Dawn of the Dead (1978)
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A group of survivors seeks refuge in a shopping mall during a zombie apocalypse.
The story
In the United States, an epidemic of a virus has begun, turning the infected into aggressive zombies. As social order collapses and urban centers descend into chaos, a group of survivors—including a traffic reporter, his girlfriend, and two police officers—flee the city in a stolen helicopter. They find a suburban shopping mall and decide to stay there, believing it provides a safe haven with ample food and supplies. They barricade the entrances and establish a base of operations, unaware of the growing dangers and the complexities of surviving in a world where the dead have risen to prey on the living.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following a zombie outbreak in the United States, a traffic reporter and his girlfriend, along with two police officers, escape a chaotic city in a helicopter. They take refuge in a shopping mall, barricading the doors and establishing a safe room. One officer, Roger, is bitten and later dies, reanimating as a zombie before being killed by his comrades. Months later, as the government collapses, a biker gang invades the mall, leading to a violent confrontation. The reporter, Stephen, is killed and reanimates, leading the undead to the remaining survivors. The final survivors, Fran and Peter, eventually escape the mall in the helicopter to an uncertain future. The film is noted for its satirical portrayal of consumerism and its depiction of the societal effects of a zombie apocalypse.
- First release year
- 1978
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- George A. Romero
- Writers
- George A. Romero · writer
- Cast and characters
- David Emge · Stephen "Flyboy" Andrews; Ken Foree · Peter Washington; Scott Reiniger · Roger "Trooper" DeMarco; Gaylen Ross · Francine "Fran Flygirl" Parker
- Genres
- zombie; horror; satire
- Themes
- consumerism; social collapse
- Tone and mood
- horror; satirical
- Premise and plot tags
- zombie apocalypse; survival; shopping mall
- Franchise connections
- Dead series
- Content notes
- gore; violence
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest horror and zombie films ever made, noted for its satirical portrayal of consumerism.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8.70 · scale: 10 · review count: 59
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Make-up · 1980 · Nomination; Saturn Award · Best DVD Classic Film Release · 2005 · Win; Satellite Award · Best Overall DVD · 2005 · Nomination; OFTA Film Hall of Fame · Motion Picture · 2024 · Win
- Production trivia
- The film's special make-up effects were created by Tom Savini.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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