Heart-pounding action and bone-chilling thrills power this edgy and frightening remake of George A. Romero’s apocalyptic horror classic starring Ving Rhames (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2), Sarah Polley (Splice), Jake Weber (Wendigo), Mekhi Phifer (Divergent) and Ty Burrell (Modern Family).
From visionary filmmaker Zack Snyder (300, Army Of The Dead, Zack Snyder’s Justice League), comes a nightmarish vision where society is endangered by a mysterious virus that turns people into mindless, flesh-eating zombies, and a handful of survivors must wage a desperate, last-stand battle to stay alive … and human!
For thoughts on Dawn Of The Dead (2004), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Dawn Of The Dead (2004) makes its 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with the Unrated Cut in a stunning 2160p Dolby Vision transfer from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with inserts from the 2K Digital Intermediate for the unrated footage. Given that the Theatrical Cut is already set with a new 4K transfer, it’s a bit odd this version is only presented on Blu-Ray (and not from the new scan). Most fans will opt to go unrated if given the choice, but having both versions in 4K UHD would have been preferable. That being said, the new 4K UHD allows the film to look the best it ever has on home entertainment. The original Scream Factory Blu-Ray was released over five years ago which looked very nice, but this new disc offers strong improvements in all respects.
This new release of the film retains a terrific amount of natural film grain that allows this movie to shine and gives a lot of pleasing texture and detail to the transfer. For the first time on home entertainment, you can clearly see specific facets of the makeup, backgrounds and production design that were more of a homogeneous block before. The setting is also given much more depth which makes for a much richer experience. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are outstanding, especially when you are witnessing elements such as bloody entrails and grotesque lesions that look all the more visceral with the enhanced resolution.
One thing to keep in mind when approaching this disc is the fact that Snyder employed a very heighted oversaturated aesthetic which this disc recreates with accuracy, even when it’s not always the most gorgeous sight. The UHD takes these bold colors and dials them in to their most pleasing frequency in line with the intention. The Dolby Vision presentation allows the film to appear more refined than ever, as you have moody lighting choices and the bright orange of key explosions radiating with a lovely intensity. White levels are brighter but offer a greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are still held back a bit by the stylistic choices, but this transfer allows for a greater level of fine detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you an impeccable amount of facial detail. Other than a few minor instances of lesser quality from the unrated material, this transfer is practically perfect. Scream Factory has given this one a mighty upgrade.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray release boasts a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 lossless track that packs a major punch. This disc perfectly brings the thrills and action-packed moments to life with a depth and clarity of sound that is staggering. Some fans may bemoan the lack of a new Dolby Atmos track, but what we get is no slouch. As the characters move throughout the mall and beyond, the sounds of the environment flow out of your side and rear speakers for a fully three-dimensional experience. Each sound is precisely placed with perfect spatial awareness. The track engages all of the channels with sound effects and ambient noise that really makes you feel like you are in the middle of this nightmare scenario.
Kinetic sequences are plentiful with a dynamic sound design that comes through without fail. Elements such as gunfire or crashing vehicles certainly make an impact. The activity in the low-end is formidable and never lacks for strength. Dialogue comes through clearly without getting overwhelmed by the music or any sound effects. The effective score from Tyler Bates utilized in the film comes through with a pleasing fidelity. Scream Factory has delivered with this track, so those with a good surround sound setup should have fun with this one. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided on this disc.
Special Features
Disc One – Unrated Cut (4K UHD)
- Audio Commentary: Director Zack Snyder and Producer Eric Newman provide a great archival commentary track in which they discuss various aspects of the production including the bits added to the unrated cut, casting both the humans and the zombies, common misconceptions about the film, working within a tight budget, the work of the stunt team, the musical choices, small mistakes that can be seen, small easter eggs within the film, awkward moments with a neighboring church and more.
Disc Two – Unrated Cut (Blu-Ray)
- Audio Commentary: Director Zack Snyder and Producer Eric Newman
- Introduction: A minute-long introduction from Zack Snyder
- Splitting Headaches – Anatomy of Exploding Heads: A nearly six-minute look at the special effects work and squib work that went into making this zombie carnage come to life.
- Attack of the Living Dead: A seven-minute piece which further explores how the crew pulled off some of the more elaborate kills in the film.
- Raising The Dead: An eight-minute featurette which takes a look at the stages of decay applied to the zombie process and how the team developed different looks for so many different undead figures throughout the movie.
- Andy’s Lost Tape: A 16-minute look at the “unedited footage” from Andy’s video diary at the gun store across the street from the mall. This is an interesting piece which allows you a bit more character development with someone we only knew from a distance in the actual film.
- Special Report – Zombie Invasion: A 21-minute fictional news report which expands on the news footage included in the actual film with a full special on the evolving zombie takeover.
- Undead and Loving It – A Mockumentary: A fun five-minute piece in which the cast and crew discuss the realities of working with their zombie co-stars.
- Drawing The Dead: A three-minute look at the creation of the storyboards for the film.
- Storyboard Comparisons: A six-minute look at how the aforementioned storyboards compare to the finished film.
Disc Three – Theatrical Cut (Blu-Ray)
- Take A Chance On Me – Interview with Actor Ty Burrell: A nearly 16-minute interview with Burrell in which he reflects on his time on the film including the initial audition process, his disbelief over his good fortune, his joy with playing a flawed character like Steve, working with Zack Snyder, his thoughts on the ending, his initial reaction to the film, the friends he made during production and more.
- Gunn For Fire – Interview with Writer James Gunn: A ten-minute conversation with Gunn in which he discusses his love of the original Dawn of the Dead, the approach he wanted to take with his version of the property, his refusal to pitch before writing the script, the viscerally negative reaction from fans to the news he was writing the script, not attempting to replicate the larger ideas that Romero pulled off so brilliantly and more.
- Punk, Rock & Zombie – Interview with Actor Jake Weber: A 23-minute conversation with Weber over his confidence that the material could be adapted for a new audience, working with Zack Syder, his excitement over tackling his character and bringing depth to him, the importance of having fun with your role, his relationship with the film and more.
- Killing Time At The Mall – Special Effects Of Dawn Of The Dead: A 26-minute interview with Special Makeup Effects Artists David Anderson And Heather Langenkamp Anderson in which they discuss being brought on board this project, the pressure to reinvent zombies for a new generation, the space they had to work within, the philosophy they brought to creating the looks of the zombies, working with Snyder and more.
- Deleted Scenes: A 12-minute collection of unused material is included here in standard definition which have mostly been cut for good reason, which you can hear more about in the optional commentary with Snyder and Newman.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
- Photo Gallery: A collection of stills are provided here.
Final Thoughts
Dawn Of The Dead (2004) is a really incredible debut from Zack Snyder, who managed to both honor a beloved horror classic and put his own stamp on the concept. His eye for dynamic visual storytelling is on display, but he admirably does not favor style over substance. Admittedly, there are some brief segments where the film can feel a bit sluggish, but by and large this movie really keeps you invested with memorable characters and gnarly zombie carnage. There are so many ways this could have gone wrong, but this is a bright spot in the zombie genre. Scream Factory has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring an excellent A/V presentation along with all of the terrific legacy special features. If you are a fan, the film has never had a better presentation on home entertainment. Highly Recommended
Dawn Of The Dead (2004) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.