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Has there ever been a better tagline in the history of the horror movie? Or, for that matter, has there ever been a better zombie movie than Dawn of the Dead? While I myself am not a particular fan of the subgenre, I can recognize that Dawn is probably about as perfect a zombie flick as is possible, at least in 1978: it is funny-scary, cheesy-gross and pulpy-clever. And it is still being copied today, from 28 Days Later to its own remake. While it is rather impossible to ever truly take a zombie movie seriously (c'mon now, those dead people sure look silly, shuffling about with pasty makeup and drool), maybe what makes Dawn of the Dead so smart is that it knows it?

Picking up literally where 1967's Night of the Living Dead left off (despite the passing of a decade until Dawn), the zombies have multiplied at such an alarming rate that civilization is now on the run, trying to make its last stand behind police barricades, vigilante mobs and deep underground. As law and order disintegrates, a ragtag group of survivors takes refuge in an abandoned shopping mall, but the man-eaters are never far behind...and always hungry. Who will survive, who will die, and who will join the legions of the undead?

Much has been made about Dawn of the Dead as social allegory, but it is so obvious that it seems silly to even point it out. Over twenty-five years later, Romero's satiric wit is still well in evidence, but the film doesn't really hold up as a political statement nor a straight-ahead horror film. The zombies, with their swollen blue faces and red paint for blood, are hardly scary, and the gore now packs far less of a punch than it did in 1978. And like both Night and Dawn's follow up, Day of the Dead (1985), Romero's characters are sketchily drawn at best: he keeps us at a distance from his protagonists, so much so that we scarcely care about them at all, although that is probably besides the point anyway. By the time of the film's splatter-filled but low-key denouncement, we realize the true horror is what one character already forewarned at the beginning: "'Cause they still believe there is respect in dying." It remains a heady conceit for a horror film, but one that feels less fresh given all that have followed in the wake of Dawn's success.

Yet Dawn of the Dead still packs a power all but absent in its numerous imitators and follow-ups. Perhaps it is Romero's underlying passion for the material, and ultimately humanistic vision, that shines through. Which is a funny thing to say about a gory zombie movie, and there are doubtless many who will refuse to see Dawn of the Dead, or take it seriously as an artistic accomplishment, precisely because of its graphicness. Many theories have abounded about Romero's use of excessive gore in his zombie films (Dawn of the Dead was released unrated and earned the distinction), but I would argue that it was absolutely essential to the telling of his stories. The irony may be that had he toned it down, the film would have been too horrific and unwatchable. Because Romero knows, as all great horror filmmakers do, that what you don't see is far scarier than what you do. By going over-the-top, all of the blood and guts soon loses its impact - it no longer distracts from the narrative, and we can see past the grist and get to the heart of his themes. For in the end, the horror in Romero's vision of hell on earth is not the ordeal of surviving, but the indignity of dying.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

This past March, I wrote in my review of Anchor Bay's single-disc Dawn of the Dead special edition that "at last, the film has been given the transfer fans have always wished for...I never would have suspected it could look this good." I still feel that way, and to this set's great credit, the three versions of the film included (the theatrical cut, the European version, and a somewhat needless extended version - Romero prefers the theatrical cut - each on their own disc) all look comparable, although watchful viewers will likely be able to spot some minor deficiencies (slightly faded blacks, a tad more grain) in the alternate footage on the European cut and extended version.

All three are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and minted from a new high-definition master, and since most will care about the theatrical cut, its DiviMax transfer benefits from a pristine new print. I suspect the differing footage for the other two versions was also remastered likewise but they were all spliced together on video, as they look comparable on scenes that all three versions share in common. I noticed nary a single blemish or dropout, and only the slightest bit of dirt on occasion. There is some grain, but it is minimal and entirely appropriate to the technology of the time. Colors are rich and bloody, although the film does have an orange cast that I can only surmise is intentional. Reproduction is excellent, with smooth hues and various accents I never saw before (notice the greens and purples that fill in many of the mall scenes - very nice). Blacks are also rock solid with no apparent fading, and sharp contrast results in a nicely detailed picture. While a tad bit dark as befitting a 70's flick, fine textures are visible and even the most dimly lit scenes boast fine shadow delineation. Compression artifacts are also not a problem, nor is edge enhancement which is present but halos are very minor. Dawn of the Dead looks great any way you slice it.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

Unlike the transfers, here the theatrical cut seems to have been given the most attention. Sporting the same mixes as the previous DVD, in Dolby Digital Surround EX and DTS 5.1 Matrixed ES, Dawn of the Dead doesn't sound as good as it looks. But that is to be expected - how much can you really do with an old 1978 mono mix? Still, this is a very fine remix, with added heft to the frequency response and noticeably tight stereo separation across the fronts. The only problem is that surround use is meager and weakly delivered; score bleed is minor (which I was thankful for, as I think the soundtrack by The Goblins is one of the cheesiest in history), and I detected no real truly discrete effects. Low end is also limp, with the .1 LFE channel failing deliver much in the way of oomph. Given the lack of a truly aggressive experience, differences between the DTS and Dolby are minor at best: perhaps a bit tighter imaging on front pans, but little else of note.

However, the other two versions of the films suffer in comparison. The European versions is presented in Dolby 5.1 surround, and also includes different pieces of score by The Goblins. It sounds the same as the theatrical cut, except for the different footage, but it is never distracting or really noticeable. Surrounds are still flat and not very active, and low end typically pale by today's standards. The lack of a DTS option doesn't hurt much, as even on the theatrical cut it is hard to tell the difference. What is weakest, however, is the extended version, which is really just Romero's early cut shown to exhibitors. It is presented in mono only, and is flat and tinny. Effects sound harsh and dated, and dialogue reproduction is wanting. Low end is also poor. However, this version is probably only going to appeal to completists, so perhaps its weak soundtrack is not a huge drawback.

Also included is are Dolby 2.0 surround and Dolby 1.0 mono tracks on both the theatrical and European cuts, along with English Closed Captions for each. There are no subtitle options.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Yes, it is true - this is another "double- dipper," or make that triple dipper. But if it took three tries, it is hard to complain, because Anchor Bay has created a DVD set that at last earns the title "Ultimate Edition." It is hard to imagine even a diehard fan wanting much more than this.

In addition to the three different cuts of the film, we have plenty of commentaries and other materials spread across the three discs, plus a bonus fourth platter with even more goodies. So let's start backwards...

First up on disc four we have the all-new documentary The Dead Can Walk, by Perry Martin. This 75-minute piece features a great collection of talent: Romero, Romero's wife Chris Romero, Dario Argento, Tom Savini, principal cast members Gaylen Ross, David Emge Ken Foree and Scott Reiniger, plus plenty of other cast zombies (which may be overkill), along with production designer Zilla Clinton and director of photography Michael Gornick. If the pacing is sometimes a bit sluggish - the lack of archival footage and little use of stills makes the straightforward talking heads-film clips structure dull the nerves after a while - this is the best introduction for casual fans and will probably be more enjoyable viewing for them than all the commentaries. What is most shocking is not seeing all involved present day - is Dawn really almost thirty years old!? - but how a film that many involved thought would never even play in mainstream theaters ended up becoming a classic. I can't say there are any great insights - even as a moderate fan of Dawn I had heard many of these stories before - but if you only watch one extra on this DVD, it should be this.

Also included on disc four is Roy Frumkes original 1978 documentary on Dawn of the Dead, Document of the Dead. It is a bizarre and fascinating 95 minutes, a time capsule of a different era before the behind-the- scenes EPK became a business and DVD was unimaginable. It's structure is all over the place, the narration pedestrian and the quality of the film elements dated. But what still resonates is the youthfulness, idealism and eagerness of a much younger and more suave Romero, and Frumkes commitment to exploring not must the making of the film but Romero's thematic concerns and what differentiated his style versus other exploitation filmmakers of his eras. It is in this area that The Dead Can Walk suffers, but Document of the Dead excels.

Rounding out disc four are two featurettes slash montages, Monroeville Mall Tour (12 minutes) and On-Set Home Movies (13 minutes). The latter is fabulously aged 16mm footage, narrated by zombie extra Robert Langer (there is no production sound). Sure, it looks crappy, but for Dawn fans it is pure good. The Monroeville Mall Tour was actually shot present day, and features reunited cast and crew taking a tour of the mall today. Unfortunately, it is not as much fun and more confused that it sounds. But maybe you diehards out there will get a kick out of it?

The Anchor Bay single-disc DVD release last March of Dawn of the Dead contained a screen-specific audio commentary on the theatrical cut, which is included again here. Moderated by Perry Martin, the participants are George and Christine Romero and Savini. It is a great track, although focused a bit more on the visual effects than the story and Romero's satirical intent, which might disappoint some hoping for a more cerebral discussion. But this is still a must for Dead fans - there is a lot of chatter, but the trio frequently goes off onto wonderful tangents, on everything from the inception of the sequel to production antecedents to a thorough discussion on the advent of CGI versus traditional latex effects. Romero has talked about Dawn quite a bit over the years, so some of this may be redundant to hardcore fans, but there is still much that is new. Yum!

Two other new audio commentaries exclusive to this edition are also included: the European version features cast members Ross, Emge, Foree and Reiniger, while the extended edition is a solo track with producer Richard Rubinstein and Martin moderating. The cast track is interesting, a bit of a mishmash that moves along well but shows the disparate viewpoints of its four members. I got the impression Foree was the most impassioned about the film's classic status, Ross simply bewildered she even got the job, Reiniger just amused, and Emge the most uncomfortable by its content and graphic violence. Still, interesting stuff. Unfortunately, by the time we get to Rubinstein's solo track, it suffers by comparison. Having to go solo is a tough job for anyone, but unless

Rounding out the set are a bunch of promotional and marketing materials. Carried over on disc one are a fairly brief Romero filmography, a domestic gallery with two theatrical trailers, three TV spots, and nine radio spots. The spots have also been very nicely remastered and look terrific. Additional items on disc two include an original Monroeville Mall commercial that is incredibly dated but amusing, plus on disc three, an Italian and two German theatrical trailers and two UK TV spots. And you'll also find over 200 stills divided into eight galleries spread over discs one, two and three: "Poster & Advertising" (same as the previous Anchor Bay release, with about 25 poster concepts and ad materials, mostly newspaper clippings), International "Lobby Card," "Poster & Advertising," "Pressbook" and "Home Video & Soundtrack" collections, and a "Memorabilia" section featuring some very rare items.

Last but not least, look for a slim 6-page color booklet with DVD extras info, and a reprint in miniature of the Dawn of the Dead comic book. And it all comes house in a very nice foldout digi-pak.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

There are no ROM extras included.

Parting Thoughts