The horror genre is nothing if not cyclical. Horror films are frequently picked apart and reassembled again in new packaging for new audiences. Sometimes this results in modern classics. Other times it results in a blasphemous product that defaces the legacy of the original. Remake Fever is a series that compares and contrasts an original horror film and its remake to investigate how the new film is reimagined, as well as what works and what doesn’t.
This time we’re comparing George A Romero‘s 1978 Dawn of the Dead with Zack Snyder‘s 2004 remake, which is celebrating its 15 year anniversary March 19. Spoilers for both films follow!
Released in 1978, Dawn of the Dead, George Romero’s sequel to Night of the Living Dead takes the social and political commentary to new heights as its beleaguered heroes seek refuge in a suburban mall, the height of mindless consumerism (and still a novelty at the time). The film features a ground-breaking lead performance by Ken Foree as Peter (following in the footsteps of NotLD’s Duane Jones) and some fascinating gender analysis in the character of Francine (Gaylen Ross), who wind up being the only two survivors after bland misogynist Stephen (David Emge) and cocky bad boy Roger (Scott H. Reiniger) are killed off. In addition to Tom Savini’s exceptional special effects make-up, the film’s nihilistic finale – as Peter and Fran fly off into an uncertain future – continues the series’ tradition of refusing feel good endings. The result is one of the most influential zombie films of all time and arguably one of the best horror films ever made.
Featuring an “on the rise” all-star team, writer James Gunn and director Zack Snyder’s 2004 remake unquestionably had a lot to prove. At this point the only major studio remakes released in the 00s were The Ring (2002) and The Grudge (also 2004), American versions of well-respected cult foreign J-Horror films, as well as the incredibly successful remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). Leveraging a trailer that leans heavily into nostalgic references while offering a variation of the polaroid freeze frame visuals employed by the TCM remake, Dawn of the Dead 2004 matched its production budget ($26M) on opening weekend, en route to a $59M finish.
So how does the film hold up on its fifteenth anniversary?
What Doesn’t Work
One of the most significant elements that Gunn’s script changes is the number of characters. In the original, until the arrival of a marauding band of bikers, there are only four people living in the mall. In the remake, that number balloons to a near dozen when you factor in the initial four protagonists, the three security guards, and then the pack of folks from the truck.
On one hand, elevating the number of characters allows Gunn to include different types of people, explore a larger variety of reactions to the apocalypse and hike up the body count. On the other hand, however, it means that many of the characters feel underdeveloped. It’s a common issue that isn’t specific to remakes, but when audiences can’t remember a character’s name, much less anything specific about their personality, it’s hard to invest emotionally in their survival (looking at you Norma, Monica, Tucker and Glen!)
Another issue is that several of the characters are straight up assholes. This doesn’t have to be a problem, but in a film with ~12 people, having ¼ of them range from mildly to severely insufferable gets a bit taxing. Steve (Ty Burrell) is the most enjoyable because he’s such a cad (and his dickish behaviour makes his death scene extremely enjoyable), while CJ (Michael Kelly) earns a decent redemption arc.
Then there’s Andre (Mekhi Phifer), who is easily the film’s worst character. Part of this is due to Andre’s storyline with pregnant girlfriend Luda (Inna Korobkina), which requires that he pull away from the group and disappear for long stretches of time. Still, this doesn’t make his mental deterioration feel any less forced and out of left field. The result is either the funniest or the most laughable sequence in the film: Norma (Jayne Eastwood), the old lady truck driver, discovers that Andre has kept Luda leashed up, despite her death, in order to deliver a zombie baby. A slow-motion gunfight worthy of John Woo ensues as Andre and Norma mow each other down and then Anna (Sarah Polley) shoots the zombie baby offscreen.
Whether Gunn intended for this to be a serious examination of a pregnancy during a zombie outbreak or a ridiculous sequence on par with a zombie battling a shark (a la Zombi 2) is unclear, but for better or worse Andre and his baby have earned a spot as one of the remake’s most iconic bits.
One final minor quibble: several of the characters make really, really stupid decisions that seem more plot driven than character-based. This criticism applies most strongly to Nicole (Lindy Booth)’s reckless decision to rescue her dog (who she knows is literally in no danger), a move that ultimately kicks off the entire climax and is directly responsible for the death of at least one person.
What Works
Back in 2004, the most surprising thing about the remake was just how unexpectedly good it was. Fifteen years later (and dozens of remakes later), Dawn of the Dead remains one of the best examples of how to pay homage to the original film without being so reverent that the new film becomes little more than a pale imitation.
Gunn’s script incorporates a number of iconic lines and sequences from the original film, including several of the original’s actors (primarily in news footage), but these feel like a tip of the hat rather than a shoehorned-in requirement. My personal favourite: Savini’s cameo on the news as a man dispensing advice on how to put the zombies down.
There are also several enjoyable comedic elements in the new film. Top of mind is the game that the survivors play with Andy (Bruce Bohne), the owner of the gun shop across the street, which involves killing zombies who look like celebrities such as Jay Leno, Burt Reynolds and (an unseen) Rosie O’Donnell.
Of course, the film would be nothing without its zombies and its amped-up action sequences, which is where Zack Snyder plays a crucial role. Say what you will (pro or con) about Snyder’s later work in the DCEU, but his direction of Dawn of the Dead is a crucial component in its success.
The opening sequence that introduces Anna and the apocalypse is a great set-piece and really helps to establish how the new creatures look and move. Dawn of the Dead 2004 owes a great deal to the newfound popularity of the “fast zombie”, which was popularized two years earlier in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later. Dawn expertly blends the micro and the macro with its suburbanite opening: a zombie child, a bitten husband, and one bone-crunchingly fantastic overhead shot of Anna falling into the bathtub (and, later, out of the window).
As Anna escapes in her car, the extent of the damage and destruction mounts with each successive encounter: a neighbour threatens her with a gun, a pack of zombies follow another neighbour into their house, and burnt vehicles are scattered along the street. Then another piece-de-resistance moment occurs as Snyder follows Anna’s car in an overhead, birds eye shot wherein she narrowly avoids a T-bone collision that explodes a gas station. It’s epic, it’s adrenaline-packed and it’s a fantastic way to open the film.
Fifteen years later, the zombie special effects make-up appears a little less fresh, but the reality is that successive texts have aped Dawn’s gory, over-the-top aesthetic as the zombie genre hit the saturation point a few years ago when The Walking Dead was at the height of its popularity. In 2004, these effects were top of the line and Snyder’s propensity for shooting slow-motion action sequences and close-ups of the aftermath (So.Many.Exploding.Heads!) felt fresh and innovative at the time. This is another Hard R film that doesn’t shy away from the gore and it is better for it.
One final, unique element that is often undiscussed is the way that the post-credits sequence morphs into a nihilistic found footage film! Five years after The Blair Witch Project dazzled audiences, but well before 2007’s Paranormal Activity reinvigorated the subgenre, Dawn of the Dead wraps up with a sequence that foreshadows the ghost of horror future to come. It’s a cool (not to mention exceptionally grim) ending to a great film.
Fifteen years later, Dawn of the Dead completely holds up. The film’s flaws are mostly at the character level, though having a dumb zombie baby and a few undeveloped red shirts in the mix is hardly a deal breaker. The action – particularly the opening scene and the propane explosion climax – in addition to the fantastic special effects makeup, the brief flirtation with found footage, and the reverence for its source text while introducing something new makes 2004’s Dawn of the Dead one of the best remakes on the market.
For more factoids about Dawn of the Dead, click here for 14 interesting facts.
