Dawn of the Dead (1979): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Dawn of the Dead is a 1979 horror thriller directed by George A. Romero, starring David Emge and Ken Foree. It runs 2 hours 7 minutes and earned $159,822 worldwide. It earned 1 award nomination, including Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards 1979. Critics gave it 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 71 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 7m (127 min)
- Director
- George A. Romero
- Original language
-
English - After the credits
- Yes Extra scene during or after the credits
What Is Dawn of the Dead About?
The premise of Dawn of the Dead without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
When a sudden zombie outbreak sweeps across the United States, several survivors find themselves seeking shelter. Stephen, a radio DJ, and his girlfriend Francine escape Pennsylvania by helicopter with two SWAT officers. They discover a seemingly secure shopping mall and take refuge there, joining other survivors. As the relentless undead swarm the mall, they must work together to defend themselves and face the daunting task of surviving the escalating crisis.
Dawn of the Dead Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- zombie apocalypse
- cult film
- zombie
- pennsylvania
- shopping mall
- apocalypse
- flesh eating
- low budget film
- living dead
- undead
- epidemic
- abandoned shopping mall
+38 more Show fewer
- looter
- swat team
- biker gang
- philadelphia pennsylvania
- consumerism
- cult director
- grindhouse film
- ghetto
- motorcycle
- motorcycle gang
- edited by director
- video nasty
- murder of a child
- car
- zombie virus
- zombie pandemic
- pandemic
- police officer killed
- binoculars
- sequel
- barricade
- biker
- gang
- helicopter
- traffic reporter
- rescue
- attack
- apartment
- moaning
- bandit
- blood
- escape
- written by director
- director also cinematographer
- head butt
- stylized violence
- tire iron
- crowbar
Dawn of the Dead Cast
David Emge leads the cast, with Ken Foree. Directed by George A. Romero.
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Director George A. Romero
More from George A. Romero
More films directed by George A. Romero, best-rated first: Night of the Living Dead, Monkey Shines, Knightriders and Day of the Dead.
Dawn of the Dead Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Dawn of the Dead 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 71 on Metacritic.
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Rotten Tomatoes 92% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 90%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 71 Metascore
User score 7.2
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 75% User score
See on TMDB
Dawn of the Dead Plot Summary
What happens in Dawn of the Dead from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Tensions are escalating across the United States as the recently deceased rise from their graves, transforming into mindless, flesh-hungry ghouls. Amidst this chaos, Fran (Gaylen Ross), a dedicated employee of WGON-TV and Radio, discovers that her program director, Givens, is misleading the public with outdated information about rescue stations that are now overrun by the undead. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Stephen (David Emge), a traffic helicopter pilot, arrives with urgent news: they must escape immediately to survive. He plans to take the station’s helicopter and instructs Fran to meet him on the roof by 9 PM.
Full summary
The whole story of Dawn of the Dead, scene by scene
Dawn of the Dead Box Office
Dawn of the Dead grossed $159,822 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$159.8K
- International
- $159.8K
Dawn of the Dead Awards & Nominations
Dawn of the Dead earned 1 award nomination, including Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards 1979.
1 nomination1 ceremony
-
Saturn Awards 1979 1 nomination- Nominated Best Horror Film
Dawn of the Dead Trailers & Videos
4 videos: 1 trailer and 3 featurettes.
- Featurette George A. Romero and How He Created DAWN OF THE DEAD
- Featurette Bill Hader on Dawn of the Dead
- Featurette Quentin Tarantino on Dawn of the Dead
How Well Do You Know Dawn of the Dead?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the main setting of the movie?
Cars in Dawn of the Dead
30 cars on screen, including the Harley-Davidson Panhead and the 1968 International Harvester Fleetstar 2050A.
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Harley-Davidson Panhead Important role -
1968 International Harvester Fleetstar 2050A Important role -
Mack MB 400 Important role -
1978 Volkswagen Scirocco MkI Typ 53 Important role
Dawn of the Dead Also Known As
39 alternative titles, including “George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead” and “Zombies: Dawn of the Dead”.
- Also known as
-
- George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead
- Zombies: Dawn of the Dead
- The Zombies
- Zombi
- El amanecer de los muertos
- El amanecer de los muertos vivientes
- Zombi: El regreso de los muertos vivientes
- Zombie 1 - Le crépuscule des morts-vivants
- Madrugada dos Mortos
- Zombie
- ゾンビ
- Zombie - O Despertar dos Mortos
+27 more Show fewer
- L'alba dei morti
- Livinga Mrta Ke Dona
- Zombies im Kaufhaus
- Zombie - Dawn of the Dead
- Zombie 1 - Dawn of the Dead
- In de Greep van de Zombies
- Zombie - Le Crépuscule des morts-vivants
- Zombie, el crepúsculo de los muertos vivientes
- ซอมบี้ คนกัดคน
- Zombi One: Dawn of the Dead
- O Despertar dos Mortos
- 活死人黎明
- Зора живих мртваца
- Úsvit mrtvých
- Рассвет мертвецов
- Ζόμπι: Το Ξύπνημα των Νεκρών
- Holtak hajnala
- Zombie: Rædslernes morgen
- שחר המתים
- 시체들의 새벽
- Despertar dos Mortos
- Świt żywych trupów
- 生人勿近
- ต้นฉบับรุ่งอรุณแห่งความตาย, მკვდრების აისი
- Bình Minh Chết
- El despertar dels zombis
- Світанок мерців
Seen Dawn of the Dead?
Movies Like Dawn of the Dead
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead and Diary of the Dead.
Dawn of the Dead FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Dawn of the Dead, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Dawn of the Dead?
Dawn of the Dead runs 2 hours 7 minutes (127 minutes).
When was Dawn of the Dead released?
Dawn of the Dead was released on May 24, 1979.
Who directed Dawn of the Dead?
Dawn of the Dead was directed by George A. Romero.
More films by George A. Romero Who is in the cast of Dawn of the Dead?
Dawn of the Dead stars David Emge and Ken Foree.
How much did Dawn of the Dead make at the box office?
Dawn of the Dead grossed $159,822 worldwide.
How is Dawn of the Dead rated?
Dawn of the Dead has 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 71 on Metacritic and 75% on TMDB.
Was Dawn of the Dead nominated for any awards?
Dawn of the Dead received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.
Does Dawn of the Dead have a post-credit scene?
Yes. Dawn of the Dead has an extra scene during or after the credits, so it is worth staying seated.
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