 'Dawn of the Dead', it doesn't make it a better film. The most complex is 'Land of the Dead', which is the worst of the series. I don't count 'Diary of the Dead' as the same universe and I don't count 'Survival of the Dead' at all. Not quite. At first Steel and the other soldiers are not taking Rhodes' rants totally seriously, but when he starts to point guns and threatens to shoot Steel to let everyone know that he means business, the other soldiers stand up and put their hands on their guns, getting ready just in case the situation escalates into a shoot-out between them. After Steel complies with Rhodes' orders and Sarah is given no choice but to sit down or die, the tension between the soldiers goes away and they all sit down again. But now it is totally clear to everyone who is in command. Rhodes is not kidding and he is willing to do what the others are not quite ready to do: kill people who don't obey orders. Also, Miguel was picked on by the other soldiers not so much because he was Sarah's boyfriend, but because they saw him as a coward (which he basically was, until he loses one arm to a zombie bite and then gains the courage to sacrifice his own life to make the other soldiers pay for their cruel behavior towards the civilian team.) The "military" men in 'Day of the Dead' are reservists and national guard. So they're weekenders, not exactly used to a strict military code. Plus, they occupy space in a world that has gone to pieces where codes and honour mean nothing. It's entirely plausible that in such a world, sides would be taken, even if there is no real sense in it. Rhodes is a bolted on psychopath, whose breakdown manifests itself in a complete control fixation. His determination to exercise this fixation in threats to shoot anyone who doesn't comply comes as a shock to everybody, as you correctly point out. The problem is that neither side trusts the other, with one side completely oblivious to the actual nature of the operation that has been set up and both realise that the situation is rather hopeless, which compounds any issue that the two sides may have. With Rhodes thrown into the mix, that becomes an explosive cocktail. You're also correct that Miguel has become a whipping boy for some of the soldiers. But, it's clear that most of the men don't really care about Miguel, or for what they're doing for that matter. They seem happy to get tanked up and roll a few doobies and that makes perfect sense. But Miguel was probably always disliked in the unit and there is a palpable sense of jealousy that he's getting some with Sarah (although their "relationship" barely functions).

[MinionZombie]

I saw Dawn a few months after seeing Day during my formative years ... Dawn had the wow factor of its sense of scale (and I've always loved how Dawn is shot and edited - something which Day doesn't have, unfortunately - I love that look and editing rhythm of the films GAR edited, the sheer volume of different shots etc) and Day had a shock factor for me. I was stunned by the gore and by the language in the film - it really did bowl me over, but in a good way. It has been in the years since I first saw it that the tone of the film, the characterisation, and the story have really evolved for me - the layers have been peeling back more and more and more, so as a result Day has been a film that continually gets greater each time I watch it. I loved Dawn from the get go, but I've also watched it so many times I've kind of watered it down for myself in-doing-so. That said, a few viewings ago - having already seen the film soooo many times - I experienced the opening scenes of Dawn like I'd never had before. The sense of panic, and speed of the film (world building, editing, the forcefulness of the acting - the urgency of the situations), really left me stunned - it was great getting a new experience out of a film I was so familiar with. I think part of that was, again, being older and seeing new things in the film.

[nectarsis]

For me, Dawn captures something that the other movies in the series lack. It is a realism to the characters (the core group) and the bond they develop. They are very relatable. They have personality differences and they argue/fight at times, but they ultimately look out for one another. I find it very easy to be engaged with the group, their actions, their decisions, etc. Even when they screw up (with disastrous results) I don't find myself second guessing them, or screaming WTF. It has become rare (if not unheard of) that the zombie genre focuses on a group working together without interpersonal conflicts driving the main plot. In Dawn, the bulk of the movie highlights the struggle to survive against the zombies. The Mall then sends it over the top. Who hasn't dreamed of having an entire mall as their personal playground? Stated better than I could. lol Night is what got me hooked as a kid, but Dawn is a top 5 movie (all genres) ever.

[Furiousbunny]

My favorite changes by the mood I'm in at the moment and I think it would be impossible to pick just one of the original three off hand as they all have their strengths and charms. Night has this creepy old school horror feel that has been truly lost over time, Dawn has this massive scope (for the time) and a group of relatable characters that you just want to root for, and Day is a primal force showing the collapse of humanity to the point that the undead are a sympathetic element, for example Logan butchering them like cattle.

[rees1977]

love dawn of the dead dont think much of the remake but the 70s version is fantastic i dont like these new age zombies the fast moving i mean there dead so rigger should have set in so they would not move that fast the classics are the best x - - - Updated - - - day of the dead is cool my wife goes all soppy when she sees bub she a weirdo

[LivingDeadGuy]

Dawn of the Dead (original) was never my favorite of Romero's movies but i would take it over the 2004 remake by Zack Snider any day. The remake may have had better special effects but it was offensive to me with it's racist, sexist, and homophobic stereotypes. What I love about Romero as a director is that he doesn't reinforce negative stereotypes with his characters he just shows people in society the way they really are.