The Definitive Document of the Dead (2012)
Studio: Synapse
DVD Release: November 13, 2012
Director: Roy Frumkes
Not Rated
Review by James Klein
I make it no secret that Dawn of the Dead is my all-time favorite horror film ever made (if the remake even crosses your mind, just stop reading). I own the poster which is signed by Ken Foree, the laserdisc which is signed by George A. Romero, the Ultimate DVD set containing all three versions of the film, and even a small mini poster of the Italian poster called Zombie. From the very first time I saw Dawn when I was in 8th grade (a kid at school gave me the VHS because he didn't own a VCR...how old am I?) I was hooked. I wanted to know every little detail about the film. I wanted to know where it was shot, how they did the effects, what the actors were like, what the director was like, everything. Years later in 1999, Synapse put out the laserdisc of the 1985 documentary Document of the Dead which i had heard so much about but couldn't find a copy of. This was an entire making of documentary that started out as a school project that director Roy Frumkes was working on which turned into a much bigger film than he anticipated. With a behind the scenes look at my favorite horror film, I watched this documentary over and over again. I still own the laserdisc to this day. Now, 13 years later Frumkes has added (and also deleted) footage to his documentary, thus making it an updated version of his documentary that he has been working on for almost 35 years.
Frumkes set out to make a small documentary about the making of a low budget indie film to show his students at a NYC film school that he worked at. With luck, he was able to get on the set of the sequel to Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead. He was allowed to only briefly speak to George A. Romero but soon he was allowed to talk to Romero constantly with also permission to speak to actors, make up artists, casting agents, etc. Frumkes even got a small part playing a zombie who gets a pie smacked in his face. The behind the scenes footage of Dawn of the Dead is just fascinating to watch and very informative.
The documentary then drifts to 1989 where Frumkes is reunited with Romero on the set of Two Evil Eyes, the anthology film that he and Dario Argento were directing. While I did enjoy watching Tom Savini continuing to create a special effect that just isn't going right, the tone suddenly drifts into a somber look at where movies were (and unfortunately were) heading. Romero talks about commercialism and how low budget films are soon being turned into modest budget films. Even Savini himself gives a downbeat talk about the state of films, particularly on the horror genre.
The third part of the film is entirely new footage. It's segments of Romero on the set of Diary of the Dead, Romero and some of his older cast mates at horror conventions, and a quick look at Romero on the set of Survival of the Dead. Luckily for us, the footage is mostly of various horror celebrities at horror conventions talking about Romero's work. I detest Romero's modern efforts as a film maker. I believe his last decent film was the underrated Bruiser in 2000. The wit, style and genius that was Romero is gone in his last few films which just screams of an old time director trying to grasp at straws in making a film but instead centering on making a political statement than making a horror film (yes, I know all of his films or most of them have been political in some sense but he substitutes the subtle with the obvious). I found this new footage interesting to see but ultimately unnecessary.
The Definitive Document of the Dead also edits out certain scenes that were on the original Document of the Dead. The entire opening has been changed. The original film opened with a Marx Brothers segment from A Night in Casablanca where the Brothers talk about zombies. Now, we are given this strange claymation opening with this really annoying and depressing folk song playing over the footage. This song is also played over the menu screen and to me, it is just nails on a chalkboard. There is also footage cut out from the set of Two Evil Eyes which is not really all that vital. I will say I much prefer the original and ultimately shorter version of Document of the Dead than this new version. Watching Romero on the set of Diary of the Dead and getting upset that a squib isn't working and ultimately choosing to shoot all blood effects in CGI is just heartbreaking.
The DVD does have an audio commentary track by Frumkes himself who is an intelligent and very detailed film maker, providing some really interesting stories about the making of Document (Dario Argento upset over the possibility that footage from Two Evil Eyes might be shown, Romero's wife Christine forbidding Frumkes to shoot footage of their daughter, and a memory with the late actor/musician David Hess whose footage he shot with Hess has been lost).
As of right now, Synapse is offering a special limited edition blu ray of The Definitive Document of the Dead. On the Synapse website only, fans can order the DVD of The Definitive Document of the Dead and also receive the blu ray of the original 1979 version of the film (which wasn't released on video until 1985) that does not include the Two Evil Eyes footage. For just $29.95, one can get two versions of the film and a small mini poster of the new DVD art cover.
Stay scared!
[rating: 3]
DVD Release: November 13, 2012
Director: Roy Frumkes
Not Rated
Review by James Klein
I make it no secret that Dawn of the Dead is my all-time favorite horror film ever made (if the remake even crosses your mind, just stop reading). I own the poster which is signed by Ken Foree, the laserdisc which is signed by George A. Romero, the Ultimate DVD set containing all three versions of the film, and even a small mini poster of the Italian poster called Zombie. From the very first time I saw Dawn when I was in 8th grade (a kid at school gave me the VHS because he didn't own a VCR...how old am I?) I was hooked. I wanted to know every little detail about the film. I wanted to know where it was shot, how they did the effects, what the actors were like, what the director was like, everything. Years later in 1999, Synapse put out the laserdisc of the 1985 documentary Document of the Dead which i had heard so much about but couldn't find a copy of. This was an entire making of documentary that started out as a school project that director Roy Frumkes was working on which turned into a much bigger film than he anticipated. With a behind the scenes look at my favorite horror film, I watched this documentary over and over again. I still own the laserdisc to this day. Now, 13 years later Frumkes has added (and also deleted) footage to his documentary, thus making it an updated version of his documentary that he has been working on for almost 35 years.
Frumkes set out to make a small documentary about the making of a low budget indie film to show his students at a NYC film school that he worked at. With luck, he was able to get on the set of the sequel to Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead. He was allowed to only briefly speak to George A. Romero but soon he was allowed to talk to Romero constantly with also permission to speak to actors, make up artists, casting agents, etc. Frumkes even got a small part playing a zombie who gets a pie smacked in his face. The behind the scenes footage of Dawn of the Dead is just fascinating to watch and very informative.
The documentary then drifts to 1989 where Frumkes is reunited with Romero on the set of Two Evil Eyes, the anthology film that he and Dario Argento were directing. While I did enjoy watching Tom Savini continuing to create a special effect that just isn't going right, the tone suddenly drifts into a somber look at where movies were (and unfortunately were) heading. Romero talks about commercialism and how low budget films are soon being turned into modest budget films. Even Savini himself gives a downbeat talk about the state of films, particularly on the horror genre.
The third part of the film is entirely new footage. It's segments of Romero on the set of Diary of the Dead, Romero and some of his older cast mates at horror conventions, and a quick look at Romero on the set of Survival of the Dead. Luckily for us, the footage is mostly of various horror celebrities at horror conventions talking about Romero's work. I detest Romero's modern efforts as a film maker. I believe his last decent film was the underrated Bruiser in 2000. The wit, style and genius that was Romero is gone in his last few films which just screams of an old time director trying to grasp at straws in making a film but instead centering on making a political statement than making a horror film (yes, I know all of his films or most of them have been political in some sense but he substitutes the subtle with the obvious). I found this new footage interesting to see but ultimately unnecessary.
The Definitive Document of the Dead also edits out certain scenes that were on the original Document of the Dead. The entire opening has been changed. The original film opened with a Marx Brothers segment from A Night in Casablanca where the Brothers talk about zombies. Now, we are given this strange claymation opening with this really annoying and depressing folk song playing over the footage. This song is also played over the menu screen and to me, it is just nails on a chalkboard. There is also footage cut out from the set of Two Evil Eyes which is not really all that vital. I will say I much prefer the original and ultimately shorter version of Document of the Dead than this new version. Watching Romero on the set of Diary of the Dead and getting upset that a squib isn't working and ultimately choosing to shoot all blood effects in CGI is just heartbreaking.
The DVD does have an audio commentary track by Frumkes himself who is an intelligent and very detailed film maker, providing some really interesting stories about the making of Document (Dario Argento upset over the possibility that footage from Two Evil Eyes might be shown, Romero's wife Christine forbidding Frumkes to shoot footage of their daughter, and a memory with the late actor/musician David Hess whose footage he shot with Hess has been lost).
As of right now, Synapse is offering a special limited edition blu ray of The Definitive Document of the Dead. On the Synapse website only, fans can order the DVD of The Definitive Document of the Dead and also receive the blu ray of the original 1979 version of the film (which wasn't released on video until 1985) that does not include the Two Evil Eyes footage. For just $29.95, one can get two versions of the film and a small mini poster of the new DVD art cover.
Stay scared!
[rating: 3]
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