WOW! That's all I can say

Rating: 10/10 (1 April 2004)

Ok there's more..
In the thick soup of seventies remakes one stands out above the rest. Dawn of the Dead. Not only is this movie far superior to the original but it is IMHO, The BEST zombie/post apocalyptic/horror movie I have ever seen. True, and I've seen a lot.
I'll warn you if spoilers are coming.
The opening of Dawn of the Dead is quite intense and brutal gouts of blood, people running and screaming, zombies (of course) doing their thing and then the credits start to run and you just know you are in for one hell of a ride. I swear, I got goose bumps in anticipation of things to come. Dawn of the Dead works on so many levels I can't cover them all but suffice to say that it manages to be brutal and terrifying while injecting splashes of poignancy and gentleness. Sarah Polly has led me down the rabbit-hole before with movies like GO and No Such Thing; she takes us (willing) on a new, nightmarish ride and delivers the goods as usual. I think she is one of the best, most beautiful actresses today. For me, being familiar with, and liking, her past work made it easy for me to like/care for her character right from the get-go. This helped tremendously with getting sucked into the atmosphere. You can tell all the actors really got into making this picture. It must have been great fun. Ving is as great as always. But the real kudos have to go to the director and cinematography While the premise is disturbing enough and the actors veterans, I'm not sure it would have been as effective without the, up-in-your-face, shaky camera work. A lot of the film is shot in close, claustrophobic intimacy and then there are these shaky, off-focus, chaotic shots that put right in the think of the fight and violence, then wide panoramic shots that show you the full scope of this desperate situation. Some parts of this movie are nothing less than brilliant. I love true artistry in film and it delivers that as well. Great special effects, smart story elements, attention to detail (listen to the mall Muzak  perfect) simply a great movie going experience. I will accept no arguments on this. Perfect 10.