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Dawn of the Dead is the second of movie in George A. Romero's Dead trilogy. This movie is the result of a collaboration between Romero and Italian horror film director Dario Argento. Romero edited the United States version while Argento the European version. It is considered by many as well as this reviewer to be one of the best zombie movies of all time. This movie has everything including action, suspense, horror and social commentary. If you seek gore, this movie has it. Dawn of the Dead was one of the most if not the most graphically violent movies of its time.
The zombies follow all of the basic premises established in Night of the Living Dead (1968). These zombies have the addition of simple thought. They see where some of the living come from and surmise that if they go in that direction they can find more living. Having said that they cannot use a gun.
Dawn of the Dead develops the characters amidst plenty of action. The movie develops the differences existing between different police officers. Roger is a S.W.A.T. team member who has a strong sense of what is right and wrong. When a racist S.W.A.T. Team member, Wooley, is bent on killing as many minorities as possible during a raid, Roger steps in to stop Wooley Other S.W.A.T. Team members are just watching. Peter another S.W.A.T. Team member is practical and tactically minded while Roger is impulsive.
The movie developed the sense of Francine having to demand to be treated as an equal. The movie showed how the men wanted to carry guns but did not give Francine one. When she demanded one, her boyfriend, Stephen begrudgingly gave her one. In one scene Francine states that she is sorry that the others found out that she is pregnant because she did not want to be treated any differently. The men did not include Francine in the decision making until she demanded it.
The acting is good and the special makeup effects are excellent.
This
movie is a must watch for zombie fans.
The movie starts with a television station in a state of turmoil. Mr. Berman (David Early) is interviewing Dr. Foster. Dr. Foster informs Mr. Berman that the dead are returning to life and attacking the living. It has been going on for three weeks. Dr. Foster states that when a zombie kills, the person killed returns as another zombie. The only thing that stops someone from becoming a zombie is to separate the dead from their heads or to destroy their brain.
Marshal law exists in major cities like to Philadelphia.
Stephen Andrews (David Emge) a helicopter traffic reporter comes into the television station and tells his girlfriend Francine Parker (Gaylen Ross) to be ready to leave with him in the helicopter that night. He informs her that he will land on the roof of the television station and pick her up.
Stephen Andrews
Francine Parker
The movie jumps to a S.W.A.T. Team that has surrounded a housing project. They are trying to take someone named Martinez into custody without using violence. The armed residents of the project come out fighting. A battle ensues between the S.W.A.T. Team and armed residents of the housing project.
The S.W.A.T. Team enters the project. Wooley (James A. Baffico), a racist S.W.A.T. Team member, starts killing every one in sight. Roger DeMarco (Scott H. Reiniger), another S.W.A.T. Team member, tries to stop Wooley. Roger wrestles with Wooley. Peter Washington (Ken Foree), a Black S.W.A.T. Team member wearing a gas mask, shoots and kills Wooley as he (Wooley) is entering a room. Other S.W.A.T. Team members enter the room to pull Wooley and his weapons out. After entering the room the S.W.A.T. Team notices that there are zombies in the room and attempt to kill them. One of the zombies escapes and attacks a woman in the hall.
Roger DeMarco
Peter Washington
Roger goes into another room and meets Peter. Roger tells Peter that he has a friend who has a helicopter and plans to leave tonight. He invites Peter to join them.
In another part of the project S.W.A.T. Team members are attacked by hordes of zombies. Roger and Peter come to a room full of zombies that are eating the flesh of the dismembered bodies. Peter and Roger kill all of them.
The scene jumps to a helicopter landing with Stephen and Francine in it. While Francine is filling the helicopter with gas Stephen walks around looking for supplies. Just as bandits are attempting to rob Stephen and Francine, Roger and Peter drive up in a squad car. After convincing the bandits to leave, Peter, Roger, Stephen and Francine get into the helicopter and take off.
An hour past Harrisburg they look down from the helicopter and see the army, citizens and the police hunting and killing the zombies. They see an airport and land for more gas.
While Roger puts gas into the helicopter, Stephen and Francine search the hangers for supplies. Peter goes in a different direction to search for supplies. Two zombies attack Francine and Stephen. After killing one, they escape. Peter is attacked by two zombie children, which he must kill. They all make it back into the helicopter and take off.
Zombie
While flying they see an indoor shopping mall and decide to stop so that Stephen can rest. While Stephen is resting, Peter and Roger search for more supplies. They realize that the mall has everything they will need for a while and to continue flying might become dangerous. Francine sees the dead just walking around the mall and asks Stephen, "What are they doing?" Stephen answers "They are doing something which was important to them when they were alive."
The group realizes that by sealing the mall and killing the zombies inside they can have safe home. While they are sealing the mall, one of the group is injured. Life is good for a while, until trouble comes and changes things forever.
A group of bikers notices the helicopter on top of the mall roof and that night breaks into the mall to take supplies. Peter and Stephen attempt to keep the bikers from taking supplies and a battle ensues between the defenders, the bikers and the zombies, who have now reentered the mall.
The rest of the movie shows the results of the invasion.
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