Land of the Dead
A zombie assault on a feudal Pittsburgh sanctuary.
Last updated
George A. Romero wrote and directed Land of the Dead, a 2005 post-apocalyptic horror film and the fourth entry in his six-film Living Dead series. Set in Pittsburgh, the story follows survivors in a feudal society protected by rivers and an electric barrier. With a $15–19 million budget—the series’ largest—it earned $46 million. Released June 24, 2005, it garnered mostly positive reviews from critics.
Plot
Years after the zombie apocalypse, human survivors have established protected city-states across North America. One such sanctuary is in downtown Pittsburgh, bordered by rivers on two sides and an electrified fence called "the Throat" on the third. The wealthy live in a luxury high-rise named Fiddler's Green, while the rest live in squalor. Paul Kaufman, the city's ruthless plutocratic ruler, controls all commerce and owns Dead Reckoning, an armored vehicle used for scavenging.
Riley Denbo, the vehicle's designer and commander, leads missions into zombie-infested areas for supplies and luxury items. On one mission, the crew notices zombies exhibiting intelligent behavior, particularly a former gas station attendant called "Big Daddy." Rookie Mike is bitten by a zombie while grabbing cigarettes; after Riley and Charlie Houk arrive, Cholo DeMora initially intends to kill Mike, but Riley shoots the undead instead. Mike commits suicide rather than turning.
Riley retires and plans to leave for Canada once his car is repaired, but discovers it missing. He visits a pimp named Chihuahua, where he sees a prostitute named Slack forced into a cage with zombies. Riley and his friend Charlie rescue Slack; after Charlie kills Chihuahua, the trio are arrested. Slack reveals Kaufman ordered her execution for assisting a resistance leader named Mulligan.
Production
After a decade of waning interest in zombies during the 1990s, the genre regained popularity in the 2000s following hits like 28 Days Later (2002) and Shaun of the Dead (2004). This inspired Romero to create his long-awaited fourth zombie installment since Day of the Dead (1985). Romero initially negotiated with 20th Century Fox, who wanted the film titled Night of the Living Dead; he refused, preferring Dead Reckoning, and the studio then proposed Night of the Living Dead: Dead Reckoning.
When Romero questioned including "Night of the Living Dead" in the title, Fox sought to own the franchise rights, and he declined to work with them. Romero then negotiated with Universal Pictures, receiving a budget of $15–19 million, the highest in his series, allowing him to include elements he could not use in Day of the Dead due to budget constraints. He cast lesser-known actors for lead roles, such as Simon Baker and Robert Joy, with exceptions like Dennis Hopper and John Leguizamo.
Asia Argento was cast as Slack after Romero worked with her father, Dario Argento, on earlier films. Tom Savini, Simon Pegg, and Edgar Wright appear as zombies. Filming took place in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada between October and December 2004.
Release
Land of the Dead was released one year and three months after the Dawn of the Dead remake. It grossed over $40 million, ranking second behind Dawn of the Dead in unadjusted revenue for the Living Dead series, excluding remakes. The film opened the MTV Saturday Horror block on February 27, 2010. It was the first film in the series to receive an MPAA rating for its theatrical release.
Romero planned two versions: an R-rated cut for theaters and first DVD, and an unrated cut for a second DVD. Both DVDs were released in the U.S. on October 18, 2005. For the R rating, extreme gore was obscured by bluescreen foreground elements, trimmed shots, or digital repainting of blood to black. British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario rated both versions 18A, while Quebec gave a 13+ rating.
In the UK, the BBFC rated both versions 15 for strong language, violence, horror, and gore, but all UK releases except the UMD version were rated 18 due to a bonus feature called Scenes of Carnage. In Germany, both versions were rated 18, so only the unrated version was widely available. The film was banned in Ukraine.
Reception
The film earned a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 179 reviews, with an average rating of 6.70/10. The site's consensus noted that while the film is not as fresh as Romero's original Night of the Living Dead, it delivers on gore and zombie action. On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 71 out of 100 from 30 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews. Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, praising its skillful and creative allusions and satirical metaphors to American life, particularly the distinction between the rich in Fiddler's Green and the poor in the slums.
John Lutz, in Zombies of the World, Unite: Class Struggle and Alienation in Land of the Dead, compared the fireworks used to distract zombies to US military "shock and awe" displays. Jeffrey Westhoff of the Northwest Herald gave 3.5 stars out of four, noting how boldly Romero holds a mirror to post-9/11 America. Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune awarded four stars, calling it a hard-edged, funny, and perverse exercise in fear. The New York Sun declared it "the American movie of the year."
Several filmmakers, including John Landis, Eli Roth, Clive Barker, and Guillermo del Toro, paid tribute to Romero in a special feature, with del Toro calling the film a momentous occasion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for Land of the Dead?
The music for Land of the Dead was composed by Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek.
How long is Land of the Dead?
Land of the Dead has a running time of 97 minutes.
How much did Land of the Dead earn at the box office?
Land of the Dead grossed $47.1 million.
Who distributed Land of the Dead?
Land of the Dead was distributed by Wild Bunch (France, Benelux and French-speaking Switzerland) and Universal Pictures (International).
More in Canadian Dystopian Films
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Land of the Dead (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced