21. Quote: Not Just An Awesome Tagline
"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." - Peter
22. It's Part Of The 'Trilogy of the Dead'
Sitting between the iconic Night of the Living Dead and the deeply pessimistic Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead forms the second act of one of horrors finest trilogies. It's also arguably the most accomplished of the three films and the one most fondly remembered by many horror fans. Night may have been groundbreaking, while Day might be the most powerfully grim, but it's the epic canvas and clever satire of Dawn which makes it the finest of the three films and Romero's true masterpiece.
23. Scott H. Reiniger as Roger
Scott H. Reiniger makes Rogers eventual demise all the more tragic, due to the way in which he injects the character with compassion and a childlike plucky spirit - despite clearly being haunted by the unfolding nightmare hes experiencing. Compared to the other SWAT members at the start of the film, Roger views the chaos with a noticeable wariness and underlying fear, resulting in the provocative behavior which leads to his downfall. Reiniger also gives us one of the most affecting transformations seen in any zombie film. You'll take care of me when I go, won't you, Peter? Don't do it until you are sure I *am* coming back! I'm gonna try... not to... I'm gonna try... not to... come back.
24. Scene: Shopping Spree
When everything's gone to hell, many of us cheers ourselves up by blowing our hard earned cash on meaningless possessions to lull ourselves into a false security. During a zombie apocalypse, we'd probably still do exactly the same (it'd just be called looting) and that's why the shopping spree scene in Dawn of the Dead works so well. Romero knows that that we'd all love to be let loose in an entire shopping mall with anything up for grabs, and pokes fun at us in the process. Even with the dead returning to life and eating all of our friends, we'd still probably want that big screen TV.
25. The Remake Is Actually Alright
Zack Snyders 2004 remake of Dawn Of The Dead is surprisingly, not a complete failure. Its clearly not a patch on Romero's film - lacking all of the satirical bite and epic scope of the original - but manages to offer up a decent big-budget zombie romp. There's enough to recommend it, such as a
fantastic opening set to Johnny Cashs When The Man Comes Around, a few decent and ingenious action set-pieces (keep watching after the credits) and a larger emphasis on purely enjoyable zombie carnage. Lets pretend the scene with the zombie baby doesn't exist though.
26. Score: La Caccia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlxfzRxElFg
27. Epic Gore Moment: Screwdriver in the Ear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqhAg-NZKJE
28. It Kick-started The Splatter Craze of the 80's
Stuffed to the brim with Tom Savini's visceral gore, Dawn of the Dead upped the ante for the way in which horror movie violence was splashed across the screen. Containing scenes of people being ripped limb from limb, machete decapitation and even a screwdriver being inserted into an ear canal, Savinis effects gave audiences something they had never seen before. The high level of violence also attracted controversy and significant cuts at the hands of the censors, while the unprecedented levels of gore in Dawn of the Dead led to the creation of such gruesome flicks as Friday The 13th and Maniac - both of which also showcased Savinis grotesque effects work.
29. Swimming Trunks Zombie
From the very first moment you see the chubby swimming trunks zombie, you know therell be some sort of humorous scene of him falling over. Romero doesnt disappoint and gives us not one, but two classic moments. We get to watch swimming trunks zombie attempt to ascend an escalator and also make a hefty splash into a fountain after being shot.
30. Dead Rising
In 2006 Capcom released Dead Rising - a game so clearly inspired by Dawn of the Dead that it carried a disclaimer on the box to avoid confusion. Set within a shopping mall overrun with zombies, Dawn of the Dead's copyright owners MKR took Capcom to court over the simialrites between the film and the game but were unsuccessful due to the ruling that the concept wasn't protectable nor unique to Dawn of the Dead. While it's clear that Dead Rising owes a considerable debt to Romero's masterpiece, we're glad that the lawsuit fell through as Dead Rising is an awesome tribute and as close as fans can get to reliving the film themselves. With an entire shopping mall complex to explore and an endless array of weapons, hours can quickly fly by as you try and find more and more humorous ways to kill the undead.