Night Of The Living Dead (1968) + Dawn Of The Dead (1978) + Day Of The Dead (1985/Umbrella Entertainment Region Free/Zero Blu-ray Imports)

 

Picture: B     Sound: C+/B/B     Extras: C+/B/B     Films: B+

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: These Blu-rays can be operated on all Blu-ray machines worldwide and are Region Zero/0/Free, but all the supplements on all titles are in the analog PAL format, so some players may not be able to access them.  All three can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the website address provided at the end of the review.

 

 

Finally, there is a company that has released all three of the original George Romero Dead zombie films (so they got the rights to the sequels) and have issued them on Blu-ray, but instead of it being a U.S. or U.K. company, the separate releases issued at the same time come from Umbrella Entertainment in Australia.  The U.K. has two versions of the first film on Blu-ray and the U.S., one briefly no one seems to have seen.

 

With that said, we have covered all three films before, including the first and third on Blu-ray, so you can read more about each if you are not familiar with them or why they are classics at these links:

 

Night Of The Living Dead (1968/U.K. Network Blu-ray)

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9169/Night+Of+The+Living+Dead+(1968/Re

 

Dawn Of The Dead (1978/U.S. Anchor Bay DVD Set)

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1416/Dawn+Of+The+Dead+-+Ultimate+Editi

 

Day Of The Dead (1985/U.S. Anchor Bay Blu-ray)

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6152/Day+Of+The+Dead+(1985/Blu-ray)

 

 

The 1080p digital High Definition image in all three cases has some motion blur other slight flaws, with the Dawn and Day 1080p 1.77 X 1 playback pretty much on par with that of the Anchor Bay Blu-rays, so that is no problem, though Umbrella only offers a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mixes are the only soundtrack offered, while the Anchor Bay versions offered PCM lossless 5.1 at best, plus lesser Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 Mono.  In the case of Day, it is dead even while in the case of Dawn, shows flaws and limits one cannot hear in the older DTS DVD release by Anchor Bay.  Except for extras, they are (no pun intended) dead even in the performance as the two Blu-ray sequels.

 

The case of the 1080p 1.33 X 1 digital High Definition image on Night offers a very different transfer from the Network U.K. version, yet both are good and likable.  This copy is somewhat cleaner, has not as many flaws or jump cuts in the print and as well as a slightly warmer look with better grey scale and some more richness in the detail, but the U.K. Blu-ray has less blur and though it has less detail, looks a little more naturalistic and the stylized look comes through better.  Thus is the tale of this public domain film, especially one shot so memorably in black and white 35mm film (with very limited 16mm) and even the U.S. Weinstein DVD has issues.  The monophonic sound on both are also on par with each other, but again different.  This Blu-ray uses DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 2.0 Mono, while the U.K. version used PCM 2.0 Mono.  They both have their distortions and limits, but yet again, at different points and both need further restoration.  I still like both better than the cleaned Weinstein U.S. DVD.  You can’t go wrong with either edition, especially as an official U.S. Blu-ray still has not been issued.

 

As for extras, Night shares the same trailer that the U.K. edition had, but this one is in PAL format and does not look quite as good, but it adds a TV Spot and 80-minutes-long Reflections On The Living Dead featurette that is not on any U.S> DVD we are aware of, but many more extras exist, so hopefully they can all be pulled together when the film gets further restoration.

 

Dawn has two audio commentary tracks here, where the U.S. version only had the Romero/Savini (et al) track, this version also offers the commentary with Producer Richard Rubenstein.  The Dead Will Walk documentary, most trailers and radio spots are repeated here from the Anchor Bay Blu-ray, but this new version also adds a 2008 In Conversation segment with Romero (at MIFF, 50 minutes) that was made since the 2007 Anchor Bay release, text biographies and Photo Galleries on the Blu-ray, while a PAL DVD included adds Fan Of The Dead, Document Of The Dead, separate Document Of The Dead – Lost Interviews and Document Of The Dead - Deleted Scenes.  That still leaves all the alternate cuts of the film not here, but this is a nice update form the U.S. edition, though the film itself could use some more restoration.  Day almost has the same extras as its U.S. counterpart, but the Romero/Savini/Cardille commentary is the only repeat commentary.  The U.S. Blu-ray has a Roger Avery commentary, while we get a special effects commentary including Greg Nicotero on this Australian version.  The rest of the extras are on a second disc, another PAL DVD, including the same 20-minutes Behind-The-Scenes piece, trailers and TV Spots from the U.S. Blu-ray, then adds a stills gallery.

 

For the record, the U.S. editions (with their extras in NTSC analog video) have Fast Film Facts and promos for malls related to the films.  Fans will want these editions, even if they already have others.  I was pleasantly surprised and they all continue to hold up as the imitators keep on coming.

 

 

As noted above, you can order these Blu-ray imports exclusively from Umbrella at:

 

http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo