Director's Cut
By far the best version that I have seen on tape. From Elite video, the digitally remastered video was done using the original 35mm CRI. The transfer was approved by Michael Gornick, the film's DOP. The film also has 11 minutes of additional footage, features and alternative soundrack, and is presented in TRUE letter box format.
It comes as a two-tape set. One has the director's cut, and the other tape are various domestic and foreign trailers. The trailer tape is cool, but the best one, in my opinion, comes at the end of the movie, after the credits have finished rolling. That trailer is sort of a teaser. It has the animated zombie head logo rising over the horizon and the BEST voice over narration I've heard on any "Dawn" preview -- totally creepy! To think I hadn't discovered it until several months after viewing the tape!
As for the additional scenes, the most celebrated of course is the famous Joe Pilato police dock scene. Nearly three minutes long, Pilato plays a renegade cop who is about to blow Steven and Fran away after they discover he has been stealing equipment from the dock. It is a cool scene, and it gives us just a taste of what Joe Pilato can accomplish as the ulitmate asshole.
American Theatrical
One of the first releases of Dawn on tape. This version was the one that I was first introduced to as a wee boy. A classic in the truest sense, I just watched this (at the time of this writing) yesterday. I did so solely for the Golbin soundrack, which is far superior to any other version. I'm afraid Argento got it right when he picked the progressive rock band music over the needle drop music Romero picked out for the flick. There is something so hypnotizing about that thumping bass guitar in the background and that funky moog synthisizer, combined together it sends shivers up and down my spine. That's why I think this version can stand on it's own -- the superior soundtrack. It just gives the viewer a great feel of the picture.
20th Anniversary Edition
What the hell is wrong with Anchor Bay? I'd like to know who sold these creeps new distribution rights because everything they've done has been crap! Take for instance the cover of this 20th anniversary video. It says it is in widescreen format. THAT IS A BLATENT LIE! For some goofball reason, someone at Anchor Bay cropped the top and bottom of the video and called it widescreen. You can't even seen the credits at the end because they don't fit on the screen! It's an outrage, and if you get a chance, feel free to write, e-mail, or call Anchor Bay and tell them how displeased you are with there treatment of this classic film. They even screwed up my official Dawn of the Dead T-shirt by printing the back on the front and they forgot to put the logo on!
In fact, the only reason I bought this video was for the two additional scenes not originally scene in the director's cut, or the American Theatrical version -- and only one of them is cool!
The additional footage that I did like seeing is from the Argento version. It takes place right after Peter, Roger, and Steven get back from raiding the mall and they are all enjoying a bit of Jack Danials and crackers.
Steven is a bit drunk and his mouth is running and he's talking about how easy it was to get by the zombies. Peter sees this as underestimating the beasties and he scolds Steven by saying, "Supposing the lady (Fran) gets killed. You be able to chop off her head?"
It's a good additional scene, though it looks like Achor Bay stole a copy of the print off a shelf they found sitting in a second run theater in Columbus, Ohio, since 1980, then transferred it to the tape.
