Dead brought back to life? Dawn Of The Dead (2004) Review

Dawn Of The Dead (2004)

 

 

George A. Romero first wrote and directed the original Dawn Of The Dead in 1978 that became an iconic film and is responsible for the modern day craze that are zombies. Over 25 years later he teamed up with James Gunn and Zack Snyder to remake his master-piece, bringing Dawn Of The Dead back to life.

The film is written both by George A. Romero himself and James Gunn, it is directed by Zack Snyder a newcomer only previously directing two films. The cast doesn't consist of any big name "Hollywood A-Listers" but a practically unknown Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames and Jake Weber. Despite the newcomers and the "amateur" feel to the film, it manages to adapt George A. Romero's original screenplay into a modern and more polished film that shows how far Hollywood has come and progressed over the years. Not only is it better in a technical point of view but the acting is far much better and is an improvement on the 1978 original. When comparing it to the original they use the same narrative of a virus or disease spreading quickly across the world bringing back the dead with it and allowing them to take the living with them, the only way to kill them is to severe their brains and once bitten you will slowly endure the torture of turning into one of them. However as Hollywood has progressed so has the zombies themselves, becoming much more quicker and smarter unlike Romero's original slow walking pale ghouls.

The Film begins with Ana (Sarah Polley) clocking off a long shift as a nurse, coincidentally her last patient being a guy who has a "bite" wound. Going home she gets in bed with her boyfriend and falls asleep but awakes to a living nightmare. A little girl who lives in the neighbourhood is infected with this disease and leaps onto Ana's boyfriend ripping apart his neck, blood gushing everywhere and the little neighbourhood terror banging at the door sets us up for a fast paced opening sequence. Ana escaping through the bathroom window jumps into her car driving through her now apocalyptic neighbourhood looking for answers but unfortunately finding them at a bottom of a ditch as she looses control of her car and crashes. As she wakes we get introduced to Kenneth (Ving Rhames) a cop with a zero tolerance attitude, as the pair look for a way out of hell they meet more survivors and the group heads towards the shopping mall, just like Romero's original.

Unlike most modern horror films we have a large group of survivors but are only encouraged to be attached to a few, the others more than likely just there for Zombie bait. We as an audience care for Kenneth the cop, a TV salesman that just happens to come up with the right ideas (James Weber) and a "ghetto" loudmouth Andre (Mekhi Phifer) who's wife is pregnant. The way the characters are picked off is truly horrific and emotional, this film touches areas that other films rarely do and that leads for a terrifying, gruesome experience. One relationship In the film is between a stranded gun-shop owner and Kenneth who communicate through various signs and binoculars. The relationship touches at Romero's 1978 humorous approach as they play a "shoot the look-alike" game with the horde merging outside. To top it off there's even a cute fluffy dog that plays some role in the narrative.

In the rest of the film the survivors have to do some small "jobs" like fix the generator that lead to the dark, tense action scenes where zombies jump out of no where. The group as it slowly decreases decides to start taking risks and in a very excitable action-packed way they escape from the mall and head towards the dock. A few more propane explosions, blood splatters and heroic sacrifices later the film finishes leaving you truly entertained.

Dawn Of The Dead really does give you what you expect and a little more when you sit down to watch it but is it better than Romero's 1978 original? That's down to personal taste and opinion but for sure you wont be disappointed with this "bloody" great post-apocalyptic horror.

 

The Shining- Here's Stannnnnnleyyyyy

                                           

                      Working Under Stanley Kubrick

 

 

The director Stanley Kubrick is known as a perfectionist in the world of film but on the set of The Shining he entered a whole new level. To reach perfection Kubrick likes to take shots over and over again but not just any shots, every shot. During the most famous scene in The Shining (1980) Jack Nicholson playing the crazed character of Jack Torrance takes an axe to a door shouting "here's Johnnyyy". It was reported that to achieve perfection Kubrick re-shot that scene nearly 30 times. The best bit was that Jack had training as a fireman previously and said to Stanley Kubrick to give him a real axe and to use a solid oak door to make the scene realistic as possible, unknowingly he didn't realise he had to smash his way through 30 solid oak doors. Poor Jack Nicholson didn't even get a nomination let alone an award, on the brighter side at least his role has been made famous by Lenny Henry in the Travel Lodge adverts.

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Nicholson wasn't the only victim of Stanley Kubrick on the set of The Shining, Shelley Duvall who played Wendy Torrance, Jack's wife had a full on breakdown. Kubrick ordered the final sequences to be re-shot over a dozen times, in the final sequences Shelley Duvall had to act scared and upset as her crazed husband hunts her down with an axe. Where she had to keep crying it was reported that crew members had to keep getting her water where she had lost so much fluid due to the tears. After a few retakes she actually had a genuine breakdown and had to take a break. Shelley Duvall took a break from being an actress after filming and no surprise too as just like Jack she didn't even get a nomination.

 

 

 

- Liam Smith.

 

 

 

Top 5 all time favourites and why?

A short summary and reasoning to what are my top 5 favourite films of all times and why?

1.) Donnie Darko (2001)- Richard Kelly's sci-fi drama has had its mentions when it comes to the best films in the past decade but in my opinion this film has the ability to give films in the past four decades a run for its money. Staring an all star cast such as a young Jake Gyllenhaal who will later feature in films such as; Brokeback Mountain and Jarhead, along side the forever seeming ageless Drew Barrymore and the lovable Patrick Swayze, Donnie Darko certainly has the talent but that isn't quite the reason why I think its No.1. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a teenage boy who suffers from daytime hallucinations which allow him to see a rabbit who manipulates him to commit a series of events that eventually leads him to discover a world of secrets. The storyline is one of kind and will leave you with a number of questions at the end making you want to watch this film over and over again, it contains moments that will play on every emotion possible from laughter to crying, to anger and shock. Its complementary soundtrack that illustrates perfectly everything that's happening in the scene as well as foreshadowing the next should be classed as a masterpiece and will set the atmosphere for your adventure. Furthermore Richards Kelly's creation of the character Donnie and Jake Gyllenhaal's approach makes you inspire to be like him as well sympathising with the troubled teenager. If you haven't already seen this film you truly need to and once you have watch it again and again until you can acknowledge the master piece it is, you will not regret it. (9.5/10)

2.) Pulp Fiction (1994)- Quentin Tarantino's creation is undoubtedly one of the best films to be made to this day. Staring the likes of John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis performance wise Pulp Fiction is outstanding but for film lovers who look at a film cinematically Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece. The film is like a puzzle as it approaches with four plots that all interlink and combine together for an astonishing ending. John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson play two mobsters who find trouble with a gangsters wife Mia, (Uma Thurman) a boxer played by Bruce Willis and eventually find themselves interrupting a pair of diner bandits mid-robbery. This crime thriller creates such suspense and will have you truly drawn in and eyes glued to the screen. When first watching this film I was amazed how it all unravelled and came together and ever since I've found myself watching it again and again, its not only me who thought the same as cinematically it was voted the best screenplay and original script and clocked up a further 59 wins and 46 nominations, so no wonder its featured as one of the all time greats. More than worth a watch as you experience this puzzle unfold before your eyes. (9/10)


3.) The Shawshank Redemption (1994)- 1994 was a good year for film and it got even better as Stephen King and Frank Darabont combined to create The Shawshank Redemption that warmed every bodies hearts with a story that will be remembered for decades to come. The film focuses on the relationship of two prisoners played by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman that develops over the years in which they serve at Shawshank Prison. Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne a successful banker in the real world but behind prison bars he finds his way of becoming well known to all, serving a life term for the murder of his wife and her lover he finds friendship with the prison "fixer" Red (Morgan Freeman) who helps him adapt to prison life and the two endure in an adventure one could only imagination. The film is truly inspirational as well as heart warming as the character of Andy teaches us that our spirit can never be imprisoned. Nominated for seven Oscars and another 15 wins and being rated IMBD's number one film of all time this film is definitely one you have to see.  (9/10)

4.)The Shining (1980)- Two of the best known directors and writers combined in 1980 to create The Shining based on the Stephen King novel Stanley Kubrick adapts it to become one of the best horrors of all time, also becoming a template for future blockbusters. The popular Jack Nicholson plays a dad who takes his wife and son to stay at the Overlook Hotel up in the Colorado mountains to act as caretakers over the winter break so he can finish writing his book. However his son Danny is haunted by horrific visions of past events that has occurred at the hotel as he is blessed with the power of "the shining", the hotels demons also manipulate Jack who has a complete mental breakdown and turns against his own family. The Shining focuses on the horror of isolation and the torture of your own family being manipulated and turning against you, this combined with a thrilling soundtrack and score along side a fast paced final 30 minutes The Shining is an excellent horror film. It was also one of the first films to use the Steadicam which allows the audience to be put right in the shoes of the characters. Again this film is a must watch. (8.7/10)
 
5.) One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (1975)-  Jack Nicholson stars in Milos Forman's 1975 blockbuster that focuses on the life of patients in a mental institution. Jack Nicholson plays a rebellious character named McMurphy, to escape the law he admits himself into a psychiatric ward however once admitted he endures and witnesses the abusive and degrading actions of Nurse Ratched. McMurphy developing his relationship with the other patients rallies them together to make a stance against the oppressive Nurse. The story is truly heart warming and heart-breaking as you see McMurphy become a victim of Nurse Ratched as he attempts to better the lives of his new found friends, the film encourages you to sympathise with him as well as experiencing his journey. You will find yourself fighting back that lump in your throat as the end credits roll down your screen. The film picked up an amazing 5 Oscars and is rated as the 16th best film of time. Personally I believe this film will never get too old and deserves all the credentials it gets, another one you must watch. (8.5/10)

So there you have it, my personal top five films of all time and why, if you haven't already then watch them as you wont regret it.