Horror classic a bloody good DVD

Some 25 years after its original theatrical release, George A. Romero's classic splatter film still inspires the same shock and awe it did back in 1978. This second chapter of Romero's groundbreaking "Living Dead" trilogy, the others being "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) and "Day of the Dead" (1985), along with Italian director Lucio Fulci's gorefest "Zombi," defined a new level of violence acceptable in mainstream film. Heads explode, limbs are lost and intestines are torn out with ecstatic glee. This is not a film for even the slightly squeamish.\n"Dawn" concerns a ragtag group of people trying to survive an unknown virus which causes the dead to rise and devour the living. Those partially devoured then rise to devour more unwitting humans. Drawing dually on mankind's innate fear of being eaten alive, as well as the crass consumerism of society (the bulk of the film is set in a shopping mall), Romero crafts a socially conscious horror film of the highest order. It's both frightening and thought provoking.\nBesides the requisite poster galleries and pre-release trailers, this disc contains a revelatory commentary track by director George A. Romero and makeup maven Tom Savini in which the two discuss many cost-effective ways to produce and film effective, low-budget horror.\nFilled to the brim with lumbering undead and resilient survivors, "Dawn of the Dead" is a must-own for any serious horror movie fan.