DVD REVIEW: DAWN OF THE DEAD: ULTIMATE EDITION
DVD REVIEW: ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT [ 2004 ] 127' / 139' / 119'
DVD REVIEW: AVG. BITRATE: unknown / 5.42 / 5.86 Mb/sec
WTFFILM RATING:

Anchor bay originally rereleased remastered versions of this film (theatrical and Cannes cuts) to VHS and DVD in the very late 1990's. Sparse on extras and not terribly impressive transfer wise, these releases were decent in their time but a redux was definitely in order. European releases didn't help matters with their mediocre prints and mastering jobs. So when Anchor Bay announced the pending release of this Ultimate Edition DVD set in 2003, fans stood at attention and patiently waited. What we recieved in return may just be the ultimate in horror DVD experiences.

THE FEATURE PRESENTATION:

The theatrical cut of the film as presented on disc one of the set fairs the best out of all of the versions of the film present in this set. Mastered from a new hi definition transfer, damage is virtually nonexistent with the color and contrast levels all very faithfully and naturally reproduced. The film is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio and is both anamorphically enhanced and progressive scan. Audio options for this version of the film are plentiful and include a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround remix, a DTS track, a Dolby Digital 2.0 remix, and the original monophonic audio for the film. All of these tracks sound spectacular - there are no goofs in the remixing like the ones present in the previous DAY OF THE DEAD release. My bitrate software refused to calculate the average bitrate for this version of the film, for whatever reason, but from looking at the graphic output of it the bitrate here looks to be slightly higher than that on the other two versions of the film. I noticed no issues with compression or artifacting in this version of the film - these were big problems with the first Anchor Bay DVD release of the Theatrical version. It's also important to note that this is the honest-to-god theatrical version of the film, not the weird reedited version that made its way onto the first Anchor Bay release of it.

Next up on disc two is the extended version of the film that premiered at the Cannes film festival and has been erroneously dubbed the "director's cut" for years now. This is another new hi def master presented in its original aspect ratio, progressive scan and anamorphically enhanced. Damage is, once again, nowhere to be found and the colors and contrast levels are once again well reproduced. The only audio option here is the original Monophonic audio, which sounds just fine.

Disc three features the Dario Argento cut of the film that was released throughout Europe. The transfer is on par with the rest of them on the set, but the overall image appears to be duller than that of the other versions of the film. I noted no damage to the print and colors and contrast are generally well reproduced. Audio options are plentiful, once again, with a Dolby Digital 5.1 remix, Dolby Digital 2.0 renix, and original Monophonic track all present here. All of these tracks sound superb. The bitrates are slightly lower for these two versions of the film but I still noticed no issues with compression or artifacting on either of them. Overall, the feature presentation for this set is nothing short of phenomenal with Anchor Bay pulling out all the stops to provide fans with all three major release versions of the film.

THE EXTRAS:

Where the feature presentation was phenomenal, the extras presented throughout this four disc set are positively amazing. Disc one of the set, the Theatrical version, contains two theatrical trailers, three television spots, a collection of radio advertisements, an image gallery, a biography of director George Romero, a text intro to the comic book preview included with the set, and two easter eggs that lead to brief interview snippets from various members of the cast and crew. Also here is the feature length commentary track featuring George and Chris Romero along with Tom Savini - this track is full of worthwhile information and anecdotes about the production and release of the film and is wonderful to listen to. This disc was released as a stand alone in advance of the Ultimate Edition set and stands quite well on its own merits.

Disc two, the extended version of the film, features the least extras of any of the other discs. That's not to say that what is here isn't entirely worthwhile. First up are three image galleries that cover several hundred film, production, and memorabilia images. Next is a commercial for Monroeville Mall - the same one that made its appearance on the older Anchor Bay VHS and DVD releases of the film. Rounding things off for disc number two are a pair of easter eggs that, again, lead to interview snippets, and a feature length commentary by Richard P. Rubinstein. While not as enjoyable as the commentary tracks for discs 1 and 3, it's still full of useful information and is a worthy addition to the set.

Next up is disc three, the Argento cut of the film. Featured here are three film trailers (One Italian and two German), two television spots from the United Kingdom, a number of image galleries that cover everything from posters to video covers and feature hundreds of images, and a text biography of Dario Argento. Also present are still more easter eggs that lead to interview snippest and a feature length commentary track from the cast. David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross provide a very fun commentary and lots of perspective on the production. This disc was released individually after the release of the full set and, once again, it is capable of standing quite well on its own merits.

Now on to disc four. This set features four documentaries - two of them feature length - and two featurettes. First up is the newly produced THE DEAD WILL WALK. Featuring interviews with George and Chris Romero and the entire cast and crew of the film, this 75 minute documentary is invaluable and features a wealth of information about the production. Next up is Roy Frumke's documentary DOCUMENT OF THE DEAD (presented here in agreement with Synapes Films). Running 95 minutes, this was shot at the time DAWN OF THE DEAD was in production and finished at the time George was working on TWO EVIL EYES with Dario Argento. The video quality here is much rougher than that of the three main features, but Frumke's documentary is still truly indispensible for fans. Next up are approximately 13 minutes of 8mm home movies shot by two of the zombies from the film and a 12 minute tour of Monroeville Mall with David Emge and Ken Foree and others involved with the production. Also up is a bonus easter egg that leads to a Bhuddist monk speaking about his experiences with DAWN OF THE DEAD. This is an excellent disc in its own right and nicely rounds out the set. The extras presentation for this four disc set is nothing short of amazing and really goes above and beyond the call of duty.

THE OVERALL PRESENTATION:

First up in the packaging is the large slip case that houses the set. It's a sturdy cardboard sleave with black base color and the title of the film in red raised lettering. Featured prominantly is the zombie head that was the focus of the domestic film posters. The digipack case is also black in base color with deep red images of the cast in various stages of zombiefication. The three discs feature red tinted promotional artwork for the film. Also included is an insert that includes information about the four discs as well as a useful map of Monroeville Mall circa 1978. Rounding out the packaging is a sample of the comic book version of the film that was released at the same time. Everything about the packaging is well done and very aesthetically appealing.

As for the content of the discs themselves - first up are a set of wonderfully rendered motion menus that are entirely unique but still fit in with each other. Portions of the film's soundtrack by Goblin play in the background of each design and every section of the disc is connected by a well rendered motion transition. Menu items are easy to select and highly legible and the several easter eggs that pop up throughout this set are both easy to access and easy to completely miss. Overall presentation on this set is in line with the other sections - no complaints here.

THE VERDICT:

Along with the previously reviewed 2 disc set of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, this has to be one of the most anticipated horror DVD releases of all time. And, thankfully, it delivers like no one could have expected. One of the most impressive DVD releases in the history of the medium, fantastic feature presentation and extras and a totally affordable retail price make this worth every one of the six stars (out of five) that it's given here. If you're a fan of this film then you, no doubt, already own this release. If you don't, I offer you my sympathies.