Dawn of the Dead

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Zombies in 2004 are a helluva lot faster and angrier than they were in 1978, which helps make this remake of the landmark living dead flick easy to swallow. While the original might've come complete with an underlying social statement, the new Dawn of the Dead makes its point by spraying blood early and often, and the extras on the unrated DVD fully explore the flick's splattered entrails. "Raising the Dead" heads in to makeup to witness the exhausting process of transforming hundreds of willing extras into hundreds of willing flesh-eaters. "Attack of the Living Dead" dishes details on how the effects team pulled off its most gruesome zombie kills (our personal favorite: broom handle through the cranium) and "Splitting Headaches" instructs on the proper technique for splattering concocted "brain matter." There are also plenty of features detailing what happened to the rest of the world while we were with the folks stuck inside the flick's insular mall setting. A 15-minute home video of one of the survivors holed up in his gun shop follows up on a bit part from the movie, while fake news coverage includes tips on how to kill the monsters and home footage of frat boys taunting one of the undead—including a valuable lesson on hazing.

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