You Can't Live Forever...

But that doesn't mean you have to stay dead. Dawn of the Dead (1978) proved for a second time that the dead don't like the idea of an eternal dirt nap anymore than we livings do. This time 'round Romero came equipped with an inflated budget and a reinforced political agenda.

All Weapons Half Off! Just Three Easy Payments!

Again set in small town PA, Dawn captured the spirit of the American economy. The allegory of the American drone and the symbolism of the mall are almost too obvious. The film's classic and simple message has managed to stand the test of time though, still studied by academic cinephiles and worshiped by the Fangoria crowd.

Despite cementing a place in horror history, not even Dawn could escape the momentum of the remake movement.

MJ wasted his allotted undead time while he was alive. But it was the 80's, everyone was doing crazy things

Turbo: A Zombie Fighters Movie (click me)
Since the world gone and got itself in such a hurry, the remake of Romero's classic needed to be supercharged. Zach Snyder, creator of 300 and god to frat bros the world over , took the helm. And supercharge he did.

While remaining close to the original picture, he toyed with the mythology. The zombies learned to sprint a la 2002's 28 Days Later. The method of transferring zombification to another became quicker, but now required contact. Romero was not impressed. Audiences, however, were surprisingly receptive to Snyder's overhaul.

A Strange Case

Not often in this industry does a film series see a remake produced before the run of original pictures is finished. Nor do sequels typically get remade before the original film. Both apply to Dawn of the Dead.

Romero, in fact, is still pumpin' out undead films. Most recently 2010's Survival of the Dead. Zach Snyder used zombies as a launchpad into the studio system, but Romero, try as he might, just can't seem to get away from his undead creation. Just a classic case Frankenstein syndrome. Complete with an emphasis on slow, hobbling undead human monsters.

The American Deadvolution

In 1968, death consumed the culture. While we tragically lost politicians, soldiers, and civil rights leaders, George A. Romero gave birth to a new genre of film in a secluded Pennsylvania farm house. Night of the Living Dead spawned countless spin-offs, sequels, remakes, and re-releases. A zombie film, the first of its kind, with a simple concept: When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.

By George, He's Done it Again!

Ten years after the release of the original zombie classic, Romero released a follow up: Dawn of the Dead. It was worth the wait. Widely considered one of best horror films of all time, it joins it predecessor on Empire Magazine's list of the 500 best films ever made. Not bad for a film that takes place in a mall.

In true Romero spirit, Dawn of the Dead is about more than a few survivors fighting off their dead neighbors. Set in a mall, the film serves as an allegory for American commercialism and consumption. Hence why the risen instinctively flock to the shopping mall. I guess death, like life, is better with Orange Julius.

Proof the dead don't always stay that way.

Dead And Gone And Can't Get Rid Of Them

Zombies are everywhere these days. You can't swing a chainsaw without hacking off the limb of a dead relative. Video games, movies, toys, comics, TV, you name it, they've moaned and roamed in or around it. Romero's film was more than the kick-start of a film franchise, it was the Dawn of the Great American Deadvolution.

We'll Be Back Like The Buried

Next time we'll look at differences between Zach Snyder's vision of the film and the classic sequel. The fast pace and attacking nature of the remake earns it the rare distinction of worthwhile redo. But has the message about mall-loving Americans as mindless monsters changed? Stay tuned.