A New Look At 1978 Horror Film Dawn of the Dead

George Romero's Second Movie in Zombie Series is Still Great Today

Sep 17, 2009

George Romero's sequel to "Night of the Living Dead", "Dawn of the Dead", was released in 1978. It still holds up as a great zombie movie after thirty years.

George Romero has continuously returned to the “Walking Dead” niche of the horror film genre for over 40 years. With Night of the Living Dead the legend began. It’s his second Zombie flick, Dawn of the Dead, that may be his best.

Shot in the winter of ’77-’76 at the Monroeville Mall in Pennsylvania, it can now be looked at through the lens of thirty plus years. What seemed hip and cool back then can be hilarious or even horrifying for those walking down memory lane. The opening shot of the orange shag carpetonhe wall of the studio control room sums up seventies fashion design. Dawn of the Dead is much more than a peek back in time, though.

Dawn of the Dead picks up where Night of the Living Dead leaves off. Zombies are all over, killing and eating people. The population is being decimated. Two SWAT officers hitch a ride with a traffic reporter and studio executive on the stations helicopter. They hole up in a mall that the zombies have taken over and secure it for the long haul.

Like its predecessor, Dawn of the Dead mainly takes place in one location. This seems to be the theme of Romero’s Dead series, at least the first three movies. The location being a mall is a unique setting providing some distinctive possibilities.

Being in a mall they have all of they need. The only thing in their way is the zombies longing to eat them. Having two guys on the SWAT team can be handy when it comes to taking out some of the walking dead. Once the mall is cleared of zombies and the entrances are blocked by semi trailers, they can sit back and ride out the crisis. That is until the raiders come and mess up their plan.

Seeing the chopper on the roof the raiders know that there is something of value left in the mall. The raiders are a group that has thrived on their numbers and violence and they take what they want. They bust into the mall wreaking all kinds of havoc, letting the zombies have free reign again. Now only Peter, one of the SWAT officers, and Francine are left. They fly off to freedom in the chopper.

Tom Savini has created a well deserved cult following with his work in special effects. He provided the gore in movies such as Friday the 13th and Creepshow. Before all of that he plied his craft on Dawn of the Dead. He also did most of the stunts, along with his close friend Taso Stavrakos, and played various zombies.

One of things that made the special effects unique is the campiness that is created. The blood is a bit bright and there are times when the fake heads may be a little obvious. With what they had to work with and the fact Savini did some of the effects on the fly, it is remarkable how Dawn of the Dead ended up looking. People are spoiled now with CGI and the advancement in technology. Considering that Dawn of the Dead was made over thirty years ago, Savini really is a special effects genius.

The fact that the four main characters are not blockbuster actors makes it surprising that their performances are so professional. David Emge is Stephen, the bumbling traffic reporter. Gaylen Ross is the quiet and strong Francine, the studio executive and Stephen’s lover. Ken Foree and Scott Reiniger are the SWAT officers Peter and Roger. Their interaction and evolving relationship is an intriguing story showing the strengths of each actors.

Tom Savini not only does the effects and stunts while playing zmbies, he is also Blade, one of the riders. He is funny and rude and the short time he is on screen adds so much to the story. Dawn of the Dead provides a platform for Savini to show has many talents with acting being one of them.

Dawn of the Dead may be just over thirty years old, but it more than stands up to the test of time. It is more than a horror movie. With social commentary lambasting consumerism amid a campy background, Dawn of the Dead is a horror movie lovers dream, or maybe that’s nightmare.

The copyright of the article A New Look At 1978 Horror Film Dawn of the Dead in Horror Films is owned by Shane Werlinger. Permission to republish A New Look At 1978 Horror Film Dawn of the Dead in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.