In the spirit of Zombie talk, I turn to one of the greatest zombie films ever created, Dawn of the Dead.
Written and directed by George A. Romero in 1978 and later reimagined by Zack Snyder in 2004, each film follows a group of survivors amidst the zombie apocalypse, seeking refuge in a mall. The mall poses an adequate safe-haven for the group: it is filled with resources, vast living quarters and provides ample shelter from their zombie cohorts. They can even flag down helicopters from the rooftop. But no one is ever too safe in the Zombie apocalypse, as thousands of Zombies linger outside, each one trying to make its way inside the mall that houses the last remnants of living flesh.
What makes Dawn of the Dead such a great film is its social commentary. The fact that the survivors flee to the mall and start to feel safe underscores the value that we put on consumer products. They make us feel safe, civilized, and shield us from a world of barbarism. In many respects, we are zombies: devoid of critical thought, relentlessly pursuing that mall in hopes that we’ll get a taste of something fresh and exciting.