15 Things Horror Remakes Did Better Than The Original
7. Dawn Of The Dead - The Scares
George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978) is one of the most iconic and deliriously entertaining horror films of all time but nevertheless, for all of its overwhelming strengths, it isn't actually scary since it's really more of a horror comedy. If you want a scarier, more intense experience, Zack Snyder's 2004 remake will be a better option.
2004's Dawn of the Dead is OK. The characters are weak, the social commentary is ditched and it's ultimately little more than a series of zombie set-pieces, but it is an entertaining viewing and there are more scares than in the original thanks to the ramped-up intensity, more serious tone and the faster, far more frightening zombies.
The original is actually ageing very well for the most part and those gore effects are still stomach-turning, but the zombies not only move slowly but just look like stoners with painted faces, so although George A. Romero criticised how the zombies were in the remake, the fast zombies are considerably better.
These two versions are very different experiences and you'll get different things out of each version; since so many horror remakes are just tedious copies of the original, that's very satisfying indeed.