Dawn of the Dead

Once in a blue moon, a horror remake surpasses the original in terms of style, story, acting, and overall filmmaking. The prime example is "Dawn of the Dead" from 2004, a remake of an already fantastic film in its own right which was first directed by George Romero in 1980. Flash forward to the early 2000s and horror remakes were few and far between, save for the terrible "Psycho" remake in 1998 and a louder "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in 2003. "Dawn 2004" came at just the right time: Zombie films weren't the norm, and this updated version ushered in a new zombie genre, as well as influenced an exhausting list of remakes that continues to this day.

Shout Factory's new "Scream Factory" Blu-ray of "Dawn of the Dead" features all of the tremendous things that usually accompany their horror releases: A glorious high-definition restoration transfer, two versions of the film to watch, and an overabundance of bonus features on a 2-disc Collector's Edition.

Gone from "Dawn 2004" is the biting social commentary of Romero's version. Instead, Zach Snyder's "Dawn" features faster and more furious zombies than seen before that time. Actors Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Jake Weber lead the cast in a story featuring a mysterious virus that suddenly turns people into murderous zombies. A band of strangers is forced to survive in the local mall, and one can see the influence this film has on current TV shows like "The Walking Dead."

An open-ended and bleak finale in "Dawn 2004" screamed for a sequel but it hasn't happened -- not yet, anyway. So, for now, this stand-alone film can be viewed in all of its Blu-ray glory. Not only are the DVD edition special features tacked onto Shout's 2nd disc, but there are also four brand-new featurettes on the Theatrical Version disc Blu-ray:

"Take a Chance on Me" - an entraining interview with actor Ty Burrell, who played the smarmy Michael.

"Gunn for Hire" - writer James Gunn reveals how he came up with a new concept for the updated "Dawn of the Dead."

"Punk, Rock & Zombie" - actor Jake Weber recalls his experiences as the leading man in the film.

"Killing Time at the Mall" - the special makeup effects crew present behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of "Dawn of the Dead."

"Dawn of the Dead"
Blu-ray
$34.93
www.shoutfactory.com