Dawn of the Dead
release year: 1978
genre: zombie horror
viewing setting: home Bluray 1/5/23 and home DVD 3/24/04
synopsis: In a world that's quickly being overrun by the flesh-eating living dead, four people use a helicopter to escape to a shopping mall and make a new home there.
impressions: This was a sort of sequel to the original Night of the Living Dead movie, taking things one step further. It works as a survival movie, a horror movie, and a satire of our society of the 1970s and 1980s. The four protagonists escape one version of hell, find another, clean it up, and make a peaceful (if boring) life for themselves...until it all inevitably falls apart. There's a fair amount of blood and gore. The logic and tactics used are generally sensible, with a couple of exceptions: one person stops taking the zombies seriously and ends up getting bitten, which inevitably means death and re-animation. My other gripe has to do with the biker gang near the end; they seem 100% hell-bent on having fun and making chaos, rather than surviving and acting sensible.
recommended reading: the Zombie Survival Guide
acting: Ken Foree is the more level-headed of the survivors, a big tough practical cop. Scott Reiniger is the other police officer, but at some point he gets reckless and pays the price. David Emge is the helicopter pilot, who becomes more competent in zombie-fighting but ultimately makes some mistakes. Gaylen Ross is the reporter woman, who gradually changes from helpless to proactive and useful. Tom Savini has an early role as one of the biker gang.
final word: good horror/zombie movie, and a classic of its time
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