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Dawn of the Dead
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Dawn of the Dead (1978)

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User Rating: 8.0/10 (30,902 votes)
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IMDb Coverage of Comic-Con 2008

Overview

Director:
George A. Romero
Writer:
George A. Romero (written by)
Release Date:
24 May 1979 (USA) more view trailer
Genre:
Drama | Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth. more
Plot:
Following an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter, and his television-executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall. full summary | full synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)
Awards:
2 wins & 2 nominations more
User Comments:
One of the Greatest Sequels AND One of the Best Horror Films Ever more

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)
David Emge ... Stephen
Ken Foree ... Peter
Scott H. Reiniger ... Roger
Gaylen Ross ... Francine
David Crawford ... Dr. Foster

David Early ... Mr. Berman
Richard France ... Dr. Milliard Rausch - Scientist
Howard Smith ... TV Commentator
Daniel Dietrich ... Givens
Fred Baker ... Commander
James A. Baffico ... Wooley (as Jim Baffico)
Rod Stouffer ... Roy Tucker - Young Officer on Roof
Jese Del Gre ... Old Priest
Clayton McKinnon ... Officer in Projects Apt.
John Rice ... Officer in Projects Apt.
Ted Bank ... Officer at Police Dock
Patrick McCloskey ... Officer at Police Dock
Randy Kovitz ... Officer at Police Dock
Joseph Pilato ... Officer at Police Dock (as Joe Pilato)
Pasquale Buba ... Motorcycle Raider - With tommy gun
Tom Savini ... Blades - Motorcycle Raider
Tony Buba ... Motorcycle Raider - Wearing sombrero
Marty Schiff ... Blades' sidekick - Motorcycle Raider
Butchie ... Motorcycle Raider (as 'Butchie')
Joe Shelby ... Motorcycle Raider - Van driver #1
Dave Hawkins ... Motorcycle Raider

Taso N. Stavrakis ... Sledge - Motorcycle Raider / Various Zombies (as Taso Stavrakos)
Tom Kapusta ... Motorcycle Raider - With seltzer bottle
Nick Tallo ... Motorcycle Raider
Rudy Ricci ... Motorcycle Raider - Radio operator
Larry Vaira ... Motorcycle Raider
Sharon Ceccatti ... Lead Zombie (nurse)
Pam Chatfield ... Lead Zombie
Mike Christopher ... Lead Zombie - Hare Krishna Zombie
Clayton Hill ... Lead Zombie - Wearing white sweater
Jay Stover ... Lead Zombie - with M-16 rifle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Amplas ... Martinez (uncredited)
Ben Barenholtz ... Zombie (uncredited)
Dave Bartholomew ... Zombie (uncredited)
Lee Cummings ... Bathing Suit Zombie (uncredited)
Christine Forrest ... TV Producer (uncredited)
Cliff Forrest ... Man at WGON - TV ("You all right?") (uncredited)
J. Clifford Forrest Jr. ... Featured elderly zombie (uncredited)
Roy Frumkes ... 1st Pie-In-Face Zombie (uncredited)
Michael Gornick ... Voice of News Reporter on Radio (uncredited)
John Harrison ... Screwdriver Zombie (uncredited)
Jeannie Jefferies ... Blond Zombie who attacks Roger in truck (uncredited)
Jim Krut ... Helicopter Zombie (uncredited)
Tommy Lafitte ... Zombie - Miguel (uncredited)
Ralph Langer ... Zombie (uncredited)
Robert Langer ... Zombie (uncredited)
Maxine Lapiduss ... Zombie (uncredited)
Lenny Lies ... Machete Zombie (uncredited)
Molly McCloskey ... Woman at WGON - TV ("My turn for the coat.") (uncredited)
John Paul ... Bald Zombie (Airport Chart House) (uncredited)
Sukey Raphael ... Zombie (uncredited)

George A. Romero ... TV Director (uncredited)
Donna Savini ... Zombie girl in airport chart house (uncredited)
Mike Savini ... Zombie boy in airport chart house (uncredited)
Warner Shook ... Maintenance Man Zombie who attacks Stephen in mall basement (uncredited)
Stephen Silverman ... Zombie (uncredited)
Robert Williams ... Soldier in Apartment Project (uncredited)
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Directed by
George A. Romero 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
George A. Romero  written by

Produced by
Claudio Argento .... associate producer
Alfredo Cuomo .... associate producer
Richard P. Rubinstein .... producer
Donna Siegel .... associate producer
 
Original Music by
Dario Argento  (as The Goblins with Dario Argento)
Goblin  (as The Goblins)
Agostino Marangolo (uncredited)
Massimo Morante (uncredited)
Fabio Pignatelli (uncredited)
Claudio Simonetti (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Michael Gornick (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
George A. Romero 
 
Casting by
John Amplas 
 
Set Decoration by
Josie Caruso 
Barbara Lifsher 
 
Makeup Department
Nancy Allen .... first assistant makeup artist
Jeannie Jefferies .... first assistant makeup artist
 
Production Management
Zilla Clinton .... production manager
Jay Stover .... unit manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christine Forrest .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Joseph Eberle .... graphic artist
 
Sound Department
Tony Buba .... sound recordist
Tony Buba .... sound
Rick Dior .... sound re-recording mixer (as Richard Dior)
Robert Williams .... boom operator
 
Special Effects by
Don Berry .... explosive effects
Tom Savini .... makeup & cosmetic special effects
Gary Zeller .... explosive effects
 
Visual Effects by
Arthur J. Canestro .... optical consultant
 
Stunts
Leonard DeStefans .... stunt driver: truck
John Konter .... stunt driver: truck
Tom Savini .... stunts
Carl Scott .... stunt driver: truck
Taso N. Stavrakis .... stunts (as Taso Stavrakis)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Carl Augenstein .... lighting technician
Dan Bertha .... grip
Bradley Drumheller .... grip
Tom Dubensky .... assistant camera
Cliff Forrest .... key grip
Katherine Kolbert .... still photographer
Lenny Lies .... grip
Nicholas Mastandrea .... key grip (as Nick Mastandrea)
Clayton McKinnon .... grip
Ken Nagin .... grip
Daniel Silk .... grip
Tom Wholey .... electrician (uncredited)
 
Casting Department
Ellen Hopkins .... casting assistant
Michael Lies .... casting assistant
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michèle Martin .... wardrobe (as Michele Martin)
 
Editorial Department
Piero Bozza .... assistant editor (Italian edition)
Kenneth Davidow .... assistant editor
 
Music Department
Dario Argento .... composer: additional music
Agostino Marangolo .... musician (uncredited)
Antonio Marangolo .... musician: saxophone (uncredited)
Massimo Morante .... musician (uncredited)
Fabio Pignatelli .... musician (uncredited)
Claudio Simonetti .... musician (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Dario Argento .... script consultant
Leslie Augenstein .... production assistant
Ben Barenholtz .... distribution consultant
Jim Barger .... mall security
Barth Bartholomae .... helicopter pilot
Jean Bertl .... title designer
Sharon Ceccatti .... production assistant
James Chai .... title designer
Francine Davidoff .... publicity assistant
Margarida Delgado .... production assistant
Diane Donati .... slate
Charles Forman .... production accountant
Renée Furst .... publicist (as Renee Furst)
José Gallardo .... title designer (as Jose V. Gallardo)
Clayton Hill .... weapons coordinator
Ed Letteri .... production assistant
Karen Levy .... title designer
Dan Lupovitz .... production assistant
Otto Paoloni .... advisor: Technicolor
Alberto Piferi .... additional dialogue: Italian edition
John Rice .... continuity
Vincent D. Survinski .... business manager (as Vince Survinski)
Joe Violante .... advisor: Technicolor (as Joey Violante)
Bill Wagner .... mall liaison
Diane Westerman .... production assistant
Donna Siegel .... assistant: Mr. Rubinstein (uncredited)
 
Thanks
Robert Cox .... produced with the cooperation of
Marvin Lieber .... produced with the cooperation of
Miguel Lisenberg .... produced with the cooperation of
Alvin Rogal .... produced with the cooperation of
Frank Rubinstein .... produced with the cooperation of
Irvin Shapiro .... produced with the cooperation of
Max Toberoff .... produced with the cooperation of
Susan Vermazen .... produced with the cooperation of
 
Crew believed to be complete



Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (UK) (closing credits title) (USA) (complete title)
Dawn of the Living Dead
The Zombies (Philippines: English title)
Zombi (Italy)
Zombie: Dawn of the Dead
Zombies
Zombies: Dawn of the Dead (UK) (video box title)
Amanecer de los muertos, El (Argentina) [es]
Aube des morts, L' (Canada: French title) [fr]
In de greep van de zombies (Netherlands) [nl]
Muertos vivos: La batalla final (Argentina) [es]
Swit umarlych (Poland) [pl]
Zombi (Spain) [es]
Zombi, to xypnima ton nekron (Greece) [el]
Zombie (France) [fr]
Zombie (West Germany) [de]
Zombie - Das Original (West Germany) [de]
Zombie - Dawn of the Dead (West Germany) [de]
Zombie - Le crépuscule des morts-vivants (France) [fr]
Zombie - O Despertar dos Mortos (Brazil) [pt]
Zombies im Kaufhaus (West Germany) (video box title) [de]
Zora zivih mrtvaca (Croatia) (video title) [hr]
more
Runtime:
126 min | Germany:156 min (extended version) | Italy:117 min (Dario Argento's European/Italian Cut) | Spain:115 min | USA:128 min (DVD version) | USA:139 min (director's cut)
Country:
Italy | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (German prints) | Mono
Certification:
Finland:(Banned) (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (2004) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Finland:K-18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:R | Chile:14 (video rating) | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | Denmark:16 | France:-16 (re-rating) | France:X (original rating) | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 (DVD rating) | Norway:(Banned) (original rating) | Norway:18 (re-rating) (uncut) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | USA:Open (rating surrendered) (1983) | USA:R (original rating) (cut) | West Germany:(Banned) | Germany:BPjM Restricted
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Company:
Laurel Group more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Much of the fighting done by Fran was at the behest of Gaylen Ross, who refused to play a character who would not fight the zombies on her own. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Blades sprays a seltzer bottle at the camera and soaks two zombies, a reflection of the optical flat (the piece of glass to keep the camera safe from effects) can be seen in the middle of the shot. more
Quotes:
[Fran and Stephen are observing from the roof of the mall]
Francine Parker: What are they doing? Why do they come here?
Stephen: Some kind of instinct. Memory, of what they used to do. This was an important place in their lives.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Pastiche of the Dead (2008) more

FAQ

What is this movie really about?
Is this film related to "Zombi 2"?
What movies are in the "Dead" series?
more
64 out of 81 people found the following comment useful:-
One of the Greatest Sequels AND One of the Best Horror Films Ever, 4 November 2001
10/10
Author: bdeyes81 (bdeyes81@aol.com) from Boston

This review refers to the theatrical cut of the film.

When George A. Romero's no-budget horror movie Night of the Living Dead hit screens in 1968, the same year that had already given audiences the all time genre classic Rosemary's Baby, no one could have predicted the indelible effect it would have on the history of cinema. The film introduced audiences to a degree of graphic violence never before witnessed on American screens. However, it was the film's intense, omnipotent terror that forever scarred a generation of viewers.

Although the film enjoyed unprecedented mainstream success for an independent production, the filmmakers saw little of the movie's earnings. Romero's string of box office disappointments in the years to follow would diminish his clout in Hollywood, and as such he found it was an uphill battle to fund his ambitious sequel to the film. Then along came Italian horror maestro Dario Argento, hot off the heels of such international blockbusters as Deep Red and Suspiria. Argento helped secure funding for the film, in exchange for the rights to personally oversee the international cut of the film.

The collaboration would be a match made in horror movie heaven, for the end product would be Dawn of the Dead, one of the most acclaimed and enduringly popular horror movies of all time.

Dawn of the Dead's plot is so effectively simple, and now thoroughly familiar, that it almost goes without description. While the world approaches a still unexplained and ever growing zombie apocalypse, four individuals-two millitary men, a helicopter pilot, and his TV reporter girlfriend-barricade themselves in an abandoned suburban shopping mall. The mall provides fodder not only for the film's well known social commentary, but also for some truly thrilling-if not terrifying-setpieces.

With its graphic depictions of human evisceration, exploding heads, and gruesome flesh eating, Dawn of the Dead may well be the goriest American film of all time. The film is actually so violent and gruesome that it was released unrated in the United States for fear of being slapped with an X Rating. That didn't stop the film from being a huge hit at home and abroad. The film earned rave reviews from critics (most famously, from Roger Ebert, who called it `one of the best horror movies of all time'). It instantly became recognized not only as a genre classic, but also as one of the sharpest social satires of the decade, with its often hilarious commentary on an ever growing consumer culture embodied by the film's mall location.

Internationally, the film was even bigger. The movie was released in a special 117 minute cut overseas (the US theatrical version was 120 minutes) which was edited by Dario Argento and featured a more prominent presentation of the soundtrack by rock band Goblin as well as a much faster overall pace. Released in most countries as `Zombie: Dawn of the Dead' or `Zombies', it was so big in Italy that the following year Lucio Fulci, previously a director of `giallo' thrillers, helmed a gory semi-sequel. His `Zombie 2', released in the US as `Zombie', would become one of the most popular drive in hits of the 1970s, a massive international success that solidified the zombie/cannibal craze of the early 1980s and sparked Lucio Fulci's own reign as a horror movie icon.

Dawn of the Dead is a truly stunning example of the horror genre's ability to produce works that are as socially relevant as they are terrifying, films which break free of the constraints of conventional horror movie elements and in doing so establish themselves as being truly timeless. While I would still give Night of the Living Dead the slight edge between the two, Dawn of the Dead is still an extraordinary film in its own right as well as an almost superior sequel to another of the scariest movies ever made.



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