Land of the Dead: Collector's Edition (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Oct 22, 2024
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

George A. Romero

Release Date(s)

2005 (October 15, 2024)

Studio(s)

Universal Pictures (Shout! Studios/Scream Factory)

Film/Program Grade: B
Video Grade: A
Audio Grade: A+
Extras Grade: A

Review

Arriving with a bit of a divide in the horror community back in the summer of 2005, George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead was a film that fans had been waiting for since 1985 once Day of the Dead had closed out the original Dead trilogy. After many years of George trying to get the next film made with various independent and studio entities, Universal Pictures finally gave him the funds necessary to make it, but with some fail-safes in place. It would have to be rated R and it had to have some familiar faces in it, both of which weren’t necessities in the original three films. Domestically, it managed to make its budget back theatrically with a little to spare, but it wasn’t very successful upon its initial release.

While Land of the Dead certainly has its share of flaws, one can’t help but admire George’s vision and his scope for the project. Basically taking a slice of what was going on at the time in a post-911 world, including both social and political commentary, and adding in elements that he wasn’t able to use in Day of the Dead, it’s a film that’s distinctly his, but only slightly hampered by outside influences. The use of CGI, for example, which he was on record at one point as saying he wasn’t particularly in favor of using in his work. While some of the CGI isn’t that intrusive, using it primarily for augmentation mixed with KNB EFX Group’s glorious practical gore and special effects, there are times when it sticks out poorly and isn’t all that effective. It’s also a glossier film than any of the previous films with an aggressively-mixed soundtrack. In other words, it’s clear that it was produced by a major Hollywood studio, yet still feels very much like a George A. Romero film.

Judging Land of the Dead of its own merits today, especially now that George is no longer with us and most of his filmography is more heralded than it ever was when he was alive, it’s still a must watch. It’s a different take, like all of his Dead films post-Day, but you can’t really stack it up against the three films before it. One tends to forget that even in its day, Day of the Dead was not well-received, but is now considered by most fans to be a masterpiece, inspiring The Walking Dead more than its makers would like to admit out loud. Land is also interesting in that it’s the only time that George ever made a Dead film through a studio system.

For me personally, I enjoy the film’s characters, the story, the overall pace, and the practical effects while forgiving its shortcomings. Even when I originally saw it in theaters, I knew that Land of the Dead was going to be a film with legs, and time has proven me correct.

Land of the Dead was shot by cinematographer Mirosław Baszak on a combination of Super 35mm film (Kodak Vision 2383 and Fuji Eterna-CP 3513DI) and 16mm film (LPP flat stock) using Arricam ST and Moviecam Compact cameras and anamorphic lenses, finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Scream Factory debuts the film in a Collector’s Edition Ultra HD package with new 4K restorations of the unrated (formerly and erroneously titled the “director’s cut”) and theatrical versions from the original camera negative, graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and presented on a triple-layered BD100 disc. However, only the unrated version has been included on UHD, which is the only real flaw of this release. The picture quality easily outdoes its predecessors with a dark, dynamic presentation. Excellent compression is supported by bitrates that primarily sit between 80 and 100Mbps, and the leap in fine detail is tremendous, especially in the shadows. A fine sheen of film grain is on display, tight and never chunky in appearance. The very stylized color palette is also represented weel with deep blues, browns, and reds. The HDR grades boost these hues and others enormously, while also improving contrast, especially in Dolby Vision. The CGI, which is likely upscaled in 2K, stands out during certain moments, though its tends to blend a little better than before. Thankfully, these moments are few and far between. The overall image is natural to its source, with a crisp, stable, and clean presentation. It’s hard to imagine the film looking much better than this.

Audio includes a new Dolby Atmos track, which is 7.1 Dolby TrueHD compatible, as well as the previous English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. Optional subtitles in English SDH are included, as well. While the 5.1 and 2.0 options still offer robust experiences in their own right, the new Atmos track squeaks far ahead of them, especially in the height channels where some of the more sonically-charged moments are given more space to move around in. Dialogue is king, but enough attention is given to the staging and panning of sound effects, as well as the score, with plenty of bass for good measure. For my money, it’s the go-to option when watching this release.

The unrated version of Land of the Dead on 4K Ultra HD sits in a black Amaray case alongside 2 1080p Blu-rays containing the unrated and theatrical versions (both sourced from the same new restoration), with an insert and a slipcover featuring one of the film’s theatrical posters. The following extras are included on each disc:

DISC ONE (UHD – UNRATED)

Audio Commentary with George A. Romero, Peter Grunwald, and Michael Doherty
Audio Commentary with Matt Blazi, Glena Chao, Michael Felsher, and Rob Mayr

DISC TWO (BD – UNRATED)

Audio Commentary with George A. Romero, Peter Grunwald, and Michael Doherty
Audio Commentary with Matt Blazi, Glena Chao, Michael Felsher, and Rob Mayr
Undead Again: The Making of Land of the Dead (Upscaled SD – 12:55)
Bringing the Dead to Life (Upscaled SD – 9:29)
Scenes of Carnage (Upscaled SD – 1:42)
Zombie Effects: From Green Screen to Finished Scene (Upscaled SD – 3:17)
Scream Tests: CGI Test (Upscaled SD – 1:03)
Storyboards and Final Scenes (Upscaled SD – 7:54)
A Day with the Living Dead (Upscaled SD – 7:33)
When Shaun Met George with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright (Upscaled SD – 12:58)

DISC THREE (BD – THEATRICAL)

Cholo’s Reckoning with John Leguizamo (HD – 15:36)
Charlie’s Story with Robert Joy (HD – 15:05)
The Pillsbury Factor with Pedro Miguel Arce (HD – 17:28)
Four of the Apocalypse: The Zombies of Land of the Dead (HD – 18:50)
Dream of the Dead: The Making of George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead – The Director’s Cut with Optional Commentary by Roy Frumkes (SD – 24:31)
Deleted Footage from Dream of the Dead (SD – 18:02)
Deleted Scenes (HD – 6 in all – 2:55)
Photo Gallery (HD – 109 in all – 9:12)
Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:46)

All of the extras from previous releases of the film have been included. Discs one and two contain two audio commentaries; one with George A. Romero, producer Peter Grunwald, and editor Michael Doherty, and the other with “zombie performers” Matt Blazi, Glena Chao, Michael Felsher, and Rob Mayr. Disc two also includes the vintage DVD bonus materials, including the making-of featurettes Undead Again and Bringing the Dead to Life; a Scenes of Carnage gore montage; the Zombie Effects: From Green Screen to Finished Scene montage; the oddball Scream Tests: CGI Test; the Storyboards and Final Scenes split-screen comparison; A Day with the Living Dead, hosted by John Leguizamo; and the When Shaun Met George with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright featurette. It’s worth noting that the Undead Again, Bringing the Dead to Life, and A Day with the Living Dead were all a part of the picture-in-picture experience on Universal’s original Blu-ray release of the film, but are presented here as they were on DVD and HD-DVD. Disc three contains several interviews conducted by Red Shirt Pictures, as well as other extras. Cholo’s Reckoning interviews John Leguizamo; Charlie’s Story interviews actor Robert Joy; The Pillsbury Factor interviews actor Pedro Miguel Arce; and Four of the Apocalypse interviews actors Eugene Clark, Jennifer Baxter, Boyd Banks, and Jasmin Geljo. Also included is the Director's Cut of Dream of the Dead, an IFC TV special about the film with optional audio commentary by director Roy Frumkes, as well as Deleted Footage from Dream of the Dead; a set of 6 Deleted Scenes (titled The Remaining Bits on some releases); a Photo Gallery containing 109 stills of on-set photography, behind-the-scenes photos, posters, a press book, and lobby cards; and finally, the film’s theatrical trailer. The brief tribute to George, who had passed three months prior to Scream Factory’s previous Blu-ray release, is not included.

While it’s a shame that Scream Factory has neglected to include the theatrical version of Land of the Dead in 4K, most fans will be more than pleased with the quality of the unrated version. Though one wouldn’t mind someday seeing Red Shirt Pictures or another similar production company do a full documentary on the history and making of the film, the current extras package offers plenty of material for now. If you’re a fan of the film or of George, this is well worth the upgrade. Highly recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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