When we started making plans for this year’s horror movie countdown, Dawn of the Dead (2004) was pretty much the first one we agreed would make the final cut - not surprising, really, since it was one of the first movies we saw together as a couple. It’s a little more surprising, though, when you consider the fact the the original Dawn of the Dead (1978) didn’t make last year’s final list. I asked Jay why he thought that was and he put it all down to the zombies.“The biggest change is that they made the zombies fast. That was genre-changing stuff. The Dawn of the Dead zombies transformed from these steadily-moving, stumbling, bumbling creeps to incredibly fast-moving monsters. They became truly terrifying.”
The zombies weren’t the only major difference between the original and the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Aside from the setting, they’re very different movies. Unlike too many films, the creators of the 2004 version didn’t Rely on the same old story; they created something entirely new. I asked Jay if he agreed and this is what he said:
“The story line was close enough to the original to feel familiar but different enough to be something new. I think the biggest difference, though, is in the size of the cast. The original Dawn of the Dead relied almost entirely on four characters. There were, what, a dozen people in the mall this time around? It was a clever change because the characters really sparked off each other.”
I think one thing we can both agree on is that the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead is actually better than the original - and that doesn’t happen often.
While we were talking about the cast, I mentioned how much I hated Pornstache and his buddy, Good Ole Boy. (CJ and Bart.) Their casual bigotry made me want to scream.
“Yeah,” Jay agreed. “But you’re forgetting CJ’s redemption at the end. He does star out a horrible character but he eventually plays the hero.”
Mekhi Phifer’s character [Andre] was a grey character. Yes, he made really bad decisions and he did end up killing the poor old woman [Norma] who was in the wrong place at the wrong time - but he was also just looking after his family. Wouldn’t we all do the same?”
Wow. That’s a scene that there’s so, so much to be said about I don’t even know where to start... I guess that with Romero films, there was always a really strong social commentary - deliberately, as we all know, included - and, although this version isn’t technically a Romero film, I found myself watching it with a critical eye. Were there social commentaries I’d missed? It had been awhile since I’d seen it.
So, when I watched Dawn of the Dead again, I watched it as though I were watching a proper Romero movie and there were a few things it made me wonder about. For instance, it seemed particularly relevant that Andre and Luda were a black man and a Russian woman. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the choices were deliberate. In this sanctuary, there are these secret threats - who just happened to be black and Russian.
Jay, as he often does, called BS on my theory.
"I don't think it matters that it was those particular people. It was just who got cast for it. I don't think Zack Snyder operates on that level. He's a great director but he's not in the same mould as George Romero. He doesn't have to be. Those battles, for the most part, have been fought and won."
I wish that were true but this could get too political too easily so let's move on...
Dawn of the Dead used one of the ballsiest marketing campaigns that I've ever seen. It takes a certain amount of guts to take the first ten minutes of your movie and whack it on national television. But, you know what? It freaking worked. Who watched those first ten minutes and wasn't chomping at the bit to book their tickets? Not us.
"Even in 2004, when Dawn of the Dead was released, the zombie thing was old. It had been done to death so you had to have something that really got your attention. Those first ten minutes do that. It's just so well-crafted. It's ominous. Everyone's going about their business - like you would but then you wake up and the world is fucked."
Exactly so. The first ten minutes of Dawn are a real masterclass in foreshadowing. Yeah, there's the writer in me coming out. I get hot for foreshadowing. (Too far? Lol.) But seriously... It's there. It's happening all around Sarah Polley's Ana but she's so oblivious. She is, but we're not. We get those glimpses and we're waiting for it. And, even though we're waiting for it, that little girl is a shocker. She gets me every time.
"Don't forget the intro. That song, with Johnny Cash, really catches your attention. It's set so well against the backdrop of the news reports and the flashes of panic that builds up well and sets the stage for what's to come."
I think the effectiveness of that intro has something to do with Johnny Cash's voice. It's so... weathered. He sounds like he's been through hell - which is hella apropos for this movie. To be fair, though, any soundtrack that includes Disturbed is a winner in my book.
"I mean, how good is the soundtrack, right? The soundtrack is quite sinister - not the pop stuff, the actual score. It creeps and builds... then it explodes. It's... foreboding and there's a sense of finality that's loaded with... doom. There are moments when the score lurks and moments when it shifts. It effectively sets the pace. As effective as it is, the rare moments of absolute silence are even more powerful."
I had to watch Dawn again because of the way Jay talked about the score. To my shame, I couldn't remember it. The reason for that, I think, is that it's done so well you don't actually listen to the soundtrack. You experience it. It's doing its job so well it's not separate; it's part of the overall effect. If that makes sense.
It would be fair, I think, to call Dawn of the Dead an experience, which is due mostly to the extras. There's a lot happening outside of the movie and it all adds to story. My favourite extra centres around Andy, the poor schmuck trapped in the gun store across the road from the mall. Firstly, I have to say WTF, dudes?! Everyone was just hanging out, fucking and drinking and having a great time - not giving a damn about the poor guy trapped on his own. They never even considered rescuing Andy until it served them to do so. That selfish streak is almost as big a problem as the zombies.
Movies like Romero's Living Dead series and television shows like The Walking Dead constantly remind us that the real threat is, of course, us. I've said it before and I'll say it again (probably the next time I'm forced to go *shudder* outside): people are bastards. That's the real point of these movies, isn't it? The biggest threat to our survival isn't a horde of undead baddies - it's the people you make the mistake of putting your trust in.
Not that there's a whole lot of trust going around in Dawn of the Dead. You've got this massive cast of people and every single one of them is wrapped up in their own shit. Well... nearly every one.
Jake Weber's Michael is the movie's good guy. He's the voice of reason and the one who gently tries to coax the others toward sanity - which is why his death hurts the most. He's done and said the right thing but death, like flesh-eating zombies, is indiscriminate. Michael's big reveal is Dawn of the Dead's final parting shot, it's last kick in the feels before it sends you off...
Mostly.
"I know you don't like the end-credits scenes because you wanted a happy ending but I think it was a nice touch. And there's nothing saying it doesn't have a happy ending. As long as you don't see someone die, there's always hope. Plus, they add a dramatic touch. You're not leaving the cinema on a downer, with Michael's death. You leave to the blood-pounding beat of Disturbed's "Down With the Sickness" and our heroes running from yet another horde of zombies. It works.
"I wouldn't say that Dawn of the Dead is the perfect horror movie, by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not far off. Of course, the more I think about it, the more I realize I don't know where it fails to be the perfect horror movie. I can't find fault with it. Dawn of the Dead really is one of the finest examples of the genre I've ever seen - and I've seen a lot."
Zombie movies can get a bit... boring? Cringe-worthy? Embarrassingly bad? None of those things apply to Dawn of the Dead. It starts solid and it ends solid. Dawn is one of the few zombie films I can watch again and again, without it getting old.
It's hard to wrap things up when there's so much left to say but other movies demand our attention and if I get into it, we'll be here all night. Until tomorrow and Day 2 of 31 Days of Modern Horror...
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