I won't talk about the movie itself as I won't be able to add anything worthwhile. There's a ton of reviews you can look at that'll hit the nail on the head. All I'll say is that it's arguably the best zombie movie ever made. I'm just going to cover the contents of the package.
Disc 1 - U.S. release. Restoration looks great, and the commentary with Romero and Savini is really interesting. They, along with Romero's then-wife Chris, sound like old friends and all the conversation flows very naturally. The U.S. version uses some more humorous clips and the manner in which the movie is cut gives a heavier emphasis on Western consumerism. The only gripe I have with this version is that Romero uses a lot of stock music. This type of music was great in Night of the Living Dead, but here it does NOT blend well with Goblin's score, which I prefer.
Disc 2 - Extended release. Good for fans, but I'd say first timers should stick with the original. It's cool to see clips that haven't been previously available, especially to see a younger Joe Pilato. Overall, the version runs too long to be as fun and enjoyable as the original cut, but is still cool for fans of the film.
Disc 3 - European release. I actually have a hard time deciding which cut I like better between this and the U.S. version. I'd still say U.S. because of some key scenes that I think benefit the movie (who doesn't love the motorcycle gang pie scene?), but I LOVE the music in this version. I think that Goblin has created one of the most memorable scores in horror cinema, and it's totally indicative of the 1970's. This is also the only version that has the cast commentary, which I find a bit odd, but it doesn't change much.
Disc 4 - Documentaries. Two documentaries, one old and one new. I haven't watched the old one yet, but the newer one is fantastic. Lots of previously unknown info about the movie, and seeing the cast and crew now able to reflect on the success of the movie is a treat to behold. If you're a fan, you'll love it.
Overall, it's an awesome package for the money and a MUST for any Dawn fan. If you want to view this little slice of horror history from every possible angle, you couldn't pick a better way to do it. Thumbs up.
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johnf
Tense and exciting from its start to finish. One of the best remakes.
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2023Verified Purchase
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Zombie
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Piero75
DOWN OF THE DEAD (ZOMBI) ECCELLENTE EDIZIONE (BD)
Reviewed in Italy on December 2, 2020Verified Purchase
Piero75
Reviewed in Italy on December 2, 2020
La second sight films esce con un cofanetto che colpisce per qualità di realizzazione, ben quattro blu ray, tre cd, due libri al suo interno.
Analizzando le tre versione, la migliore rimane comunque sempre quella THEATRICAL CUT, si apprezza anche quella di THE ARGENTO CUT
La qualità d'immagine il restauro adottato è praticamente spettacolare, sia per definizione che per colori, se dovessimo rilevare qualche imperfezione, sarebbe forse lieve in alcune inquadrature se praticamente assente. Per un film del 1978 il lavoro di restauro svolto è magnifico
L'audio DTS-HD 5.1 Inglese si presenta molto dinamico grazie al lavoro di rimasterizzazione, i dialoghi sono chiari, il tutto accompagnato da una colonna sonora dei Goblin spettacolare.
Gli extra realizzati per questa nuova edizione sono praticamente tanti, molti dei quali realizzati ex novo proprio per l'edizione, tutti uno più interessante dell'altro, ed anche gli extra di qualche anno fa fanno la loro parte.
Consiglio per gli appassionati l'acquisto ad occhi chiusi in quanto non può mancare un edizione simile.
Il costo vale la spesa, acquistato in preorder ad un prezzo niente male circa 93,00 euro.
Amazon servizio eccellente consegnato con un giorno di anticipo, calcolando che il prodotto veniva da L'Inghilterra.
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Blobbinses
Almost Perfect. Missing one last thing...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2020Verified Purchase
Blobbinses
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2020
Studio : Second Sight Films
ASIN : B0892HW4F3
Number of discs : 7
Ok, so the people buying this most likely know the film like the back of their hand anyway so I won't bore you with yet another synopsis of the movie at hand. This review is about what the product has in it, compared to previous releases.
So, the first 3 blu ray discs are the film, in 3 versions:
The Original Theatrical Cut (127 mins)
• NEW 4K scan and restoration of the Original Camera Negative by Second Sight at Final Frame New York and London supervised and approved by DoP Michael Gornick
• Presented in HDR10+
• Audio: New restoration of the original OCN Optical presented in Mono 1.0, Stereo 2.0 and 5.1.
• Commentary by George A. Romero, Tom Savini, Christine Forrest
• NEW commentary by Travis Crawford
• NEW optional English subtitles for the hearing impaired
The Cannes Cut ( basically I think this is the director's cut at 137 mins long )
• Produced using 4K scan of the Theatrical Cut Original Camera Negative and 4K scan of the Extended Cut Colour Reversal Internegative
• Presented in HDR10+
• DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
• Commentary by Richard P. Rubinstein
• NEW optional English subtitles for the hearing impaired
The Argento Cut (120mins)
• 4K scan of the Interpositive by Michele De Angelis at Backlight Digital, Rome
• Audio: DT-HD Master Audio Mono 1.0 / Surround 5.1 / Stereo 2.0
• Commentary by Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, David Emge
• NEW optional English subtitles for the hearing impaired
NOTE, sadly this collection does NOT contain a blu ray ( or otherwise ) transfer of the "MALL HOURS CUT" ( 157mins. <-- this version edits in every last second of footage from various releases around the world and is the one to own if you want to see EVERYthing ) which is kind of a shame, but I understand why it isn't here, because it's really a fan - edit and not an official release of the film.
If you DO want a blu ray version of Dawn of the Dead ( Mall Hours Cut ) you can actually buy it on blu ray ( it's actually bluray quality too, not a crummy, thrown together VHS print, just slapped on a bluray disc ) you'll need to hunt down a ( pretty expensive ) 4 Disc blu ray collection from XTVideo in Germany/Austria(?) and that will have it on there. The packaging on that set is all in German, but don't worry, all the versions of the film and extras have English Audio on them too.
Back to this Amazon item review:
BLU-RAY DISC 4: SPECIAL FEATURES
• NEW Zombies and Bikers – With John Amplas, Roy Frumkes, Tom Savini, Christine Forrest, Tom Dubensky, Tony Buba, Taso Stavrakis and a whole host of zombies and bikers! (59 mins)
• NEW Memories of Monroeville
A tour of the mall with Michael Gornick, Tom Savini, Tom Dubensky and Taso Stavrakis (34 mins)
• NEW Raising the Dead: The Production Logistics (25 mins) With Michael Gornick, Christine Forrest, John Amplas, Tom Dubensky (23 mins)
• NEW The FX of Dawn with Tom Savini (13 mins)
• NEW Dummies! Dummies! – An interview with Richard France (12 mins)
• NEW The Lost Romero Dawn Interview: previously unreleased archive interview (20 mins)
• Super 8 Mall Footage by zombie extra Ralph Langer with option of archive commentary by Robert Langer and new commentary by Ralph Langer (13 mins)
• Document of the Dead: The Original Cut (66 mins)
• Document of the Dead: The Definitive Cut with optional commentary by Roy Frumkes (100 mins)
• The Dead Will Walk 2014 Documentary (80 mins)
• Trailers, TV and Radio Spots (TBC)
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
This is actually some pretty exciting news for mega fans of DotD, because Second Sight Films have really gone to town with finding the music cues that have never been commercially available before, outside of things like the incredibly hard to find and expensive De Wolfe Library. They haven't just slapped the old Trunk Record's Unreleased Incidental Music into the packaging, they've actually gone and found a whole tonne of previously unavailable cues. Not ALL of them, but A LOT of them.
These have probably been around on the net, in various places, for a few years now, but it's fantastic that this company has provided us with CD quality versions without the need to go hunting on forums etc.
AUDIO CD DISC 1
• The Goblin Soundtrack – The usual official Goblin Album of 17 tracks including Alternate and Bonus Tracks
01 - L'alba Dei Morti Viventi
02 - Zombi
03 - Safari
04 - Torte In Faccia
05 - Ai Margini Della Follia
06 - Zaratozom
07 - La Caccia
08 - Tirassegno
09 - Oblio
10 - Risveglio
11 - L'alba Dei Morti Viventi (Alternate Take) [CD Bonus Track]
12 - Ai Margini Della Follia (Alternate Take) [CD Bonus Track]
13 - Zombi (Sexy) [CD Bonus Track]
14 - Ai Margini Della Follia (Alternate Take) [CD Bonus Track]
15 - Zombi (Supermarket) [CD Bonus Track]
16 - L'alba Dei Morti Viventi (Intro — Alternate Take) [CD Bonus Track]
17 - Zombi (The Living Dead's Voices!) [CD Bonus Track]
AUDIO CD DISC 2
• Dawn of the Dead: De Wolfe and Hudson Music Cues (Part 1)
01 - Cosmogony Part 1
02 - Dramatic Moments No.1
03 - Sinestre
04 - Dramatic Moments No.2
05 - Violence
06 - Cosmogony Part 3
07 - Eclipse
08 - Dark Forest
09 - Cause I'm a Man
10 - Figments
11 - Dynamise 65
12 - Cosmogony Part 4
13 - The Mask of Death
14 - Cosmogony Part 2
15 - Victorian Vintage
16 - Queka
17 - Scarey I
18 - Scarey II
19 - Zap
20 - Spinechiller
21 - Violent Payoff Version 2
22 - Waiting For the Man
23 - Flossie
24 - Neurotic Bird
25 - Desert De Glace
26 - Dank Earth (Part 1)
27 - Red Sequence
28 - Barrage
29 - Face At the Window
AUDIO CD DISC 3
• Dawn of the Dead: De Wolfe and Hudson Music Cues (Part 2)
01 - We Are the Champions
02 - Ragtime Razzamatazz
03 - Tango Tango
04 - Fugarock
05 - Sonata
06 - El Chaco
07 - Dramaturgy Part 1
08 - Night Life
09 - Sun High
10 - Cantando
11 - On His Own
12 - Mechanical High Jinks
13 - Dramaturgy Part 2
14 - So Fantastico
15 - Violence Sting 1
16 - Caverne De Glace
17 - Dramatic Moments No.3
18 - Deserted Vaults
19 - Action Pack
20 - Kadath
21 - Proud Action
22 - Dramatic Moments No.4
23 - The Gonk ( Sadly doesn't end like the film's credits with the clock tower chimes and zombie moans etc, but i'm nitpicking )
NOTE: These cues are sometimes edited down from the full original pieces of music, to the cues in the film itself, to give context to what you're hearing, rather playing the entire piece of music that has only 30 seconds of a DotD cue in the middle of it, that was used in the film.
So that's 69 pieces of music and edited cues from the various film releases. So not complete by any means but all the important stuff is in there, like Victorian Vintage ( turning on the mall power ) and Cantando ( melancholy classical guitar piece ) and the superb Fugarock ( part of the shopping music scene ) etc...
Plus you also get
• Rigid box with lid featuring the original iconic artwork
• Two inner digipaks
• Dissecting the Dead – 160 page hardback book featuring 17 new essays, archive article and George A. Romero interview plus original marketing, artwork and merchandise images and behind-the-scenes stills.
• Dawn of the Dead: The novelisation book by George A. Romero and Susanna Sparrow with exclusive artwork
Overall kinda expensive maybe, but not too bad at all, considering what they've put into the package. The music cues alone, make this release a really cool edition for your DotD collection. The DotD novelisation is a HQ paperback and the Dissecting the Dead book is hardback and includes colour images through the middle section of it. Photos of various behind the scenes and paraphernalia, relevant to the film and it's original release.
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JamesT
A Worthy 4K Upgrade
Reviewed in Australia on December 27, 2023Verified Purchase
