"Dawn of the Dead" - A

George A. Romero's 1978 classic "Dawn of the Dead" is a masterful achievement, and I say that without any qualifiers needed.

This movie has everything hitting on all cylinders — zombies, menace, post-apocalyptic imagery, social commentary, Tom Savini and a bunch of people having free run of an otherwise empty mall. What more could you ask for?

This fiercely independent movie set the standard for horror production with it's often-imitated, never-truly-duplicated manner of story telling. Just about everything you see here has been tried time and again by others in horror and non-horror films alike.

There are so many variations of DVD releases for this title, but it doesn't matter which one you get your hands on this season — just get this movie. Your scary bone will thank you for it.

Grade: A (one of my hands-down, all-time favorites ... )

UPDATE: Of all the sub threads of devotion to "Dawn of the Dead," one of the more interesting is the pilgrimage to the mall featured in the movie. Apparently, the mall still exists and operates as a center of retail commerce in Monroeville, Pa.

Here is a fan site dedicated to preserving memories of the mall as shopping center and movie set.