Dawn Of The Dead And Zombie Halloween Costumes

Dawn of the Dead

Whenever a remake is made of another movie, the implication is that the original movie was popular enough or successful enough to warrant repeating. Fans of the original are quick to condemn a remake if expectations are not met, especially when the genre concerns zombies. Fans of zombie movies can be highly critical. Both the original 1978 Dawn of the Dead, directed by George Romero, and the 2004 remake, directed by Zack Snyder, have proven to be hits with moviegoers. The true test of which movie is more beloved may be best resolved at Halloween fancy dress parties, by counting how many Halloween Costumes are represented by which version of the movie.

While details of the two versions of Dawn of the Dead vary significantly, the plots of both concern a small group of human survivors taking up refuge in a shopping mall surrounded by swarms of zombies, bent on their demise. The cast of the 1978 original include Ken Foree, David Emge, Scott H. Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, and Tom Savini. Shot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on a modest budget, the film grossed about 55 million dollars worldwide, a significant success for its time.

The 2004 Dawn of the Dead was the directorial debut of Zack Snyder, and featured Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer, and Jake Weber, as well as cameos from original cast members Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger and Tom Savini. The version costs 28 million to produce and grossed 102 million.

In both movies, the mall becomes a character in and of itself, and is central the cultural commentaries both films made that raised them above other blood and guts zombie movies. In the 1978 version, the mall is depicted as a utopia for an ultra-consumerist society. In the 2004 version, the mall reflects a bland, conforming, and superficial society.

Zombies, of course, are the main interest of the Dawn of the Dead movies. The difference in the portrayal of zombies may explain why the original movie seems most popular with the genre’s fans. The 2004 version featured zombies who move uncharacteristically fast. This increased the overall pace and tension of the film but demoted the zombies to a general mass threat, which contrasts greatly with the original film.

In the 1978 version, specific zombies were featured, characters that today can still be seen at fancy dress parties and Halloween fancy dress affairs. Halloween outfits depicting zombies from the 1978 Dawn of the Dead zombies include the Hare Krishna zombie, the shirtless fat guy zombie, and the fan-favorite Flyboy zombie. Surprisingly, the 1978 special effect makeup may be more popular for fancy dress Halloween costumes as well. While the 2004 version’s zombie makeup was more elaborate, the zombies, overall, were simply less memorable. Fans connect more with the Halloween Outfits featuring the blue-faced zombies of the original movie version.

The 1978 film established zombie movies as a genre. The 2004 film affirmed the continuing popularity of zombie movies. Both versions defined zombie horror for a generation.