Romro's Dawn ofThe Dead-How many versions??

W

we found safety

New member
Ok-from memory, The first one I recall was the already cut US print that was given a cinema release in the UK, then ended up on video in a silver box with ZOMBIES in green print in BIG letters.
This was eventually re-released YEARS later in a VERY heavily cut version. ( the scene I remember noticing missing was the black guy in the hallway who gets a chunk of his arm bitten out),-but there were MANY more cuts!)
I remember seeing a version on UKGold?-that had the dock scene intact, (This was a nice surprise, as I never knew it existed at the time!)
Ive also seen a version that has the DUN-DUN music (by the goblins) in it,when Flyboy and Roger are lowering the gates at the end to prevent the bikers getting in, - which leaRAB me to believe this might have been Argento's European cut???
Then theres the Directors cut-ironically not favoured by Romero-he prefers the 1978 original.
In other worRAB there are several different versions knocking about from over the years,and no two are identical!
 
I'm pretty sure the version I saw at the cinema in Manchester (the Cine City in Withington I think it was) when it was first released in the UK, was Dario Argento's edit. I think it had The Goblins music soundtrack. I distinctly remember the film being referred to as "Zombies" rather than "Dawn of the Dead".
As far as comparison to the currently available UK DVD Director's Cut, as far as I can remember the only difference is that the part where the bikers invade the mall is shorter, and a lot of the gory scenes of bikers being attacked were missing. I think this made for a tighter and more realistic film. To me some of the biker's deaths are quite unrealistic and far-fetched and spoil the film a little bit.

I'd be interested to see the 3 versions on the Region 1 DVD.
 
Discounting censor cuts - there are 3 versions.

The original cinema release is the directors approved version- not the longer edit which was released as "the directors cut " in the early days of dvd (in the US).

That cinema version of 126 minutes was released in the UK but subject to censor cuts of 6 minutes.

Over the years the cuts dwindled and its now available uncut,although with Bravo screenings ,various BBC screenings and quite a few VHS/dvd releases the UK has seen the film with many different edits for censorship.

The longer edit was an unfinished version .
It was the current state of the movie when it was requested for the Cannes Film Festival and Romero could not let that opportunity go so off it went without its famous Goblin music aswell as numerous different lines and takes that were later taken out for the final edit.

This version surfaced again when the film was offered for 16mm distribution in the US.

When the film was bought for a Laserdisc deal the buyers insisted that they were allowed to call the film the "directors cut" to make it more marketable.

This version was released on an early double sided dvd in the US.

The 3rd version was created by co-producer Dario Argento.
As co-producer he was allowed to create his own version for the non English language territories.

It has more Goblin music,less library music and more gore but a shorter running time.
The famous shot of the zombie having the top of his head removed by helicopter blades was not in the Argento version.

All 3 versions are available in the US 4 disc boxset.

Having now watched all 3 I can say that the original Romero version of 126mins is definitely the best version.

The film is out in the UK but the US set offers multiple commentaries including the original cast ,DD and DTS surround sound ,a new documentary aswell as the old Document of the Dead documentary aswell.
 
OK, edwinastley has cleared up my confusion. The version I saw at the cinema was Romero's 1978 original theatrical version. It definitely had the hellicopter head scene. I think I might be getting confused regarding Dario Argento's contribution. I think he has a co-writing credit.
 
I cant recall off hand if he has a writing credit ,but it was his involvement as co-producer that gave him the right to create his own Euro version.

That version has never been seen on UK tv or UK video/dvd.

But it may well have been shown at any number of film festivals
 
Mooted long ago was a possible construction job putting together all the available footage from all 3 versions.

However ,if you've seen them you'll realise how impossible that was as many of the differences are simply alternate takes,alternate angles,lengthened or shortened scenes
 
I got the Anchor Bay boxset of Night, Dawn and Day

There are 3 cuts on this particular Dawn DVD

  • The bit where the guy in the flats gets his head blown to bits by Wooley
  • Where the lady gets her arm bitten, there's no blood spurt
  • Peter blows away the 2 kid zombies (Tom Savini explained in the commentary that this scene was cut from the DVD due to events in Dunblane)
 
I bought the 'Trilogy of the Dead' box set a few years back and that contained the censored version of 'Dawn of the Dead. The full version has been shown on BBC2 a couple of times since then. The full version was also given away in 'The Sun' as a freebie.
As far as I can see the scenes that were missing originally were : 1. An exploding head scene near the beginning
2. Extended arm and neck bite from the same scene
3. The killing of the zombie children in the gas station
4. Machete to the head scene in the mall
sometimes they cut out the screwdriver killing of the zombie in the mall too!
 
Anyone seen the documentary where they explain that the screwdriver scene had to be added in to cover up a continuity error with the Scott Reiniger's jacket going missing?! He's wearing it when running through the shop, then in the next scene they shot later he isn't wearing it. They had to shoot an extra scene where a zombie grabs him by the jacket (I think the zombie's posing like a shop dummy) and to escape Reiniger has to kill the zombie and lose his jacket.


There's a censorship history at http://www.eofftv.com/d/daw/dawn_of_the_dead_main.htm
 
If the European version has NEVER been on any UK TV channels then I dont think ive seen it.
Though I DEFINATELY recall seeing a version some time ago, that had the DUN-DUN- music over the gate lowering scene.
Maybe this was the Euro version on official release VHS?
Other than that Im at a loss to explain it:confused:
 
The BBC2 screening of "Dawn" contained some 50+ cuts (detailed elsewhere by an avid fan) - don't know why they bothered showing it! ;)

Best version to get is the R1 "Ultimate Edition" from Anchor Bay. They've even made some effort to digitally recolour the blood from the washed out pink back to it's original - they didn't go dark enough for my liking, but hey, the thought was there.
 
That sounRAB like an old UK boxset released when Dawn had not been passed uncut ,which it has been now.

There are numerous cuts in the original UK version but many of them are so fleeting they are not as noticeable as the ones you mention
 
DepenRAB when The Sun gave it away.

The film has been passed uncut by the BBFC for quite a while now.

The first BBC broadcast had cuts that went way beyond the BBFC cuts.

The uncut version is 126 minutes which equates to about 121-122 on a PAL dvd
 
I got a completely uncut extended version on DVD for around a fiver from tesco late one night. (...just spotted it in the cheap section!:) )
-this includes a Romero commentary-WELL worth it.
I already owned the same film, with a different sleeve, but with Tom Savinis commentary instead. (paid around 12quid for that one a few years back)
*Ive just reminded myself here-I dont think I ever got round to listening Romeros commentary and theres nowt on TV tonight (again!) HMMM....:D
 
I think it was about March or April this year when the Sun gave away their horror film selection...just looking at their cover of DOTD and it says 'feature running time: 127 mins'.
Also it is Dolby Digital 5:1 Stereo and Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Widescreen.
 
Back
Top