Dawn of the Dead | September 1, 1978

 

Dawn of the Dead

Dawn of the Dead is a 1978 zombie horror film written, directed, and edited by George A. Romero, and produced by Richard P. Rubinstein. An international co-production between the United States and Italy, the film is part of Romero's zombie movie series. Although it does not feature characters or settings from Romero’s earlier film, Night of the Living Dead (1968), it explores the broader societal impacts of a zombie apocalypse. The movie depicts the resurrection of the dead who prey on the living due to an unknown cause. David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross star as survivors who barricade themselves inside a suburban shopping mall amidst widespread hysteria.

Romero waited several years to make another zombie film after Night of the Living Dead to avoid being typecast as a horror director. He visited the Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, with a friend and decided to use the location as the film's setting. The project attracted the attention of Italian filmmaker Dario Argento, who, along with his brother Claudio and producer Alfredo Cuomo, agreed to co-finance the film in exchange for international distribution rights. Argento also collaborated with Romero during the screenplay stage. The principal photography took place between November 1977 and February 1978 in Monroeville and Pittsburgh. Tom Savini created the special makeup effects for the film, which helped him build a career in horror films. During post-production, Romero and Argento each edited separate versions of the film for their respective markets. The Argento version features a progressive rock score by Goblin, while Romero's version uses music from the De Wolfe Music Library.

Premiering in Italy on September 1, 1978, Dawn of the Dead was released in other markets the following year. Despite facing censorship issues in various countries (in the U.S., the film was released unrated after receiving an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, and in the UK, it faced potential seizure during the 1980s "video nasty" moral panic), the film was a commercial success, grossing $66 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $640,000. Known for its satirical portrayal of consumerism, Dawn of the Dead received widespread critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest horror films and zombie films of all time. It also garnered a substantial international cult following. In 2008, it was named one of the 500 greatest films of all time by Empire magazine.

Following Dawn of the Dead, four official sequels began with Day of the Dead (1985) and a separate unofficial Italian sequel series starting with Zombi 2 (1979). The film also inspired a 2004 remake directed by Zack Snyder and numerous parodies and cultural references.

Dawn of the Dead

The United States has been devastated by a mysterious epidemic that resurrects the dead as flesh-eating zombies. Millions of people are reported dead and then reanimated, leading to the collapse of social order despite the government's best efforts. Rural areas are protected by natural barriers, and the National Guard is effective in combating zombie hordes in open country, but urban centers are in chaos.

At the WGON-TV studio in Philadelphia, traffic reporter Stephen Andrews and his pregnant girlfriend, producer Fran Parker, plan to escape the city by stealing the station’s helicopter. Meanwhile, Philadelphia police SWAT officer Roger DeMarco and his team raid a low-income housing project where tenants are defying the curfew and turning over the dead to the National Guard. Amid the chaos, Roger meets fellow officer Peter Washington and proposes escaping the city with Stephen.

Roger and Peter join Fran and Stephen at the police dock, and they flee Philadelphia in a stolen WGON-TV news helicopter. After a harrowing stop for fuel, they discover a shopping mall and decide to stay there due to its abundance of food, medical supplies, and other essentials. They block the mall's entrance with trucks and secure the stairway to the safe room. Roger becomes reckless and is eventually bitten by a zombie.

After clearing out the zombies inside the mall, the group enjoys a hedonistic lifestyle. Roger succumbs to his wounds and Peter shoots him in the head after he reanimates. Soon, all emergency broadcasts cease, suggesting the collapse of the government. The remaining three prepare to leave the mall, loading supplies onto the helicopter. Fran learns to fly in case Stephen dies or is incapacitated.