Film Censorship: Dawn of the Dead (1978)-Day of the Dead (1985)

Dawn of the Dead

Directed by George Romero / 1978 / USA / IMDb

ZOMBIE: DAWN OF THE DEAD (Dario Argento's cut) was the first version to be submitted to the Australian censors. This 3252.00-meter (118:52) print was Refused Registration in November 1978 due to excessive violence.

In October 1979, a 3368.50-meter (123:07) print was submitted and again banned for excessive violence. Despite being described as the 'Soft Version', this was in fact Romero's cut of the film. An appeal to the Review Board in November 1979 was unsuccessful.

The distributor then produced a 3338.50-meter (122:01) print, described as the 'reconstructed soft version'. The film was still too much for the censors who banned it again in December 1979.

It was finally passed with an R-rating in February 1980, fifteen months after its initial submission, in a version described as the '2nd reconstructed soft version'. The submitted print ran 3323.60-meters (121:29), and was further cut by 10.7-meters (23s) because of excessive violence. This means the print that was eventually rated R ran 3312.90-meters (121:05), 02:02 shorter than its original submission.

Here is how Cinema Papers magazine reported on the films eventual R-rating, note that it seems to have an error in its final calculation of the cuts.

The cutting of Dawn of the Dead, however, was much more complicated. There is some confusion in that a footnote in the October 1979 listings states the film was originally submitted for censorship in November 1978 under the title Zombie - Dawn of the Dead is credited to "D.Argento/A.Cuerno, Italy" and at length 3252mtr.

Dawn of the Dead in the October 1979 listing is credited to "R.Rubenstein/Laurel Group, U.S." and running 3368.50mtr. This would suggest the complier of the censorship lists has made an error:

(i) Why would an Italian film suddenly become an American?; and
(ii) If the film had been banned at 3252m, why would it be re-submitted at the longer length of 3368.50m?

Anyway, after being banned in October 1979, an appeal was lodged in November 1979; it was rejected. A new version at 3338.50m was re-submitted in December 1979, but rejected. Cut once more, and now only 3323.50m, the film was passed "R" in February 1980, but only after an additional 10.7m was deleted. So the final version runs 3302.9m, or 2mins 20secs shorter than the original.

In retrospect, this is not as confusing as it looks. We now know that Dario Argento edited a shorter version for the European market, while George Romero produced a longer one for the U.S. It looks like Australia was set to have Argento's cut, only for it to be later replaced by Romero's.

DAWN OF THE DEAD: Censored theatrical version

Mark Savage had the misfortune of viewing the cut version of DAWN OF THE DEAD at Melbourne's Palace cinema. Here he remembers some of the missing scenes.

So, what was missing from the Australian cut of "Dawn"?

* The exploding head
* The basement zombies enthusiastically ripping into flesh
* The helicopter zombie getting the top of his head lopped off
* Tom Savini burying a machete in a zombie's head after saying: "Say goodbye, creep!"
* "Flyboy" being attacked and bitten in the elevator
* Zombies ripping intestines from a biker's belly

Shall I go on?

I sat in the mostly empty The Palace theatre on that Thursday afternoon feeling so angry and disappointed that I wanted to, quite literally, kill the Australian censors.

Australian video releases

In March 1983, it was banned once more in the form of a 90m video submitted by Risis Ethnic Video. The title was listed as ZOMBIE - DAWN OF THE DEAD.

It would take until June 1985 for the censors to pass the Romero's version uncut. CBS/Fox Video received an R-rating for a 125m tape. This particular release was issued with two different covers by CBS/Fox.

Dawn of the Dead - CBS/Fox Video [au] VHS 1

A No Name Label VHS of DAWN OF THE DEAD was released around 1999/2000. Thanks to Craig P for confirming that it actually ran 139m, and not the 126m listed on the cover. This indicates that it was a dub of the U.S. DVD or laser disc. The R18+ (High level violence, Adult themes, Frequent Coarse language) rating on the cover is fake.

Dawn of the Dead - No Name Label [au] VHS

Australian DVD releases

DAWN OF THE DEAD made its Australian DVD debut in August 2004, on the Umbrella Entertainment label. This particular release ran 126:59, and was classified R18+ (Medium level violence) in July 2004.

In May 2006, Umbrella Entertainment released the film once more as part of a box set titled TRILOGY OF THE DEAD. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DAY OF THE DEAD were also included.

In October 2008, Umbrella Entertainment released DAWN OF THE DEAD as part of a box set called THE GEORGE A. ROMERO COLLECTION. It included THE CRAZIES and MARTIN.

DAWN OF THE DEAD: EXTENDED VERSION was rated R18+ (Blood and gore, High impact horror violence) in June 2009. Umbrella Entertainment released this 328m DVD in August 2009 as the ULTIMATE EDITION. As well as Romero's 128m and 139m versions, it also contains Argento's shorter cut. This was the version that was first banned by the Australian censors back in November 1978 under the title ZOMBIE: DAWN OF THE DEAD.

In September 2010, Umbrella Entertainment released DAWN OF THE DEAD on Blu-ray.

Dawn of the Dead - Umbrella Entertainment [au] DVD 1

Day of the Dead

Directed by George Romero / 1985 / USA / IMDb

Like its predecessor, Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD also ran into problems with our censors.

February 1986 saw Hoyts Distribution have a 102m 35mm print Refused Registration. The reason given was violence, which was described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous.

There does not seem to be any record of this having been censored, so presumably a theatrical release never took place.

April 1986 saw the censors pass the documentary SCREAM GREATS VOLUME 1: TOM SAVINI with an R-rating. This contained just about all of the most graphic violence from DAY OF THE DEAD. See our separate database entry for more information.

June 1986 saw DAY OF THE DEAD banned again. CBS/Fox Video had the 102m 35mm print again Refused Registration for violence, which was again described as:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: High
Purpose: Gratuitous.

1988: Finally R-rated

A fully uncut 97m videotape was finally passed with an R18+ rating in November 1988. Now the violence was described as being:
Frequency: Frequent
Explicitness/Intensity: Medium
Purpose: Gratuitous
Other: Graphic Horror.

Roadshow Home Video released DAY OF THE DEAD soon after on tape on their Premiere Video label with a cover that utilised an image from the 1985 film RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. It also proudly states 'Banned in Queensland'. This would have been one of the last titles to sport such advertising. The Goss Labor Government came to power in late 1989, and Queensland's Films Board of Review (in place since 1974), was soon abandoned.

According to Rod Williams at the CHOPPING LIST site.

The Australian OFLC had intended a cut version to be released, according to a letter John Dickie sent to me in the 1990s. However, the full uncut version was put out on VHS rental by the Premier label, much to the delight of horror fans.

Australian DVD Releases

Force Video gave DAY OF THE DEAD a DVD release in 2001. Despite the R18+ (High level violence) rating on the cover, it does not look as though it had been re-submitted to the Classification Board.

A second disc appeared in 2006 as part of Umbrella Entertainment's TRILOGY OF THE DEAD box set. It also included NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978).

Umbrella Entertainment had a DVD of DAY OF THE DEAD passed with an R18+ (High Level Horror Violence, Blood and Gore) rating in March 2007. It was released the following month.

In September 2010, Umbrella Entertainment released DAY OF THE DEAD on Blu-ray.

Day of the Dead - Premiere Home Video [au] VHS Day of the Dead - Force Video [au] DVD Day of the Dead - Umbrella Entertainment [au] DVD 1