8 Horror Movie Remakes That Pissed Off The Original Creators
2. Dawn Of The Dead (2004)
Now, I know what you're thinking: "Josh, Dawn of the Dead is one of the better horror remakes, what's this doing on here?"
Well, I completely agree: Zack Snyder's first zombie flick is a rough-and-ready ride, full of absurd undead action, a killer soundtrack, and a stellar ensemble cast.
However, it undeniably is a stripped down version of the original, focusing primarily on action rather than any of the quieter character moments or social satire that made the initial Dawn so resonant, and that's exactly what George A. Romero had an issue with.
In fact, the legendary director thought of the film as more of a video game than a movie at the time of release, and reflected on that comment in 2013. There, he criticised the lack of depth to the narrative, explaining:
"I sort of thought it lost its reason for being. I know a lot of people really like it very much – Stephen King, for example. I didn”t like it very much. Basically, because I was using the idea for satire. My film needed to be done right when it was done, because that sort of shopping mall was completely new. It was the first one in Pennsylvania that we had ever seen. The heart of the story is based in that. And I didn”t think the remake had it.”
Even as a fan of the remake, you can see where Romero's was coming from here.