This Halloween, the famous zombie film Dawn of the Dead, directed by George A. Romero, will be released in a brand-new, state-of-the-art 3D edition. For Halloween, Rue Morgue has announced that Regal Cinema has teamed up with the film’s producer Richard P. Rubinstein’s business, New Amsterdam Entertainment Inc., to distribute Rubinstein’s 3D adaptation of the film in cinemas around the country. On display for fans from Friday, October 28 through Monday, October 31 at 250 venues with a minimum of six showings at each, this fresh take on the iconic horror film promises to thrill and chill in equal measure.
Even when compared to his revolutionary black and white feature Night of the Living Dead, Romero’s 1978 masterwork is undoubtedly the finest zombie film ever made.
In comparison to its predecessor, this film takes a broader look at the zombie epidemic, demonstrating how civilization has collapsed in the face of the apocalypse. There are 4 main characters in this story: traffic reporter Stephen (David Emge), his television producer girlfriend Fran (Gaylen Ross), and two SWAT deserters Peter (Ken Foree) and Roger (Scott Reineger), who have taken refuge in an American shopping mall to make what may be their final stand against the undead. In 2004, Zack Snyder remade the picture, and it turned out to be one of his greatest works. Dawn of the Dead, the second instalment in Romero’s six-part zombie series, was a smashing success at its debut and has endured as a cultural touchstone ever since, spawning several other works of fiction and film.
Tom Savini, who did an excellent job of making the bites, slashes, and severed limbs in the picture, used it as a springboard to fame. Rubinstein oversaw the laborious process of adding a third dimension to Dawn of the Dead using DNext Media, which required frame-by-frame reworks to make everything operate seamlessly. Besides that one alteration, the producer was careful to protect Romero’s original concept. The 3D rendition has been seen by audiences before, but this will be the first time it has been extensively distributed in theatres. The re-release of some of Romero’s most recognisable works and more critical analysis of his best films have given his body of work a bit of a second wind.
Regarding his zombie movies, October’s Criterion Collection release of Night of the Living Dead is perfectly timed for Halloween. And Greg Nicotero, who plays Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead, is making a documentary about the film that will examine its history and the lasting influence of Romero’s groundbreaking zombie movies. This Halloween weekend, you can see Dawn of the Dead in 3D once more at the movies.