Director: George A. Romero
Writer: George A. Romero
Release Date: 1 September 1978 (Torino)
The release date isn't terribly clear considering the multiple cuts of the film. I chose the release date for the first version, since as far I can tell there is no release date info for the Director's Cut (It was cut in '78 for Cannes but wasn't actually publicly screened anywhere). I could probably find if I spent some time digging around, but I don't feel like it.
IMDB Synopsis: Following an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. team members, a traffic reporter, and his television executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.
Availability: Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cEh2ojBkWU)
First Time
August 2009 - documented on the old film blog: http://chasingpictures.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-so-proudly-we-hailed-at-twilights.html
Why it's on the List
What can I say? It stuck with me. This is one of a handful of films on the list that I had only seen once.
As of the recent re-watch, I can say that it holds up completely.
Re-watching this, I'm all the more saddened by the recent passing of Romero. He did zombies first and he did them best. There is more real humanity AND devastating social commentary in Dawn's 140 minutes than there is in all seven seasons of Walking Dead to date (to be fair, I've only seen a handful of episodes from the first season). I've only seen Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. I need to track down and watch Romero's other zombie films.
I'd like to write more (you know, actually about the film itself), but I won't. I'm not feeling it right now. And right now the only thing that I want to write about is the ending, which of course would entail pretty huge spoilers. I won't leave you hanging like a severed limb, though.... The end? I dig it.
Additional Notes/Stats
- This is one of very few horror films on the list.
- I don't like the remake.
- Sorry this post is so lame.
RIP Romero. I maybe watched part of this at my friend's house back when we were in high school. Definitely need to revisit it. Speaking of horror movies that take place in a mall...on my way out to LA, I listened to a How Did This Get Made? episode about the movie, Chopping Mall. Gonna have to find room for it on my list.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Sketch class been great so far, but I think I miss everything else about the east coast right now.