Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Dawn of the Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Mall walkers.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 16, 2024

It's a crying shame that George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, one of the best horror films of all time and at least as influential as the director's own Night of the Living Dead, has had only one domestic Blu-ray edition, a solid but kind of underwhelming 2007 release from Starz/Anchor Bay. Those who have been collecting physical media for a while might remember that studio's own 2004 Ultimate Edition DVD which contained three different cuts of the film, multiple audio commentaries, and a fourth disc full of extras. If you're like me and have been wishing for a modern 4K version of that release, you'll certainly want to import Second Sight's recently restored four-disc package, available in separate region-free 4K UHD or Region B locked Blu-ray editions. (Both include a Region B Blu-ray full of extras, some of them new and exclusive to this release, so you'll obviously need a region-free player for the full experience.)

For a synopsis and appreciation of Dawn of the Dead, please see Martin Liebman's 2007 Blu-ray review linked above. I'm in total agreement that this is a landmark horror film and still holds up surprisingly well almost five decades later, where the life cycle of the Great American Mall Experience™ sadly seems to be either dead or clinging to its autumn years. If you're lucky enough to have a decently thriving one in your area, enjoy it while it lasts.

If you're a total Dawn of the Dead novice and thus not familiar with all three cuts, Disc 1's domestic Theatrical Cut (129 minutes) is the best place to start as it moves along nicely with a great mix of action and humor; it also doubles as a generally accepted "director's cut". Disc 2 is the Extended Cannes Cut (139 minutes), Romero's original cut of the film that he later tightened for its US theatrical release; in addition to a few longer character interactions. it also notably features a handful of temporary public domain music cues. Disc 3's infamous Argento Cut (AKA Zombi, 119 minutes) was assembled by co-financier and Dario Argento for its European theatrical run; it trades in all of the humor for a little extra gore and is thus the shortest version, plus it features several alternate music cues by the Italian prog rock band Golbin. Just like Anchor Bay's 2004 Ultimate Edition DVD, it's great to have all three versions in one place again; each has its own strengths, and what's more is that they've all been restored to shine like new.

Dawn of the Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the separately available Blu-ray edition.

Even without Dolby Vision support, Second Sight's outstanding new 2160p/HDR10+ transfer of Dawn of the Dead is quite simply a jaw-dropping effort that will likely stand as the definitive presentation for years to come. It's advertised as being sourced from a recent 4K scan and restoration of the original camera negative by Second Sight at Final Frame New York and London, supervised and approved by director of photography Michael Gornick. The end result is a clean, crisp, and film-like image that's absolutely loaded with fine detail and features excellent color reproduction that, while certainly vibrant in key areas, appears overwhelmingly faithful to its original color timing. Simply put, it unmistakably looks like how a film from the late 1970s ought to... but without all that pesky age-related wear and tear. What's more is that the image is extremely clean -- given the subject matter and atmosphere, of course -- but not at the expense of film grain, which holds steady thanks to the boutique label's typically rock-solid encoding. All things considered, this is more or less a definitive effort and should look extremely appealing to die-hard fans.

Dawn of the Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, Dawn of the Dead's audio has been capably restored and sounds extremely faithful to the original source, warts and all. All three cuts are again similar in fidelity and dynamic range, with each allowing the option of original DTS-HD MA 1.0 Mono, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo, or DTS-HD MA 5.1, with the first option newly restored from the original camera negative's optical track. Of course, personal preference will probably be the deciding factor in which option you choose, but I greatly favored the overall sound of both the original 1.0 track and its 2.0 counterpart, which offers light channel separation that obviously gives it an overall wider presence... and that's taking nothing away from the mono mix, which is perfectly capable in its own right and the clear choice for staunch purists. The 5.1 remix has its moments, but I didn't feel it accurately serves as a convincing surround experience; several times, it seems as if the rear channels were used gratuitously for effects that should have stayed up front. It's still worth a quick listen for curious fans… but like the different cuts of the film itself, let's just say that I'm glad all three options exist.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

Dawn of the Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This slightly beefy four-disc set ships in a handsome Digipak case that showcases Dawn of the Dead's iconic vintage poster artwork, while the back cover is plain black with the foreboding quote "When there's no more room in HELL the dead will walk the EARTH" printed in blood-red text. The fold-out interior keepcase features the film's title printed on gatefold artwork of several dozen zombies shuffling across the mall parking lot in silhouette against a sunset with the heroes' helicopter flying away. Inside, all four discs sit in separate plastic trays set against a gradient background. Surprisingly, there is no interior booklet and disc contents are only printed on the removable J-card.

Not surprisingly, the bonus features are quite plentiful and spread across all four discs. Several are new and exclusive to this release and covered in more detail, while the legacy extras are given basic notes where applicable.

DISC ONE: THE THEATRICAL CUT (4K)

• Audio Commentary #1 - A legacy track with George A Romero, Tom Savini, and Christine Forrest.

• NEW! Audio Commentary #2 - This 2020 commentary features film writer Travis Crawford, a frequent contributor to home video booklets and supplements who since unexpectedly died in 2022 at the age of 52. There a bit of overlap between this and the other extras (including the legacy audio commentaries, of course), but it's a great track nonetheless and a valuable addition to this set under the circumstances.

DISC TWO: THE EXTENDED CANNES CUT (4K)

• Audio Commentary #3 - A legacy track with producer Richard P. Rubinstein.

DISC THREE: THE ARGENTO CUT (4K)

• Audio Commentary #4 - A very enjoyable legacy track with cast members Ken Foree (Peter), Scott Reiniger (Roger), Gaylen Ross (Fran), and David Emge (Stephen AKA "Flyboy"), who sadly died last January.

DISC FOUR: BONUS FEATURES (Region B locked Blu-ray)

• NEW! Zombies and Bikers (58:30) - This all-purpose retrospective piece features the unsung heroes of Dawn of the Dead: its many extras (obviously from both title groups), who revisit a few locations and share memories of the production. Supportive clips from the film and behind the scenes footage are also included.

• NEW! Memories of Monroeville (34:24) - The retrospective goodness continues with this terrific tour of the still-functioning Monroeville Mall east of Pittsburgh, PA -- only a three-hour drive for yours truly, yet surprisingly I've never been there -- with actor Taso Stavrakis, assistant cameraman Tom Dubensky, actor / makeup effects man Tom Savini, and cinematographer Michael Gornick, seen above near the mall's George Romero bust. It's another great piece and again chock full of behind-the-scenes clips and personal stories.

• NEW! Raising the Dead (25:03) - Michael Gornick, assistant director Christine Forrest, and other contributors return for this piece about the film's production logistics, which covers the casting process, scouting, and lots of creative problem solving for shooting a violent, messy film in an "indoor shopping center" after hours.

• NEW! The FX of Dawn with Tom Savini (12:56) - This short but sweet piece finds the actor and makeup artist talking about his creative process and a few unique and unexpected challenges during production.

• NEW! Dummies! Dummies! (12:20) - Actor Richard France, who plays the argumentative scientist featured on TV broadcasts several times during the film, talks candidly about the role as well as his appearances in other horror films including The Crazies and Stephen King's Graveyard Shift.

• NEW! The Lost Romero Dawn Interview (20:28) - This previously unreleased, DVD-era interview with the late, great director was produced by Blue Underground in 2004. Nice touch!

• Super 8 Mall Footage (13:25) - Originally filmed by by zombie extra Ralph Langer, this rough collection of footage can be played either silently, with optional archive commentary by Ralph's brother Robert Langer (also a zombie extra in the movie), or with brand-new commentary by Ralph.

• Document of the Dead: The Original Cut (91:36) - A fairly by-the-numbers but still watchable 1985 documentary about Dawn of the Dead written and directed by Roy Frumkes.

• Document of the Dead: The Definitive Cut (102:12) - An even longer version of the same with an intro by George Romero himself, this cut also features optional audio commentary by Roy Frumkes.

• The Dead Will Walk (75:02) - This familiar 2004 documentary, written and directed by Perry Martin, was originally produced for Anchor Bay's excellent four-disc Ultimate Edition DVD.

• Trailers, TV and Radio Spots (18:37) - They're all in one big lump. Good luck!

Dawn of the Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

George Romero's Dawn of the Dead is clearly one of the most influential horror films of all time, zombie or otherwise, with a potent mixture of suspense, gore, and humor that still holds up almost 50 years later. Second Sight's multi-disc 4K edition is a must-buy for fans, as it serves up all three fully-remastered cuts of the film along with a bonus Blu-ray (Region B locked) full of outstanding new and legacy supplements. Given its surprisingly limited presence on domestic home video during the past 15+ years, at this point it's safe to say this one's well worth importing.