LAND OF THE DEAD (HD-DVD) (UNRATED/DOL DIG PLUS 5.1 SUR/ENG SDH/SPAN/FRENCH DVD

Land of the Dead
George A. Romero, who revolutionized the American horror film in 1968 with the instant classic Night of the Living Dead, returns to his dystopian zombie cycle with this horror Thriller. In Land of the Dead, the zombies whose numbers had been slowly but steadily growing through Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead now dominate the streets of most American cities, while urban skyscrapers have been taken over by surviving humans, usually greed-addled opportunists who allow the living to stay in their fortified compounds for a price. Guarding the buildings are rough-and-tumble mercenaries who have learned to do battle with the zombies, making use of powerful weapons to gain advantage. But as the zombie civilization grows, the creatures have begun to slowly evolve, with their dormant thought processes beginning to awaken, and as unrest begins to ferment among the mercenaries and the entrepreneurs who pay them, the ghouls may have found a way to defeat the last stronghold of humanity. Land of the Dead stars Dennis Hopper as arch capitalist Kaufman, and Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Robert Joy, and Asia Argento as some of the mercenaries; Asia Argento's father, Dario Argento, served as a producer on one of the earlier films in the series, Dawn of the Dead. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Simon Baker as Riley John Leguizamo as Cholo Asia Argento as Slack Robert Joy as Charlie Dennis Hopper as Kaufman Eugene Clark as Big Daddy Jennifer Baxter as No. 9 Boyd Banks as Butcher Joanne Boland as Pretty Boy Krista Bridges as Teahouse Pedro Miguel Arce as Pillsbury

Crew Doug Slater - Art Director David Resnick - Associate Producer Silenn Thomas - Associate Producer Marci Liroff - Casting Alex Kavanagh - Costume Designer George A. Romero - Director Gregory Nicotero - Second Unit Director Michael Doherty - Editor Lynwood Spinks - Executive Producer Dennis E. Jones - Executive Producer Steve Barnett - Executive Producer Ryan Kavanaugh - Executive Producer Dennis E. Jones - Line Producer Reinhold Heil - Composer (Music Score) Johnny Klimek - Composer (Music Score) K.N.B. EFX Group - Makeup Special Effects Arv Greywal - Production Designer Miroslaw Baszak - Cinematographer Peter Grunwald - Producer Bernie Goldmann - Producer Mark Canton - Producer Robert Fletcher - Sound/Sound Designer Matt Birman - Stunts Coordinator Brock Jolliffe - Special Effects Supervisor George A. Romero - Screenwriter Jeff Campbell - Visual Effects Supervisor Gregory Nicotero - Makeup Supervisor Marlene Puritt - Set Decorator Neil Canton - Co-Executive Producer

Land of the Dead
Twenty years after last addressing issues of the flesh in Day of the Dead -- not to mention countless imitations and a pair of remakes later -- the filmmaker who first brought the dead back to torment the living returns with a belated fourth entry into the legendary Dead Series. While for some die-hard fans this lean and fast-paced installment may not convey the epic sense of dread and desperation that elevated previous entries to classic status, George A. Romero's latest entry is a thinking man's gut-muncher that is clearly the work of a filmmaker with much on his mind -- and the courage to let his rotting flesh-eaters sink their teeth into larger issues often too tender to be approached in a straightforward manner. Anyone familiar with Romero's cinematic past even outside the Dead Series knows that he's always been a filmmaker with a keen eye for social commentary and satire. While longstanding fans will be happy to note that his knives are sharper than ever when it comes to such issues as complacency, greed, and the destructive effects of capitalism gone horribly awry, even those looking for nothing more than 93 minutes of shocking, creatively gruesome flesh-munching are sure to be pleased with the bloodletting on display here. As innovative as Romero continues to be in finding inventive new ways to deconstruct the human anatomy, though, it's the filmmaker's ability to follow through on themes presented in previous entries that truly separates this film from the endless horde of zombie movies shuffling mindlessly into theaters and onto home video. When audiences last ventured into Romero's nightmarish apocalypse, a scientist was attempting to train zombies so that they might be domesticated and cater to the needs of the living; now the same creatures are using the ability to learn not for the benefit of humankind, but to truly solidify their claim on the Earth. As with the first man who realized the destructive power of a simple stick or stone, Romero's creatures evolve to realize the power and importance of weapons and tools in stalking their human prey -- a discovery that makes for some pretty chilling imagery. While the bloodthirsty undead may be the walking embodiment of fear in Romero's dark alternate universe, it's the corpses with fresh blood still running through their veins who represent the true monsters. In one of his better performances following a series of seemingly phoned-in low-budget disappointments, aging rebel Dennis Hopper is deliciously devious as Kaufman, the dollar-obsessed founder of "Fiddler's Green" -- a ritzy fortified tower where those with the right connections and plenty of money can afford to escape a grim existence with the dwindling masses on the streets below. While performances by such other players as Simon Baker, Asia Argento, and John Leguizamo are generally solid all around, it's Leguizamo in particular who shines in the role of Kaufman's nemesis -- a low-level grunt who hungers for a taste of the good life and quickly turns Kaufman's world upside down when his down payment on a place in Fiddler's Green is coolly rejected. In regards to the soundtrack, Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek's score is largely functional but fairly forgettable, offering an appropriately militant beat for the march of the undead with little of the playful flair that Goblin delivered in Dawn of the Dead or John Harrison offered in his dated but enjoyable score for Day of the Dead. Along with his decision to eschew the increasingly grating trend of filling the soundtrack with the latest radio-friendly, overly crunchy u-metal hits, Romero has also seen fit to stick with his simple but effective editing style that favors extended takes and steady pacing over the strobe-light MTV style of fast, incoherent cutting and quick shocks. Overall, Land of the Dead has the feel of the perfect hybrid of old and new, an ideal continuation of the themes and ideas that Romero has developed over the years mixed with the perfect amount of modern sensibility. If anyone doubted George A. Romero's ability to remain effective in an era in which Resident Evil allows kids to wage battle with the undead on a daily basis, they're in for a happy -- and gruesomely fun -- surprise. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: English, Spanish Subtitle Options: English, Spanish, French Sound Processing: DTS: Digital Theater Systems (akin to 5.1) DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: Side a: Feature commentary Side b: Undead Again: The Making of Land of the Dead: Go behind the scenes and onto the set for an insider's look at the blood, sweat and...more blood that went into the creation of George A. Romero's most spectacular zombie film yet! A Day With the Living Dead: From "first call" to "wrap," star John Leguizamo takes you on a humorous personal tour through an entire working day. The Remaining Bits: These tasty deleted scenes are definitely not your average leftovers! When Shaun Met George: Stars from the cult hit Shaun of the Dead (Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright) have some ghoulish fun with the cast and crew during their cameos. Bringing the Dead to Life: The film's makeup artist, Greg Nicotero, offers insights into the fine art of crafting a convincing creepy zombie. Scenes of Carnage: A killer music video featuring the movies most outlandish scenes! Zombie Effects: From Green Screen to Finished Scene: See how zombie-actors, an unfinished set and computer-generated imagery combine to create the chilling illusion of reality. Bringing the Storyboards to Life: A step-by-step comparison of storyboard drawings and the final terrifying result captured on film. Scream Tests: Zombie Casting Call: Real-life and computer-generated zombies strut their undead stuff! DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1: Cinemascope MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 97 min   DVD Chapters: Disc #1, Side B -- Land of the Dead [Standard Definition] 1. Feeding on the Living [2:15] 2. Pretending to be Alive [3:18] 3. Dead Reckoning [4:15] 4. Shop 'Til You Drop [7:01] 5. Fiddler's Green [2:36] 6. A World of Fences [3:12] 7. Taking Care of Business [3:10] 8. A New Kind of Game [7:01] 9. Access Denied [3:52] 10. Screaming Practice [3:37] 11. The One That Got Away [5:11] 12. Recon Mission [8:50] 13. "The Responsibility is Mine" [4:49] 14. Crossing the River [3:47] 15. Working for the Man [5:46] 16. Back to the City [:21] 17. Seeing How the Other Half Lives [1:41] 18. Surrounded By Stench [5:49] 19. Fill 'Er Up [5:17] 20. Same As Us [5:51] 21. End Tiltes [4:23] 22. Chapter 22 [4:32] 23. Chapter 23 [:01]