My first viewing of the original Dawn of the Dead.

Welcome to your new life.

I can't help expressing my surprise when I read that despite the fact that you got more than 100 posts, which I guess shows your interest in horror, you'd never seen Dawn or Day... And that given the chance to see Dawn, you choose to watch it in bits and pieces...

But hey, to each his own approach to horror. Glad to see you liked it!

Well now that this has been said, I also have something to confess.

I've always been a huge fan of DotD - the original, but when I watched it for what was probably the 100th time earlier this week... I realized I enjoyed the remake a lot more.

Shame on me

Your not the only one. I think Dawn is a good film, but it has a fairly limited shelf life, in my opinion. You watch it once or twice, or I did, and I think you rarely want to watch it again, and if you do, it will be after a long period of time. I think the Dawn remake has much more life in it, I think it will stand up to multiple viewings. But that's just me.

Day of the Dead bit off a little more than it could chew (har har)

It has a very interesting plot, and a cool setting, but the film just drags on at points. Acting was a little goofy too, especially the head military dude and the scientist working with Bub. For some reason it reminds me of a televised Stephen King novel.


*which now makes me want to see a Home Delivery movie made, damn you brain.

Because it's a much more casual viewing experience. While the remake is certainly a well-made picture, it's mostly enjoyable on a visceral level and requires less attention. It's a good, fun roller-coaster flick and is primarily watchable in that aspect. However, having seen it twice, I feel that I've pretty much gotten everything I can out of it.

The original is a more demanding viewing experience in that it plays with multiple themes and functions as both a horror film AND a satire. I can't just toss this on in the background an occasionally tune in -- I have to sit down and watch the thing from start to finish. People can grouse about how the original DOTD, as well as movies like THE EXORCIST, are dated, but they're missing the point that ALL movies are dated, that movies by their very nature form a time capsule of the moment in history that they were created. Yes, DOTD was made in the seventies...big deal, that's a concession you make when you watch it, and it doesn't take away from its expertise and impact. It's still a movie that works like gangbusters on every level it attempts. Every time I watch it, I come away with something new.

Sure, roller coaster movies are fun in the moment you're viewing them, but that only goes so far for me. I may like fast food as much as the next guy, but at the end of the day I prefer something more substantial.

Day Of The Dead is better than most people give it credit for, some of the acting is a little over the top and one dimensional(especialy the army guys) but all in all it's a good film that has the unenviable task of following up on two all time classics....I think some people who see it for the first time might expect a little too much from it.

Also Romero wanted the scope of the film to be much greater but had to scale it down after the company that put the money up to produce the film refused to give Romero the cash he needed unless he cut back on the gore ,George refused and made the film on a smaller budget than was originally planned.

All three are great, you should see Day as soon as possible (and it's many people's fave around here.)

As for Dawn, I can watch this film over and over. It's just got so much there. From crazed zombie action in the tenemants and the mall, to smaller skirmishes like at the airfield, to quieter moments of the group in the mall after they've taken it over....supsense at times, action and humor at others. Just a classic.

As for the remake. Eh...I didn't think it was all that great. Not nearly as awesome as many on here did. I agree with Messiahman, though I probably liked it less, but yeah, it was cool and all, but well done blowing away zombies is kinda always cool, but overall, I just didn't think there was a hell of alot going on. Just a roller coaster like he said. Had a great first 7-8 minutes or so, but well, I just didn't dig it all that much.

I agree. When the DotD Remake gets on DVD here in the UK Im gonna get it but I think the DotD Remake for me will be put on in the background while as always with the original I got to sit down and watch it.
I liked the remake as a fun film cause that is what it is, to me the original is like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, you just got to sit and watch they mother start to finish. (Soz to use a Western but Im just diggin it at the mo, great film!)

Rauri

Day of the Dead is the shit. I will jump on a limb here and say that it's my favorite Living Dead movie. Something about it just struck a chord with me. Not as bleak as Night, not as laden with commentary like Dawn, but just the right mix of wry humor, likeable characters, and loverly zombies to keep your interest.

Plus...it's got Bub...what more DO you want?

-jacob

Bub saves Day of the Dead. Its ok, but Bub just kicks the film up there next to the original Dawn.

Dawn Remake was awesome for the first 10 minutes or so, then became Saving Private Ryan with zombies, and a kickass version of that Sickness song, and dumbed down.

RICHARD CHEESE IS THE GREAT LOUNGE SINGER EVER ( he did the down with the sickness for DOTD REMAKE ) and the remake is ehh alright 5 outta 10

I love this movie.

The remake was fun, but empty. It suffers from generic Hollywood storytelling and an overemphasis on 28 DAYS LATER style fast-motion and standard slow-motion, both which are used badly, along with a severe lack of brutality. And fuck that Richard Cheese song and the whole fake-retro world it inhabits. Grr.

But yeah, DAY OF THE DEAD is a classic. Absolutely superb. Probably the best of the three, now that I think of it.

dawn

Dawn, Night ,Day, Night remake, Dawn remake. In that order. Basically the original Dawn is the best MOVIE ever made, Night and Day follow close behind, DAWN remake is good but i have issues with zombies that can run like professional atheletes. Dear DAVEc you have honestly really surprised me, i really dont mean to be rude but i cant possibly understand how you could only just have seen DAWN, have you been living in a cave or something, how could you not have seen DAY. For gods sake, do yourself a favour sit down with dawn and watch it all from start to finish, then if you have time(or the next day) watch DAY. Then do it all again until you watched them 6 or 7 times each then post some threads about them and be prepared for me to reply telling you how OLD NEWS that all is, YOU KNOW WHAT I AM ON ABOUT....NUFF SAID

I totally agree with Messiahman on this. The remake is a great popcorn movie but the original has a surprising depth to it. Surprising in the sense that I didn't really see it on the first couple of viewings (during which it was simply a very enjoyable zombie flick). What always surprises me about Dawn is that, when I first watched it, I do remember thinking that much of the acting wasn't great and yet I found myself picking up subtleties in the performances in subsequent watches that could only have come by actors who really knew what they were doing.

And in terms of subtext, it really hits that fine point where it is seen but doesn't cross the line into just text (like Day did).

I think the original Dawn has stood the test of time and will far outlast the remake.

Dogg.

I just recently saw the orignal Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead. I thought both were great, but I'd honestly have to say that I liked "Day" better than "Dawn".

I don't know, something about that movie really entertains me, even when it's just a bunch of the guys sitting around talking. Bub the zombie is great, and Captain Rhodes ridiculously over-the-top monlogues are awesomely fun to watch. The zombies also look better than in "Dawn" and the end scenes with the army guys being ripped in half is pure awesomeness. "Dawn" was pretty great, but I fucking love "Day".

Oh, I love Day too. Especially for the performances. Jarlath Conroy as McDermott, the boozing Irish guy, was just fantastic (which was why I had to get him for my short film *heh, quick plug*). Actually all of the performances (even over the top Pilato) were just excellent.

The reason that I think Dawn is ever so slightly better is that Day is a little too on the nose about its messages. A lot of the times it feels like the characters are lecturing the viewers rather than talking to each other. That doesn't happen in Dawn.

Dogg.

I just rented it, I'm going to watch it tonight. All night horror movie marathon!

Can I come over and snuggle?

Bring a quart of tequila, two dozen amyls, and a pint of ether.

I'll be right over... so long as I don't have to pass through bat country.

I have seen the original Dawn of the Dead over 1,000 times.

Yes, 1,000. ...and that is the extended cut.

It is the reason for living.


And there's no shame in liking the Dawn remake.

I'm a huge original Dawn fan (obviously) and I loved the remake.

Re: dawn

Dude take a breathe.

I have the original Dawn in my house as we speak and will be watching it for the first time in the next day or two.

What? You gonna hunt me down now or something?

Its cool its your favourite film - but why make people feel like shit for never having seen it?

If someone saw one of my favourite films for the first time I'd be pretty stoked and be interested in their initial responses to it rather than doing my best to come off like an asshole and try and make them feel somehow inadequate for never having seen it yet.

Get a grip.

RD

Re: Re: dawn

No.

No you really didn't.

RD

dawn

well i was angry with DAVE C over an earlier thread in which he chastised me for only just watching the ladysnowblood movies. then i found athread in which he was saying how he had only just watched DAWN OF THE DEAD. I mean for crying out loud levels of hipocracy that huge just kill me. However he has apologised and that is fine, plus i didnt know about the gorrilaz track, i will deffo have to track that down. So RAINDOG there is a bit more to it than me just slagging DAVE C for not seeing my favourite movie. Obviously its good that its still getting watched and enjoyed.

Re: My first viewing of the original Dawn of the Dead.

I'm more of a Day of the Dead fan myself.....so, you'll be in for a suprise when you watch Day of the Dead

Re: dawn

Fair enough

RD

Per IMDB the US release of Dawn of the Dead (1978) is 126 minutes.

1000 times multipled by 126 minutes is 126000.

A 24 hour day consists of 1440 minutes.

126,000 minutes divided by 1440 is 87.5.

You've spent 87.5 days of your life watching one movie!!!

Jebus - to have that much time on my hands.

RD

Maybe this is common knowledge. But did you guys know that the cop who gets on the boat and escapes in dawn of the dead, is captain rhodes in day?

Joseph Pilato .... Officer at Police Dock <--- Dawn
Joseph Pilato .... Capt. Rhodes <--- Day


Sorry if you guys knew this, but I thought it was an interesting little tidbit.

NICE!!!