Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead (2004) is a remake of the 1978 Romero classic.  The movie follows a similar plot arc to its predecessor - survivors band together in a mall, stake out, eventually have to try and leave - but pretty much everything else is different.  This time around, the heroine we follow in the beginning was not paying very much attention to the warning signs, and pretty much wakes up to a zombie at her door and a city in ruins.  She soon meets a group of strangers who have decided to head to the mall for safety.  They laugh, they cry, someone gives birth, and bunch of them die.

BR:  In theory, this movie should have been a hot mess.  Zack Snyder + remaking a zombie classic + fast zombies = a shit show in my head.  Everything about this equation fucks with the pacing and odd balance of suspense and hilarious social commentary that marks the original.  In the end, though, that's what saves this movie - it's barely a remake.  It's more like Zack Snyder was like, "Hey, hangin' out in a mall during the zombie apocalypse is fun - lemme try!"  Creepiness and suspense are thrown out for action and gore - but it's done well and it's just so fun!

RB:  I was pretty skeptical when I heard there was a remake of Dawn of the Dead also, but more in the way of "How could they possibly do it any better?  Don't fuck with it."  (I am possibly a little conservative when it comes to some things.  Shocking, I know.)  However, from the get-go I kind of had to consider them as entirely separate entities.  Which is how I would advise anyone to approach it.  But honestly, I feel like Zack Snyder took all the cool things from the original and answered all my zombie movie prayers.  Over the top gore?  Check.  Mass chaos almost immediately?  Check.  Zombies that decay like real humans?  Check time a billion.  Plus we get to miss out on *almost* all the mushy human crap.  And the human crap you do have to sit through was done in the least irritating way, I think.  One thing I don't like (but gets mad points for being totally fucked up) is zombie baby.  Cool it.

BR:  Yo that shit was NUTS, and I just know someone had too much fun making it.  Also, why is this not the first time I've witnessed zombie birth?  And how many more times will I have to witness it?  One thing I missed, however, was the montage of fun.  In general, there was a lot more douchebaggery and a lot less fun being had in this band of survivors.  But MAD props to cameos.  It's just a smart way to pay tribute to the original while doin' your own thang.

RB:  Seriously, those cameos made my fucking day.  This is also probably a good time to talk about how delicious Mekhi Phifer is, and how Sarah Polley seems only to be in movies I love (Baron von Munchausen, Splice, this...).  But anyway, I some how didn't really miss the fun.  Wait, ho, they totally do have a fun montage, it's just way more adult, i.e. - the guy from Modern Family fucking the slutty blonde bitch, they do mess with the makeup, Kenneth plays chess with Andy across the way AND they play that sniper edition of celebrity squares.  And that looked fun.

BR:  This is true, I just think the original has a more lighthearted middle section.  But the remake boasts a hilarious soundtrack.  OMG, 2004, OMG.  My only solid complaint is the length of the movie - but this may have been because we watched the unrated director's cut.  And that shit always has some lag.

RB:  Ya, I forgot how much I like that Disturbed song.